Fools with Tools, Ep. 6 Pt. 1: Basic Suspension Set Up
Your favorite duo is back again tackling another topic: Suspension set up. We need it, we love it, but how do we tune it to fit us just right? Well, don't worry because we'll cover that and more in this episode of Fools with Tools, including how to set your fork and rear shock sag. And, stay tuned for Part 2, where we're hit the trail to show you how to dial in your compression and rebound settings.
How to Set Fork Sag
Tools Used:
- Find a friend and a shock pump. Setting sag is much easier with another person, but with a little patience you can also do it alone using a wall or something to steady yourself.
- Set the fork to the recommended pressure based on weight of rider, being sure to factor in the weight of their gear. Most forks have a recommended air chart to get a baseline pressure reading. If there is no chart on your fork, a good place to start is to set the PSI to the equivalent of half of the rider's body weight.
- As you inflate, it is important to cycle the suspension every so often (10-15 pumps or 20ish PSI) to equalize the air chambers. Doing this continuously as you inflate is easier and more efficient than once or twice at the end of inflation.
- With someone holding the bike upright, or leaning on a wall/sturdy object for support, get on the bike with both feet placed on the pedals. Then just push up and down on the suspension to cycle it.
- After cycling through a few times come to a stop and get into a neutral standing position on the bike.
- Now, being careful not to compress the suspension further, lower the sag ring down to the lowers. **this is where a friend could be very useful in doing this while you hold your position**
- Slowly and carefully get off the bike without compressing the suspension.
- Measure the distance from where the sag ring is sitting on the leg to the full length of exposed fork tube. The total distance should be between 15% and 20% depending on if you want a stiffer or softer ride.
- Repeat steps 3-8 until you achieve the feel/percent sag you want.
How to Set Rear Shock Sag
Tools Used:
- Find a friend and a shock pump. Setting sag is a much easier progress with another person, but with a little patience you can totally do it alone as well using a wall or something to steady yourself on.
- Typically, shocks don’t come with a recommended air pressure chart. Some companies list that information online for baseline pressures, but unfortunately, most do not. With this in mind, the average shock pressure is the riders body weight with gear +/- 10%.
Example: A 200lb rider would likely have a shock pressure between 180 PSI and 220 PSI. - As you inflate, it is important to also cycle the suspension every so often (10-15 pumps or 20ish PSI) to equalize the air chambers. Doing this continuously as you inflate is easier and more efficient than once or twice at the end of inflation.
- With someone holding the bike upright, or leaning on a wall/sturdy object for support, get on the bike with both feet placed on the pedals. Then just push up and down on the suspension to cycle it.
- After cycling through a few times come to a stop and get into a neutral standing position on the bike.
- Now, being careful not to compress the suspension further, lower the sag ring up/down to make contact with the wiper of the shock. **this is where a friend could be very useful in doing this while you hold your position**
- Slowly and carefully get off the bike without compressing the suspension.
- Measure the distance the sag ring is sitting on the stanchion of the shock in comparison to the overall stroke of the shock. The total distance should be between 25% and 35% depending on if you want a stiffer or softer ride
- Repeat steps 3-8 until you achieve the feel/percent sag you want.