Five minutes to better suspension: Get faster by dialling in your MTB properly
If you’re jumping on a new bike or you need to make an adjustment while your friends are waiting, these steps will get you on the trail quickly.
by Steve Martins
Finding a perfect set up for your mountain bike suspension is a process that can take lots of time. If you’re jumping on a new bike, however, or you need to make an adjustment while your friends are waiting, these steps will get you on the trail quickly.
First, make sure your tires are inflated to riding pressure. With your riding gear on, jump on the bike. At a slow roll, compress the front and rear shock. Next, while still rolling, distribute your weight on the bike to your normal riding position in the saddle. Reach down and slide the rubber ring on the shock or fork toward the canister or body – but don’t shift your weight. Feather your rear brake to come to a near stop, then gingerly step off of the side of the bike without compressing the suspension.
“if you’re trying to achieve 25 per cent sag and your shaft was 80 mm in length, then the rubber ring should be 20 mm from the seal. If it’s too high or too low, adjust the shock’s air pressure.”
Most designs work best with sag set at 25–30 per cent. Sag is the amount the suspension compresses with your static weight on the bike. Some designs, such as Virtual Pivot Point or DW-Link, work best with at least 30 per cent sag. If your suspension has either ProPedal (Fox) or Floodgate (Rockshox) and you think you’ll be riding with that feature enabled, make sure that it’s on when dialling in your suspension.
Once you’ve stepped off of the bike, calculate sag by using a ruler to measure the distance from the fork or shock seal (body) to the rubber ring and then the entire shaft of your shock or fork (the tube that the rubber ring slides on). The first measurement should be the appropriate percentage of the second measurement. For example, if you’re trying to achieve 25 per cent sag and your shaft was 80 mm in length, then the rubber ring should be 20 mm from the seal. If it’s too high or too low, adjust the shock’s air pressure.
Adjusting your suspension’s rebound damping is also important. This dial can be on the top or bottom of your fork, but it is always labelled clearly. Adjust it so that, when standing beside your bike and compressing the fork, it returns about as fast as you can retract your hands. This is usually a few clicks from the “fast” or “—” labelled on your rebound dial. Adjust your rear shock so that it feels balanced with the fork.
If you’re dealing with coil suspension, then the most that can be done to dial in sag quickly is to adjust the preload dial. Beyond that, the suspension may need firmer or lighter springs.
Steve Martins left a promising teaching career to become a shop rat at Hardcore Bikes in Edmonton and to ride as much as life allows
