For all those less than pleased with their Rockshox fork here are a few low cost fixes.
1. Forks for emtbs are in my opinion often specced with damping too firm/slow, especially for lighter riders. Setting rebound nearly full fast (faster than the classic front wheel bounce test) can help alleviate that.
2. Where only Low Speed Compression adjustment is available (e.g Rockshox charger) setting it to 2 or 3 clicks helps the fork move more readily into its midstroke.
3. Forks specced for emtb often have more air tokens than factory spec. Try removing one or all of them.
4. I suspect many forks are manufactured months or even a year before they are used....by which time it is possible grease has hardened and little if any oil remains. A simple diy lower leg service just to clean regrease and re lube costs very little and is easy to do...and is worth learning because it will need doing once or twice a year.
5. If you have the Debonair airspring upgrading to the 2021 version for c £50 is hugely worthwhile. The fork will no longer have the 10mm sag just under the bikes weight so you gain that 10mm of lost travel....and since that is right at the beginning of travel that is far more significant than it might sound. It also mostly removes the problem of equalisation of pos and neg air chambers. You can opt for the upgrade kit only or get a complete 2021 airspring which then gives you the option of increasing travel if you want. Either way you will be doing a lower leg service as well.
1. Forks for emtbs are in my opinion often specced with damping too firm/slow, especially for lighter riders. Setting rebound nearly full fast (faster than the classic front wheel bounce test) can help alleviate that.
2. Where only Low Speed Compression adjustment is available (e.g Rockshox charger) setting it to 2 or 3 clicks helps the fork move more readily into its midstroke.
3. Forks specced for emtb often have more air tokens than factory spec. Try removing one or all of them.
4. I suspect many forks are manufactured months or even a year before they are used....by which time it is possible grease has hardened and little if any oil remains. A simple diy lower leg service just to clean regrease and re lube costs very little and is easy to do...and is worth learning because it will need doing once or twice a year.
5. If you have the Debonair airspring upgrading to the 2021 version for c £50 is hugely worthwhile. The fork will no longer have the 10mm sag just under the bikes weight so you gain that 10mm of lost travel....and since that is right at the beginning of travel that is far more significant than it might sound. It also mostly removes the problem of equalisation of pos and neg air chambers. You can opt for the upgrade kit only or get a complete 2021 airspring which then gives you the option of increasing travel if you want. Either way you will be doing a lower leg service as well.
