Noobie one here!! Air fork silliness
 

So new to air forks. Am I using up too much fork here for just pot holes and dropping off curbs and bunny hopping off speed humps? Ill show a picture of my sag too. I also noticed picking up the bike the wheel drops about 12mm

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bcc05b826b.jpg
Just seems like alot for what i was doing seems like it would definitely bottom out in the woods then but i could be wrong
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...fad137871e.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9288114544.jpg
This is the drop amount just picking up the bike

set the sag at 1/4 total travel available.... the "1/3 travel" reccy is for a softer, cushy ride, wanted by slower, less agreesive riders.
it's best done with a helper making the measurements, since any movements by you will alter the position of the o-ring, zip tie, or twist tie.

is the suspension using All of it's travel when you ride hard?
if there are no harsh bottomings happening, you're fine... if it NEVER bottoms, then it's pressure is set too high.

too much rebound damping causes more trouble than not enough pressure... i see this frequently, btw... loosen up the rebound on the fork and rear shock to allow the suspension to be ready for the next bumps.
other signs of too much reb. damping.. front tire washing out in corners, rear kicking up over a series of bumps/whoops, bottoming after a series of bumps(which causes the "kicking up" and "washouts").

sigh... so this is fine? If you saw just thoes first two pictures one being maxed and one being sag you'd say thats setup good? Just a matter of dialing rebound? I guess i just have to ride it hard and see what happens?
Also I did have the front kinda "wash out" on loose gravel earlier ide call it about to "low side" but my dirt bike instinct kicked in and saved it. That may have just been lil too much brake thru the turn. Its a new bike first time with air forks and hydro brakes!
also rebound settings.. the plus slows it down and the minus speeds it up?! And opening rebound speeds it up but closing it slows it down?! All the wording is backwards.. on motorcycles we say increase rebound or decrease rebound. Increase means more decrease means less lmao

I'd add some air, see how it rides, see how much it affects sag and travel.

what you increase or decrease is the amount of damping imparted, and you're confusing yourself, no one else.
i have an extensive amount of M/C knowledge... I literally LIVED at the Washougal National MX Park for 4 years, and have worked at three major M/C shops in the Portland area.
Trail #38 in the Tillamook Burn ODF offroad area is named Maddog's Pumpkin Patch... etc.

whe you push down on the bike frame about 4 to 6 inches in front of the seat post, the bike should travel up/down evenly at the front and rear of a full susp. bike.
the fork should travel out at about the same speed it compressed at, if pushed in a normal medium-fast manner. the front tire should also never leave the ground on rebounding.
i see WAY too many bikes with the Fork rebound cranked up to where the fork is too slow to extend after compressing.
what "Looks Great and feels right!" to most people is often way too much.

the bike is 15% or more of total weight, so it makes the fork set a bit lower than fully extended... it's a spec. that should be mostly ignored with a bicycle. Some forks have an "anti-top out" chamber pressure to set, as do many rear shocks... that SR fork doesn't have that feature, IIRC.

a too-wide front tire, or tire air pressures outside a normal range can cause front washouts too... wrong tread or compound choices for the conditions can do the same.

Unfortunately that is not an air fork so it is not very adjustable you might be able to spend a bunch of money and replace the coil for something stiffer but generally bikes like that aren't designed to to a bunch of hard curbs and things like that. Really no bikes do well there if you are doing it regularly luckily while riding you don't really need to do anything like that and if you are doing that you might change your riding style to stay more predictable. When you are weaving and going on and off sidewalks it is tough for people to know what you are doing.

Oh its not an air fork? How do you know? And yeah I dont weave on and off sidewalks. Infact i live in NJ its illegal to ride on sidewalks at all! I just hit the driveway spots kinda like jumps. Ntm half of them are more mountain bikeable then walkable here. But how did you figure out its not an air fork? 🤔

"what you increase or decrease is the amount of damping imparted, and you're confusing yourself, no one else."
Just gunna say thats unneeded... Kinda like how im about to say. no one cares about how good you claim to be or how you named a trail after yourself 👍🤏 good for you.

ANYWAY
I swear any chance to word vomit onto a keyboard.
its a hard tail. I get the concepts was just a general question I dont have a shock pump and seemed soft to me but like I said idk mtb suspension. If I came this close to bottoming my dirtbike from such simple things she'd be getting oil or a rebuild. I shoulda known better tho... and went to ******. The fact a website is starred out just shows my point 🤣😂🤣 starts with red and ends in dit

Now my observations why does everyone in bicycles have to try and make there own terms 🙄 just say you got too much rebound decrease that. Or damn its packing up you need to add rebound. See? No backwards wording or say it this way means more or say it that way means less. Like your adding damping to reduce rebound. literally everything else with rebound adjustment talks that way. Cyclists just gotta sound... idk. Better. But then CONES oh man that one kills me. Literally EVERYSINGLE other indusrty calls them races. Bearings, inner and outter races. Bikes? Nahh bearings, cones and cups... never said i was confused just pointing out silly bike stuff. Sad the culture sucks you know? too many nose ups. like that guy who is 100% sure its not an air fork... without seeing a damn thing other then the o ring and stanchion that cap is just there for show 🙄. Perfect example.

So if you would like to talk to me quote me, luckily I happened to read your screed and noticed it. From what I understand the SR XCM forks have all been coil forks maybe they snuck in a air fork now but looking at the cap on the NDS it looked like the standard one for a coil fork. If it is in fact an air shock then you NEED a SHOCK PUMP so get a shock pump and put the fork up to the proper pressure for your weight and probably go to the higher end of that if you are going to be riding it improperly. Bikes are not designed for curb jumping so that can take an extra toll on the bike and cause you more headaches and more money spent which I try to help people avoid.

Good luck to you. You'll need it.
the trail was named by a long time friend at an ODF meeting.. i wasn't there. 21 days by myself building the majority, and three days with a team of 4 others.

" I dont have a shock pump."
get one. there's a major difference in their coupler design, and a reason they are so tiny.

your SR Suntour fork is "soft" because it was a weak design to begin with... "QSP" ... Quick Service Product... because they need a certain very critical part over and over again... the lockout knob has been upgraded to the better one that doesn't self destruct, but the more critical component is dead, from the sound of your complaint.
the shock pump will come in handy when you step up and buy a better fork.
a Rockshox Reba or Rekon would be a big upgrade, and weigh less too..;)

I did 😘 but no it is an air fork and not designed for curb jumping 🤣😂🤣🤣😂😂😂🥰 bro. Really? If it cant handle a Lil 4 inch drop but expect it to go in the woods? Why would it be not designed to go off a curb, but is designed to jump 10 feet in the air. That just doesnt make sense. I cant roll off a curb or hold it level off a driveway curve? How is that any harder on my way to the trails then the drops off rocks, or the sudden root webs.. i know Appalachia is notoriously hard on bikes but come on my guy. Pavement vs dirt i guess? I think you guys are imagining im Dave Mirra doing giant bmx bunny hops slam popping tube and bending wheels. Or maybe not imagining sidewalk height.. Im 5'6 and 120lbs on a 29er im lucky if I get that rear wheel in the air without assistance 🤣😂 (I know its all about practice. That's why im out there everyday and try to come here for help and excitement in progress. Im 33 and its my first season gimmie some slack) I also been SLAMMING my 26 90s bike and it hurts my wrists thats why I got the hard tail!


The shock pump? yeah I just dont have one yet. Was literally just asking do these dimensions look iiight? Or should i ride to the bike shop and throw the tech a few bucks to put 5 psi in it right quick. That's all didnt need all this technical jargon, that turns into slinging insults or an appendage ruler. I wanna enjoy this new hobby and make friends not solidify my stigma ya know?

so just pretend its your bike right?
Would you be okay with the sag being there?
Would you be okay with that much suck down?
When you got home saw the ring that high, would that be acceptable?

The bicycle thing is just new. And it feels so soft vs what ive felt on dirtbikes which made me say hmm

Dead? Its brand new. It was just waaayyyy to stiff from the store cuz im small. May as well been locked out hahaha. So i tapped it once and it felt better and I tapped it again and think I let too much out. So yeah was just tryina see if that much sag, suck down and max travel. If you saw the ring in thoes positions for each would you add a little? If so how much you think or just leave it and find my rebound spot? I understand its alot of trial and error and preference to an extent. I love to learn. The big thing with the shock pump is high psi small volume from what i understand vs tires are all about volume for speed

Video example, sorry quality is ehhhh
 

It is a low initial cost fork. It wasn't built around urban riding it was for light paths and easy trails.

You need a shock pump like I said, you can go and whine about technical jargon and mention Dave Mirra or whomever but that doesn't change any facts if you have an air fork you need a way to pump it up.

If that were my bike I would have used a shock pump on it put it to proper pressure and not go around on and off curbs for so many reasons. If my fork is close to or actually bottoming out that is a good sign I have too little pressure or I am using the wrong fork for the job. I have zero interest in blowing seals and causing damage and running forks and shocks at too low of a pressure will cause that problem same sort of deal with my tires however a tire pump and a shock pump are different.

Relax a bit, nobody is out to get you or anything just respond with normal responses and you will be fine.

here's the thing... you're expecting a low end fork made to fit a low price point to perform like you THINK it should, but never will.
XCMs are at the low end of the "MTB" forks SR Suntour sells... they kinda suck, and are HEAVY too.
i already passed along important info(basic setup info, shock pumps are needed, how rebound effects the traction, etc... )... you then insulted me and this forum.
get the pump, then , HOPEFULLY, learn that SR forks suck no matter who sets them up, and get a BETTER FORK, which will also lighten your bike by 10% or more.
vegan owns a bike shop and works on bikes for a living... i'm a semi-retired/disabled Mechanic/Machinist, and have worked on bikes in my small Co-Op shop for over a decade...Some of the folks here that take time to help folks like you have been working on bicycles, Exclusively, their entire adult lives... and a few are retired from companies that built bikes you would love to own.
just for some more basic info..

oh, and the damper assy. in the "lockout" side of the fork... they fail.. sometimes when Brand spankin' new... they are pressurized with nitrogen, and leak easily.
the rods also break on occasion... and the older style plastic knobs get over-twisted/stripped by people thinking they're "stuck" when the lockout breaks internally.
the replacement knobs are aluminum, indicating that SR is well aware of the failures.
the SR Suntour Warehouse is a nice 1.5 hr.drive away, on the other side of the Columbia River.... they tried hiring me a few years ago.

[mod edit to remove profanity]
See its not a question of knowledge its a question on how you come off. Your awnser was your stuff isnt good enough. Not oh wow thats awesome im glad you found a new enjoyment. ide throw a couple more psi in it and see how she feels. Youl have to get a fork pump to bring with you to dial yourself in, but if you swing by a bike shop they might help ya out and do it for you real quick to get your base sag till you buy one. But nah right off the rip it was oh well your new stuff your excited about and your first real bike is garbage and dont even bother. Cool. Great way to keep people around and interested.

i mentioned the MX Park and my trail hoping you'd feel not-so-alone in the bicycle forum, and you dissed me... now you're right back to dissing me, the guy that told you the answers to your questions, and others too..

chill, then go back and read thru the responses, and glean the info provided by experienced people.

smh....
out.

Relax, it is the internet, have a thick skin or don't hang out on the internet. People will help but they might also "break your balls" a little. Nobody is out to get you or attack you or anything but we might all say things in a rougher manner than normal simply because it is not in person so we don't have to always be as gentle. It is a bike forum people have fun because it is a fun subject. People are willing to help you but you have to be willing to accept the help and not get hurt when people give the truth. We don't lie or sugar coat things because it doesn't help you in the end it doesn't help anyone in the end.

If someone tells you that an basic bike is the best bike to your face and doesn't explain the truth then that is not a person I want to be around because they are clearly lying to me and that is not cool.

So i dont know why I even came back to look tbh. Boredom? But yeah thats not my beef man. I work blue collar af I know how to bust balls. That's not busting balls. That's projecting. I asked a simple question

would you add a few PSI?

This suck down looks like alot to me compared to my DB

Im just new to bike stuff. I understand why it has to be soft compared to a DB its going alot slower and weighs alot less and is influenced by body input way more. So it makes sense. Sure. Pressing the shrader with my nail was prob dumb and inpatient.

Being new to something and excited just to be torn down by people who are "better" then me is discouraging. I also dont have 1000s of dollars. Like im afraid of saying what I bought on here. Like legit why I only showed a little of the fork cuz everyone's gunna tell me a bunch of its not good enough. Yet im keeping up with/ surpassing my friends with $2000+ bikes.

Dude relax, you are taking this all too personally. It is their base model fork it is not a great fork, it is not a reflection of you it is just the facts of the fork. Yes it can be ridden on but it won't change the facts of the fork. People love to get all hot and bothered by the facts just relax a bit. You don't need 1000s of dollars you just need to look to the right bike focus on fewer features and higher quality parts and you will get gold, suspension is going to be more expensive or the quality has to go down. It is just the nature of how these things work not a reflection of you!

No no now. You cant go back. 100% buying one was a reflection of me. You forgot the part where it wont be good enough...
Closest thing to an actual awnser and not just knocking something or someone. The fork is better then me. End of story. It wasn't needed to sit there and insult purchases. That woulda been me saying you know with modern shipping veganism is impossible. See what im sayin. This is tho only "extreme sport" ive ever had people talk like this. I skated and snowboarded my whole life and its the polar opposite in attitude. Instead it's "wow your doing it on that?!" Not ohh shark wheels are the good ones you're are trash since you dont have them or at least spitfires. Or snowboarding with 15 year old burton freestyles and break a strap the guys I didnt even know we just were shredding together went and bought straps for me to keep shredding with them. They didnt say ohh thoes bindings arent worth it. Or why did you buy that?! Theu break like that all the time they suck. It was ohhh sick dude. Let's get that done so we can still rip. My best friend had scary flytrap bindings cuz she was absolutely poor. Did we pick on her for it or her pelican board? No we were happy someone was able to get out there and enjoy something with us.
​​That'even dirtbikes. First bike was an 87 xr250. They guys on ktms and aprillias were giving me 🤘 hell yeah! Not the whole eww you guys throw out.

That's what this forum is missing. Maybe cycling as a whole. Even cyclists dont like cyclists cuz there shtty attitudes. I've got eye rolls getting to the trail head just because of my bike. Not any sorta encouragement. You guys just arent nice. And thats the fact here. I got told to start walking on here because my bike wasn't good enough and cuz i lost my license its assumed for "judicial decree" No its medical... ntm that wasn't even the right term thats like childsupport and divorce settlements 🤣😂 sure everywhere has keyboard warriors but there's a difference between vomiting on a keyboard and acting like your superior. ln Which the two of you really need to work on your god complex. Poor spouses... anyway I get it. bikes are the thing your good at. Possibly the only thing. But even still you dont see me on Chevy forums ****ting on LS swaps being like well actually thats an LQ9 not an LS. Or being like oh that LT4 that you were able to afford? Nope garbage. Not worth your time. They have sleeves that arent seated all the way. Don't even bother. No i dont. I say hell yeah brother! Let's gooooo!!!! Just make sure your machine shop seats thoes sleaves or get it resleaved and she won't blow up on ya!!! See. Encouragement.


Soo I was just on my dunkin ride and its right next to our local rail trail and was talking to them and showing them some threads and yup cyclists are all snobby. And this forum is the worst of the worst. They mentioned 1 by name on here even but im not gunna be that guy. So yeah 3 dudes all in tights agree. This community sux.

So wear your tights, keep your nose up. But remember in your mind of being better, there's some of us pointing and laughing. ✌️

Thank you! About 3 PSI and turning down the rebound made a huge difference! I appreciate you! Gunna be way harder hits then ide take in the woods! I got 1 spot to check that had me bottoming hard before!

Next up.. K learns about wheel truing, and that not all bends in rims can be repaired.... and/or that air forks don't hold that air indefinitely...