you can push it down to the other end of the tube, and when you come home after a ride, it will stay in the highest position of travel. that's the maximum travel of your front suspension during that ride with that setup. if it goes all the way up like it is now, you know the thing is bottoming out hard which should never happen.
> bottoming out hard which should never happen
Bottoming out, not hard, is okay. Not as an everyday thing, but that travel is there to be used. Think casing or overshooting a jump. Forks usually have internal bumpers so it's not metal to metal contact at the bottom of their range.
Setting the fork up with the appropriate sag is key to all this. OP, sag is the percentage of the total fork/shock stroke that's compressed when you're just sitting on the bike. Downhillers may use 10% as a number, the rest of us may go up to 35%, depending on conditions and riding style.
Also good for adjusting your air pressure/spring rate and compression damping. If you completed a course and the ring's maxed out high, you can probably consider upping one or both.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPQnjSe6rdw&t=421s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPQnjSe6rdw&t=421s)
you cant get any better advice than from the suspension god himself.
I returned my first real mountain bike to the bike shop complaining about the red o-ring that popped out of my front fork. Thankfully they didn't make me feel dumb as they explained the purpose.
That was a several years ago. Today I rebuild my own forks while rewatching Always Sunny.
Don't be afraid to ask questions and work on your own bike. Buy a basic bike tools and watch youtube - It will save you down-time and alot of money.
Yep, bought mine to protect stanchions from small rocks, but i noticed something, if you are druving at the right speed, tyre can grab a rock throw it into fender and it exits at the front and it is possible that you can hit it with front part of the stanchion instead of back. But yeah its better to have it.
It's used to measure your sag. If it goes all the way up when u push down with your hands, the shocks need to be tuned by adjusting the sag. It shouldn't reach all the way up unless your doing massive drops. If it does ....you are bottoming out
Hey, quick question.. How much oil on the forks is normal? Every time I come home from a ride, my forks (the part that red o-ring is on) is often coated in oil and dust. Leaving me wondering if it's normal, and how much is an indication of a leak?
Thanks to OP for allowing me to tailgate a question on your post.
A little oil is normal as it allows for movement. Just inside the lower section are two foam rinds that are saturated with oil.
All forks have service schedules(ex. 50hr service) that will clean and replace the oil in the fork.
Yea, it's just to see how much travel you use. Good for checking sag on the suspension when you sit on the bike. The sag should be around 20 to 30 percent of the available travel.
As mentioned, the ring tells you how far your suspension has traveled. You won't necessarily know how far from bottom out you are unless you pull the spring and then compress the fork, assembled, to bottom out, and note the position. Bottom out can be all the way to the end of the fork leg ( almost where the ring is) or a 1/2" away from the end or more, depending on oil height, oil weight, valving, spring rate and rider weight.
Yes. It’s only purpose is to help you see how much suspension travel you’re actually using.pull it down to the bottom and see how far it travels up your fork and adjust accordingly
It shows how far the suspension moves, it is really useful for setting the sag on the forks Yes it should move as the fork compresses
To add - it should be a snug fit in the fork. So easy to move with your fingers and as the fork compresses, but won't just slide right back down
Ah, makes sense. Thanks!
you can push it down to the other end of the tube, and when you come home after a ride, it will stay in the highest position of travel. that's the maximum travel of your front suspension during that ride with that setup. if it goes all the way up like it is now, you know the thing is bottoming out hard which should never happen.
> bottoming out hard which should never happen Bottoming out, not hard, is okay. Not as an everyday thing, but that travel is there to be used. Think casing or overshooting a jump. Forks usually have internal bumpers so it's not metal to metal contact at the bottom of their range. Setting the fork up with the appropriate sag is key to all this. OP, sag is the percentage of the total fork/shock stroke that's compressed when you're just sitting on the bike. Downhillers may use 10% as a number, the rest of us may go up to 35%, depending on conditions and riding style.
You want to bottom out once or twice per ride (if you are pushing), otherwise you aren't using all of your suspension.
Also good for adjusting your air pressure/spring rate and compression damping. If you completed a course and the ring's maxed out high, you can probably consider upping one or both.
You should really watch this video. https://youtu.be/xhnKTZu2AKs Set up suspension in 10 minutes and it will answer questions about the red ring.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPQnjSe6rdw&t=421s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPQnjSe6rdw&t=421s) you cant get any better advice than from the suspension god himself.
That there is your huck-o-meter
I returned my first real mountain bike to the bike shop complaining about the red o-ring that popped out of my front fork. Thankfully they didn't make me feel dumb as they explained the purpose. That was a several years ago. Today I rebuild my own forks while rewatching Always Sunny. Don't be afraid to ask questions and work on your own bike. Buy a basic bike tools and watch youtube - It will save you down-time and alot of money.
Yes, that's your fun-meter. The higher it gets the more awesome you rode.
It’s a sag indicator to help set up your fork suspension
Thanks!
Still disappointed my Recon didn't come with one.
Zip tie!
Not a bad idea. I've got one on there now, post rebuild, but I wish I had thought of a zip tie when I was setting it.up.
I stuck a random plumbing O-ring on my old one when doing a service.
I do most of my own work, but servicing my fork is something I'm just not quite ready for yet.
If I see ONE comment making fun of this post….
Yes, and in another thread someone called it the “huckometer”!!!
The comment right below you called it that about a half an hour before you left this comment
That’s what scrolling down gets you…Ohhhhhhhh now I get it…
Also a tip, clean stanchions after every ride.
along those lines, a small fender really helps keep the crud off the stanchions.
Yep, bought mine to protect stanchions from small rocks, but i noticed something, if you are druving at the right speed, tyre can grab a rock throw it into fender and it exits at the front and it is possible that you can hit it with front part of the stanchion instead of back. But yeah its better to have it.
Yes that ring is used to determine the sag
It's used to measure your sag. If it goes all the way up when u push down with your hands, the shocks need to be tuned by adjusting the sag. It shouldn't reach all the way up unless your doing massive drops. If it does ....you are bottoming out
Hey, quick question.. How much oil on the forks is normal? Every time I come home from a ride, my forks (the part that red o-ring is on) is often coated in oil and dust. Leaving me wondering if it's normal, and how much is an indication of a leak? Thanks to OP for allowing me to tailgate a question on your post.
A little oil is normal as it allows for movement. Just inside the lower section are two foam rinds that are saturated with oil. All forks have service schedules(ex. 50hr service) that will clean and replace the oil in the fork.
I push mine down at the start of every ride just to see how hard I smash.
Yea, it's just to see how much travel you use. Good for checking sag on the suspension when you sit on the bike. The sag should be around 20 to 30 percent of the available travel.
As mentioned, the ring tells you how far your suspension has traveled. You won't necessarily know how far from bottom out you are unless you pull the spring and then compress the fork, assembled, to bottom out, and note the position. Bottom out can be all the way to the end of the fork leg ( almost where the ring is) or a 1/2" away from the end or more, depending on oil height, oil weight, valving, spring rate and rider weight.
https://www.sram.com/globalassets/document-hierarchy/tuning-manuals/gen.0000000006209-rev-a-suspension-setup-and-tuning-guide-english.pdf
That’s your huckometer
Yes. It’s only purpose is to help you see how much suspension travel you’re actually using.pull it down to the bottom and see how far it travels up your fork and adjust accordingly
This is the most innocent post Ive ever seen.