suspension adjustments
#11
04-10-2008 | 05:15 PM
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,242
From: Keller (DFW), Texas
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RE: suspension adjustments
By Aaron P. Frank
Tweak #1: Adjust your bike's suspension settings to your weight and riding style
Cost: Zero (OK, maybe a beer for the friend who helps you do this)
Benefit: Improved ride quality and road-holding ability
Although many of us wish we weighed 150 pounds (the generic weight most manufacturers use to set stock suspensions), most of us fall to one side of that magic number, requiring a suspension adjustment to ensure that our bike handles properly. Bikes offer varying amounts of adjustability, but most at least have preload adjustment for setting laden sag (the amount the suspension compresses under rider weight) to keep the suspension in the sweet spot during normal riding. The procedure goes like this: Take a measurement with the bike's suspension at full extension (topped out), and then another measurement with you aboard in full regalia. At the front, measure along a fork leg, and at the rear measure between the axle and some convenient bit of bodywork directly above the axle line. The difference in distance from topped-out to laden (by the rider) is the sag. You're shooting for 25mm to 35mm—less for sportier handling, more for increased comfort. Sophisticated bikes also offer adjustments for rebound and/or compression damping. Check your owner's manual for how to make the changes and what the baseline settings should be. Make one change at a time and stop fiddling when the bike feels good to you.
Tweak #1: Adjust your bike's suspension settings to your weight and riding style
Cost: Zero (OK, maybe a beer for the friend who helps you do this)
Benefit: Improved ride quality and road-holding ability
Although many of us wish we weighed 150 pounds (the generic weight most manufacturers use to set stock suspensions), most of us fall to one side of that magic number, requiring a suspension adjustment to ensure that our bike handles properly. Bikes offer varying amounts of adjustability, but most at least have preload adjustment for setting laden sag (the amount the suspension compresses under rider weight) to keep the suspension in the sweet spot during normal riding. The procedure goes like this: Take a measurement with the bike's suspension at full extension (topped out), and then another measurement with you aboard in full regalia. At the front, measure along a fork leg, and at the rear measure between the axle and some convenient bit of bodywork directly above the axle line. The difference in distance from topped-out to laden (by the rider) is the sag. You're shooting for 25mm to 35mm—less for sportier handling, more for increased comfort. Sophisticated bikes also offer adjustments for rebound and/or compression damping. Check your owner's manual for how to make the changes and what the baseline settings should be. Make one change at a time and stop fiddling when the bike feels good to you.
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