[Devastazione]

Based on my weight( 170 lbs/77 kg) my shock should be at 210 psi,rebound at 2 to 5 clicks from full return and Brain at 0 to 3 clicks from full firm.

Ok,now these are my settings : shock at 210 psi,rebound at 0( I like it bouncy on my AM rigs) and Brain at 5 clicks from full open.
So,since I've followed Specialized's instructions at least about shock pressure is it something wrong to keep rebound and Brain like that ??

I've tried the suggested settings but the bike turns into a rocks and ditches-sucking machine only with consistent speed and rough terrain,while with my settings I love the pillow like comfort and security on every terrain and descent. Bob pedalling on flat stuff is not that compromised aswell

Also it seemed today that both shock and Brain completed a sort of break-in period. Brain made a couple of "clack" sounds(while on Specialized settings) an the shock seemed a lot more smooth in it's compression.


Thanks for any imputs

Cheers from Italy,
Andrew

 

[GTR2ebike]

Based on my weight( 170 lbs/77 kg) my shock should be at 210 psi,rebound at 2 to 5 clicks from full return and Brain at 0 to 3 clicks from full firm.

I thought the only time specialized suggested 0-3 clicks from full firm was for "xc race" or road riding

 

[Devastazione]

I thought the only time specialized suggested 0-3 clicks from full firm was for "xc race"

They say :

full race/uphill from 0 to 2 clicks from full firm

trail ride ( my style) from 0 to 3 clicks

downhill/rough trail full open.

 

[WR304]

You should use whatever brain platform setting feels best for you. With a brain setting of five clicks from full soft then the brain platform on your shock is hardly going to be noticeable. The shock will be active even over smaller bumps.

The amount of brain platform you use is very much personal preference. There's no "wrong" setting for the brain as hitting a bump will open the brain's flow ports. Once the brain is open and the shock is active then the shock will work the same whether the brain is on full firm or adjusted to a softer setting.

Air pressure is different because that affects the spring rate of the shock. You want to get that right. If it's too low then you'll end up bottoming the shock all the time. If it's too high then the shock will feel harsh and not reach full travel.

A rebound setting of full fast is something to think about. I'd consider experimenting with different settings. A shock with some rebound damping will perform much better than an undamped shock in most situations as the bike won't kick back so much. An undamped shock will respond to bumps by springing back quickly in an uncontrolled manner. Over repeated bumps in particular a properly damped shock will feel much more composed as the rear wheel tracks the ground better.

This is a suspension setup guide about how to test and setup your rebound damping that I copied and pasted from another site.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=7721006&postcount=479

.

 

[TheBikeMechanic]

Wr304 +1

 

[MarinaMilitare]

You should use whatever brain platform setting feels best for you. With a brain setting of five clicks from full soft then the brain platform on your shock is hardly going to be noticeable. The shock will be active even over smaller bumps.

The amount of brain platform you use is very much personal preference. There's no "wrong" setting for the brain as hitting a bump will open the brain's flow ports. Once the brain is open and the shock is active then the shock will work the same whether the brain is on full firm or adjusted to a softer setting.

Air pressure is different because that affects the spring rate of the shock. You want to get that right. If it's too low then you'll end up bottoming the shock all the time. If it's too high then the shock will feel harsh and not reach full travel.

A rebound setting of full fast is something to think about. I'd consider experimenting with different settings. A shock with some rebound damping will perform much better than an undamped shock in most situations as the bike won't kick back so much. An undamped shock will respond to bumps by springing back quickly in an uncontrolled manner. Over repeated bumps in particular a properly damped shock will feel much more composed as the rear wheel tracks the ground better.

This is a suspension setup guide about how to test and setup your rebound damping that I copied and pasted from another site.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=7721006&postcount=479

.

Good info ! Thanks for that as well Agree that the pressure setting should be pretty spot on as it is rather key, and then you can play around with brain and rebound for personal preference.

Incidentally, maybe its just because its new but my back sus looses a lot of pressure after an hour ride. I set mine at 200psi and when i come back its around 160 or so. I defo have to be pretty meticulous on checking it before every ride

 

[kingbozo]

Good info ! Thanks for that as well Agree that the pressure setting should be pretty spot on as it is rather key, and then you can play around with brain and rebound for personal preference.

Incidentally, maybe its just because its new but my back sus looses a lot of pressure after an hour ride. I set mine at 200psi and when i come back its around 160 or so. I defo have to be pretty meticulous on checking it before every ride

Every time you connect your shock pump you will see a drop in pressure because you are in effect increasing the volume of the air can. That being said, I don't think that drop would be 40psi

 

[Glide the Clyde]

Ride it however you feel comfortable and have the most control. I think at least a couple clicks of rebound are better than none as it slows the rebound speed to avoid the catapult or pogo feel but still gives some pillowy feel, but to each his own.

 

[Hawgzilla]

I set my '09 Epic brain at 6 clicks out from full firm. It doesn't bob at all and it reacts to bumps nicely.

 

[TheBikeMechanic]

Try tightening the valve core a touch, it's either that or the air can that's loose....

 

[WR304]

Incidentally, maybe its just because its new but my back sus looses a lot of pressure after an hour ride. I set mine at 200psi and when i come back its around 160 or so. I defo have to be pretty meticulous on checking it before every ride.

You can check if the pressure loss is due to pump drop by pumping up the shock to your normal starting pressure. You then disconnect and immediately reconnect the shock pump again. The displayed pressure when you reconnect the pump will be lower as some of the air from the shock has pressurised the gauge. The difference between the starting pressure and displayed air pressure on the gauge is your pump drop.

Using a Fox shock pump, the pump drop on my 2010 Epic mini brain rear shock is roughly 17-18psi (170psi to just over 150psi).

Shocks with a smaller air volume have greater pump drop than shocks with a larger air volume. My rear shock with the Fox shock pump has a pump drop of 17-18psi whilst the fork with its larger air chamber only drops 5psi for example. Different shock pumps will affect this figure also.

An air shock shouldn't leak from new. There's no break in process where the shock starts off leaking and improves over time. If the displayed air pressure is significantly lower than the pump drop figure after the bike has been ridden then the shock may be losing air. An air shock that is working properly and not leaking won't need pumping up very often.