Noob suspension question

dvnjhn said:

Okay, got my first front suspension specialized mountain bike. How do I set the suspension for my weight?

It depends on the type of suspension your bike has ...

Look for a "dial" on the shoulder of the fork ... AND/OR, a Schrader valve near the dropouts -- the bike might/(should) have come with a tech sheet specific to the fork.

SOME (less expensive) forks cannot be adjusted ... check your bike's specs OR ask the shop/person you bought the bike from.

Okay,

The spec for the bike are as follows

Frame: A1 Premium Aluminum, disc only, double butted ORE DT, externally relieved head tube, reinforced disc mount, forged dropouts w/ replaceable 98954020 hanger
Forks: RST Gilla Plus T7, 100mm, Cro-Mo steerer, 30mm stanchions, coil MCU w/ preload adjust
Gear shifters:Shimano Alivio M-410 SL Rapid Fire
Front mech: Shimano Acera M-330
Rear mech: Shimano Acera
Crankset: Truvativ ISO Flow 3.0 for Power Spline, replaceable rings
Cassette: Shimano MFHG-40, 8-speed, 11-32t
Rims: Specialized/Alex HRD 26, double wall disc
Hubs F: Specialized Hi Lo disc, 36h, CNC flange and disc mount, QR. R:Shimano M-475 Disc, cassette, 36h
Tyres: Specialized Resolution, 26x2.1", 30TPI, wire bead
Saddle: Specialized Body Geometry, ATB
Seat post: Alloy micro adjust
Stem: Specialized 3D forged alloy, two bolt, 25.4mm, 10 degree rise
Handlebar: Alloy 25.4mm, 38mm rise, 620mm wide, 8 degree back, 6 degree up sweep, 3.2mm thick
Grips: Specialized Enduro, dual density Kraton
<LI>Brakes: Hayes Sole hydraulic w/ 6" v-cut rotors
Is there a general rule of thumb I can follow for setting this up. There are dials on the top of the forks

dvnjhn said:

Forks: RST Gilla Plus T7, 100mm, Cro-Mo steerer, 30mm stanchions, coil MCU w/ preload adjust

...

Is there a general rule of thumb I can follow for setting this up. There are dials on the top of the forks

You know, I could very well be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that your fork does NOT have any adjustments, per se, and those "dials" may just be cosmetic plugs ... particularly, if there isn't a curved ARROW pointing in a clockwise OR counter-clockwise direction imprinted on the plugs.

I think that type of fork may be adjusted by changing the springs, altogether ... a proposition that generally isn't economical on less expensive forks.

BTW. I have a really OLD suspension fork where I think I recall access to the LIMITED adjustment (with a 5mm Allen Wrench) is done AFTER removing the shoulder plugs; but, I never made any adjustments (the action/"rebound" is/was pretty limited & stiff), and so ...

A wild guess on my part is that the springs in your fork are held in place with long bolts & can be adjusted (i.e., tightened-or-loosened) to some extent if you have the right wrench ... but, I'm NOT sure that a loosened bolt is a good idea ... and, to increase the tension on the springs, I would stack some (additional) LARGE washers on top of the spring.

You may need to go to the/(any) bike shop to see if they can assist you with more information ...

AND, presuming you bought your bike at a shop, they should have made any "necessary" adjustments for you before you rolled the bike out the door.

FWIW. Regardless of the fork brand OR type, the main thing that you can do to maximize the efficiency of your fork is to lube the sliders with some SLICK HONEY (if you are in to using commercial brands) or some Vaseline (or, a Vaseline + motor oil "mix" that has the consistency of honey ... yes, DIY Slick Honey).

I bought the bike on line as it was a return that I got cheaper.

You are probably right, I will have to take it to a shop

Thanks mate

The best way to adjust those forks is to throw them in the rubbish bin and buy some Fox or Rock shox, seriously man those forks are [censored] and dangerous.