How Do I Make My Mountain Bike Suspension Softer

There are many ways to make your suspension softer. One way is to buy a different bike that has a softer suspension. Another way is to change the air pressure in the bike’s tires. You can also change the amount of oil in the bike’s shock absorber.

The most important thing is to find out what you want out of your bike’s suspension and then do what it takes to get it.

Why does my MTB suspension feel stiff?

Changes in air pressure, suspension design or riding style will determine how your rebound should be set. If your rebound is set too fast, you’ll feel like you’re riding a pogo stick. Meanwhile, a setting that is too slow won’t allow the suspension to recover, causing it to pack up and feel stiff.^[1]

Can I use WD40 on my bike suspension?

Please don’t use WD40, GT85 or any similar products! Instead of cleaning your seals, they will wash away the grease under the seals, letting dirt in much more easily– even if you’re careful you will also risk contamination of brake rotors/pads and these products can also dry out seals.^[2]

What pressure should my MTB suspension be?

As a rough guideline, you should aim for a sag of about 20 % for the fork and 30 % for the rear shock. If yours is less than that, you can simply let some air out. If it’s more than that, you can add air with a shock pump.^[3]

What does too much rebound feel like?

Too much rebound damping (Front) Ride feels harsh, opposite of too little rebound. The front tries to wiggle or tank slap when accelerating hard out of bumpy corners. Continuous bumps cause the bike to ride loose (loss of compliance).^[4]

Can you lubricate shocks?

Lubricating the upper isolator, jounce bumper and utilising the correct internal strut/shock oil will help reduce friction, noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) in the suspension.^[5]

How fast should my rebound be?

When your rebound is set too slow your fork or shock will pack up. That means the hits will be coming one after another faster than the fork or shock has enough time to extend again. You basically want your rebound as fast as you can get it without feeling like a pogo stick and bouncing around on the trail.^[6]

Is stiffer suspension better for MTB?

As for the answer to your question, stiffer is better at the front – to a point. When pushing a bike to the ragged edge, increased stiffness at the fork will yield better control and handling, but there is a such thing as too much stiffness up front.^[7]

Do MTB shocks lose air?

The only way you can lose air from the system is if the shock pump seal or shock valve pin is damaged. Hair, dirt or damage to the pump head seal will allow air to creep out between the valve and pump head and lose pressure.^[8]

What does preload do on a mountain bike?

The preload refers to the amount of sag the shock will allow when the bike is at rest with the rider’s weight bearing down on it. Determining the correct preload is important because if it’s too high, it takes more energy to move the shock and compress the springs, resulting in a harder and desensitized shock system.^[9]

Is WD-40 good for MTB forks?

Its not to be used on forks… It will damage the seals… Just used normal warm water to clean the outside then if you can have a tech pop the seals and use a proper fork oil that is synthetic based to lube it…..^[10]

How do I adjust my mountain bike air suspension?

Stand next to your bike and compress the fork with your body weight. Quickly release the fork and let it bounce back. Adjust the rebound until the fork rebounds as fast as possible without causing the front wheel to ‘jump’ off the ground.^[11]

What psi should I put in my rear shock?

The exact PSI you end up with depends on how plush/firm you want the rear shock to be, but a good starting point is 1 psi for 1 lbs in weight of the rider (including riding gear). Then just add/remove air to your liking.^[12]