Seth, as a father who's kids are switching from BMX to MTB as their primary rides, I want to pass on my thanks. A Dad is meant to be the tech guru for their kids, they come to you for the things in life that thy do not understand. Now I have MTB air suspension covered, so thank you sooooo much. Very very helpful and informative video. Easy to see why "a bike guy on youtube" has almost 700k subscribers. Adam, Melbourne Australia.
it's cool to be able to sit on the couch and have the info spoon-fed to me so I appreciate it too but I mean, it's not like this is difficult info to figure out on your own if you wanted to lol
@@dummkompf yes, usually people can learn from trial and error if they want it, but you know, if "error" means your kids ending up injured, it's better to learn from someone that actually knows the stuff.
Thanks dude! This has got to be the simplest and easiest to understand explanation about suspension setup. I've always just relied on the bike shop to dial everything in for me, and then I just record everything they've done so that I can maintain those settings. Now I feel like I can start playing with those settings without fear of screwing everything up.
Rene G Find the manufacturer's setup guides for your shock and fork model and use the recommended settings for your weight as starting point. Then ride a trail that has a little bit of everything and apply the concepts taught by Seth on this video to better tune your suspension to your preferences and riding style. Make sure you understand what is the effect of every setting and you'll be able to tweak the right settings without much guessing. If you don't really feel what you are doing, go and change one thing at a time go to the maximum and minimum of the range and do a short trail...these big changes will allow you to feel what each setting does. It is good to use full travel (bottom out) a few times on each ride but not feeling a hard hit when reaching full travel (harsh bottom out). No one cane better set your suspension up than you! You will feel rewarded after spending a few long rides tuning your suspension!!!
You forgot to mention that when setting the sag on your fork its best to be on the pedals and in an aggressive riding position or shoulders relatively over the bars. its key for getting proper sag readings.
the compression and rebound settings will still be the same as explained in this video but to change how still your fork is would require ordering new springs with a stiffer spring rate (if your fork company offers them). Also means you cant change how progressive the fork is because springs for bike suspension are inherently linear
As i always say to anybody who ask me about suspension; playing with them is something really important thing if you're looking to grow like a rider for real. Excellent video Seth.
One of the keys for me to understand things that cause me to shut down (because they feel overly technical) is to have it explained to me like I am a 5 year old. Thank you Seth! I really do appreciate this video
I love both your and Clint's channels! You should absolutely do more collaborations together! Two guys making MTB easier to understand and more enjoyable! Or maybe even combine efforts and create a super mega awesome channel!! :)
This week I reduced the pressure in my Rockshox. What a difference! I was a little reluctant to mess with it in the passed but now I have a little more confidence. Thanks again for the great info Seth.
Great video Seth. I took my bike to a suspension specialist and they helped me understand all the different settings. I came out and my bike was way more lively, it felt like a new bike. I totally recommend playing with it even if it feels good, record what it's at and just play with it. You never know it could get better.
Finally a good and basic description of the suspension! It seems so logical it’s embarrassing to ask questions with other riders or bike shop mxs. It’s nice to be able to come here and get some clarification to start playing around. Thanks for the vid!
Sounds like you might have a lower end fork if all you have is pre load. On the nicer coil forks you can replace the spring as well as adjust your rebound and some of them even allowed you to add a small amount of air. You could replace the spring but you might have a pretty tough time finding one for that fork.
jaakko200987654321 I have a Manitou fork. It's let's me change compression and rebound, on the manuel it says that it is also air assisted, but I cannot find where to add or remove air(I guess it is fixed), anyways it rides to firm so I'm ordering a new spring. Any suggestions, I weigh 140lbs. I don't want it too soft as I like to bunny hop and jump gaps. Thanks.
From age 7 to 25, i've been riding all types bicycles. I had a certain amount of knowledge about repairing and unmounting but your videos made me discover more on todays bicycles, functions and hacks. Thank you!
Thanks for the intro to the suspension settings. Gives a nice big picture all at once so one can begin to understand what is going on and what the possibilities are.
Seth. I've recently had to semi-retire my running shoes for a more low impact pursuit, and have recently taken the plunge at a high end hard tail (Whyte 905). I've had mtb's in the past; most recently retiring my GT Aggressor XCR. A totally different kettle of fish! The bike is awesome, but what is equally inspiring are channels like yours and GMBN, et al. I like the way you simplify the techno-babble, and also pick apart the nitty gritty, plus give it to the viewer in layman' terms. I also enjoy watching your projects. Great channel. Keep up the good work dude 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I've been on a rigid fork for 4 years now with no hint of going back to suspension any time soon but man this was an enjoyable watch. Your videos are always very engaging and interesting to learn about new stuff even if I ride 99% skateparks and street. I also find them very relaxing for some odd reason haha. Keep up the good work Seth!
I didn't even know this was a thing... I've only been out on trails for probably a total of 12 times over two years, with real life and mental health getting in the way of going me really getting out there. Before this video I was waaaay too scared to even touch my fork, thinking I'd somehow break it, but after watching this I plan on dicking around with it when the snow goes away! Thanks for all the great content, I'm still a complete novice at mountain biking but thanks to some of your videos I feel more confident in my ability to improve. :D
some guy came in to the bike shop I work at last year. Told me how he kept getting Peddle strikes while climbing. After discussing I found that as he didn't have a lockout he would just turn his rebound all the way open so his fork and rear shock would just sit at the bottum of their travel all the way up. I tried not to laugh so hard. he could benifit from this video for sure.
I like to have my suspension a little bit softer, and have my rebound higher, it makes a really nice feel but if you don’t let it get soft enough it feels like a pogo stick with wheels.
I've been following this channel since 66000 subscribers and remember thinking at the time this guy is awesome. Every things explained so well and he has a real passion for his videos, not like some that just post to keep there income coming in. Thanks for all the great tutorials and info you've given us all, go Seth!
Finally, a suspension set up video that actually makes sense. I'm no longer too scared to fiddle with the forks and probably add some spacers. I'm running the fork at 30% sag but it bottoms out on bigger hits and compresses just a bit too much to preload into jump transitions. Looking forward to the vid on the rear shock.
I just rebuilt my fox 36 float today with new seals/oil and i still need to tune it! The seals had dried, then started leaking on me as i was riding. I thought i was gonna kill my poor 36. This has been very useful. Thanks seth!
Hi Seth. Are these spacers reducing the travel of the fork? For example reduce a 140mm fork to 120mm, if using a 20mm spacer? greetings from Germany, Heidelberg;) Great Videos by the way!
+Mo Weinhart No, they do not reduce the travel. They take up space inside the chamber, so there is less volume. So when you pump up the fork it takes less air to do it. Less air means less compressible gas, which means the fork will get firm quickly as it travels.
This is extremely helpful. I'm about to buy a full suspension and I knew almost none of this. I knew it had the different settings for climbing descending etc and knew I'd need to have to adjusted for my weight. But I didnt know you could dial it in like this.
Seth you are such a great youtuber, you keep you’re videos nice and snappy and very well explained, while also making the video exiting to watch, keep up the good work, I’m loving the berm peak videos at the moment!
Just curious what trail clint did in 2:58, it looks like the Vortex trail but was it the entire thing or just from the qualifier back to the freeride area? I'm down here now and want to see how fast I can ride the same trail, lol.
This is the best explanation of fork settings ive found so far. Just got a new fork with these knobs had no idea, I know understand them thank you so much.
100% THANKS!!!! For years, many years, I thought assumed fork settings was a marketing ploy, I have a set of Rock Sox SID that almost never move, but I never tripped, I love MTB's but I mainly ride on bike trails and ride in the city. I just think mountain bikes look so cool, so do many of my friends but I can't see them actually see many of them going out to the mountain outback to ride either. Thanks, I learned something here!😃
I knew pretty much all of this coming in but thought I'd watch cus i love your vids. I gotta say this has got to be one of the best you have done. Absolutely everything was covered in prefect detail but i didn't feel that any of it was dragging on and the visuals were excellent. Great job Seth, that's why you're the king
My shocks are dirtjump shock so i can't lock mine, all i have is rebound damping and a dial with 7 options which are soft as crap, softish, soft, good, hard, hardish, and hard as crap
Its been 30 years since I really rode a bike and the last time I tried I kept falling down. Still I enjoyed this video. Makes me feel young even if I no longer am. Gone are those mongoose bmx days.
I used to like really slow rebound for doing drops, and big hits, but then I learned to keep it as fast as possible, but as slow as needed for big hits. The whole, "low speed compression/rebound"/"high speed compression/rebound" is a great idea in my opinion, best of both worlds.
Nice one Seth, best explanation I've found on suspension settings. I just botched mine until it rode how I liked (running 2004 marzocchi drop offs with air pump adjustment) which basically means I only ever bottom out on the heaviest of hits. I Didn't realise how unorthodox that was until someone I rode with commented on how 'pingy' it was. Barely any sag with fast compression/rebound, resulting in a very lively front end. I love popping random nollies all over the place and hit stair gaps/wall rides on my way back through the city, so find with the 'correct' amount of sag/rebound compression, the front is a little too slow and wallowy to ride aggressively.
im getting a new bike for my birthday which has all these fancy twisty things like the ones you have shown now i know what they are i can PROPERLY adjust them rather than just turning them and hoping for the best this video has really helped thanks :)
Love your channel man. Was a mtb biker in late 2000’s. Lost it after then. Very informative and educational. I judge a lot of my purchases on your review’s.
Awesome video, man! I am a roadie and always saw all this crazy adjustments on MTB forks which to me were a can of worms. Thanks for explaining it so well. I really liked the part about linear and progressive travel, and also volume spacers. Thanks for the knowledge!
Short and clear video. I'm 1.89 cm, 85 KG, riding a modern trail oriented hardtail with RockShox Sektor RL fork with 15 cm of travel. 3 tokens, 160-170 psi of preload, 25% sag, Rebound is 3 to 6 clicks in and compression is mostly open except for downhils with lot's of braking bumps. I tend to close the compression of 1 to 3 clicks.
Hi seth this is ron from the philippines im always watching your blog and clint and your other friend with the mastash i forgot the name, i realy like the way you explaine everything in the bike and specialy you show the cons if first time on the bike or in the tricks etc. and i learn alot to you bcz the other bloger they show only the perfect trial or attemp they didnt show the failed attemp , you know what i mean ., and for that i realy look up to you coz you show and explaine everything and your voice is clearly hear you know i am filipino so most of the time when i here fast or too much accent i domt understand. Anyway thanks alot for the nice clear and giving a trueth and cons on bikes. Thanks seth your an idol!!!
Thanks for the only understandable explanation on utube, just got a 2016 process(kona) 153(not a dl) and have left the suspension untouched, cant wait to play around!
Thanks for the video Seth. I'm running a newer Pike RCT3 140 29/27.5+ on an Ibis Ripley LS. I'm 150lbs and run it at 50 lbs (30% sag) and 3 tokens. I have tried many combinations of air/tokens and this setting seems to be best for my style which is fairly aggressive trail riding in Pisgah. Rebound is set to 3-6 clicks in (more for really rocky/rooty XC , less rebound for down hill). Low speed compression is right in the middle (6 clicks).
