Mountain Bike Fork Preload Adjustment

Here is how to adjust a suntour xct mountain bike fork.

Mountain bike fork preload adjustment. Dive more during braking. The best mountain bike trail forks. Here you will find the on the fly preload adjustment knob marked with a and and the word lock turn the knob all the way toward the symbol and put your weight on the handlebars. In this video i am adjusting a rockshox recon silver mountain bike fork with an air spring and i show you how much air you need to put.

To get in the ballpark stand astride the bike put your hands flat on the bars and quickly push down and then lift up. This allows the fork to extend into depressions in the trail. Get it wrong and you ll be fighting a constant battle with your bike and the terrain. Rebound damping regulates the speed at which your fork or shock recovers or bounces back from an impact and returns to its full.

Preload when it comes to mountain bike shocks the preload refers to the amount of sag the shocks allow when the bike is at rest with only the rider s weight bearing down on it. Setting the forks preload requires measuring the sag or how much the fork compresses when the rider is sitting on the bike. The suntour xct fork is not a shock absorber and the only thing you can adjust is the spring tension. If your suspension fork dives when you brake or ride very steep trails your fork air spring rate is too low.

Get it right and you will enter a whole new world of control. The more it s compressed the stiffer the fork will feel. Notice how the shock responds by lowering into the fork columns. Bigger preload compresses the spring more and so it s best for heavier riders and or people who need prefer the stiffer ride racers etc lighter riders should use less preload.

Setting up your suspension fork and shock if you have one is absolutely crucial in order to get maximum comfort and control while riding off road. Examine the front of your bike specifically the top of the right fork column. Add pressure to the suspension fork 5 psi at a time and repeat the trail. If the suspension fork feels harsh over small bumps and lacks grip.

To adjust the spring tension on a. Make a note of the optimised pressure. Typically you want the fork to sag about 30 of its travel. Stop when the fork dives less and gives good support.

Less preload will also give you plusher ride but the bike will e g. Remember that your bike s suspension is more than just a spring. Rebound damping keeps the fork from bouncing back too quickly after a hit rockshox manitou and pace put their rebound adjusters at the bottom of the right hand fork leg marzocchi and fox put them at the top.