Shock pressure

[Sander23]

I've got a rs deluxe plus on my bike.
I'm struggling with my shock pressure.
I've yet found my pressure at 190psi wich makes the shock feel smooth and soft at 30%sag.
When I ride some rougher stuff or practice on some small jumps my shock bottoms out.
When I look at the rs suggested pressure I looking at 210 psi. The shock doesn't bottom out but feels very hard.
Is there a way I can use the 190 psi without the shock bottoming out?

 

[RustyMTB]

Add tokens.

 

[James_C]

small jumps bottoming out sounds a worry... I am running 230psi. Are you sure 190 is enough?

Other thing is - when was it last serviced? This really improves the small bump harshness, although much more from the fork than the shock I find.

 

[Sander23]

small jumps bottoming out sounds a worry... I am running 230psi. Are you sure 190 is enough?

Other thing is - when was it last serviced? This really improves the small bump harshness, although much more from the fork than the shock I find.

Serviced it like 3 rides ago.
I'm practicing on the small jumps as it's new to me
With all the riding gear and backpack I'm around 100 kg, I like the feel of it at 190psi

 

[RustyMTB]

Yeah, 190 doesn't sound like much unless you're small or a girl trying to get away from Bam.

 

[Zimmerframe]

or a girl trying to get away from Bam

Is there another type ?

 

[Sander23]

ADD LOW SPEED COMPRESSION AND SLOW THE HIGH SPEED SOME.

IM NOT YELLING IM DRUNK

The shock doesn't have that.

 

[Sander23]

If I bump up the pressure how can I make it more smooth and soft?

 

[RustyMTB]

It'll have rebound though, same difference. You can slow it down & that will help with bottoming out up to a point.

 

[Sander23]

Bumping up pressure or on a spring over springing a shock will never make it smooth and soft.

Like rusty said add tokens. This will give you a much more progressive spring curve so you can still keep your seated riding nice but have bottom out resistance.

When you start sending big air you’ll see that all air shocks need almost all tokens stuffed in, air is more progressive than spring which means not to put a spring on the bike. Unless you don’t do big air.

Thx I'll try adding tokens. I don't plan on doing really big jumps as that's far above my skill level.
And I also don't think my big is made for that big jumps with 140 travel

 

[Mikerb]

Its a very basic shock with little user adjustment...............I doubt at your weight adding tokens will resolve your issue but worth a try. Otherwise you need to look at the RS Super Delux or similar.

 

[Type1]

It'll have rebound though, same difference. You can slow it down & that will help with bottoming out up to a point.

How will increasing rebound reduce bottoming out?

 

[RustyMTB]

It won't. I meant compression and that shock may or may not have a compression adjuster. The answer is still tokens anyway. They alter the spring curve & will do what the op wants.

 

[Type1]

It won't. I meant compression and that shock may or may not have a compression adjuster. The answer is still tokens anyway. They alter the spring curve & will do what the op wants.

Agreed.

 

[KnollyBro]

Bumping up pressure or on a spring over springing a shock will never make it smooth and soft.

Like rusty said add tokens. This will give you a much more progressive spring curve so you can still keep your seated riding nice but have bottom out resistance.

When you start sending big air you’ll see that all air shocks need almost all tokens stuffed in, air is more progressive than spring which means not to put a spring on the bike. Unless you don’t do big air.

I think you must mean "unless you don't do big air" well and case all the jumps. Drops should also be ridden faster than you think to be kind to your suspension. You might add "and if you are fat and ride slow, its difficult to get a coil shock feel good as it is meant to be ridden hard and put away wet" Do they say that where you come from? How do you say that in German? Is it still an innuendo?

 

[Gandalf]

You’re gonna have to ask a German. But generally most of our (‘merican) sayings come from them, sometimes they’re comical and sometimes you understand but it just makes no sense. Germans usually ask me to just speak English because they don’t understand my school taught German especially if they’re from south west Germany.

@Gandalf
What’s the German way of saying ‘ridden hard and put away wet’?

German:
Er sieht ziemlich mitgenommen aus
or
Er geht am Zahnfleisch.
or
Schaut aus wie ausgelutscht und weggeworfen.
or
Er sieht völlig fertig aus.
or

 

[Sander23]

Another question, I was looking for tokens when I saw this.

RockShox Megneg Air Can Upgrade Kit for Deluxe / Super Deluxe Shocks

More tuning options than ever before: the Megneg Air Can Upgrade Kit for Deluxe / Super Deluxe Shocks by RockShox The Megneg air chamber has an even larger negative travel for even more sensitive response, even more mid-travel support, and even more

www.bike-components.de

Could this be a way to get make the shock feel smoother and softer on small bumps by getting a higher pressure then the 190psi that I like?

 

[RustyMTB]

Another question, I was looking for tokens when I saw this.

RockShox Megneg Air Can Upgrade Kit for Deluxe / Super Deluxe Shocks

More tuning options than ever before: the Megneg Air Can Upgrade Kit for Deluxe / Super Deluxe Shocks by RockShox The Megneg air chamber has an even larger negative travel for even more sensitive response, even more mid-travel support, and even more

www.bike-components.de

Could this be a way to get make the shock feel smoother and softer on small bumps by getting a higher pressure then the 190psi that I like?

Yes but...a Megneg is really just a larger aircan than the shock comes with from the factory. It will make it more supple on mid stroke & soften the small bump feel on the early part of the travel but won't help with bottoming out. Also y9ou should make sure the shock will fit in the frame with one, some frames are very tight with standard shocks, a megneg will make the shock profile a little bigger than what you have now.

 

[Zimmerframe]

I think as @RustyMTB said on the first reply, I'd start with adding a token if you like the feel at that air pressure.

It should still feel the same for small bump compliance, but with a token there's less air space, so it will compress more through the movement, which will in theory hopefully limit your bottoming out.

Adding a megneg is just adding a whole new degree of things to tune. For starters you'd have to up the pressure you like by about 20% to get it to feel the same/have the same initial support. Then you're into adding and removing negative tokens to get it as you like it. Keep it simple !

 

[RustyMTB]

Also, tokens cost pennies. Megnegs don't.

 

[irie]

Yes but...a Megneg is really just a larger aircan than the shock comes with from the factory. It will make it more supple on mid stroke & soften the small bump feel on the early part of the travel but won't help with bottoming out. Also y9ou should make sure the shock will fit in the frame with one, some frames are very tight with standard shocks, a megneg will make the shock profile a little bigger than what you have now.

Megneg was close but fitted OK on my wife's 2022 Medium Rail 5. Took out the volume reducers and put in 2 negative rings. First did this on my 2022 Large Rail 5 but now have an Ohlins coil shock. I weigh ~83kg ready to ride and IIRC pumped the shock to 220psi. Basically Megneg turned a budget shock into a pretty nice shock.

 

[Mikerb]

...just not sure increasing progression actually increases shock pressure....which is what determines how much force is required to push the shock through its entire stroke ( ie bottom out). So yes you can make the progress through the stroke more progressive and that enables a softer top of stroke but with good ramp up through mid stroke but the total force required to bottom out is determined by the shock pressure (as set by SAG for static bike plus rider weight). So even if tokens are added total force to bottom out remains the same so air pressure in the shock is also required. I have used the shock in question some time a go and I weigh 78/79kg fully kitted and set air pressure at 205. So that is a huge difference when you consider the OPs weight and the fact that adding more air pressure to the shock is not linear. I changed to a Fox DPS which was immediately a huge improvement and completely sufficient for the type of trail riding I did on that bike back then.

 

[High Rock Ruti]

If I bump up the pressure how can I make it more smooth and soft?

High Rock Ruti

Low pressure allows the suspension (both front and rear) to sit too far into the midstroke losing the plushness provided at the top of stroke. I've experienced this many times especially on forks, start at the correct sag then adjust compression and rebound, if that doesn't work then start adding volume spacers to ramp up progressivity. This is complicated stuff but if you experiment you'll be very happy and in the future it will make sense, I'm constantly adjusting and what was a mystery is now completely baffling....LOL

Warm Regards Ruti

 

[Giff]

I've got a rs deluxe plus on my bike.
I'm struggling with my shock pressure.
I've yet found my pressure at 190psi wich makes the shock feel smooth and soft at 30%sag.
When I ride some rougher stuff or practice on some small jumps my shock bottoms out.
When I look at the rs suggested pressure I looking at 210 psi. The shock doesn't bottom out but feels very hard.
Is there a way I can use the 190 psi without the shock bottoming out?

Smaller jumps and less rough stuff?

 

[Downhillr]

I've got a rs deluxe plus on my bike.
I'm struggling with my shock pressure.
I've yet found my pressure at 190psi wich makes the shock feel smooth and soft at 30%sag.
When I ride some rougher stuff or practice on some small jumps my shock bottoms out.
When I look at the rs suggested pressure I looking at 210 psi. The shock doesn't bottom out but feels very hard.
Is there a way I can use the 190 psi without the shock bottoming out?

I’d suggest looking for a used RS Super Deluxe Ultimate and getting it custom tuned if you can (Vorsrung or equal). I’m 200 lbs ride weight, couple buddies (one who’s about 250 lb in gear and jumper) also have custom tune which is done with shock internals. Standard shock targets average weight rider and with enough air/tokens gets too harsh.

 

[YZDude]

190 is way too low on PSI. I weigh about the same (210 lbs), and my general rule is PSI = pounds, at minimum. Try correct PSI and add token. Otherwise, coil spring.