Fox 34s - getting all the travel?

[miPbiP]

Anyone else had this?

The Fox 34s on my 19 Levo Carbon Comp are set 25% sag and no spacers, but I'm not getting more than 110mm travel from them.

I'm not doing big hucks or gap jumps so maybe I'd expect to come home with 10-15mm unused (that's my "get out of jail" card for when it all goes wrong) but 40mm from 150mm feels a big sacrifice. I'm still doing singletrack with root steps, smaller log jumps and some fairly gnarly rooty climbs at good speed. The same rides are giving me full travel on the shock, for comparison.

Also I noticed the Spesh spec sheet says they should be the 'e-bike' version of the fork, but I don't think they are (for 1 thing, the installed spacer that got taken out was the wrong colour). I don't care as long as they work properly (they don't feel flexi or noodly), but would that be a factor?

What do you think folks?

 

[Murch]

I think you might not have enough pressure in the rear so your bike is sagging more to the back and causing the front to be light. Sag is just a starting point and is not a hard rule that it must be at 25%, 30%, etc use it as your baseline and adjust pressures to get the ride like.

So I would add 5 psi more in the rear and see how the bike feels and how much travel you are now using front and back. You could also go the other way and lower 5 psi in the front and see how it feels and how much you are now using front and rear.

The big thing with suspension is you want it to feel balanced front to rear with pressure and compression settings.

 

[miPbiP]

Thanks @Murch

 

[levity]

@miPbiP - what's the ID code on your fork? If it's the same as the Fox 34 on my '19 Carbon Comp it's "DKNF". You can get info at the link below:

Bike Help Center | FOX

I'm 160 lb out-of-the-shower and get 140mm+ travel using using no spacers and 20-25% sag (60psi). I do run the heavier 700Wh battery which may help. I also have the shock flip-chip in the high position which raises the bottom bracket, steepens the head angle, and shifts more weight up front. You might give the high setting flip-chip a try to see if you like the handling.

FYI, the stanchions on the Fox34 Ebike forks have thick wall so the bore is the same as the standard Fox 32 fork (1.11mm). Be aware of this if you order a new airshaft with different travel.

34mm E-Bike+ Part Information | Bike Help Center | FOX

 

[miPbiP]

@miPbiP - what's the ID code on your fork? If it's the same as the Fox 34 on my '19 Carbon Comp it's "DKNF". You can get info at the link below:

Bike Help Center | FOX

I'm 160 lb out-of-the-shower and get 140mm+ travel using using no spacers and 20-25% sag (60psi). I do run the heavier 700Wh battery which may help. I also have the shock flip-chip in the high position which raises the bottom bracket, steepens the head angle, and shifts more weight up front. You might give the high setting flip-chip a try to see if you like the handling.

FYI, the stanchions on the Fox34 Ebike forks have thick wall so the bore is the same as the standard Fox 32 fork (1.11mm). Be aware of this if you order a new airshaft with different travel.

34mm E-Bike+ Part Information | Bike Help Center | FOX

code DKNF - the link has that as the e-bike fork variant.

flip chip is set high.

I'll tinker with the pressures. dealer set 80psi for 25% sag, I'll take a look at that. 500Wh battery so that's 750gm lighter tho I'm 79kg, (174lb) in birthday suit.

does a new fork need to bed in/loosen up?

 

[Murch]

Fox forks do need a bit of breaking in before they feel great. Have you tried letting all the air out of the fork then fully compressing it so you know where bottom out is? Once you do this you will then know where to measure to verify what travel you are getting.

 

[miPbiP]

no. 150mm travel, 150mm of exposed stanchion, I'm up on the maths. ;-)

 

[Murch]

LOL, sorry wasn't meaning you don't know how to measure its the fact that some of the Forks come wrong from the factory and don't actually get full travel. Most fox forks won't actually go all the way to the top of the stanchion and max out at lettering of Kashima. So I always do a manual check to make sure the fork wasn't built on a Friday and had the wrong airshaft installed.

 

[steve_sordy]

I agree with @Murch, when I looked in detail my first Focus Jam2. It was a 2018 bike being sold at the end of 2018, big discount. It was a Factory special edition, ie what riders at "the factory" wanted to see. I knew the 2018 bike had a 140 mm travel fork, but it looked like a 150 mm to me. The workshop tech guy said it was deffo a 150 mm (part of its "special edition"ness). When the sales guy turned up I asked the same question and was given the same answer. I persisted, so he went and measured the exposed stanchion and said "there you go 150 mm". He also took the fork code and looked it up, and got the same answer - 150 mm! OK - so it was a 150 mm travel fork! But when I got the bike home, I let all the air out and pushed it all the way down. I came up 10 mm short! I then went onto the Fox website and used the fork code and it was a standard 150 mm fork that had been altered by Fox to suit the 140 mm requirement from Focus. I don't believe that the sales guy looked in the correct place, or he didn't look hard enough.

The bike was returned and was accepted without the slightest difficulty.

 

[Mikerb]

...or increase sag on the fork to 30%.

 

[miPbiP]

LOL, sorry wasn't meaning you don't know how to measure its the fact that some of the Forks come wrong from the factory and don't actually get full travel. Most fox forks won't actually go all the way to the top of the stanchion and max out at lettering of Kashima. So I always do a manual check to make sure the fork wasn't built on a Friday and had the wrong airshaft installed.

ah thanks.

no I haven't, will do.

 

[miPbiP]

OK I took all the pressure out the fork - lowers meet crown with a little push so full travel is available.

Just gonna have to huck them harder!

 

[Murch]

Great now we know the fork is working right, huck away!