Rockshox xc28 with poplock

[Stevejo]

just received new Rockshox xc28 w/poplock which I won off ebay for a great price. anybody tell me what the rebound adjustment on the bottom of the fork is for?

 

[HLaB]

I've never had suspension so this isn't a qualified opinion, wait for one which is but I'd guess it sets the amount of travel (the rebound) in the forks.

 

[Crackle]

When you compress them and then let go, the spring up is the rebound. Better forks allow you to adjust this, so that the rebound is not as harsh as the bump you just hit.

 

[Stevejo]

Yes, that makes sense! Thanks for the reply. Can't wait for the weekend to fit my new sealed bearing headset with these forks. They are to replace the Suntour XCRs that broke in half on the lower stanchion due to 'corrosion' after 2 years of light riding.

 

[Cubist]

The rebound has two pictograms, a tortoise and a hare. The adjuster affects the amount of damping on the recovery stroke of the fork after a hit. Too fast, and the fork will audibly "top out" as it elongates. If it rebounds too fast like this you will simply bounce off obstacles rather than "track" them. Too slow, and the fork won't recover quickly enough to be ready for the next hit.

To test them you need to make sure you have set the preload correctly (the initial compression your weight adds when you sit on the bike) to about 25% of the fork travel, then ride off a kerb. Get someone to watch how the fork behaves. It should compress as you land, then smoothly return to full stretch without bouncing or clunking as it tops out. If it tops out or bounces, turn the adjuster towards the tortoise. If it takes too long to recover, turn it towards the tortoise. hare (pillock!)

 

[GilesM]

As Cubist explains, it's all to do with the speed of the fork extension after compression. You can easily see the effect that the adjustment has by turning the dial all the way to the tortoies and then compress the forks, just stand at the side of the bike and force your weight on the bars, then quickly lift the front wheel off the ground, the forks will (should) slowly extend, then try the same thing but with the dial turned all the way to the hare, the forks will now extend very quickly, the idea is that you have the forks extending as quickly as possible after compresssion, but with out lauching bike and rider into the air like a pogo stick, have a play, you'll soon get to understand how it works. To get the best setting the ideal thing is to find a rough/rocky/jumpy section of down hill and ride it with different settings and see what suits you best. Whatever you do, have fun, getting rid of the Suntour forks is probably the best upgrade your bike could have.

 

[Stevejo]

New forks on bike and they are so much nicer than the old suntours. Of course, I ordered a sealed bearing headset from e-bay and when I went to install, I realized my bike needed an internal headset. Ended up just putting new ball bearings in the old one, it feels like new as well.