While recreational mountain bikers often stick to a level terrain, downhill riders prefer a more adventurous approach. Downhill is an extreme discipline of mountain biking that takes place on carved-out racing tracks made from dirt. The downhill mountain bike comes in two prominent designes known as the hardtail and dual-suspension. Dual suspension bikes have both a front and rear shock, while hardtail models lack the rear suspension. According to Mountain Bike Buzz, the mountain bike suspension has a set of adjustment knobs and dials for easy setup.
Step 1
Bend your knees to a crouched position to have an adequate view of your downhill mountain bike suspension. Rotate the rebound damper knob on the rear suspension cylinder. Turn the knob counterclockwise to increase the compression speed of the rear shock.
Step 2
Rotate the rebound damper knob clockwise to decrease the rebound speed. Adjust the pre-load of the mountain bike suspension to ensure that the stiffness of the coil springs corresponds with your body weight. Insert the hose of the shock pump into the Schrader valve of your front shock.
Step 3
Pump air into the shock to increase the stiffness of the coil springs. Release air from the front shock to decrease the stiffness of the shock. Repeat the pre-load adjustment with your rear shock.
Step 4
Lower yourself onto the bike saddle to gauge the stiffness of the coil springs. Make any necessary adjustments to ensure a comfortable downhill riding stance. Rotate the compression damping knob at the base of the rear suspension cylinder.
Step 5
Turn the knob counterclockwise to increase compression for downhill trails that feature a bumpy terrain. Rotate the knob clockwise to decrease compression when riding on a downhill trail that features a smooth terrain.
Things You'll Need
- Shock pump
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