How to adjust the suspension to make it softer
 

Hey,

I have 2 bikes but the suspension on 1 is extremely hard.

I have never adjusted one before so I have no idea how to do it.

It has a large screw at the suspension but turning it doesnt seem to be doing anything.

Hopefully someone can help

Thanks :)

I assume you are referring to the front shoxs & not rear suspension ? rear suspension comes in so many different formats I'll not even venture down that route.
Basically there are two types of front shoxs, the older cheaper heaver ones have large coil springs in them where there is basically a stud that runs through the spring & then on the top of the shox is an simple adjustment normally marked with an arrow indicating + - tension, screwing down increases the spring make the compression stiffer / harder, backing it off makes it more bouncy softer (for what of a simple word) some shox have a cable from the handlebars going to top of the shox on one side this is to lock the shox for smooth road use, if you have this cable & trigger release type maybe its stuck.

The later better quality shoxs are air operated no spring much lighter normally the body is ally as well, these require a trip to the LBS to adjust.

Some pics or more detailed description of the bikes and suspension components in question would give us a better idea of what you're dealing with and might enable us to better advise you.

The adjustment on spring forks or shocks can only change the preload (AKA sag point) and not the spring rate, so affects when the upper or lower limits of travel are encountered, but not the ride quality in between. Higher quality forks have hydraulic damping, some with external adjustment. These can affect ride quality. In air spring forks, changing pressure changes the effective spring rate along with sag. Air spring forks also have rising rates, which can be tuned by changing the excess air volume by inclusion or removal of so-called tokens. All these factors interplay, to it can get complicated.

Expensive air-oil .. You may have options , Low cost, like on a Whole Bike that sold for less than a good air-oil fork costs, maybe not.