I have been racing for 2 years, and Im still unsure of how to setup the fork and rear shock. Do I go by sag or put more air in than usual. Fork setup is confusing with psi in the fork ,rebound,low speed compression etc.... I also cant decide if I should run with the pro pedal on or off. Which is more beneficial, full open or pro pedal??? Any tips would help.
Suspension setup ?'s
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I believe the best way to setup suspension is with measured sag. Look up the manuals for your suspension shocks and see what they recommend. I remember my old fox fork had recommended sag numbers for riding type (XC, plush, etc.). Putting a zip tie around the fork leg really helps get the measurements correct.
Rear shock sag is really a function of the frame though, so you will have to look at recommendations from the bike manual. I really like the old GT I-drive that came with a plastic caliper to measure sag per the shock mounts. That was nice. You just sat on the bike, and see if the caliper aligned with the mounts. You added or subtracted air till it aligned.
As far as rebound and compression, I like to go to the middle of the range as a starting point, and move up or down from there. The middle seems to work well most times.
My new bike came with a lefty fork. Rode it for a few months and it was ramming my hands pretty bad. Then a friend showed me the rebound adjustment. Turns out i had it at one end of the range. We set it to the middle and now it rides like a dream. I've never downhilled faster in my life.
As far as propedal, that seems to be a function of the bike. I have a Giant Anthem and the difference between pro-pedal and having it off is minimal. So it's not worth reaching down to turn it on, IMO. The only time I can tell a difference is on pavement.
Rear shock sag is really a function of the frame though, so you will have to look at recommendations from the bike manual. I really like the old GT I-drive that came with a plastic caliper to measure sag per the shock mounts. That was nice. You just sat on the bike, and see if the caliper aligned with the mounts. You added or subtracted air till it aligned.
As far as rebound and compression, I like to go to the middle of the range as a starting point, and move up or down from there. The middle seems to work well most times.
My new bike came with a lefty fork. Rode it for a few months and it was ramming my hands pretty bad. Then a friend showed me the rebound adjustment. Turns out i had it at one end of the range. We set it to the middle and now it rides like a dream. I've never downhilled faster in my life.
As far as propedal, that seems to be a function of the bike. I have a Giant Anthem and the difference between pro-pedal and having it off is minimal. So it's not worth reaching down to turn it on, IMO. The only time I can tell a difference is on pavement.
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Likely the only time you want Pro Pedal off on your Yeti is if you're bombing downhills, as long as you're pedaling you want Pro Pedal on.
But don't confuse rear suspension movement for bob, the whole point of rear suspension is to have the rear wheel stick to the ground and it does that by responding to small bumps. A good rear suspension design drives the wheel down into the dirt (which is why you want that 25% sag, so it has some range to do that) as well as traveling upward. So the rear suspension should move while you're pedaling off road, but it shouldn't mush out with each pedal stroke (that's bob).
But don't confuse rear suspension movement for bob, the whole point of rear suspension is to have the rear wheel stick to the ground and it does that by responding to small bumps. A good rear suspension design drives the wheel down into the dirt (which is why you want that 25% sag, so it has some range to do that) as well as traveling upward. So the rear suspension should move while you're pedaling off road, but it shouldn't mush out with each pedal stroke (that's bob).
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We might be talking about two different things.
1. Pro Pedal Off
2. Pro Pedal On - with pro pedal adjustment
This article seems pretty good for explaining rear shock adjustments:
Pro-Pedal | Norco's Blog
For the Anthem, I have the propedal on high. Since i only use propedal on pavement, then I might as well have it as stiff as possible.
If you are going to have propedal on during off-road climbs, then you may want to loosen it a bit.
On rough terrain climbs, pro-pedal off is a lot more efficient than having it on, IMO. Keeps your body from moving so much while pedaling. But it really is a function of personal preference and bike frame.
1. Pro Pedal Off
2. Pro Pedal On - with pro pedal adjustment
This article seems pretty good for explaining rear shock adjustments:
Pro-Pedal | Norco's Blog
For the Anthem, I have the propedal on high. Since i only use propedal on pavement, then I might as well have it as stiff as possible.
If you are going to have propedal on during off-road climbs, then you may want to loosen it a bit.
On rough terrain climbs, pro-pedal off is a lot more efficient than having it on, IMO. Keeps your body from moving so much while pedaling. But it really is a function of personal preference and bike frame.
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This is a setup guide I copied and pasted from another site that explains the procedure for setting the rebound damping on your fork and rear shock.
http://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=7721006&postcount=479
The amount of propedal to use depends upon your bike and the terrain that you're riding. Some rear shocks like the Fox RP23 offer multiple propedal settings. If the terrain is very bumpy, and you're struggling for grip, then you want less propedal so that your rear suspension is as active as possible in order to maximise both traction and comfort.
If it's a smooth route with a lot of pedalling then suspension performance becomes less important. A rear suspension setup with maximum propedal and an over pressured shock (adding extra air pressure above the recommended settings to make the rear suspension less active) so that the bike pedals well works better in that situation.
http://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=7721006&postcount=479
The amount of propedal to use depends upon your bike and the terrain that you're riding. Some rear shocks like the Fox RP23 offer multiple propedal settings. If the terrain is very bumpy, and you're struggling for grip, then you want less propedal so that your rear suspension is as active as possible in order to maximise both traction and comfort.
If it's a smooth route with a lot of pedalling then suspension performance becomes less important. A rear suspension setup with maximum propedal and an over pressured shock (adding extra air pressure above the recommended settings to make the rear suspension less active) so that the bike pedals well works better in that situation.
Suspensions are designed (in general) to pedal best at the recommended sag. Adding additional air pressure will reduce ride quality and may not do squat for pedaling efficiency. Your mileage may vary.. A rear suspension setup with maximum propedal and an over pressured shock (adding extra air pressure above the recommended settings to make the rear suspension less active) so that the bike pedals well works better in that situation.
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If you look at rear shocks like the Fox RP2 they don't have a lockout lever or multiple levels of propedal available. Adjusting the air pressure is about all you can do to try and address pedal bob.
When a full suspension bike doesn't pedal that well you can just keep adding air pressure to the rear shock, up to the point that it's basically a hardtail. The rear suspension won't be very active (or get anywhere near full travel) but the bike will pedal much better with very little bob. It's a workaround for specific situations where pedalling is the priority, rather than a day to day setup.
I had an old shock that I had did this with. It was pumped up so much that it was pretty much a hard tail on most of the trail but would take up some of the rough terrain on bumpy downhills.If you look at rear shocks like the Fox RP2 they don't have a lockout lever or multiple levels of propedal available. Adjusting the air pressure is about all you can do to try and address pedal bob.
When a full suspension bike doesn't pedal that well you can just keep adding air pressure to the rear shock, up to the point that it's basically a hardtail. The rear suspension won't be very active (or get anywhere near full travel) but the bike will pedal much better with very little bob. It's a workaround for specific situations where pedalling is the priority, rather than a day to day setup.
My current RP23 is much better, but I wish it would handle hammering better without bob. Maybe a call to PUSH is in order... maybe what I really need is a hard tail also.
Once you get the spring rate hammered out set the rebound. I set mine by finding a 2' or so wide pothole or rut with square edges, at least 4 inches deep. Ride a wheelie through it seated and hold the wheelie past the rut. If you get bounced out of the saddle, add rebound. If you don't reduce it. I do this a couple of times to bracket the rebound. Use the least rebound damping that still keeps you from getting bucked.
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