Howdy gents and ladies, I have recently purchased an Specialized Expedition Elite for an all around commuter. The front fork is an in-sync exceed 266. All the dealer told me was to turn the pre-load knob ("crown"?) right for tightness, and vice-versa.
The problem is, isn't a pre-load for settings the rider's weight? I've searched for In-Sync's website and cannot find one for details. How do I tell if I have set it properly, is there a trick? I am a big dude, I weight 200lbs. Any help please!
--
-Greg P.
Ash: "You ain't leading but two things right now: Jack and [censored]...and Jack just left town.
Also, is the same true for the damper (the nut below the fork leg)? I mean if I turn it left will it cause more a delay in the bounce-back?
"Greg P." <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]... | Howdy gents and ladies, I have recently purchased an Specialized Expedition Elite for an all | around commuter. The front fork is an in-sync exceed 266. All the dealer told me was to turn the | pre-load knob ("crown"?) right for tightness, and vice-versa. | | The problem is, isn't a pre-load for settings the rider's weight? I've searched for In-Sync's | website and cannot find one for details. How do I tell if I have set it properly, is there a | trick? I am a big dude, I weight | 200lbs. Any help please! | | -- | | -Greg P. | | Ash: "You ain't leading but two things right now: Jack and [censored]...and Jack just left town. | |
Howdy gents and ladies, I have recently purchased an Specialized Expedition Elite for an all around commuter. The front fork is an in-sync exceed 266. All the dealer told me was to turn the pre-load knob ("crown"?) right for tightness, and vice-versa.
The problem is, isn't a pre-load for settings the rider's weight? I've searched for In-Sync's website and cannot find one for details. How do I tell if I have set it properly, is there a trick? I am a big dude, I weight 200lbs. Any help please!
Preloading is essentially setting the sag when you put your weight on the fork. Setting this to between 15-20% of the total travel of the suspension is typical manufacturer recommendation for suspension forks in offroad conditions, assuming that you have the correct spring firmness for your weight. The preload limits the sag to the above range, so that you still have about 80% of the travel available for your fork while riding.
If you're only commuting with the bike, experiment with different preload settings to give you the cushiest ride you like, although at the expense of some fork travel.
"Greg P." <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Also, is the same true for the damper (the nut below the fork leg)? I mean if I turn it left will it cause more a delay in the bounce-back?
Not sure about that fork in particular, but in general, if you weigh 200lbs (I'm 185 myself..) you need to crank that preload up to max baby!! :-) I suggest you investigate if you can get a heavier spring for that fork as well (if it has a spring and is not air sprung). Most forks come stock for a rider around 150-160lbs. Same for the damping mechanism. To be honest, you have to assess your riding style. You can use a zip-tie around the fork leg, above the slider, to determine if your fork is bottoming out. If it is NOT bottoming out, you may be fine with that spring. For instance, if you only ride on fairly moderate trails, you may not have a problem. If you do big hits, even a 150lb guy could bottom out the fork necessitating a heavier spring and more damping. I do average x-country riding and I bumped up my spring from 2 mediums to a medium and a heavy (150-170lb range to 170-190lb range) and I increased my oil from 2.5 weight to 5 weight. This made for a nice, stiff ride but still with plenty of suspension action and I happen to like it. Others may like more, easier movement at the expense of the odd bottom-out situation. In summary, ride it like it is, and if you find it soft or bottoming out a lot, try increasing the preload until it stops..and if it doesn't and you're still bottoming and [censored] about it, get a heavier spring.
Also, is the same true for the damper (the nut below the fork leg)? I mean if I turn it left will it cause more a delay in the bounce-back?
Experiment. Higher damping generally is suitable for occassional "big" bumps, while less damping enables the fork to absorb frequent "little" bumps. Try different settings for your type and location of riding.
"Jose Rizal" <_@_._> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]... | Experiment. Higher damping generally is suitable for occassional "big" bumps, while less damping | enables the fork to absorb frequent "little" bumps. Try different settings for your type and | location of riding.
Ok, to make the damping higher I would turn the damping nut clockwise correct?
"Greg P." <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
"Jose Rizal" <_@_._> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]... | Experiment. Higher damping generally is suitable for occassional "big" bumps, while less damping | enables the fork to absorb frequent "little" bumps. Try different settings for your type and | location of riding.
Ok, to make the damping higher I would turn the damping nut clockwise correct?
Yup..generally, clockwise is increase, counter is decrease...that goes for preload as well as rebound and compression damping.
