Shock Technology

Fox Owners Manuals

Fox Tech Center

Rock Shox Tech Center

REAR SUSPENSION

BOOST VALVE - a position sensitive compression damping system that acts like a blowoff valve for the rear shock that is independent of normal operation. When a big hit is incurred the Boost Valve kicks in and allows the shock to compress rapidly, eating up big bumps and landings.

PRO-PEDAL - The answer to the lockout. Depending on the model can be position sensitive or pre-set. It helps the shock resist pedal induced motion of the rear shock. With the pro pedal on the bike feels and rides similarly to a hardtail but any impact and the shock immediately breaks free into the stroke. Best thing about it is that the rear wheel can move freely and stays on the ground during climbing.

LOCKOUT - found on very few models now. Completely eliminates rear suspension movement in either direction. Lame.

FORKS

SPRING - either air or a coil is used for the spring in a fork. The spring is determined by the riders weight with all gear on and the type of riding. Big guys like Gideon need heavy springs.

COMPRESSION - is how fast the fork responds to bump forces. A low compression setting will feel very soft while a firm compression setting will feel firmer. Think of it like a funnel, low compression settings are like a funnel with a big hole at the bottom. The fork oil travels through the valving easily. Firm compression is like a small hole in the funnel. It takes more force to make the oil go through the small hole. The knob (blue) on top of the fork controls this.

High and low speed compression are exactly how they sound, you can adjust how big your funnel is when the fork is moving slowly and when it is moving quickly, independently of each other on some models. Awesome!

REBOUND - Is exactly the same as compression but in the opposite direction. This is how fast the fork comes back to its extended position.

LOCKOUT - Is a dying term, the full lockout of a fork has been found to be undesirable in real life mountain biking situations. Most forks do not have a "Lockout" anymore.

THRESHOLD - Is the new "lockout" it allows the rider to set the firmness of the lockout. Usually the rider wants to take away the annoying pedal bob without totally locking out the fork.