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I've a RS Super Deluxe Ultimate shock and I've got the sag set to 25%...when I have it fully open, it feels as though it is wallowing a bit, sort of sitting deep in it's sag.
I tend to open it when about to descend or ride over rougher stuff...sometimes leave it.open for.climbs and it tends to be on the climbs where I'm more concious of it moving.
I've yet to feel it bottom out but on stuff that doesn't appear to be that big or hard (landing), the travel indicator shows about 3/4s travel. When I do bigger stuff (which still won't be that big), it seems to be at near full travel.
I'm thinking I should add 1 or 2 bands to the unit as I think that will help reduce the wallow.
Would that be right?
Everything else on the shock seems to be spot on, just I feel it wallows a bit. I've checked sag several times and it hasn't moved and I think if I add more air then it will just feel very harsh.
Best fix for wallow is more air pressure. There's no rule that says you have to use all of the travel and sag is a start point rather than a law.
I like to have a bit of travel in reserve for when I **** up. Nothing worse that things going wrong and then to top it all, you bottom out
+1 for not being slavishly bound to using all the travel or to having "correct" sag, sag is basically just a good useful starting point. (though some bikes are quite specific about sag for their anti-squat/pedal platform so it's sometimes more important, even then what feels good and works well is not necesarily what the manufacturer thinks it is, they've never seen you ride)
If I were you I'd note what you've got now, then fanny about with it. Damping settings are the quickest to fanny about with so start with that, then air. Volume spacers are relatively hard to fanny about with so I always leave those til last, even if you're reasonably sure it's the right call it's still easier to check other stuff first.
TBF volume spacers can be quite unintuitive, because of how they interact with the air pressure. I always say experiment but even more so with volume spacers, there's no reason to try and work it all out when you can just do it.
Adding volume reducers won't help it feeling less wollowy.
Add more air and then reduce the amount of volume spacers to get more travel.
Ah ok...so my thinking was wrong, cool.
Consensus of opinion so far is more air, so will add more air and see how it goes to start with, ta.
Just record what you've done then how it feels.
The only way to learn this stuff is to try.
The great thing is if you keep a record it's easy to go back a few steps.
If you run low speed compression halfway closed how does it feel? Harsh on small bumps?
I would start with high-speed compression fully open and low speed at halfway and go from there.
I found the same with the RS shock on my Whyte e-bike. I’m on the heavier end of the scale and found it best to remove a spacer and up the pressure by 10%. Sag sat about 20% but without the spacers I still used full travel without harsh bottom
Good explainer vid here
The shock might just be suffering from too much air in the negative part of the air sleeve due to incorrect pressure equalisation. This would result in the shock sinking into its travel too easily. I'd suggest following the Rockshox service guide for a basic air sleeve service. That way you know that the shock is behaving correctly before you get too carried away with making changes to volume spacers.
Sounds like it's too progressive with too little pressure. So too soft in the first half and not making use of more travel.
Try more pressure and less volume spacers to make the stroke more linear.
Initially I’d up the pressure a little and see how that is. Leave the volume slavers as they are as it sounds like you’re getting most of the travel already.
I find on air shocks adding lsc can make them feel harsh pretty quickly.
On a super deluxe a Megneg can help with a bit more mid range support as long as you aren’t too heavy if the above doesn’t sort you out.
The more air less spacers advice is probably good.
I'd also look at adding some LSC. That will reduce wallowing significantly. But there is a fine line to where it starts negatively impacting suspension. But don't be afraid to use a little (or even a lot). Personally I feel that if I dont need any LSC, my air pressure is probably too high. I'd rather run the pressure slightly lower so it's soft (not too soft!), and the get a little control back via LSC damping. I've found that LSC also calms the bike a lot in rougher stuff and it feels noticeably more composed.
My bike feels better running 20%ish SAG front and rear, anything softer and it feels wallow-y too me.
Maybe try some bracketing? so go from 25% to 15%, see how it feels, then work your way back from 15% towards 25% till you find something you like?
I also realised that I can never find one setting that is good for everywhere, so I ended up being set up for fast and rough which made slow and janky stuff not the best.
What does the bike manufacturer recommend? i'd check that to start with, sag is kinda related to the suspension design of the bike, if its correct id be trying a little LSC as above, if you have it on that shock
Don't pay too much attention to how a shock performs on the ups. too many things going on including pedalling, sitting etc. use the climb switch if its bothering you.
You mention not bottoming out... 25% sag (how are you measuring?) is getting on for minimum sag on most bikes so more air pressure will make you possibly use even less travel. Don't know what bike you have but sounds like your air pressure is in the right ball park.
Maybe a tad faster rebound to help it feel like it is packing down less if you want to make a change.
but the beauty of air shocks is the almost infinite adjustability. give it a go!
As several people have said already on this thread - the manufacturers recommended settings are a starting point for me.
Counter to some of the posts above - after tweaking my compression damping - I have added volume reducers to my Fox 36’s to make them slightly more progressive and again after tweaking my damping added volume reducers to my Fox DPX2 rear shock to make it slightly more supportive.
I spend a lot of time using trial and error to find something that works for me. Although once I have it feeling ‘right’ I generally leave the settings alone.
Depends on your definition of wallowing...
I would be looking potentially at a custom tune, or at least borrowing a shock wizz and learn what the shock is actually doing.
What is your dynamic ride height doing, wollowing could be too fast low speed damping making it sit higher in the travel therefore effectively feel softer and mushy. Or is there not enough low speed damping and it is actually bobbing in to travel or a combination of both?