Common MTB Suspension Mistakes To Avoid!

[@jaspergeens5841]

You should make a video in which you setup your suspension in a normal way and then with a telemetry kit and compare those and then also set it up like a world cup racer suspension and compare that

[@winerrider]

Doddy, you always say lots of “links below” but they are never there.

[@winerrider]

@@beat1stellung No, they are the standard links for every video. He says he’ll add specific ones.

[@beat1stellung]

@@winerrider Ah, I see.

[@McSchwabl]

I thought im dumb because I never find links

[@pendulum1997]

He referred to it being in the description twice as well. Very annoying

[@bentoth2494]

Not his fault it’s the producers

[@erikaugustine8294]

the best thing I ever did was spend time and set up my suspension I swear I was way faster and felt more confident on drops and tech if you got in to biking by a pump watch some videos and get ready to shredy. thanks doddy I swear I've watched you for a little over a year and that you have basically helped me build and work on all my bikes.

[@gmbntech]

Hey, Erik! Thanks for your support! It's crazy how beneficial having the perfect setup is. It inspires so much confidence as you spend less time thinking about the bike and more on the trail you're riding.👍

[@paramedicbarber974]

is It just me or can others not see or find the links mentioned about the Fork body weight air pressure links?

[@richardmiddleton7770]

You can also chase suspension settings forever and so never get used to how the bike handles. Get it somewhere near, leave it and ride it more!

[@paulbessetti]

This is AMAZING!! Thank you for providing this plethora of information all in one place!!

[@gmbntech]

Glad you found this useful, Paul! Safe Riding! 👍

[@M3PH11]

16:41 this is how i broke my leg in 2018. Hit a drop off i didn't know was there and the rebound on the rear shock was set so fast\stiff that when my weight went forward the shock unloaded and flipped the bike 7 feet in the air with me and my leg clamped to it by the handlebars.

[@gmbntech]

Ouch that sounds like a rough one! Having the correct rebound speed can be one of the most important factors when setting up a bike. 😬

[@ChlorophyllCrusher]

Really great to see you cover dynamic sag here, Doddy! Like you say, car-park sag is where to start, but the key is to bring the pump along and tune further for actual riding conditions, not least descent grades.

[@sander6796]

Sunday morning it's time for Doddy's suspension masterclass🙏🏻 But for yourself, write down all the changes you do to your suspension!

[@gmbntech]

Haha! Make sure you've got your notepad and pen! 😅 Thanks for the support!

[@noahfence4969]

Can you do a piece on the Rockshox Megneg and how that changes setup ? Maybe show how a Shockwiz works for setting up the bike too ??

[@rrolleman4879]

The MegNeg is one of the best things I've done to my bike. The literature on it is pretty self explanatory. It increases air volume, so you need to increase air pressure. The beauty of the 'neg is that it allows you to add mid support through the red bands (I believe that's what they're called). Such a great improvement to my bike. I believe the '22 Norco Sight's are coming spec'ed with them.

[@jediarmour]

well done! thought I was good at setting up my suspension but didn't know to setup SAG in the fully open position - makes sense when you think about it!

[@gmbntech]

Cheers, Ian! At least you're good to go now! 👍

[@2fernandi]

Very sturdy, and easy to clean.Excellent product

[@RobHill00]

Always struggled with suspension making adjustments and nothing happening….just took my bike to Brink!👌🏻 sorted, a lot different to the recommended settings completely custom sag, pressures, settings etc! Bike rides so much better!

[@gmbntech]

Hi! It can be hard to get the perfect setup. If you struggle, it's well worth going to see a professional. Having a good setup is key to building confidence on your bike! 👍

[@galenkehler]

I grew up riding north shore style trails here in BC and always set up 20% front / 45% rear sag to reflect the angle of the trail and features.

[@itscrazycocotime4518]

Why have I not watched this vid before now! I understand about lsc, hsc, etc but every possible option of adjustment was explained in easy, understandable segments that a noob could confidently set their own up. Doddies infinite wisdom even gave me a few tips I didn't think about when setting my own suspension.

[@Cheapsh0t247]

Brilliant and fantastic explanation as always Doddy, going to have to watch this a few times to take in all the info. I also like the fact that you cover all biking styles and not so race focused as other presenters as I feel this appeals more to the majority of viewers who don't race. I do wonder if tire pressures can positively/negatively effect the suspension system settings?

[@gmbntech]

Thanks so much for the support! It's important we make videos like this accessible to everyone as all riding abilities need a good suspension setup. Tyre pressure has a small effect on the suspension. For example, running high-pressure tyres will mean more energy is transferred into the fork or shock as your tyre movement is reduced. However, a low-pressure tyre will move more and put less load/energy into the fork or shock. Therefore using less of its travel. We hope this helps!

[@iancallahan232]

This is the best simple explanation of suspension I've ever heard. Doddy has the deep knowledge but also has the rare skill of being able to explain it to his audience.

[@joshuadoss1955]

Excellent video. I love this format. Clearly explained without going to, deep in the woods. Pun intended.

[@Seppster58]

This is a great video Doddy. I just bought a new MTB and had no clue as to what my suspension could do. As I just upgraded from a 10 yr old hardtail so lots of this info is new to me. As you were talking about the air port on the front forks, I took a look and mine has one. Go figure. I didn't even know it was there. Anyhow, this was great timing so now I can set up my bike properly and ready for a great 2022 ride season.

[@Ghostina1]

I love to see more purple 💜 bikes around. It is just a beautiful colour

[@gmbntech]

Running purple parts is underrated! 😅

[@Ghostina1]

@GMBN Tech definitely. There is also a great song from Gogol Bordello... Start wearing purple 💜 😍 💕

[@kim99may]

This was what I needed and explained wonderfully 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

[@brentmagerowski7886]

Great theory Always been told to set my sag then rebound then work on low and high speed compression Better same worse system so this video was a bit confusing the first watch but the theory was well explained

[@adrianjetsetter3011]

wow - very good, if not the best video about all those topics!!

[@Bear0280]

That was awesome Doddy thanks heaps for all the knowledge Love your work mate🤠

[@BlackFlag94]

The biggest issue I find is getting the balance between plushness and ultimate support. On the fast rat-tat-tat-tat stuff my bike transmits most of the vibration through to me (at the top of the stroke so not due to packing in from excessive rebound damping). It's unpleasant and I have little grip. This is also despite running toward the upper end of the sag range. I also use about 95-99% travel frequently. In my shock I'm running the largest volume spacer permissable (0.95in^3 on a DPS) and I'm still working on the fork (currently 1 token but will be switching to 2 again and seeing if I can work that. The shock is currently working the best it ever has but I only have air pressure left to play with now 👎 The Fox 34 is okay.. Nice setup for medium level of riding, not my hardest riding and it's a bit harsh on gentler stuff.

[@thelonewolf3515]

Exactly what i experienced with my fox 34 rhythm and dps shock.

[@martinmcfarland5385]

Would love to know more about setting my Reactor up for the bike park…with a focus on jumping doubles and doing big drops.

[@Eric-fx9xf]

Very helpful. Im running a a 20+ year old rockshox duke lol.

[@raduzincenco755]

Hy Doddy, great video but you forgot to add the links with the charts, please put them on :)

[@c4rltsyt]

I always understood high speed was the short sharp hit from rough ground and low speed was the bigger but more gradual hits from jumps. If I understood you correctly I need to reverse my understanding - correct?

[@RicardoPetrazzi]

Thanks Doddy! Could you go over when to add/remove volume spacer tokens to a fork as well? #AskGMNBTech

[@jurijrozanec]

It's quite simple, if you bottom out to often add a spacer, if you don't use the whole travel (shown by sag ring) remove one. Repeat the process until you use all the travel

[@Dorkbike]

@@jurijrozanec it sounds that simple, but one could confuse adding/removing spacers for adding/removing air pressure to achieve the same thing. When to do one over the other I believe is the question.

[@rrolleman4879]

@@jurijrozanec Not quite. You would first add air (if on air suspension). If you've done this until you're not using all your travel too easily (it's okay to use all your travel when you go through more aggressive terrain) but you find that your ride is now uncomfortable, then you can use spacers to increase the progressivity of your suspension. Be sure to have your compression and rebound set up properly before you do this. Also, note that if you've increased your air pressure beyond your rider weight (you + all your gear), then you will need to take some air out to get your proper sag setting. Hope that helps!

[@jurijrozanec]

@@rrolleman4879 there should be enough air to fit your sag. The % of sag is more of a thing that depends on terrain imo

[@danielhicks5031]

@@Dorkbike you should go with a spacer more often then not. If you add more air to the point where it is fairly harsh on the small bumps, you’ve gone to far. Figure out har high of an air pressure u r willing to run, then add volume spacers if u still bottom out on drops and jumps

[@nvasilev]

Where are all the links that should have been in the description?

[@massimilianomolinari7846]

You are great !!!! I like to see your authoritative video. You are the Bible of mountain bike suspensions tecniques. Have a great Day 🙂

[@WildCatKuro]

Informative & good, Doddy! Do you/anyone think I'll find any Sag-info of my RockShock SID Race (Dual Air) from 2001 somewhere?

[@travellerseko]

There is no link for suspension setup charts on the description. Am I missing that? TFtuned is a great guidance as well.

[@Twisted_Biscuit]

21:55 I disagree with this statement here. In order to get your bike to go less through the travel, you have to increase the psi aka more spring rate to achieve less sag, not reduce the spring rate. When the psi or spring rate is increased the rebound also needs to increase or at the very least stay the same because now you have more spring rate to push through the rebound as if the rebound was doing less.

[@Emtbtoday]

Completely missed out volume spacers and fit 4 damper one photo of the top of a 3 switch fit 4 damper and only the one rebound setting it would be good if he explained the difference in this or is there a fit4 shock set up in the playlist?

[@johnf3326]

Many years ago when I had my Townsend ridgid frame mountain bike I thought to myself 'I wish you could get bikes with suspension?" At one time Raleigh made a bike with a rubber bulb elastomer rear suspension with only about 2" travel but nothing at the front. Now its great we have suspension and bigger wheels and tyres.

[@johna7075]

The Raleigh Activator and then the dual suspension activator 2. Terrible bikes. I lusted after the proflex bikes with slightly more refined lumps of yellow plastic for suspension.

[@noskillsbiking4946]

Hey Doddy, i cant find the links for the suspention setup in the description. :/ I need help guys. Great Video btw, now i have much better unterstanding of my New Canyon 125. Just arrived yesterday. :)

[@TheButlerNZ]

#Doddy, did I somehow miss the section on High Speed compression? With motorbike suspension I found making little changes was very hard to spot the differences... I would set my rebound in large steps and do the same set of whoops or small jump, and note the difference... the same with compression... (tho with older bikes really the rear shock only had on the fly adjustment). I definitely agree with the "often people have no compression and rely on sag... even I am guilty of this trying to get supple out of a set of Rockshock Totem that are a little overkill for my Mediocre riding... Also with the motorbikes you wanted to set the shocks to just bottom out on the largest jump so you knew you were using the most of the travel... I notice I'm not using the last 2" of my Totems and that may be that I've gone for more air and less compression... I need to play...

[@BOTG_Adventures]

where's the links?

[@chimps4gimps]

Is there much difference in considering the set up of a coil fork?

[@Lightleakz]

So I should set my sag without any rebound applied too, am I understanding this right? Because until now, I always have set it with rebound already applied ….

[@mjbbell]

Why are the links never put into the description?

[@Emtbtoday]

I got a new embt a couple weeks ago setting Up the shocks next jsut fitted that invisaframe! But just noticed my fox 38 170mm max PSI is 140! DvO amd rock shox can take atleast 220psi with all my gear kn my recommendation settings are blown out the water well shock bladder I should be saying! So what's the script we fox 38s can't use for heavier guys looking to loose weight plus gear on and its an Ebike so weight on top that this is why I can't get out on it just been sitting in the hall since frame stuff went on I just got volume spacers today from fox but I need help lol

[@m4tzeeh]

Anyone know why both my Shock and the Fork on the Orbea Occam H20 LT don't have a sticker with an ID or setup on them?

[@gato031]

I usually bottom out on my rear shock but never comes close to the end on the suspension. Sag is ok on both. What can I do?

[@vustatube]

where are the links? did you forget to include it?

[@Filarel]

how about putting 140mm fork to 120mm default bike?in my case bobcat trail 4

[@Emtbtoday]

That with the fox float shock I've never seen anyone doing that nor have I come across it on the pdf I'm working with trying to set my float x up at the moment so is that what I need to do leave the pump attached and cycle the shock 25% 10 times? Or is thos just for that DPX2 shock? Totally confused

[@irvsstella]

Great vid, I'll set my Sus up this wknd, bet I still hit 🌳

[@307.William]

#gmbntech best suspension video I’ve seen in a really long time. Thank you!! Would someone use the same settings for normal fun riding as they would racing enduro?

[@teddysnaps4786]

Water bottle matter when setting up sag if it's below the shock?

[@gmbntech]

If you often run a water bottle, it's worth setting up sag with the bottle installed. Any additional weight on the bike will affect the sag. 👍

[@drexartim560]

Im sorry if i missed to understand about this, but i have a question about my fork. I'm kinda new to mtb world so forgive me. I have a coil fork which i bought with the description of a 110-120 travel but is currently playing around 70-75 at max. Is this how it's supposed to play? Thanks for your responses in advance. Fork's SR suntour

[@simonchaddock3694]

Nice one doddy but the more you talk about suspension in one vid just makes it more confusing not just you i might add

[@ilikerealflight]

sure would be nice to have suspension with negative air chambers. Guess thats what I get for buying as cheap a full sus as I could

[@geoffwnz]

10:16, not gonna get much hydration with the bite valve closed. 😛

[@brandonodonnell7308]

Hope someone can help me with this, I set my sag to 30% on my rear shock and even on the bigger hits I'm still only using about 75% of my travel (that is my O ring is still several centimetres from the end of the travel). Do I have too much pressure in the rear shock or could I let some out? I don't want to bottom out but feel I should be using most of my travel. Thanks in advance.

[@johna7075]

Experiment with less compression damping and check you aren't running too many tokens in the shock. Removing a token or two will increase the air chamber volume and reduce ramp up.

[@seanknight9898]

Fab vid Dodds. Probably the best explanation beyond bases line set up I’ve seen. And I’ve seen a lot of vids. Up there with Jordi’s breakdown. I’m struggling with my 160 Fox 36 fork that I upgraded with a Grip 2 damper. 2021 Levo with my ride weight being around 212lbs. I set the air spring to 85psi (28% SAG), lengthened my stem to 50mm all in an effort to get a bit more weight forward but still am only using approx 50-60%. Running and lower psi seems to cause the fork to immediately lose 10mm of travel under bike weight alone. Kinda frustrating. Any advice? My new Float X2 has been a dream to set up and feels awesome. Front, not so much.

[@Ghostina1]

Buy fox38

[@Laserpico1985]

On my new (to me) Giant Trance 4 2016, when riding over moderate roots at low-medium speed, often my feet get bucked/shaken off the pedals (while out of the saddle) - anyone has any idea why? I assumed it was rebound related but even putting in max rebound damping on the stock Giant rear shock, this problem still persists. My Raceface pedals have healthy studs, shoes are grippy, and most importantly this does not happen on my XC bike.

[@urbek_selko]

I know the guy in the video

[@drpaulmartin]

"links in the description below" no links...

[@benfairhall5331]

What happens if like if me your heavier then the recommendation they make? Fox only goes to 113kg and I’m 125kg I am 6ft 5 though

[@benfairhall5331]

@@lookwhotalkin I’m running fox float X with max amount of volume spacers and 350psi also modded a spacer slightly to get more and fork is fox 36 factory running 6 tokens and 120 psi am I better off going to coil?

[@Pienimusta]

Probably best talk to your nearest Fox service center. Heard they can do some tuning for heavier riders.

[@benfairhall5331]

@@Pienimusta to be honest my local dealer isn’t worth 2 pinches of shit. They sold me the wrong shock originally then sold me the wrong volume spacers 3 times I have very little to no faith they know what they are doing.

[@Pienimusta]

@@benfairhall5331 Usually the dealer is different from the service center. Of course could be worth to contact another one.

[@downhilldick]

Not removing compression dampening before setting static sag... man I've missed doing this :-\ Time to have a look at static sag again :-)

[@jasonw7053]

I just use the recommended setting then turn the knobs a click either way as I ride to see what it does. I don't think I'm good enough for any dialed setup to make a real difference haha. I think as long as you don't have your suspension way out of wack like super stiff or half as much air pressure as you need then you should be just fine.

[@jbw5485]

My thoughts exactly. Haha

[@bejety]

Where are links ?

[@peterhaslund]

However... I'm confused!

[@ThunderStruckMTB]

I would add one more Doddy, and it's a big one.... Not writing down your settings. Once you have your baseline settings you have got to write them down somewhere so as you sneak up to your optimal settings (and write every single change down) then you always have a place to get back to.

[@flippy66]

Yes to rebound damping, totally get that. But you're saying you shouldn't run the compression damping dial totally open? Mine just has two padlock symbols - one closed and one open - so I always have it open. I didn't think I would ever want even partial lockout, but you're saying we should?

[@JasonFoxLCB]

Finally, a suspension tutorial that makes sense past the setting sag step.

[@jefferypark4218]

Top quality tips here. This is a great tutorial for both beginners and advanced riders alike.

[@gmbntech]

Thanks, Jeffery! Thanks for the feedback. It's great to see that we can appeal all riding abilities with this one! 👍

[@davidsutherland8783]

Hi Doddy, great info as usual. One issue I have is setting the pressure accurately for two reasons. 1. The resolution on the gauge isn't fine enough to judge 1 or 2PSI changes. 2. Even worse, it's impossible to disconnect the pump without losing air. I use a RockShox pump on my RockShox fork and shock. If I connect it, pump the shock to 180Psi, disconnect and reconnect, It will show about 170PSI. I assume that whatever I set it to, it is less once the pump is disconnected. The trouble is, I can't assume it drops exactly 10PSI every time. It might be 9 or 11, and there goes the 2PSI I'm chasing.

[@CoderShare]

Whenever you release the pump from the valve, the air escaping comes from the hose on the pump. Not typically from your air chamber. So the reason the pressure is lower when you reconnect is because it has to refill the volume of the pump with air from the air chamber. So don't worry about it losing air on the disconnect you're losing air on the reconnect.

[@phenax1144]

You can also half reconnnect the pump and then pump up the tube before fully connecting it to the shock thereby not losing any preasure

[@slayerficated]

One or 2 PSI won't get you as far as practicing for the same amount of time you're spending trying to get your bike dialed. But I'm biased on the other end of the spectrum and tend to be relatively loose with anything that's not directly related to safety or reliability.

[@ChrisKim-eo9ku]

I still need a digital pressure gauge! After riding for almost a year on a setup I thought was suited to my riding style (relatively hard yet slow), I've dropped the pressure by some margin (no idea how much) and gone one click faster on rebound. Now it feels as if it's almost boggy/poppy, lacking that good platform that allows me to push the bike into corners. Hopefully I can find a nice middleground soon! (If you have any tips pls let me know)👍

[@rrolleman4879]

Boggy and poppy are two different things. Boggy is slow rebound, poppy is fast. First make sure your air pressure is correct. After that you can play with the other settings to get what you want. Usually people that complain about not feeling suspension support in corners get good results by increasing their LSC (low speed compression), but if your air pressure is off change that first.

[@gmbntech]

Hey Chris, Digital pressure gauges are such useful pieces of kit. If you're finding it's too boggy, try adding a little bit more air and perhaps increase your rebound slightly. It's good to put some time aside to play around with what works for you in terms of pressure and rebound. Hope this helps! 👍

[@rider65]

Exactly Dynamic sag or 'race' sag, will always be different than static sag. Something worth looking at for basic reference and understanding is how to setup sag on a Motocross dirt bike.

[@damiansmith391]

So before setting the sag, make sure to COUNTERclockwise compression all the way?

[@SuperSport1966]

I don’t see the suspension chart links???

[@DL-fi5cc]

I've been trying to learn all about this subject recently as a true beginner and I have to say yours is the best explanation I have found. Thanks 😊

[@douglasdimwitty-zs9gx]

The actual first step should be to set your tire pressure first. Set tire pressure to your riding pressure

[@dazmtb]

Great video Doddy and I now have a much better understanding of my Mega’s suspension and going to check my pressures and settings 👌🏻

[@gmbntech]

Glad you found this one useful! It's well worth a good check! 👍

[@miros1524]

Best. Video. Ever. Thanks!

[@normls8615]

Unless you're out to win races, just change a setting each time you do a circuit, or just geek out.

[@phillipharriott8632]

Very good information in lamen terms 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@okamisan3642]

I thought I just read the rock shock manual and it said never leave the pump attached.

[@gingerb36]

I’m going to have to watch this a few times for it to sink in

[@rossmandrone]

how to start off a hot date 1:34

[@mattoermejo]

Great video, thanks for the infos 🙏🙏

[@nunyabiznaz9593]

For the record, the rockshox app is WAY off if you have a Zeb. It recommended half again as much psi as I really need.

[@conrod4910]

I also found that, the recommended settings felt absolutely rock hard I let a fair bit out

[@davidsutherland8783]

A little late to the party don’t you think? Anyway, thanks for your wisdom wise one.

[@victorjask8skateordie642]

16:43 what is the little absorber at the side of the fork?

[@DfJ1010]

Extremely helpful and concise. Much thanks to you. Regarding the less sag/more low speed compression comment: Can I interpret that as meaning the fork will ride a little stiffer generally compared to more sag w less low speed compression? I just want to understand accurately. Thx.

[@gmbntech]

Hi Kyle, That's right! The less sag you have, the stiffer the fork will be. Therefore, limiting your low-speed compression. Hope this helps! 👍

[@gmbntech]

Also, thanks for the support! It means a lot to us! 👊

[@jonathanangieri153]

Doddy quit biting your fingernails!

[@bobothericefarmer1878]

my friend just got bucked today attempting a drop because his rebound was too fast sadly no one was recoding so no Friday fails or fails of the month for him

[@gmbntech]

We hope he's doing ok! Rebound is so important to check! 😬

[@debv9346]

Thanks!

[@buttery6228]

Where the links at?

[@simonolofsson7488]

Love these videos!

[@thecakeisalie7070]

The "not enough low speed compression" is a good one. I like to dial in 60% low speed comp on my fork while keeping the PSI on the tad lower side. Keeps it plush AND supportive in pumps.

[@GaedeRafael]

And how does it work? What's your goal with this setting? Still trying to set my Pike 2015 well... Thanks!

[@thecakeisalie7070]

@@GaedeRafael My 2017 Sektor Silver just doesn't configure well - it's a budget fork that came with my bike. In theory, I want my initial input to be resisted so that I can push the bike into the rollers so low speed compression damping "should" help there. Keeping the overall PSI lower "should" help absorb small bumps. I need a Pike/Yari/Lyrik!

[@helphelpimbeingrepressed9347]

That reactor is gorgeous, he's got a matching lid too!

[@gmbntech]

The Nukeproof Reactor is a very beautiful bike! 👍

[@enriquehernandez155]

Wow 👌 I new very little about how to and know I have a better understanding of how to do this 🙃 thank you that's awesome info.

[@rrolleman4879]

tbf, there are better videos out there to help with suspension setup. They actually SHOW you what to do. Seb Stott's 10 minute suspension setup video is very good.

[@gmbntech]

Glad you found this one useful! Thanks for the support! 👍

[@cybereye2]

Brilliant video. Ty

[@gmbntech]

Thanks, Brian!

[@jim_morrison4583]

At 10:18, Neil drinks with a closed mouthpiece 😅😜

[@gmbntech]

Good Spot! 😅🤫

[@jim_morrison4583]

@@gmbntech just mentioned it because I have the same one and it happens to mee too all the time 😅

[@Ron_Boy]

Nice explanation, Doddy. Thank you. Can you do a similar video using a tubeless tire? The problem I always have with those is getting the bead to seat against the rim, because the air leaks out of the tire past the rim and there's nothing to stop it. I do one of two things. First, I use an air compressor with the regulator turned to a very high pressure. Failing that, I take it to the local shop and have them do it. But your suggestion of soapy water on the rim could be just the ticket for tubeless tires.