Learning about fork rebound?

[Sandy]

So... For the hard of learning. Can anyone explain to me what the rebound does and why I should or should not tinker with it on my 2019 Levo HT?

 

[Maastricht]

@Gary is one of the specialists on the forum here.

Check this link:

Suspension set-up guides and info - EMTB Forums

 

[krisrayner]

Rebound is usually something you tinker with to find your happy place and then you’ll rarely change it. One rule of thumb I’ve found to be true, “set your rebound as fast as possible but as slow as necessary”.
You want it to respond fast enough to be ready for the next bump but not so fast that it’s bouncing or pushing back at you.

 

[Sandy]

Cheers I'll go off and watch the videos and learn the ropes.

 

[paquo]

Rebound is usually something you tinker with to find your happy place and then you’ll rarely change it. One rule of thumb I’ve found to be true, “set your rebound as fast as possible but as slow as necessary”.
You want it to respond fast enough to be ready for the next bump but not so fast that it’s bouncing or pushing back at you.

that's true. On my levo with the fox 36 and float it was pretty harsh so i ran it fully open on both compression and rebound and over the course of a few weeks i ended up without most of the volume spacers and just a bit of compression and rebound, way better than stock settings

 

[HORSPWR]

It's probably the most important setting on any suspension to having it feel plush where it soaks up the small stuff and bigger hits and doesn't bounce you back all over the place like a pogo stick. Too many people don't run enough rebound, I always start with my settings on the side of too slow and then slowly back it out as I need to.

 

[Sandy]

It's probably the most important setting on any suspension to having it feel plush where it soaks up the small stuff and bigger hits and doesn't bounce you back all over the place like a pogo stick. Too many people don't run enough rebound, I always start with my settings on the side of too slow and then slowly back it out as I need to.

So the knob on the for says rebound +/-

So presumably + means more bouncing you back and - means less?

 

[Maastricht]

Hi Sandy,

Maybe also this link can help you:
Suspension Calculator App | Specialized.com

Here you will find Specialized's recommendations as a starting point.

 

[Eckythump]

So the knob on the for says rebound +/-

So presumably + means more bouncing you back and - means less?

Normally the reverse, + or turtle to add more rebound damping, slowing down the return to normal position.

 

[HORSPWR]

So the knob on the for says rebound +/-

So presumably + means more bouncing you back and - means less?

Other way around, + is more rebound dampening therefore slower return and less bouncing back. Clockwise in is slow rebound, anti clockwise out is faster rebound.

 

[steve_sordy]

When I got my first ever bike with a suspension fork, I had no idea what the rebound dial did. I played around with it on the street but it didn't appear to do much so I left it (for months!). Despite several unfortunate offs I never linked them to that casual rebound setting. Until one day descending a very bumpy (not rocky or rooty) trail I decided to have another go. I wound the dial all the way one way and rode it. Awful! It felt like my fork had become a pogo stick! So I wound it all the way in the other direction. Bliss! I could not believe what a difference it made.

Once I knew it did something I did a bit of research and discovered that maximum rebound damping might not be the perfect setting. I have been a fan of sorting out my suspension settings ever since.

Download this guide to setting up your suspension, from Bike Rumour and keep a copy. It starts off easy and progresses such that you will come back to it time after time as you progress.

Bikerumor Suspension Setup Series: Full Series PDF - Free Download! - Bikerumor

 

[HORSPWR]

When I got my first ever bike with a suspension fork, I had no idea what the rebound dial did. I played around with it on the street but it didn't appear to do much so I left it (for months!). Despite several unfortunate offs I never linked them to that causal rebound setting. Until one day descending a very bumpy (not rocky or rooty) trail I decided to have another go. I wound the dial all the way one way and rode it. Awful! It felt like my fork had become a pogo stick! So I wound it all the way in the other direction. Bliss! I could not believe what a difference it made.

Once I knew it did something I did a bit of research and discovered that maximum rebound damping might not be the perfect setting. I have been a fan of sorting out my suspension settings ever since.

Download this guide to setting up your suspension, from Bike Rumour and keep a copy. It starts off easy and progresses such that you will come back to it time after time as you progress.

Bikerumor Suspension Setup Series: Full Series PDF - Free Download! - Bikerumor

Great story on how rebound is so effective. Most people could always benefit to have more than they realise, they just never try. I always wind mine shut on a new fork, pick a track and back out 2 clicks and ride the track and repeat over until I have that baby doing its job and it is always more towards closed than it is open.

 

[MarkH]

I always use a section at Lee Quarry to set rebound. It's like a boulder armoured staircase that is guaranteed to pack your fork down if rebound is too slow. 2 clicks faster is my sweet spot.

 

[Gary]

Firstly. Don't listen to anyone elses actual rebound setting
Rebound damping is personal preference and .
the same rebound damping setting (no of clicks) will affect the fork differently for different forks, travel, dampers, rider weights and spring pressures.
Someone on the internet telling you to run two clicks from slowest is just plain dumb.

You also don't need to go anywhere special to adjust rebound to taste accurately.
a flat pavement with a kerb is more than enough.

Don't worry too much whether you count clicks from full open to full closed (it's only a number relevant to you)
Your correct (personal) damping setting is going to be within a very small range either side of the critical damping point. (one or two clicks)
Your critical damping point is where the suspension compresses and extends (recovers) quickly enough but with minimal oscillations after returning to sag point
once you've found the critical rebound damping point. Don't be afraid to try one to two clicks either side to find where you prefer your damping set.
Some riders prefer faster rebound, some slower. neither is wrong.
Most riders prefer a slightly faster fork rebound setting than their rear suspension rebound setting.


Take time to read the suspension set up guides in the link in the first reply. There's a lot of good information there and although it may seem daunting to a suspension noob once you get your head round what each adjustment does suspension becomes far more simple to understand than it at first seems.

 

[Mcharza]

Remember that the air temperature also affects the adjustments. With cold and hot it behaves differently

 

[Mcharza]

Here is a guide, too Setup Guide – How to adjust your mountain bike suspension | ENDURO Mountainbike Magazine