How to pressurise RockShox Deluxe R Debonair

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
8,361
8,587
Lincolnshire, UK
I've had a RockShox Deluxe R Debonair on my Focus Jam2 for almost 8 months now. From the start, the shock pressure was very high (in my view) at 230psi. That was for a 20.5kg bike and a 92kg rider with 28% sag. It goes through its travel very easily and most rides I'm almost pushing the O ring off the stanchion, but not quite. It hasn't caused me any problems, it feels OK, I've never bottomed it. Although I have wondered whether my climbing might be more successful if it didn't sag quite so much. My next step is to unscrew the air sleeve and see if there are any rings in there and add a few to make it ramp up a bit more. My expectation based upon other Rockshox Deluxe Debonair shocks is that there will be no rings in there. I would add 3, again based upon previous experience. But.....

Today I read a comment from someone suggesting that the shock should be cycled 10x every 50psi when inflating. That would be quite a laborious procedure when requiring 230psi. But I remember having to compress a Fox shock (once) after 100psi after having a new sleeve fitted to allow the air to move from one part of the shock to another. Don't do this and you wouldn't get the correct performance. I am certain that the LBS I bought the bike from gave me no advice on shock inflation and I don't recall ever seeing anything on screen about special instructions for Rockshox Deluxe Debonair shocks.

Helpful comments anyone?
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,105
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Weymouth
I would say you could be 10 psi too low and you definitely need to cycle the shock when pressurising..although 2 or 3 pumps should be enough a couple of times during the process. Best to set the sag ( 27 to 30 should be fine) and then ride the bike to bounce the suspension quite hard, then recheck the sag. I would also set the sag with rebound completely off ie fully fast, and set rebound using the kerb test once you have finished setting the sag.
 

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
8,361
8,587
Lincolnshire, UK
I read a rely on a similar topic for a Fox shock and it motivated me to seek the answer on the Rockshox website, or more accurately the SRAM website, subsection Rockshox. Don't search for anything to do with Rockshox on the SRAM website, as you won't find it! That lost me a few mins in puzzlement while I tried various search terms.

Here is the link to the 34 page user manual for Rockshox rear suspension, all types, many languages.
https://www.servicearchive.sram.com...001.000_user_manual_rear_suspension_rev_b.pdf

But to save you looking.....
1.Turn rebound dial to fastest.
2. If present, turn compression damping dial/lever to open.
3. Inflate to 100psi and cycle deeply 5x
4. Inflate to your riding weight in lbs and deeply compress once more to equalise pressure.
5. At your riding weight, step on the bike and cycle the shock 2-3 times.
6. Set sag
7. Test ride and adjust up/down.

Note: The recommended %sag is as follows, both +/-5%
Solo Air 25%
DebonAir 30%

That is quite different to what I did. I turned the compression to open, but left the rebound. I then just pumped the bike up to what I thought was high enough, tested the %sag and then key adding psi until I got the %sag I was looking for. Then went and rode the bike.

It shows that I need to check the manufacturer's instructions each time I get a new bike. But I swear that none of this was said by the bike shop when I took delivery of the bike.

If I remember, I'll report back with what detectable difference the change of set up procedure makes.
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,105
4,636
Weymouth
Think that's basically what I suggested!
On both my bikes ( one Fox one Rockshock) I used the above procedure but also repeated the process after the first 3 decent rides. Thereafter the setting has remained stable and I have done no further adjustment other than rebound for different types of riding.
 

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
8,361
8,587
Lincolnshire, UK
Just out of curiosity, I checked the set up procedure for the Revelation RC fork with DebonAir spring. OOOPS! different again to what I had been doing. Here is the set up manual for Solo Air and DebonAir forks: Only 32 pages this time!
https://www.sramconnect.com/globala...sion-setup-and-tuning-guide-english-rev-a.pdf
Again to save you looking it up yourself....

1. Pressurise to recommended start air pressure (your riding weight in lbs).
2. Compress the fork to at least 50% 5x to equalise pressure.
3. Repeat step 1
4. Repeat step 2
5. With your riding gear on, step on the bike and compress the fork 3x
6. Set sag
7. Ride and adjust

The recco psi for me was 92psi, I had it at 115psi to get 28% The fork was not using as much of its travel as I expected so I removed its only token and it was a lot better. It looks as though I need to start again on fork as well as shock!

ASSUME Makes An ASS out of U and ME (more me than U, but you know what I mean).

It looks like my suspension setting knowledge has been overtaken by events! Oh dear! :giggle:
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,105
4,636
Weymouth
I have the same fork ( 29er) and used the same process ( don't forget to open up rebound when setting sag). My fork is set at 70 PSI/30% sag and I weight 77kg. I usually have the rebound only a few clicks in from fully fast.
 

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
8,361
8,587
Lincolnshire, UK
PS: On the topic of cycling the shock to let the air chambers equalise. Why doesn't that happen when you are just riding along on bumpy trails?
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,105
4,636
Weymouth
PS: On the topic of cycling the shock to let the air chambers equalise. Why doesn't that happen when you are just riding along on bumpy trails?
Because when you add pressure to the shock you are only adding air to one chamber. Unless you cycle the shock the pressure reading will be misleadingly high. Once equalised the pressure reading is more accurate. In my experience that process is mostly achieved by cycling the shock but it continues a little with full and continuous use of the shock afterwards...hence why I think it is best to recheck after the first couple of rides. It should only be fine tuning by then.
 

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
8,361
8,587
Lincolnshire, UK
Because when you add pressure to the shock you are only adding air to one chamber. Unless you cycle the shock the pressure reading will be misleadingly high. Once equalised the pressure reading is more accurate. In my experience that process is mostly achieved by cycling the shock but it continues a little with full and continuous use of the shock afterwards...hence why I think it is best to recheck after the first couple of rides. It should only be fine tuning by then.
That will be why despite following all the instructions from the Rockshox website it didn't seem to make much difference. I'll be riding it tomorrow and I'll take my shock pump and do a proper test.

Another explanation of course is that the LBS did the job properly in the first place.
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,105
4,636
Weymouth
I suspect one of the problems with forks and shox is that they could be lying around for months after they are assembled and possibly in a wide range of temperatures and humidity.
 

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
8,361
8,587
Lincolnshire, UK
That will be why despite following all the instructions from the Rockshox website it didn't seem to make much difference. I'll be riding it tomorrow and I'll take my shock pump and do a proper test.

Another explanation of course is that the LBS did the job properly in the first place.

Once I was properly dressed, I retested the % sag and lo and behold, I needed the same pressures as before! Initially I thought (as above) that the LBS had gone through all that palaver when they set up the bike. "What a waste of my time" I muttered....

But not so!

Once on the trail, the fork went through more of its travel and the shock went through less. This is exactly what I was looking for. I didn't measure it, but I estimate that, the fork went through 5-8% more and the shock used up the same amount less.

So all that palaver was worth doing after all! :)
 
Last edited:

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