I’m starting to hit bigger jumps with more speed. I come from Bmx so suspension is a little foreign. From my understanding with more speed and steep lips I want to slow the rear rebound down (turning the screw in for less oil flow) and stiffen the front shock compression to avoid getting bucked forward off the lips. Is that correct? This was my first hit on this and got a little more comfortable after riding it a bit more. But I just haven’t felt confident charging into the big stuff first hits because of that slight kick. Any other advice is appreciated.
by kenclair
2 Comments
Your technique in pushing off the lip is going to help more than any suspension settings. And suspension is so personal.
But angood baseline is bigger jumps need stiffer suspension and slower rebound. If you’re landing right, you don’t need a plush set up and a slower rebound makes the bike feel less like a photo stick. But you can go too far with all that.
I actually run faster rebound that most and I hit pretty big jumps (25-30 ft gaps are pretty standard work for me). I like that the bike feels a little springy. I didn’t come from BMX though.
Stiffer will probably feel more natural to you, but there is a compromise with the chunk and the rest of the trail. It’ll bounce you around on the techy stuff.
You want stiffer suspension front and rear and I’d probably add some tokens. If you know how your suspension feels and understand how to preload you won’t be getting bucked but generally stiffer for big jumps to avoid bottom out and to avoid getting kicked weird off the lip.
I ride medium size jumps (20-30ft) on the regular and I have a middle of the road set up. Progressive enough to be playful and poppy but plush enough for the chunk and tech. I don’t change it for what I’m riding but I’m super comfortable and aware of how my bike reacts to hitting a jump.
If I was riding super steep lips and that’s mostly all I rode I’d go like super stiff almost like a DJ. And I believe you are right about the rebound, keep it light.