Answered Where to start with Compression settings on new Rockshox forks?

[Benson]

Just fitted a set of Rockshox Zeb Ultimate 29ers w/160mm travel to my 2019 Comp Carbon Levo. The SRAM Trailhead site says that at 107kg I should run 93psi and -3 on the rebound. What it doesn’t suggest though is where to start with HSC and LSC. I’m unable to get out and ride much at the moment due to family, weather, Christmas and Covid. Can anyone suggest where to start so I have a baseline for when I can get out?

 

[Mcharza]

Check here if it help ZEB Ultimate | FS-ZEB-ULT-A1 | RockShox

 

[Benson]

Check here if it help ZEB Ultimate | FS-ZEB-ULT-A1 | RockShox

Thanks, that’s pretty much the first place I looked. The manual is really useful and great at describing the technical concepts but I was hoping Trailhead would go a little further and provide some starting settings but unfortunately not.

 

[Mcharza]

I thought if you put your serial number there, it shows more

 

[Benson]

I thought if you put your serial number there, it shows more

Yup, it shows you the starting psi and rebound recommendations but not compression unfortunately.

 

[Mikerb]

if you are limited in riding time leave both open and just ride out on some mellow track close to home.. The LSC controls the speed of compression on small bumps and undulating ground so that sort of terrain should be easy to find without going too far. Dial in some LSC progressively and feel how the bike responds on that sort of ground. I have found on most forks I have used dialing in about a quarter of the total LSC adjustment is usually about right. What you are doing is controlling the speed of compression largely at the top half of the full fork travel which you want to be fairly plush but controlled. You can leave HSC open until you go for a decent ride that involves some heavier compression and bigger hits. Again in my experience this is an adjustment you really do on the fly depending on the terrain you expect to encounter. It is often just fine to have HSC open on mild terrain, but between one and three clicks in for bigger hits...e.g one or two clicks for trails with bigger compressions and small jumps...3 clicks for bike park.

 

[Doug Stampfer]

Does increasing LSC affect small bump compliance? To have the fork as plush as can be do you leave the LSC open? If you do increase when does it come more into play- at half compression?

 

[Mcharza]

Here's a good guide how to setup your suspension

Setup Guide – How to adjust your mountain bike suspension for optimal performance

You alsways ask yourself how to set up your mtb suspension? Here's how! We tell you all the tricks to find your own perfect mountain bike set up!

enduro-mtb.com

 

[Mcharza]

And here's the another one

https://www.shockcraft.co.nz/technical-support/suspension-setup

 

[Mcharza]

I put in the instructions because the adjustment is so much dependent on the rider’s riding style, weight and where to ride. However, these give a good idea of the different options

 

[Benson]

if you are limited in riding time leave both open and just ride out on some mellow track close to home.. The LSC controls the speed of compression on small bumps and undulating ground so that sort of terrain should be easy to find without going too far. Dial in some LSC progressively and feel how the bike responds on that sort of ground. I have found on most forks I have used dialing in about a quarter of the total LSC adjustment is usually about right. What you are doing is controlling the speed of compression largely at the top half of the full fork travel which you want to be fairly plush but controlled. You can leave HSC open until you go for a decent ride that involves some heavier compression and bigger hits. Again in my experience this is an adjustment you really do on the fly depending on the terrain you expect to encounter. It is often just fine to have HSC open on mild terrain, but between one and three clicks in for bigger hits...e.g one or two clicks for trails with bigger compressions and small jumps...3 clicks for bike park.

That’s great advice, thanks for taking the time to share. I’ll do as you suggest, I need to bed in a new rotor locally so I’ll use that time to also dial in the LSC then wait until I can get out properly to tweak the HSC from open. Cheers!

 

[Mikerb]

Does increasing LSC affect small bump compliance? To have the fork as plush as can be do you leave the LSC open? If you do increase when does it come more into play- at half compression?

It controls the compression when that compression is relatively slow and that is the case when riding undulating ground and small lumps but can also be the case when entering a berm for example. The suspension may compress quite a bit but it is typically progressive as opposed to the more violent/fast compression when landing a jump or hitting bigger obstacles at speed. Every suspension setting is a compromise and the variety of demands on the suspension during a ride invariably means sacrificing a little initial plushness for better overall control. Just how much LSC is needed to find the best compromise depends on the factory tune of the fork, how many tokens are in use, the sag setting/pressure etc

 

[steve_sordy]

Don't be tempted to just leave the LSC fully open. Try a variety of settings. It's a damping function and you may find that having some low speed compression damping is better than none at all.

 

[Gary]

Fully open isn't actually completely undamped.

Who knew, eh? ?