setting that suits you best. If too much preload is set (very little sag), the
suspension may be stiff and unresponsive over small bumps. Alternately,
with too little preload (lots of sag), the rider may feel some amount of
"bouncing" while climbing or sprinting, and may tend to bottom out the
shock (compress it to the limit of its travel) on large bumps.
Compression and Rebound Damping Adjustment: Adjusting
compression and rebound damping allows you to change how quickly the
shock reacts to changing terrain. The shock compresses when you hit a
bump in the trail, and rebounds after your rear wheel passes over the
bump. Many rear shocks offer you the ability to adjust rebound, and
some compression, with knobs or dials on the exterior of the shock body.
Some FOX Shox, for example, feature a red knob for rebound
adjustment and a blue one for compression. See your rear shock
owner's manual for details on how to adjust your compression and
rebound settings.
NOTE: Setting compression and rebound are, like setting preload,
matters of personal preference. Generally they should be as fast as
possible without making the rear suspension kick back and force you
off the saddle when riding rough terrain. Slow compression may not
allow the rear shock to compress fully and use all of your rear wheel
travel, while slow rebound may not allow the rear wheel to properly
follow changing terrain. Spend as much time as you need to find
settings that make you comfortable by trying different settings in a
variety of conditions.
doing this. You may find it helpful to lean against a wall or other
stationary object. Now dismount the bike, again taking care not to
bounce.
4. Measure the
distance between
the wiper o-ring or
zip tie and the air
sleeve or shock
body. This distance
is the suspension
sag (see Fig. 7).
Cannondale
recommends using
about 30% of your
Jekyll rear shock
travel for sag. On
a Jekyll coil-shock
with a 1.5" (38.1mm) stroke, this amounts to approximately 0.5"
(12.7mm). Jekyll air shocks have a 1.75" (44.5mm) stroke and should
therefore be sagged in about 0.525" (13.3mm). Add or subtract shock
preload and re-measure sag as many times as necessary to achieve the
setting you want.
NOTE: Rear suspension preload is a matter of personal preference. We
encourage you to experiment with different preload settings and find the
Fig.
Fig.
7
7
5
Shock Wiper
O-Ring
Suspension Sag
CAUTION
Riding a coil shock-equipped Jekyll with too much or too little
preload can damage the shock. You should preload the coil spring
at least enough so that it is held in place by the preload ring and
the spring retainer. FOX Racing Shox recommends no more than
two (2) turns of preload. If setting your desired amount of sag
results in a preload setting that falls outside these guidelines, you
need a softer or firmer spring. Contact your authorized Cannondale
retailer for information on replacing your coil spring.
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