How would I go about determining whether my front fork's rebound is too fast, too slow, or just right? Is there a rule-of-thumb to go by, or is it just by feel?
how do you decide the rebounds is too quick/too slow?
mrmattolsen
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How would I go about determining whether my front fork's rebound is too fast, too slow, or just right? Is there a rule-of-thumb to go by, or is it just by feel?
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Push down on the fork and then let it extend as quickly as possible. Add 2 clicks of rebound, push down and release, add 2 clicks, repeat until you see the fork extending slower than full speed. Then back off 1-2 clicks until it extends at full speed again. That is the ideal rebound setting - as much damping as possible without slowing down extension. Any slower and it will pack down on multiple hits, any faster and you lose traction on choppy corners.
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That's not the way to setup rebound. Many dampers have speed sensitive rebound damping and you will feel proper rebound damping settings on the trail, not on a parking lot test. A speed sensitive rebound damper may feel slow on the parking lot/push test but quick when riding.watermoccasin said:
Rebound is affected by preferences. European riders tend to like slower rebounds for example.
Go out to ride and adjust rebound in middle position. Then start to adjust it quicker or slower until you feel the front end planted, keeping traction through most (if not all) the riding surfaces and not throwing your hands when performing a drop/jump.
General tips: too fast (less rebound damping) and you will feel the front end extending too quickly, maybe producing top out after impacts and lack of control. Too slow and it will pack up and feel like the front wheel wants to tuck under while cornering.
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Follow THIS advice! You can't tune a fork by pushing down on it; even the curb test hasn't produced solid rebound settings for me compared to actual mtb use. Bracketing is the best way - turn two clicks at a time until it starts feeling better then back one click until it feels spot on.tacubaya said:
Have FUN!
G MAN
I agree small incremental changes from a mid position will get you where you need but if you really want to feel / learn the effects of rebound go to extremes. Run it wide open then fully closed on a back to back run - this is a good way for someone new to suspension tuning to know what fast / slow feel like.
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Hmm, that's right, PUSH's rebound dampers click for the Pike and my stock Lyrik does as well but a lot don't including the stock Pike and my Boxxer Team! Then I guess be aggressive with your initial adjustments until you get close, then back off some.One Pivot said:
Cheers,
G
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Good info. Thanks
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My way works very well. The stationary test simulates a medium-speed impact, which works just fine with SSV. I have tuned several friends' suspension for them (usually on the trail at Whistler) and they were amazed at how much better it felt. Your way works too, it just takes longer because you're starting from an arbitrary point instead of one that is within a few clicks of "personal preference."tacubaya said:
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SSV as Marzocchi's SSV? That is a port orifice rebound damper... that's why your push test is a good starting point. In a Marzocchi, you can completely close rebound port and it will take like fricking 10 seconds to return to full extension. Try that with a Rock Shox Dual Flow rebound damper...watermoccasin said:
Your way might seem like it works well but I assure you it does not. A parking lot push test is nothing like riding on a real trail, especially if the bike is a full suspension. There are other things like weight distribution through corners and descending that your "method" can't take into account. Even though some people on this thread are confusing the speed in speed sensitive valving for bike speed, your technique doesn't replicate a wide enough variety of shaft speeds to make the foundation for a decent setup. I'm embarrassed for you.
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the idea behind speed sensitive valving is that you set it for one speed, and it works for all. unless you have a LSR/HSR adjustable circuit, which i havent seen in any fork. at best you're guessing when setting rebound.
its not rocket science. go ahead and set it in the parking lot. if it feels like crap, obviously change it. its going to take more than a few rides to set rebound anyway. the better rebound dampers cover a wider range of and are easier to set. getting a crappy port orifice damper set takes more time, its a bigger compromise.
its not rocket science. go ahead and set it in the parking lot. if it feels like crap, obviously change it. its going to take more than a few rides to set rebound anyway. the better rebound dampers cover a wider range of and are easier to set. getting a crappy port orifice damper set takes more time, its a bigger compromise.
OP doesn't say what fork it is. Not all forks have a speed-sensitive rebound, although now I wouldn't buy a fork without it.
My comments here are for general trail riding.
If speed-sensitive, then I've noticed that you need to keep going until you really feel like the front wheel is starting to glue to the ground. There is a distinct point in the rebound settings where this starts to happen. The front of the bike is less lively. You can't push off the ground as easily, but you get loads of grip. You need to find the right balance in this transition area between grip and liveliness. The speed-sensitive circuit means you don't face the big problems of the fork packing down.
If you don't have a speed sensitive rebound circuit, the appropriate rebound setting is much more a compromise. Again, I want to achieve decent grip out of the fork, so I have found running round on loose flat corners gives me an idea of grip. Starting with the rebound too fast, the front end is vague and washes out. Keep bracketing the rebound setting until the front end starts working a little and then appreciate that you have a very narrow set of options around a sweet spot. If you go too far, the fork will be harsh on successive bumps meaning it is packing down.
My comments here are for general trail riding.
If speed-sensitive, then I've noticed that you need to keep going until you really feel like the front wheel is starting to glue to the ground. There is a distinct point in the rebound settings where this starts to happen. The front of the bike is less lively. You can't push off the ground as easily, but you get loads of grip. You need to find the right balance in this transition area between grip and liveliness. The speed-sensitive circuit means you don't face the big problems of the fork packing down.
If you don't have a speed sensitive rebound circuit, the appropriate rebound setting is much more a compromise. Again, I want to achieve decent grip out of the fork, so I have found running round on loose flat corners gives me an idea of grip. Starting with the rebound too fast, the front end is vague and washes out. Keep bracketing the rebound setting until the front end starts working a little and then appreciate that you have a very narrow set of options around a sweet spot. If you go too far, the fork will be harsh on successive bumps meaning it is packing down.
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Put simply:
If it kicks back, then it's probably too fast.
If it packs up and feels dead, then it's probably too slow.
The faster you ride, the faster your rebound has to be.
If you have an orifice rebound damper, then you have to strike a compromise between a fork that wallows and a fork that packs up. Your damper is incapable of providing both low speed control and following the ground at pace.
If it kicks back, then it's probably too fast.
If it packs up and feels dead, then it's probably too slow.
The faster you ride, the faster your rebound has to be.
If you have an orifice rebound damper, then you have to strike a compromise between a fork that wallows and a fork that packs up. Your damper is incapable of providing both low speed control and following the ground at pace.
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