1 suspension trick you need to know.

[@noahlara13]

This videos is a must watch for 95% of riders. Seen almost everyone, even myself make those mistakes

[@SemiSendy]

Thanks, Noah! 🤘😊

[@087pro]

X2, but that monotone put me right to sleep

[@sepg5084]

@@087pro you need to improve your attention span. not every youtuber need to sound like a "for kids" channel.

[@pingwingugu5]

@@087pro Try using the speed up playback. There are few KZbin channels that I love to watch but they just put me to sleep on normal speed on 1.25 or 1.5 they are perfect.

[@kangsterizer]

to be fair most youtubers including big channels give bad guidance, weirdly

[@AZHighlandHomestead]

Take away - “Run more pressure than you probably think”. Totally agree. I’ve found this out through trial and error. It doesn’t feel more harsh at 100psi compared to the 85psi I was running previously and I’m sitting higher in the travel.

[@nathanmizener7897]

In a MTB video space that is overrun with suspension set-up guides, this is legitimately good advice that is typically not stated elsewhere, and I can personally vouch for the truth in both of your points. Super quality content, love the channel, keep it up.

[@SemiSendy]

Thanks, Nathan!

[@sepg5084]

Other channels don't mention this because they assume that people will actually follow the manufacturer's instructions and not try to be smart by doing their own thing. Putting your settings on the lower side of the range is still "in -ange", and there's nothing wrong with it as long as you make your adjustments while keeping the settings in-range.

[@heichristians]

@@sepg5084 that's true Sep G. Just keep the SAG on this manufacturers 30% allways!

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

Some suspension guides in bicycle magazines are becoming "SPACE FILLERS " rather than getting to the point promptly .

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

@Kyrpaable But it depends on total fork travel and also oil level / S.S.V. response / oil displacement rates .

[@toddpalmer5656]

OMG!! I've been making BOTH those mistakes for years! Finally, a video that clearly explains why more air/less sag is actually a solution to more supple ride. I love how this is not a manufacturer specific issue but something that should really be considered "Air Shock 101." I've never considered adding air pressure out of fear it would make my riding experience worse, but it has changed everything for me. Not only have I finally found the suppleness I've been searching for, but my bike is handling significantly better. I actually started to blame my bike as potentially having a "poor design" for the sketchy loose feel. Funny...such a simple (but hard-to-find) solution.

[@iandekam7310]

Excellent teaching voice, because you talk at a steady pace and use clear simple language.. I'm a retired/tired English teacher and your explanations are the best I've encountered. Thanks for your help in making my riding safer and more enjoyable!

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

I only do live tutorials but tend to speak quickly as I have worked in radio broadcasting .

[@tbugofficial]

if you have "bottomless tokens" or volume spacers in your fork/shock, remove them before changing air pressure/sag. the ramp up in spring force will happen later in the travel. Works especially well for lightweight riders like myself on longer travel bikes.

[@Daantjuhh132]

Very much depends on your situation. To not bottom out my fork when riding, i had to decrease my sag below the advised values. At that point it can actually help, as too little sag is also not good for performance.

[@dereknicol3465]

Unless ur more than 110kgs

[@thecount1001]

agree completely. on forks 160mm and greater, using full travel is rarely desirable. the fork travel is there to both maintain a certain 'dynamic ride height' and geometry for riding hard and the last say, 20mm of travel are purely reserve for the biggest (and probably, unplanned) hits that are potentially saving you (maybe) from full loss of control and dirt or rock nap.

[@GF-cb8rr]

The worst initial setup advice, when I got into riding, was that your fork should use all of its travel at least once or twice on the trail you ride. ..... This video is spot on 👍🏻

[@david94549]

I think the logic is almost there. The fork should use all of its travel once or twice a ride, by hitting a trail/feature that makes it do that

[@gesundheitstips2197]

I remember the advice as „use all the travel on the highest drop you are doing on your doing on a normal ride“. But the saying also dosent consider, that some people are „overbiked“.

[@weathdone]

Ditto.. this vid opened my eyes to the basic truth.. hard to find nowadays!!! Kudos to this channel

[@bodo_mtb]

OK, so I commented only 7 hours ago. I have been running 30% sag on my forks for 3 years with the belief that less air = more plush. However, I literally hit my local trail a few hours ago purely to test this video theory. I added 10psi to bring sag to 20% expecting it to be more firm. It WASN'T in-fact it was awesome. For the first time I understand sag properly. What an awesome video. Thank you Semi-Sendy

[@BananaMonstaaaa]

I come from brakeless bmx, so my natural inclination has always been to run a high pressure for a more "rigid" feel. Plenty of people have told me I should drop 10-15psi in my fork, but I always felt nothing I was doing needed that much travel. This completely validates what I already kinda knew, and without the youtube fluff!

[@Jean-jk4zv]

exactly the same here, I run way higher psi than others especially with the rear shock, I'm so used to absorb impacts with my body I don't need that much travel, I'm running 120/120 on trails

[@strictlymitch]

Exactly the same here. I find myself constantly wanting the rear end to feel instant and poppy like it used to. Been a real shift in how my brain operates a bike

[@rantingwrench]

Of all of the suspension chat on KZbin, I would recommend watching Vorsprung Suspension's 'Tuesday Tune' series. Deep concepts, explained clearly by someone who actually has the knowledge to back it up! He is also an advocate of simply cutting off your travel O-ring, which similar to your last point, absolutely makes sense to me.

[@SemiSendy]

I’m in the o-ring is mostly useless camp as well. I’ll have to check out the Tuesday tune stuff sometime. Quite a few things I’ve learned over the years have come from guys like Steve.

[@joebullington4997]

I'm definitely guilty of chasing suppleness by lowering pressures. Your video was an eyeopener and I'll be experimenting with some higher pressures. Thanks so much for posting this.

[@SemiSendy]

Glad it helped!

[@mcrider21]

This is spot on ! 30 percent sag is misleading, especially when your doing bigger impact landings…

[@rider65]

You'd be surprised how many 'experts' shop staff & so called 'mechanics' recommend 30% sag! 🤦‍♂️

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

I go for 15 percent as a starting point .

[@rollwithmemtb]

This is super helpful! I have made this same mistake. Great, logical explanation that cuts through the confusion and will benefit a bunch of people. Thanks for making this 👍

[@SemiSendy]

Thank you! I hope it’s helpful to a lot of people.

[@Mikelavoridesbikes]

One of the best most comprehensive shock setting video I've seen (I've seen many)

[@dskordo]

A very well articulated description of a common setup pitfall. I've made this mistake a few times in years past. Thanks for posting.

[@SemiSendy]

Thank you, Dino! Glad you enjoyed this one.

[@ark6959]

Good advice for a majority of riders. I’d like to add that most higher end suspension has a negative air chamber. What happens when you increase your positive air is that you also increase the negative air which adds suppleness to the initial stroke. Cheers!

[@olivierh-p8914]

EVOL air sleeve...

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

Englund have had upgrade kits for this function in the past .

[@Blake_Cherubini]

Telling all the secrets haha!! People make the same mistake with compression too. A smoother ride is not always achieved by opening compression. Fully open normally leads to a harsher ride than you want because you will be spending more time in that mid stroke.

[@gregmorrison7320]

This!

[@SemiSendy]

Exactly! Going to be getting into rebound and compression in the next (or soon) video. Hoping to remove some of the intimidation and reluctance people often have towards finding proper settings for themselves.

[@mooshmackenzie1949]

Without a doubt the most informative short vid about air pressures. Been out of the riding game for twelve years and so much tech to try and take in now. Great stuff mate.

[@SemiSendy]

Thanks, Moosh!

[@jkeiffer]

Got me to check my air pressure, and I let some out since I weigh less than I used to. My fork never felt better. Glad to have some small bump compliance back. I agree with everyone else that this was very helpful.

[@steve4296]

Good video. I think there is a fine line between too much and too little sag. Going to far in either direction will not be optimal. It all depends on the terrain and how aggressive you ride. Another important component of this is volume reducers. They will fine-tune your bottom out resistance. Adding or removing volume reducers will require adjustments to your air pressure to reset sag because of the reduction or increase in the air chamber where the reducers sit. I think everyone should learn how to set up their own suspension. It’s to your advantage and is very rewarding.

[@MrFereshteyeh]

Man, this is gold content! I never thought of that way and I've been riding ''wrong'' all those years! Thank you!

[@discostu333]

Probably the most important thing to know when setting up suspension. Great vid!

[@ericjesscunningham2563]

Man the amount of camera work and riding shots to go along with your explanations is amazing! Awesome riding!

[@SemiSendy]

Thank you! 🤘

[@rog86]

Boom!.... ive been thinking the same on both of these points for a few years. But never heard anyone else say it. Great to see. Everyone should see this vid. At last!!! 👏

[@Cfass1]

Damn dawg you just flipped my world upside down 👍🏼

[@aamcowalnutcreek9568]

Recently replaced a stolen Yeti SB115 with a Revel Ranger and your Ranger video helped me realize I made a fine upgrade. Thanks for the simple suspension breakdown! Derek

[@SemiSendy]

Huge bummer on the SB115, but I'm really glad to hear you were able to replace it with the Ranger. I know I've not talked about it on the channel too much since my initial video on it, but it's honestly my favorite bike I own right now....and possibly ever. It's just such a lively, playful and capable bike.

[@RootsRocksRaffi]

This very concisely explains why my newer Pike, which rides much higher in its travel than the outgoing version, actually feels incredibly smooth. Great advice and a fresh point of view to keep in mind!

[@marcelknop1]

Excellent video. I have recently taken the same view as what you provide in this video and have gone to firmer spring as well as firmer overall in terms of Low Speed compression. I realised that I was losing a lot of my energy inputs to my ride because I was running my suspension too plush for the terrain that I ride. This was a result of exactly the mentality that you describe in your video i.e I am not using 80% of my travel so let some more air out etc. While plush feels comfortable, I discovered , when riding a hire bike and afterwards changing my set up approach, that my plush set up was causing me to lose speed on the trails because my pumping inputs were being absorbed by my suspension. In addition, the bike was less "poppy" off small bumps and big jumps in the plush setting. I started experimenting on both my bikes suspension set up and have gone to less sag and from fully open to closing by a few clicks the LSC setting and find a completely different ride. In addition, on the uphills I am not sagging in to and jagging on to obstacles, and am using less energy on the climbs. EDIT: I am always experimenting with settings anyway, but the current set up results in a suspension that feels more like a Ferrari as opposed to previously feeling like a rocking boat in a storm, especially when moving the body weight around. I don't dive as much under braking. Down steeper trails and over obstacles I am riding higher in the travel with the result that I don't feel like I am overbalancing towards the front of the bike.

[@chrisallen5293]

Great video Rich. Explanations were spot on and simple. Wish I would have heard this years ago. Would have saved myself a lot of suspension tuning time. Had to learn the hard way

[@SemiSendy]

Glad you enjoyed it! I too had to learn the hard way. This approach was definitely a light bulb moment for me.

[@darkomtc]

F=P*A, meaning - force of an air spring (holding your weight) is equal to pressure (PSI) multiplied by an air piston area. Since the piston area doesn't change, you can correlate pressure directly to the force. If a fork is really progressive: 33% sag will increase the starting pressure to, let's say, 200% (from 40psi to 80psi), which is a lot and your fork will feel harsh. But if your fork is not really progressive (bigger forks, with larger air chambers and no volume tokens): 33% sag will only increase the starting pressure to, let's say, 140% (from 40psi to 56psi), which isn't a lot and you will still have a plush ride. Your logic is correct, but can only be applied if a fork is really progressive.

[@rog86]

And the advice is extremely relevant to rear shocks, where the piston size is very much smaller.

[@darkomtc]

@@rog86 yes, but again, XV chamber is pretty much linear, it's plush anywhere in the stroke. SV chamber, progressive - harsh if too much sag.

[@ryanj9245]

Your right, no one really mentions this in any other suspension video but it’s a great point! I have been doing this recently trying to soften the beginning of my forks travel. Thanks

[@kaibrittain17]

SO glad somebody can break it down properly, Thank you!

[@willc8542]

This video was right on time for me. After my ride this morning, I was under the mistaken idea of the "100% travel" myth and was about to increase my sag lol. Thanks!

[@jokermtb]

I've found this to be true, as I've gone for less and less sag (also running a newer rockshox Charger 2.1 damper air stack that holds the bike up even further into the shallow sag zone). I do run a bit more air pressure than I think I like right now, but when the trail gets gnarly, it really smooths out the zings. Everything is a tradeoff. you gotta tune for the 'oh shit' conditions if you find yourself flinging yourself into that envelope. So many variables - it's a game I never tire of playing

[@aberdeendeltaforce]

This guy is spot on but it’s also important to note that the reason people get suspension settings wrong is because they try and find the holy grail of an all terrain set up when the bottom line is you need to set the fork to each trail and each type of terrain every time to optimise performance, some trails need higher pressure than others but the principle this wonderful man explains are absolutely on point. Thanks for the upload.

[@anonymmc2764]

Wouldn't change the air pressure to adjust to the trail. Changing compression settings is easier and more intuitive - if you're changing air pressure from trail to trail your bike handling will also change a lot. Also you can find a decent setup that works pretty good on 99% of all trails.

[@aberdeendeltaforce]

@@anonymmc2764 Good point, I guess it’s up to the rider, if it’s a virgin trail I personally ride the trail first, take a mental note and adjust the suspension to suit for my second run, I time my runs over 5 laps and take into consideration my time vs my comfort, when I find that sweet spot I note my settings on my maps for said trail should I ride it again in the future, got quite the database now. 👍

[@hollycow123445]

Very good advice! Another tip I've found is that rebound should generally be more open (i.e set to return or spring back) faster for a better ride. When I first started out I was scared to set rebound too fast.

[@andrewrivera4029]

What about on jumps? I’m over 200 lb and I slow ALL my setting down otherwise the suspension is trying to buck me also helps on breaking bumps at high speed and way less arm pump, I ride bike park 90% of the time.

[@niklasdr]

@@andrewrivera4029It’s no different on jumps. If you feel bucked it’s about you weight transfer on the bike as you are launching, you’ve got to get your weight over the rear wheel as you are leaving the lip, just like you are dining a bunny hop. Then, you won’t have problems with feeling bucked. But it takes time to practice and have it dialed in one every kind of jump. Keep active and get the bunny hop dialed in and you will feel the control. Good luck!

[@gregmcmaster6050]

Thanks for the great video. I’ve always been under the impression I should use all of my travel and will be given this ago today. Cheers from a newbie

[@gavva2010]

Fantastic vid, makes complete sense - I just put 160psi in my front forks & 300 in the rear - to get the sag right to the bare minimum, for my weight.

[@robertmedlen8289]

Excellent video, I ride a modern hardtail and I’m pretty lazy with my fork setup… this should help me with setup.

[@Oper8or]

That was an excellent explanation! I never really thought of it that way and will use this information from now on.

[@SemiSendy]

Glad it was helpful, Oper8or!

[@ruzz311]

Came here to shit on a video that looked like it was emulating bermpeak thumbnails for clicks and found this video actually has good advice. Thanks!

[@markmontgomery2562]

Smile /// Just got into mountain biking and after half a dozen rides was going to start adjusting suspension from the standard settings. Yes i was going to start lower pressure in my forks and shock to cushion ride on trials with smaller roots and rocks. Thank you for this info. I would of just been screwing myself going to wrong direction .

[@SemiSendy]

Absolutely, glad to help, Mark! At the end of the day, it's all about what feels best to you, don't don't be afraid to explore around a bit. If you want to takes things a bit further one you get your pressure dialed, check out the follow up video to this one for Rebound and Compression settings. You'll definitely want to make sure you get your rebound setup too if nothing else!

[@stephenharden6273]

Thanks this is excellent info. I'll watch it a couple time to grasp the idea.

[@francomcsherrypostalteammt2196]

This video could be the light bulb moment I've been waiting for!! Cheers bro! Gonna reset ma suspension the morra and try it out! 🤘

[@SemiSendy]

Hope it helps!

[@jansteinar1715]

Tnx for a helpful video. But I do feel there is more to "suspension" than only the front fork or shock setup. Tier pressure is for me an overlooked point. As well as the carbon vs alloy rims. And not to forget the handlebar and grip choice

[@branna8829]

Been explaing this one to customers for years, always fun watching the penny drop as to why they are have trouble.

[@SemiSendy]

There’s a lot of conflicting information out there. At the end of the day, I support people doing what works best for them, but interestingly a lot of people never try adjusting and experimenting in the lower percentage range to see what might result for them. It’s awesome when people finally dig into this concept and find that “aha” moment.

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

All my clients are close to "ON THE MONEY" with their setup as I have developed guide charts to help them .

[@brettclark3885]

Fantastic. Another really important point leading on from this is when the front and rear are too soft, they increase the propensity for the bike to cantilever far more than the bike should around its central axis. This actually makes the bike's travel front and rear in an overly bucky way.

[@alexkeyes1706]

Great video, so many people i know think running tons of sag and a bunch of tokens is going to give them a better ride feel.

[@a8f235]

Personally I've been in a bit of trial and error lately given I had no idea what fork and shock should and could feel like. I had to change tokens to try that, and dial in my sag front to back. The factory tuned token amount in the shock was actually what worked best, but how could I know without having anything to compare it to. In the fork however, it did help to remove the 1 token that was in there as standard, but once that was done I landed at pretty much the recommended settings by Fox when I followed their bracketing procedure. The only change is 1 click faster LSC on the fork, and the rest is recommended settings. As with the tokens I cannot know if the recommended settings was any good at all when I had nothing to compare it with, so I'm very glad that I now know what feels better and what feels worse. I thought I wanted less compression in the fork to make it feel more plush, but when I just followed the bracketing procedure I just did not like it at all. It just felt like soggy mush, and now I like a more damped and smooth transition. Another thing I thought beforehanded was just like mentioned in this video that I'd might end up with less PSI in the fork. Well I have 88PSI instead of the recommended 94PSI, but I am at 20% sag which is recommended for trail/enduro, as well as 30% sag in the shock. Next ride I'll play a bit with tire pressures because I suspect that may be the final touch.

[@rubbermoetroken]

Awesome vid that every biker needs to see :-) It is also the reason why I ride spring f+r at 25% sag (Ohlins on Sworks Enduro), exactly for the reasons explained. Thanks.

[@oliverbourne9599]

Jesus ... that was good. I do exactly that. Fork feels harsh. Very little compression dialled on, so I think, lower that main chamber air pressure more ... what else can it be. I'm going to experiment with this.

[@CaliradoKid]

When people ask me what my fork’s SIGN is I tell them it’s a SAGitarrius.

[@SemiSendy]

As an aging December baby, I understand what it means to put the Sag in Sagittarius.

[@kithkani]

Thanks, I was in the guilty camp of letting more air out! This cleared it up =D

[@trickyrickymtb5622]

Learned a lot from this, I was doing exactly what said, going softer to increase suppleness.

[@marklangley217]

I've never of thought of sag that way! Great! I think I've been doing this inadvertently anyway as I once read that most average riders (like me) don't benefit much from LSC, so it's better to run the fork almost fully open with higher air pressure and just use a volume spacer or two to ramp the end of the shock curve to ensure the fork doesn't bottom out on big hits. (I don't know if this is true, but my fork always felt and performed pretty well like this over the years!)

[@LeecMTB]

Low speed compression is something you add if your fork is diving under braking or on turns or down steep sections where your body weight is shifting forward, lsc counters this so your fork stays higher in its travel and keeps your riding position more stable

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

FOX tokens are a nuisance to configure . The OHLINS system and MARZOCCHI is what I prefer .

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

@@LeecMTB Low speed compression reduces this but doesn't eradicate it altogether .

[@zachbartenstein4967]

So grateful for this video. Just changed my perception on pressure for my forks 👍

[@SemiSendy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@alexisonbike3652]

I'm trying out a Bomber Z1 coil this summer, can't wait to see how it compares

[@Larock-wu1uu]

Would actually be nice to see this from an engineering point of view and to show the force-travel curves for different air pressures.

[@SemiSendy]

I don't have any curve graphs I can offer, but a good resource might be Darren Murphy at Push Industries. Someone in the comments also mentioned this topic being discussed by the folks at Ohlins.

[@djambush360]

4:15 This originated from downhill racing, where you only have 1 Track and you ride it several times. Back in the early days bikes had much less travel (even no travel) so everyone tried to use the hole 2 or 3 inches the fork or frame could provide.

[@K15oy]

This was "shoking" to me. Thank you!!

[@CmdrTigerKing]

wat was the trick?

[@bermchasin]

one thing to mention - start with the manufactures recommendations based on weight. That will get you 90% of the way there. Then you can fine tune as desired, but no need to start off blind.

[@Bittersfamily0424]

I have the same fork as you. I have a MRP Ramp Control installed and set fully open. Fork was at 80psi for 30% sag. I now have it set to 102 psi for 20% sag. Damper is completely open accept for rebound which is set to 4 out from full slow. My Shock is Super Deluxe RCT3 with one volume spacer. I went from 300psi at 30% sag to 325psi at 27% sag. Damper open accept for rebound which is 5 out from full slow. I weight 280lbs fully geared up. Gonna try this new set up tomorrow. Around the street it felt more efficient and poppy right away.

[@SemiSendy]

I hope the changes feel just as great on the trail!

[@Bittersfamily0424]

@@SemiSendy It is faster and more efficient everywhere. Much stiffer, and I was getting kicked from the rear shock on medium to large jumps. But I reduced my volume spacers and added a few clicks of rebound and it is way better👊🏻😎

[@tihomirlovric2983]

Tnx! Im new to full suspension and any video tutorial is great!

[@lachlanmcdermid8539]

This makes so much sense!! Thank a bunch for explaining!

[@GnoyDavinski]

Little sag means there is little extension movement, which means that on micro jumps (high speed rocky trail) the wheels spend less time in contact with the ground and more time in air. And there is not much control in air. More pressure can improve confidence when doing jumps. Just keep in mind that extension range is no less important than compression range.

[@pudekuf25]

Great video. I was just having the issues you discussed in this video so this came at the perfect time for me. Thank you! .....subbed

[@cyrusdolph2339]

Hahaha! Just went for a ride yesterday with a new high-end fork...without making any adjustments! Was so harsh my hands almost flew off the grips. This video came at just the right time and is the most valuable suspension video Ive seen. I agree, without getting Sag right, nothing else will be optimal. Thanks so much!

[@PedalingDave]

Nicely done and I agree. I get my suspension sag set to my personal liking and push my "fun-o-meters" to the max, cause how it feels and performs on a given trail trumps that little O-Ring. Keeps the "experts" from commenting as well, LOL.

[@SemiSendy]

Dead on. That ring is fine for a starting sag point but best pushed to the top and forgotten about after that.

[@JohnWick-tt8ut]

best video how to set up air pressure in suspension. 100% true. It took me 8 years to realise it. 8 f... years

[@SemiSendy]

Better late than never, or so they say! 😉

[@rubenvor]

Best suspension setup video ever!

[@SinominStudios]

This PERFECTLY explains my problem with my fork!! Thanks so much for the video, you did a really good job explaining it, and I would easily think you have at least 100,000 subs. Great video production, I subscribed.

[@joshschaefer4001]

Wow I never thought of it this way. This is really interesting. Great insightful video!

[@workhorsemtb7075]

Great stuff. I am too heavy for the correct sag on my rear air shock and I am pretty sure losing weight will make my bike ride better.

[@SemiSendy]

As someone who has struggled with some serious weight fluctuations, I know it will help. Always hard to get weight off, but it's always worth it.

[@flyingnorseman]

I cant tell you how many times Ive heard people with really nice bikes talk badly of them. Ask a few more questions and you realize they have barely messed with suspension. Modern FS MTBs are complicated. From tire pressure to cleat placement to stem length and all the parts between you have infinite things to play with. Ive ridden 30 years and it takes me months to dial it all in. Couple of lbs of air or clicks of rebound can make or break the experience.

[@Alex-sc9qc]

Really good advice! I'm new to mtb'ing and have been playing around alot but I'm glad I came across this video.. I just subscribed too! Explained it so well.

[@SemiSendy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@shawnpritchard366]

We are the suspension. The rest is technology taking out the chatter.

[@jonathanhowson6420]

I ride a Push ACS3 baby. Its butter everywhere!

[@dennisyoung4631]

Screw the pump down *all the way* when putting in air. I thought I had defective forks until I learned this! A key matter will be how much pumping you need to to do. Getting pressure in your forks will take more than two strokes of the pump!

[@walterbruce6053]

Great video Rich and good information. I will rethink my fork and rear shock setup. Like many other folks I have my rear shock sag set at the extreme limit thinking that would give me a more supple ride. I have only been riding a full suspension bike since last fall when I added one to my antique hardtail. I am still experimenting.

[@SemiSendy]

Glad to help!

[@tonya9614]

Well done sir, plenty of good food for thought!

[@gaffney92]

Spot on!! This is especially vital to the ohlins rxf m.2 air!! Their recommended settings are very far away from best settings in the air spring. Sadly I didn't see this vid 8 months ago 😁 or 18 months ago. Vital piece of info.

[@thecount1001]

the now legendary, caramel pants.

[@SemiSendy]

😂

[@michaelwoodward5787]

Added a token and lowered my psi and improved my fork 100%

[@nicholashines7686]

Man that was an awesome review I guess I never thought about the suppleness at the top of the stroke like you explained it I’m going to increase the air pressure back to my standards act right and see how it goes

[@AdamBowman83]

This just blew my mind

[@michaelmartinez9404]

Great content man! I live on Beech Mtn f/t and my 12 y/o son practically lives at the resort biking and skiing. We also short term rent out a private guest suite at the house that's 5 mins from the resort. If you ever want a free weekend in exchange for shredding a few hours w/ my son, just let me know. He'd love it and I'm sure he can learn a thing or two from you. All the best!

[@SemiSendy]

Hey, Michael! Heck, these kids these days should probably be teaching us 😉. What's the best way to contact you?

[@tayloru8282]

How come Rockshox recommends the opposite? They mention that more sag (20-30%) will have great bump sensitivity and result in a smoother ride.

[@SemiSendy]

That's a good question. Not all suspension manufacturers will agree, just as not all of us as consumers will agree. There are so many variables we bring to the table from our weight, terrain and riding style. I think the most important thing is to experiment and find what works for us individually. This video's intent is more to address a general trend and counterintuitive pitfall that seems to be more common than not. The general consensus from most suspension experts is that people tend to most often be riding undersprung, rather than oversprung.

[@newbiemtnbikelove3110]

Excellent and concise info:) I have to explain this often at East Ridge Bikes (where i work). I am going to have this video on hand for my new (and experienced) MTBers. Simple but hard to relate sometimes. Thanks man:)

[@SemiSendy]

Cheers! 🤘

[@riccochet704]

I've found that there is a bit of "give and take" when I comes to dialing in pressure. Lower pressure will smooth out the ride over smalls, higher pressure will smooth out the ride over bigs. Smalls and bigs referring to the size and frequency of terrain features. I'll set my pressure up or down a couple PSI depending on the trail I'm riding, but that comes with experience in knowing what/where you're riding.

[@virkelie2]

This is a really good and edifying video. I've been running my mountain bike for the last 4 years with too much sag, thinking more sag = more comfort. A fellow rider pointed out to me only today I had too much sag on my rear shock. So I came here. Now I understand my error.

[@MrBrettrx7]

I learned that for myself and my style of riding higher pressure is more effective and efficient. I weigh 165lbs and usually use the settings for a 180lb rider

[@stoneenforcer]

The coils these days are progressive and so much nicer then any air suspension.

[@Playwholeday]

But if you riding trail bike there is 90% of possibility that there is no option to install coil shock (not because of the lenth os the shaft - but physically ( bike company mentioned that only air springs is posssible to use with these type of levers and its lenghth) See any cross-country bike with a coil at 2023?! Only bikes starting from 150-160 on the rear have this option to put a coil spring...but you will get zero profit of its instalation if you buy it without special measurments of your body weight and many other factors - usually it is custom tuning for personal preferences of your and the style you are riding...if you buy a cheap coil spring without billion of tunning knobs and the coil will not match exactly what you want - you will bottom out every even small jump or ride like on a hardtail that sometimes bottomed only on the huge drops....Coil is not a thing to everyone to run and buy immediately, especially if you sre a noob rider agreee?)))

[@kiethpederson7558]

I still don't know to set the sag, i think I understand what you're saying. Gave a rythym 34 and I'm 197 lbs they recommend 86-96 psi for 180-210lb rider i was gonna split it down the middle and do 93

[@adrianmcleod2983]

🙏🙏🙏 that was perfect. Exactly what I needed to know

[@shellderp]

I know nothing about forks and have no idea why you'd want a lot of sag. This just makes common sense

[@dannyjones2177]

Wow, just wow. Why did it take me decades to find this out.

[@fullsusloditv5495]

Clear advice for riders specially for newbie like me 👍🚴 Btw your voice is a killer 😅✌️

[@heymofo1981]

Cool vid I was explaining this to my mates the other day

[@SemiSendy]

Spreading the good word! Haha. Cheers!

[@mickpowell8503]

I see a lot of fails on the trail where someone is flipped out of the saddle on landing because their rear sus is set to use the full range and on landing it springs back so fast it bucks them off the bike. I run with a slower rebound. Hope that makes sense?