Mountain Biking - Fork Travel

Just took my new Specialized Rockhopper out for its first ride tonite and its clear to me that I am WAY to heavy for the springs that are in my fork!

I have the Manitou Axel Comps with the standard spring in them.
I am going to order the stiffer spring however in the meantime am I better to set the travel to 100mm as opposed to the 80mm that they are at now?

Am I correct in thinking that this will give me 20mm before I bottom the thing out? I'm almost doing that just sitting on it as it is now!!

Any insight?

Wouldnt it make sense to make the travel less? Meaning the fork will need to be pushed down harder until it bottoms out. Id stay at 80, then again mine is only 80 and I dont know how a "real" fork adjustment works.

Well for Downhill forks you want more travel right?
Wouldnt it make sense that I would want more travel so that they have 20 more mm of travel before they bottom out?

I really dont know either so thats why I thought I would ask before I went and took them apart!

I'm sure you've probably done this already, but just to be sure, did you adjust the preload all the way in?
If so then yes you'll need the stiffer springs.
My Marzocchi's were also a bit too soft for me but they were convertable to air so I ordered the air caps. Big difference.

so going to the 100mm travel setting wont do me any good?

If you're bottoming it out it wouldn't hurt to go to 100mm. At least until you get the stiffer springs.

Well I just adjusted them to 100mm, they seem a bit better, could be my imagination though.

I'm a little nervous about my install though. The instructions werent at all clear. Has anyone changed the travel on these kinds of forks before that can confirm for me?

I took the snap ring from the bottom of the fork flange and moved it all the way to the grove at the very top of the fork flange. It was the only obvious position that I could see and they do seem to be working! hahah

I always second guess myself. Well maybe not always. haha