Originally Posted by
dirthurts
I'm new to air shocks, and I'm working on getting the maximum amount of travel out of my fork and rear suspension.
My question is: Is it O.K. to bottom out the suspension? I mostly do just single track, but I do the occasional small jump. Just wondering if it's likely to do any damage.
Monarch rear shock with a recon silver front.
It is OK if it just bottoms on the biggest hits you encounter.
If there are o-rings on the fork and shock stanchions, use them to see if you are using all your travel. You can be bottoming the suspension without really noticing it.
Sag is a good STARTING point for front and rear suspension. From there things can work a little different for the front and rear.
Some rear suspension designs need for the sag to be in a specified range to work properly. So, at least at first, it is a good idea to try and stay in that range, and use other means to use more or less travel (such as adding/removing volume spacers, or using compression damping adjustments, if available).
For the front end, after the first time you set the sag, I see little reason to pay it any mind ever again. Go by what feels good.
I would also not obsess over getting full travel (front or back). Again, go by what FEELS good. Sometimes in order to use full travel you end up running the suspension so soft that you get too much brake dive (in front) or suspension wallowing (in the rear).