Setup

Suspension setup

Half an hour with a shock pump makes a bigger difference than most upgrades. Set the air pressure by sag, then rebound, then compression — one change at a time.

Also known as: setting up suspension, suspension tuning, sag setup

Key facts

Skill level
2/5
Time
30 min
How often
when the bike is new, after a service and when your weight or kit changes
Tools
shock pump, tape measure, notebook or phone

In this order

  1. Start from the chart. Pump the fork and shock to the pressure printed on them or in the manual for your weight in riding gear.
  2. Set the [sag](/wiki/sag). Stand on the bike in the attack position, step off gently and measure: about 20 % of travel at the fork, 25–30 % at the shock.
  3. Set rebound. Start in the middle. Push the bike down hard and let go: it should come back quickly without bouncing or kicking.
  4. Set compression. Start fully open, then add clicks only if the bike dives under braking or wallows in turns.
  5. Ride and write it down. Change one thing at a time on a trail you know, and note every setting.

Reading the bike

  • Harsh bottom-outs on big hits: add a volume spacer before adding pressure.
  • Never using the full travel: remove a spacer or lower the pressure a little.
  • Rear kicks you over jumps: slow the rebound by a click or two.

Related articles

  • Full-suspension bike — A mountain bike with suspension at both ends. The rear shock keeps the back wheel on the ground over roots and rocks, which means more grip, more control and less fatigue.
  • FOX — An American suspension maker founded in 1974 by Bob Fox. Its forks and shocks — recognisable by the gold Kashima Coat — are fitted to mountain bikes of every discipline.
  • Suspension fork — The telescopic front fork that lets the front wheel move up over bumps instead of throwing them into your hands. It is what steers the bike through rough ground.
  • Rear shock — The spring and damper that control the rear wheel of a full-suspension bike. Its tune and setup decide whether the back of the bike grips, pedals and lands well.
  • Pre-ride check — Five minutes before every ride that catch most mechanicals before they happen: tyres, brakes, axles, bars and the drivetrain, checked in one pass around the bike.
  • Sag — How far the suspension compresses under the rider's own weight, standing in the riding position — given as a percentage of travel. The first number to set on any suspension.
  • Suspension travel — How far a wheel can move on its suspension, in millimetres — the first number in any mountain bike's description. More travel absorbs bigger hits; less travel pedals and weighs less.