setting fork sag

[daviB]

Curious if i should use the suggested fork travel for sag percentage, or bottom fork out to get a "real" travel length.
Never had to set sag on a bike a bike before, so coming to this with an open mind.
DaviB

[trailgumby]

The short answer is, yes you most definitely should. I use % of *available* travel.

For rebound damping, if you're going to err it is safer to err on the fast side for the front, as it's your control tyre. You don't want it spending time in the air when it should be on the dirt, and you don't want it packing down over stutter bumps. Going OTB at speed is not fun and can result in a trip to hospital.

[janus77]

I'm in the process of setting up a dual suspension bike for the first time myself. There are plenty of video's online regarding setup, best to go with one of them.. there's on of the Fox site which is quite good.

My research indicates the best option is to go with the 20% +/- sag to start, with the rebound fairly fast, and then fine tune from there if you need to.

What grates on me at the moment is that you have to set the forks and shocks to pressure depending on your weight, riding style, and the leverage of the frame/shock, but the shrader valves release some pressure when you screw them on and off, so it's tough to get an accurate reading. Someone must have designed one which doesn't release pressure going on and off by now?

[ando_assi]

remember + usually means more rebound dampening not faster!

I fall for that all the time!!

[daviB]

OK good to use the "available" travel, but should I bleed air to bottom forks right out?

[alchemist]

What forks have you got?

But as suggested above 20% sag is generally a good point to start from.

[HAKS]

What grates on me at the moment is that you have to set the forks and shocks to pressure depending on your weight, riding style, and the leverage of the frame/shock, but the shrader valves release some pressure when you screw them on and off, so it's tough to get an accurate reading. Someone must have designed one which doesn't release pressure going on and off by now?

I've got a Topeak shock pump which has 2 screw systems yet still leaks. Got a Giant pump last week with the missus new dualie and it works a lot better then the topeak one yet only has one screw system!

[buster]

What grates on me at the moment is that you have to set the forks and shocks to pressure depending on your weight, riding style, and the leverage of the frame/shock, but the shrader valves release some pressure when you screw them on and off, so it's tough to get an accurate reading. Someone must have designed one which doesn't release pressure going on and off by now?

I think you'll find that the air escaping is the air in the hose of the shock pump, not air coming out of the shock via the shrader.
Also, when you screw the hose on to the shock, the hose pressurises from the air in the shock, thus increasing the air chamber volume and thereby lowering the pressure.