[Closed] Rock Shox Pike setup

Interested in this too, what rebound and compression settings are you all running?

Their YouTube channel has a couple of vids, one covers the tokens...

I've got 160mm pikes running with no tokens
I've tried to set them up like my previous floats with 5/6 clicks from full slow and they felt terrible, everything I've read on mtbr ( huge thread about pikes ) says most people run 30% sag and 3/4 click from full fast on high and slow speed. I tried this today and it felt great but that's just my opinion

3/4 clicks fastest rebound? And 3/4 clicks of low speed compression you mean?

The brand of the fork has no bearing on how you set the fork up. It's the same procedure for all. There are many guides on the Web.

The set up is also highly personal so I see little benefit in asking other peoples settings.

It's a good starting point though isn't it , especially if like me you've not used/had a low speed compression adjuster before

My general good starting point is
Get a rough sag set
Knobs to the middle
Bounce - adjust rebound
Ride
Tweak
Ride
Tweak
Repeat

Also the settings you get to are not the settings for every trail remember you paid a lot for the extra knobs you can use them when riding different styles of trail.

Llandgela black vs Snowdon for example

What exactly is the LSC? Obviously know what rebound does but the LSC I'm not to clear on?

Low speed compression, how much the fork travels on slow hits or under breaking (turn it all off and pull the front brake for a demo)

I run mine at 30% sag, 3 clicks compression and 2 tokens- I think they are worth trying out and they are a piece of P to fit

Ahhh right so it's basically like the black dial on the ctd forks (kashima version that has soft medium and firm in trail mode)

I guess a medium setting would be a good starting point for that then

Kimbers what rebound you running?

erm a bit more , prob just under half I think way i think, but that may be a bit too slow

I actually managed to bottom the out yesterday was a 5ft drop to flat concrete I was going a bit too fast nose diving a bit

Cheers everyone

a bump for the midweek folk, care to share any info on these forks?

First thing there is no compression adjustment on the pikes...
The compression is fixed for each of the 3 settings.

OK that out the way the general thing is 30% sag and have at least 1 token inside (bigger lads get 2 tokens in).

I run 2 click off fastest for the slow rebound and about 5/6 from fastest on the main rebound.

Still tweaking them having used full travel on a big drop yesterday.

no compression adjust?

they have low speed compression don't they?

:confused:

OK that out the way the general thing is 30% sag and have at least 1 token inside (bigger lads get 2 tokens in).

Just fitted mine and was reading this thread with interest but now confused again....what the heck are tokens??!

tokens are the red plastic bits that come in the bag with the spare seals etc they reduce the air volume in your fork.

here is a video explaining them and how to fit them.

[url=

fitting instructions[/url]

Oscillate Wildly
sorry i didn't phrase that well and also made a typo.
The 3 position compression dial has no adjustment (like Fox Trail adjust).

And yes your right the low speed is a Compression adjuster not a rebound adjuster as i mistakenly typed.
if you put to much low speed compression on small hits will feel harsh and jarring.
Run as little of this low speed as you can, enough to prevent fork dive (on braking) and as little to allow the forks to suck up the small bumps.

Sram pike tokens
[img] [/img]

fozzybear
First thing there is no compression adjustment on the pikes...

Are you sure about that? From the SRAM website for Pike RCT3

Adjustments External rebound, low speed compression, 3-position compression (Open/Pedal/Lock)

There is also a high speed compression stack in the RCT3 damper but its not externally adjustable.

cheers fozzy for clarifying was just getting to terms with it yesterday lol

so does the low speed compression only work in OPEN mode? im guessing the lock, pedal mode have no adjustment?

so low speed needs to be as fast as possible you mean? how many clicks does the LSC have?

i run my fox's with fast rebound, well over half way fast at least anyways

The 3 position compression dial has no adjustment (like Fox Trail adjust).

Again are you sure? From SRAM's website explaining the RCT3 damper

In addition to its three distinct modes, RCT3 features an independent adjustment of low speed compression.

It has way more adjustment possibilities than the Fox CTD adjust.

See above..

yes low speed compression ONLY works in fully open mode.

There is external adjustment to the open/pedal/lock modes.
jairaj seams to be indicating there may be internal but i have the forks and the only external adjusters are rebound and low speed compression.

I think we checked about 14 clicks on low speed but i'm not 100%.
I set mine all the way to - then went 4 towards the +.

my rebound is fast on my pikes, all the way to fast (bunny) then about 5/6 back to slow.
works for me.

But Rockshox are claiming the RCT3 damper has independent low speed compression adjust in addition to the 3 stage platform adjust?

*edit found the problem. There is a separate web page for the Charger damper with RCT3 which is inside the Pike. This appears to be different to the normal (non charger) RCT3 damper.

As said by Fozzybear the LSC only adjustable in open mode.

jairaj

On the fox you can adjust the compression of the "trail" mode on the fox to one of 3 fixed levels.

On the pike you can adjust low speed on the open mode only.
the compression for trail (pedal) or locked is fixed and unajustable externally.

So while you have about 14 low speed compression settings for open mode on the pike you have 3 compression options for trail mode on the Fox.

not really "way more" ..

Low speed compression on the pike ONLY works in open mode.
Edit : hehe 😀

yep you're right, please see my edit above. SRAM website is a bit miss leading.

cheers fozzy, thats cleared things up for me thank you!

so what exactly is pedal mode? obviously climb is locked out(or near enough?) is the pedal mode for singletrack type stuff (with NO LSC)

does the RED rebound adjuster still have an effect in pedal mode too? or again is that just for the open mode like LSC?

cheers for the info good starting points

how much do you weigh fozzy?

I've not fitted any tokens as of yet, the forks feel great but not rode anything really rough yet so might try 1 in and ride some nice scottish rock fest trails. I'm about 80kg would anyone recommend me fitting them?

Pedal (trail) mode has increased compression.
To be honest i use open 99% of the time and pedal (trail) mode for the climbs and Locked for fireroads only.

I think pedal mode is what you make of it.
I find that the compression is to high for "trail" use and prefer open mode. When i get the fork serviced i'll ask TFTuned or loco if they can lower the compression internally.

(This is where the fox is better as you can put the trail mode into soft setting, where it is not as soft as decent mode but still has increased compression).

The red adjuster effects rebound for ALL modes but to be honest you should set it in open mode as this is when it will be most effective (and the mode you will be using the fork in 95% of the time).
Rebound is the speed that the forks return when extending.

NOTE that the pike has a rapid recovery system which overrides the user set rebound in situations where the full stroke of the fork is used.

Graeme
I'm 80kg (with gear maybe just over) and i needed a single token to ramp up the end of the stroke.
Pike don't blow though the mid stroke like Fox do but i can get full travel out them both at the same spot on our loop.

cheers fozzy, thats really helpful

so is the + dial more divey or fimer on the LSC?

rebound ive no issues with at all, i like to run it just over half way towards the fastest side

+ is firmer.
It will resist the compression of the forks while braking.
BUT it will also resist small bumps so try and run it as low as you can.

cool thats top info 🙂

many thanks for that, im quite light weight so guess that would have some say in the amount i need to run, guess i can run it quite low (minus) being lighter

ill probably start around 3 clicks from - (minus as thats the softer setting)

glad i sort of know what all the bits do now, ive not run LSC before

Cheers @fozzybear

yer, you can run it with less effect (i.e. go to the minus and maybe 2 clicks to the +) see how it goes and add more if you need it.

weight also applies to the rebound as your lighter you may need slightly slower rebound than a heavier rider.

Minus for RS means LESS EFFECT.
so - on LSC means less compression damping which means the fork is more supple on small bumps.

Thanks fozzy really has cleared it up for me! Will be looking at this thread when I have them

Seems all the dials are not quite as scary as I first thought

Didn't know the lsc only had an effect in open mode either , so open mode really is quite easy to totally customise for any sort of terrain

I emailed SRAM Tech Support a while ago asking about the Pike's different modes. This was their reply -

[i]The difference between lock and pedal is subtle, lock is firmer. Basically lock gives about 15-20mm of free movement, pedal about 20-30 with a softer feel before a fast ramp up in damping. Varies a little based on air pressure. The low compression adjuster (small knob) only works in the open position; in lock and pedal the main damper circuit far exceeds the low speed adjustment. Don’t forget on a bike with this much travel the fork has to move a little more in climbing at “lock” otherwise the rider will be fighting the front end on small bumps. It’s not an XC style lock.[/i]

As someone who has never had a fork with anything other than low speed rebound to play with, this looks like a useful general guide to understanding how to adjust rebound and compression.

[url= http://www.canecreek.com/resources/docs/DB_Quick-tune_Sheet.pdf ]null[/url]

That link while explaining how a bike feels has no relation to the Pike forks.

It gives general idea of the effect of the different types of damping.

I run a couple of clicks LSC, about 75% fast rebound (which I vary between 1/2 to full fast depending where i'm riding) one token and probably a bit more air than i need too, but I like it to stay high. Very rarely come near the bottom of the travel. That's at approx 85kg no kit.

mine only 3 months old though, so i'm still fettling.

It would be interesting to know what pressure/ bodyweight/tokens people are running in their pikes.
I'm still messing with mine and currently run 70psi, weigh 82kg, no tokens.

I'm running token less at to test.
82-85 fully kitted (drinks depending).
80 psi (on a fox digital pump)
Testing at BPW may run lower psi and a token still unsure.

~85kg here, running about 85 psi and one token. Token has stopped me bottoming out on 3-4ft drops but still need to play with the compression etc. only had them a month but so far a revelation compared to my 32 Fox Floats.

Hmmm interesting, think I'm about 82kg kitted but running 60psi iirc. Probably at medium rebound position and not sure about compresion now. I normally run mine in fully open position but never realised that the little dial impacted that (LSC). I thought that little lsc dial was the blowoff threshold for the licked out pisition as on my old revs. Every Day is a school day. Good tho as it gives me further adjustment of the mode I actually use

Looks like I need to check how many tokens I have fitted. Felt good at the weekend tho bashing down garburn pass:). Was on my new steed, 150mm pike and 4.5" at the rear. Strange combo but with 29" wheels it really worked

Sounds like I've a bit more tuning to do yet tho.

bikeradar to the rescuuuueeeeeeeeeeeee

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/article/trail-tech-rockshox-pike-air-spring-adjustment-video-39570/

Kimbers.. credit where it's due please 😀
They just linked to all the SRam info on their page 😉

Just a note.
some people have said their socket has rounded the top of the fork nut.
just be careful of this, you may need to buy a cheap socket and get the edge machined or ground flat.

Interesting thread.

I just got some Pikes and they don't seem to have come with any kind of setup information. All I got was a "manual" to tell me how to use the Maxle, shock pump and spare seals.

I didn't get any tokens. At least there weren't any in the pack that I got. They were fitted by the LBS so it is possible they installed them but I doubt it. I'll check anyway.

Have people here generally gotten the tokens in with the bits and bobs that come with the forks or not?

Cheers

I've just received some140mm 29er pikes today that I ordered from hhibike. I've noticed they have no sag guide on the right stanchion.

Is this the norm for the 29er flavour to have no sag guide?

Thanks

The 140 29er doesn't have the sag scale on.
The 150/160 29er does.

[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7318/11967361775_a2a6f7db5b_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7318/11967361775_a2a6f7db5b_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/11967361775/ ]waiting for a new airspring to convert to 160/51mm offset.[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stu-b/ ]multispeedstu[/url], on Flickr

Just a note.
some people have said their socket has rounded the top of the fork nut.
just be careful of this, you may need to buy a cheap socket and get the edge machined or ground flat.

How do you machine or grind a cheap socket flat? Wouldn't you be better off buying a proper, six-sided socket to start off with. Random.

The setup on mine. I'm 70kg.

2 bottomless tokens
75psi
Fairly fast, so 10 clicks of rebound from open
4 clicks of low speed compression from none

Feels great to me. Loads of support and still good small bump sensitivity.

I wouldn't worry about other people's rebound setup because it is completely dependant on air pressure and personal preference.

BadlyWiredDog - Member

How do you machine or grind a cheap socket flat? Wouldn't you be better off buying a proper, six-sided socket to start off with. Random.

What people are struggling with here is the rounded inner edge many sockets have. Even some really high quality kit will struggle to engage with a low profile "nut" especially in larger sizes where you can usually assume something much bigger. So you machine them down to be square edged I've got a couple of turned down Brittools for exactly this reason.

What people are struggling with here is the rounded inner edge many sockets have. Even some really high quality kit will struggle to engage with a low profile "nut" especially in larger sizes where you can usually assume something much bigger. So you machine them down to be square edged I've got a couple of turned down Brittools for exactly this reason.

Got it. So it's actually the lower edge of the socket that's being ground flat. Interesting.

For you guys (like me) that are running the 140mm 29er,it comes from the factory with 2 tokens already fitted.

Woe is me, I didn't get any tokens with mine. Any kind souls out there want to donate a spare token to my bottomless benevolent fund? I reckon 1 would do me, I'm only 140ish lbs

I've found them for sale at JE James for £13, so unless I get a donation I'll buy them. Its a bit irritating that they are missing, I had the seal kit.

getonyourbike - Member
4 clicks of low speed compression from none

Just trying to work this out compared to my Lyriks which have HS and LS compression knobs but they are marked soft and hard on either end.

On the Pike it's marked 'lock' at one end. Is that like setting it to hard?

And is that what you mean by none?

Just that on the Lyriks I run them about 3 or 4 clicks from hard. Much more than that and it starts to dive for me.

Pikes are much less divey and ride higher in the travel than Lyriks.

None is 'wide open' which means fully wound anti clockwise. Turning clockwise adds more low speed comp.

I have a Pike RCT3 160mm (26 inch wheels)

I run 3 clicks toward + on LSC and four clicks out from the 'Rabbit' on the bottom of the fork.

I weigh 90kgs kitted and find that I run 75psi in the forks.

No Tokens..

I tried the recommended settings for psi/weight and found I never seemed to use much of my travel?

Now with less psi I use at least 150mm of my 160mm travel.

My most common ridden tails include medium sized drops and jumps.

I'm curious to hear from anyone of similar weight, how they set up their Pike?

100kg

No speed compression for trail centre up to 3 clicks for steep local stuff.

About 25% sag, not really sure as I just ride and adjust depending on how much travel I use.

2 tokens

Few clicks out from slow I think. Probably about 4.

150mm 26" versions.

Put 1 token in today, 80psi..
1 click LSC
7 clicks rebound

100kg kitted up, fork feels much better and not eating up all the travel.