just a few terms i don't know.

[smokienutz]

i am in the process of a few projects. and i came across a few definitions i am not quite famlair with. and i was hoping some of you could help me out a little.

trail: what excactly is it and how does it effect the ride?

rebound: how do adjust it and how important is it? is there rebound in a hardtail?

slack in suspension: (not sure if there a single word for this) how important is? is this a race thing? or does it effect all rides? hardtails softail etc.

damper/dampering: this one not sure what to ask. seen it around but alittle confused on exctaly what it is.

rake: i know what it is. i am pretty sure how it effects the ride. but the more question is. if i adjust the rake how does it effect the rearend?

thanks to anyone who gives me a hand on these terms. there is alot more questions i have before i get into these projects.

[Ranger]

i am in the process of a few projects. and i came across a few definitions i am not quite famlair with. and i was hoping some of you could help me out a little.

trail: what excactly is it and how does it effect the ride?

rebound: how do adjust it and how important is it? is there rebound in a hardtail?

slack in suspension: (not sure if there a single word for this) how important is? is this a race thing? or does it effect all rides? hardtails softail etc.

damper/dampering: this one not sure what to ask. seen it around but alittle confused on exctaly what it is.

rake: i know what it is. i am pretty sure how it effects the ride. but the more question is. if i adjust the rake how does it effect the rearend?

thanks to anyone who gives me a hand on these terms. there is alot more questions i have before i get into these projects.

Trail aka Tracking in my experience is the path the rear wheel travels in relation to the front wheel.

Rebound is the rate at which your suspension springs back to its original position. The lower, the smoother the ride... sometimes. Off road a fast rebound is exteremly important to allow the shock to have full travel before hitting the next obstacle.

The next term your referring to is called Sag, its how much your suspension compresses with you on it. Generally 1/3 sag is acceptable for a smooth ride (consult your owners manual for the shock).

Steering damper smoothes your steering out somewhat as a buffer so you have better control on rougher terrain.

Rake is the angle at which your steering tube is in relation to your forks and top tube to the ground and is in degrees.


If you have any questions especially in suspension I'd be more than happy to help. I used to deal with suspension for downhill mountain bikes as well as supercross bikes for racing.

[Steve]

Trail is a measure of how much the contact point of the front tire trails the pivot point of the steering head.
More trail makes a bike more stable, but harder to steer.
Less trail makes it easier to steer, but can be "twitchy".
Typical amounts are about 4 inches.

Rebound is the action of the suspension after a bump is encountered.
The first action is known as "jounce", the return of the suspension to its normal position is "rebound".
The rebound itself is not adjustable, but the damping action of the shocks will affect it.
The only rebound in a hardtail is when you land back on the seat.

Slack in suspension might be a result of mis-hearing the term "sack" or "sag".
The suspension will drop a bit when weigh is applied. This is normal.
The amount that it drops from its fully-extended position to where it is when you are on it, ready to ride is known as "sag".
The general recommendation is to limit your "sag" to 20-25% of available travel.

Damper/damping is the action of the shocks and forks. The springs will support the weight, but the fluid will slow down the movement or "damp" it.
Lighter-weight fluids will move easier, heavier fluids will damp it more.

Rake. The angle of the steering head and forks.
Adjusting the rake won't affect anything on the rear, but will affect how quickly the bike responds to steering inputs.

.

[Ranger]

Of course Steve. I feel special for 10 min knowing I taught someone something beating you or Ed and then you come along hahaha

All my years and I can't believe I didn't know what trail was. Specialized's suspension course taught me nothing about that... and then I learned...

Then again that was 5 years ago.

[Steve]

That's OK, try explaining exactly what trail is without using pictures.

Basically, draw a line through the center of the steering neck, project it on the ground ahead of the bike. Drop a line from the center of the front axle, measure the distance that the contact patch (center of the axle) trails the steering pivot point.

This measurement will change as the suspension moves. You can make other changes by changning the triple trees to change the offset of the fork tubes. You can also change to a leading axle. Any one of these items will affect how the bike handles.

.

[Adler]

Here yah are...