Suspension school · Suspension Basics

The Right Order: Sag, Rebound, Compression, Spacers

Why setup order matters, how clicks are counted, and the bracketing method

Suspension adjustments interact, which is why random twiddling leaves so many riders lost, on a bike that feels worse than the day it left the shop. The way out is an order of operations. Each step assumes the one before it is settled, so working through them in sequence means you are never chasing two variables at once.

First: the spring, meaning sag

Sag sets your ride height, your geometry and how much travel each end starts with, and no amount of damping can rescue a spring that is wrong. Set fork sag to 15 to 20% of travel and shock sag to 25 to 30% of stroke, with compression dials and lockouts open while you measure. Everything downstream depends on this, which is why it comes first and why it is worth doing carefully.

Second: rebound

Rebound damping controls how fast the suspension re-extends, and the right amount depends on your spring pressure. More air stores more energy, which needs more rebound damping to release it calmly. That is why manufacturer charts pair pressures with rebound clicks. Start from the chart, or from the middle of the range, and adjust from there.

Riding off a kerb makes a fair first test: the bike should settle in about one smooth movement, not spring back and buck you (too fast), and not ooze down like a slow door closer (too slow). The trail signs are just as telling. Too fast feels nervous and pingy. Too slow packs down through repeated hits, so the third braking bump feels far harsher than the first.

Third: compression

Compression damping resists the suspension moving down. Set low-speed compression first: it manages braking dive, cornering support and pedalling movement. If your damper also has a high-speed adjuster, that trims how the bike takes big square-edged hits and landings. Move in one or two click steps, and expect the differences to be subtler than pressure changes.

Fourth: volume spacers, only if the evidence demands

After a few real rides with sag and rebound sorted, look at your travel usage. Bottoming out harshly a few times a ride, with sag correct, is a case for adding a spacer: it makes the end of the travel ramp up harder without firming the beginning. Never getting near full travel despite hitting the biggest features you ride is a case for removing one. Spacers come last because they only change the final part of the stroke, and most riders need one change or none at all.

How clicks are counted (worth a minute before you touch anything)

The convention across the industry is to count clicks out from fully closed. Turn the dial clockwise gently until it stops: that is closed. Then count clicks back out anti-clockwise. So '8 clicks of rebound' means 8 out from closed. Never force a dial past its stop, because the parts inside are small and expensive.

One exception worth knowing about. RockShox Charger 3 and 3.1 compression dials start from a 0 in the middle of their range and count + towards firmer and - towards softer. Rebound on those same forks still counts from closed like everything else.

Bracketing: the method that actually works

• Change one thing at a time, and only in small steps: 2 clicks, or about 5psi.
• Ride the same short section of familiar trail after every change, ideally a minute or two with corners, braking and some rough.
• Deliberately go too far in both directions. Feeling clearly-too-fast and clearly-too-slow rebound teaches you more than a hundred forum posts, and your setting lives somewhere between them.
• Write everything down in a phone note: pressures, clicks, spacers, date, how it felt. Future you will be grateful.

Finish by checking balance. Stand beside the bike and press down through the bars and saddle together: both ends should compress evenly. On the trail, a bike that hangs low at one end steers oddly. Low at the rear and the front feels light and wandery on climbs; low at the front and everything feels steep and nervous. If a big pressure change was part of the session, re-check sag before calling it done.