|   Anyone else dislike air shocks | Huevos
Apr 8, 2002 8:30 PM | | My 3yr old FSR came with a very basic coil-over shock, but I prefer it to any of the new air shocks I've tried on new bikes, such as Superlight, FSRs and Sugars. These air shocks are squishy, underdamped and don't seem to aid in keeping the rear tire in contact with the dirt. I'd rather ride a hardtail. Anyone else feel this way? |
| have you tried the Cane Creek AD-10's or AD-12's? | ibismojo
Apr 8, 2002 9:06 PM | | |
| you haven't tried a properly set up AD12 then. | TC
Apr 9, 2002 7:55 AM | | incredible shock. |
| you haven't tried a properly set up AD12 then. | jdm
Apr 9, 2002 2:45 PM | | I just put one on my Titus Motolite. Any advice on tuning it right?
Any help would be appreciated, the quicker I get it dialed in the happier I'll be.
thanks,
Jon |
| Hey Jon, set aside a day... | næstep
Apr 10, 2002 7:50 AM | | ...and keep your shock pump and allen wrench handy. It's takes a little time and a little trial and error, but it's worth it.
Best thing to do is start with enough air pressure to get frame manufacturer's recommended sag, then head to the trail.
What I like to do first is try the Compression and Rebound damping at both extremes, just to get a feel for what the shock is capable of, and for a feel of what "too much" or "not enough" definitely feels like.
From there, I'll set the compression to some middle range and leave it alone, because first I like to get the rebound taken care of. You'll notice that the AD-12 has a good kick in its undamped setting, and I begin there and work my way in to a range where I'm not getting bucked off the bike. Initially I make full 1 or 2 turn adjustments, but as I home in on a good setting, that decreases to 1/2 or even 1/4 turns.
At this point, begin doing the same with the compression. As you get it "in range", you'll want to play the compression and rebound settings off one another in order to ensure you're getting a compliant return without getting hung up (bottomed out) in quick successions of bumps. It's a tiresome process because there are so many possibilities.
When you think you find a good range, try various air pressure settings in 2.5 or 5 psi increments across a small range (try 10 above your recommended sage and work your way to 10 psi below). For instance, less air pressure and a little more compression damping can increase your range of travel, but you may need to compensate with a little less rebound damping to make up for the decreased air pressure.
Probably the most important thing is to keep some kind of system in your head as you're doing this, so that your adjustments are orderly and follow some sort of pattern. Not exactly "quick", like you asked for, but a good time investment since once it's set, you won't have to touch it again.
næstep |
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