How to adjust your mountain bike shock absorber?

How to adjust your mountain bike shock absorber?

With new developments and technologies, it's becoming easier and easier to adjust the shock absorber yourself.MTB shock absorber. Here's how.

To begin with, you need to adjust the SAG (the amount of sag in a suspension when the rider is on the static bike in the riding position). or static sag. Adjust the air pressure in your suspension so that it settles between 10 and 20% for Rando/Cross-country or 25 and 30% for All-Mountain/Enduro. If you're doing Freeride/DH, it's 30 to 35%. If you have a coil spring system, you'll need to replace it with a suitable model to obtain the correct SAG setting.

Then adjust the compression and rebound screws in the middle, and test the behavior on varied terrain you know well.

How to interpret shock absorber behavior?

  • If you're not using the full travel, there's a problem. Either the air pressure is too high (or the spring too hard) or the compression is too closed.
    If the SAG setting is correct, first try opening the compression a little (unscrewing) before switching to a higher SAG.
  • The suspension seems very supple throughout the travel, but you often come to a stop?
    If the SAG setting was correct, try closing the compression a little before switching to a lower SAG.
  • Does the suspension sag too quickly at first, but without bottoming out?
    If you have a preload/release/start-of-stroke setting, close it. If not, you can add a little air.
  • The suspension is hard at the start of travel, but you're still using the full travel?
    If you have a preload/release/stroke start setting, open it. If not, you can lower the air pressure a little.
  • When you take a very rough road, the first few meters seem to be well managed by the suspension, but then you have the impression that the grip is generally not there?
    Open the trigger a little.
  • Despite SAG and rebound settings that seem good, the suspension remains hard, especially when you're going fast?
    Open up the compression a little.
  • The suspension seems to return too quickly after a shock, as if it were bouncing back, and grip is poor on rough roads?
    Close the trigger.

    Découvrez tous nos conseils & Tutoriels

    ATV - Shock absorbers

    View all