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Hi,
I'm just trying to get to grips with suspension settings. I've got a 2019 canyon spectral cf7.0 and am trying to get my suspension sorted. Front forks are fine the 'trail head' app provides some good default settings for air pressure and rebound clicks. This has been a great starting point.
However I can find no equivalent default settings for the rear shock - super deluxe rct. The sag is easy enough to set but I am really not sure on a starting setting for the rebound.
Does rockshox publish any equivalent suggested rebound settings for the rear shock - I can't seem to find anything. Is there an equivalent 'trailhead' app for the rear shock?
I assume that the rebound rate must be related to air pressure in the same way the front fork is and rock shox publish settings for the fork, why not the rear shock?
What rebound settings do you use - I'm 90kg riding weight, 30% sag, medium tech rider.
Thanks very much in advance!
Because of different suspension designs
....possibly, but they publish recommended settings for front forks?
do you mean that different chainstay lengths will effect the rebound required?
We always start off with 30% sag and then a 3rd of clicks from slow/tortoise
Never been far off with that as a starting point, Usually ok or a click either way to fine tune.
They can publish settings for forks because it behaves the same regardless of the bike it’s fitted to.
Rear shocks are different in that different suspension designs act upon the shock differently. You’d almost certainly need different settings with the same shock fitted to a single-pivot Orange Five and a multi link bike like a Santa Cruz.
Just find a shortish section of trail that you can session, start with no rebound damping to see how that feels then add a few (say 4) clicks and ride it again. If that's a bit dead feeling then back off 2 clicks, if it's still lively then add 2,then when you get close to something that feels OK just go 1 click either way a and within 5 or 6 runs you'll be sorted. Helps to make notes as you go, so you don't adjust it the wrong way and then get confused.
A typical rider will want the rear suspension to be "critically" damped as a starting point, and can tune for personal preference from there. i.e. the suspension compresses, rebounds past sag point then settles to say point. (Over damped compresses then rebounds and settles directly to sag point, under damped compresses, rebounds past sag point, then compresses past sag and repeats until it finally settles after a few cycles).
This is easy to figure out by simply riding off a kerb at the side of a quiet road while sat down (your bum needs to stay in contact with the saddle) you'll feel the rear compress and rebound. Just play with the settings until you get the feeling of compress, rebound past sag, and settle to sag point.
You'll probably find around 3 clicks where you get something like this critical damping. You can choose one of these as your starting point and adjust from there on a "typical" trail for your preferred riding to tune it into exactly where you want it.
In answer to your chainstay question, there are various shock eye to eye and stroke lengths, this coupled with various chainstay lengths and different suspension linkage types causing various compression curves (falling rate, linear, rising rate) and final compression ratio make it much harder to give you a ballpark rebound setting to achieve the desired out the box rebound settings.
Under full compression a low compression ratio and high compression ratio (wheel movement to shock movement) will act quite differently. One rebound setting is unlikely to be good for both situations, as on one bike the rebound could be slow and the other dangerously fast.
set the rebound by riding off a kerb slowly and watching the movement. should go down - up - down to sag. Use that setting as a basis for first ride. Go for a ride and adjust.
Couldn't tell you the sag though as you can't tune suspension with sag.
Thanks very much for all the replies and advice!
I hadn't thought about the effect that frame geometry would have on the required rebound.
I guess for a give frame, manufactures - canyon in this case could provide suggested values. I assume that there must be a rough correlation (for a give frame) between air pressure/sag and required rebound, ie as air pressure goes up rebound has to be slowed down. A simple table for each frame would sort it.
I'll have a go with the methods outlined above and see if I can work out qualitatively what works, though I have to admit I do prefer numbers to work with and not overly sure what I'm doing!
It does make me wonder with all these expensive suspension options how many people get round to bothering setting them up properly, a market waiting to tapped 😉
how many people get round to bothering setting them up properly, a market waiting to tapped
That'll be the shockwiz 🙂 just plug it in and it'll tell you everything you never needed to know about your shock settings.
Cane Creek's dialled app is great. I know its for their shocks but it might help you learn about the different settings and what to look/think about while riding.
I guess for a give frame, manufactures – canyon in this case could provide suggested values
Ibis does provide for their bikes, in their beautifully-drawn owners manual
That’ll be the shockwiz
Thinking on the more accessible (cheaper side), could a shock manufacturer provide a Trailhead-like app if frame manufacturers gave them their leverage curves?
Put it in the middle then one or two clicks either side, whatever feels better go in that direction 1 click at a time.
I settled on 4 clicks from fully open.
This is a good guide IMO