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So got round to setting up my new Mega 290 carbon Elite with Fox 38 performance elite forks.
Used the suggested air pressure and settings in the manual, went out last night and only managed to use 90mm of the 170mm travel!
Will drop the pressure a bit and see what the sag is, and revisit the other settings to see how that is and then bung the Shockwiz on them.
Fox suggested fork sag is 15-20% which seems really short!
Shock was a bit better with using 40mm of the 60mm stroke, but don't think I was quite hitting 30% sag so will try again on that.
How come the Fox suggestions are so far out?
With the greatest respect - were you using it in the manner that which Fox expect a 170mm travel Super Enduro fork to be used?
How come the Fox suggestions are so far out?
I've got 2022 Factory 34 and Factory Float X on my 120mm travel bike and found the starting settings very close to where I ended up but I absolutely hammer the bike (I prefer the lively 'underbiked' feeling!).
With the greatest respect – were you using it in the manner that which Fox expect a 170mm travel Super Enduro fork to be used?
This, to a degree. If you are maybe not hitting stuff so hard (or just riding mellower trails) you could try removing a volume spacer - the tuning guide suggests there should be 2 pre-installed.
It's very difficult to accurately measure fork sag, I just put in the suggested amount of air and amend it according to how it feels and the manner in which I get full travel.
I have some spots on my local trails where I know I usually get full travel, so I use those to calibrate.
Conversely, I have Factory 34 140mm 29er forks that I have set up using recommended settings, but recovering from a broken leg so not going full tilt, riding relatively tame terrain and only using around 60% of available travel from 20% sag.
Its fine for what I am using the bike for at the moment. My guess is, if I was up to speed and back riding what I want to be, I would be using a lot more travel with the current settings.
Did you equalise the chambers as you inflated? I've found them to be not too far off. Within a few psi. A good test is to roll along and push as hard as you can without lifting the front wheel. You should be able to move through something like 2/3s of the travel. This is just a very ballpark test though.
Also... nice bike!
Thanks all - obviously not a pro Enduro rider, but can usually get a decent amount of travel used - hadn't twigged about the 2 volume spacers - will have another crack and possibly remove a spacer.
I was out with 3 mates in the peaks.
They have all bought 170mm enduro bikes. None of them ever get into the last 25% of travel bimbling about.
They would be better served by some lighter bikes with less burly bits, but bought the long travel bikes for the feeling of safety.
I've just bought some 160 fox 36. After doing the biggest gap jump I've ever done (2m, to big but huge for me) I had 25% remaining. Sag set correctly.
I will probably take some pressure out as that pressure is just too much for me. Its nice to have if I was coming up short on jumps or on a dh track, but that's not my normal ride.
Its made me.glad I didn't go for the 38's. They would have been totally wasted on me!
I thought it was well known all FOX's fork settings were on the firm side.
When I had a Pivot, their suspension guide said as much, all their recommended Fox fork settings were 10-15psi lower than Fox's. I've gone with the same approach ever since.
tall_martin
I’ve just bought some 160 fox 36. After doing the biggest gap jump I’ve ever done (2m, to big but huge for me) I had 25% remaining. Sag set correctly.
You probably just landed so smoothly on the transition that you didn't need the travel:)
Indeed.
I only ever get full travel on the rear on gap jumps... when I case them.
Have you checked how many spacers are in the airside? They usually come with 1 or 2 installed I think. Worth taking them out if you aren't getting anywhere near full travel.
I have 150mm Fox 36 with no tokens running at 30% sag and I never get more than 125mm of travel out of them because, despite the fact that I'm fat, I'm just not hard enough on 'em.
I have giant reign ebike .I bought it couple of months ago .it comes with dpx2 rear shock with the biggest volume spacer the shock can take and its a small! Mental
went out last night and only managed to use 90mm of the 170mm travel!
How did they feel though? Granted they'll need to break in a bit and loosen up, but who cares how much travel you're using? It's the same as the kids shouting "How many gears you got mister?"
Quality not quantity is what you're aiming for.
The question is did that 90mm you used feel right, did it ride harsh or firm, how much compression do you have and so on?
Setup on forks and shocks is hard, fox give ballpark figures but they are just start points.