Columns: Ask Soul No. 1

I'd hate to think of life without a bike. Not being able to feel the wind, the freedom and the thrill of two-wheeled travel. It's the gospel around my home. If life is hard, go riding. If life is good, go riding. It doesn't get much better. Last week, I rode my singlespeed 305 miles in 2-1/2 days, got back to work, and now I'm thinking about adventure racing -- but all the while, my head is full of double jump after double jump. All I can think about is freeride bikes. I'm in a bike vortex! Even with some fitness goals, I have a bursting passion for mountain biking. From the ultralight XC race bike to a full-works DH ride or a sweet jumper, I have to try it. I'm a bike junkie.

Thanks again for all of your questions and suggestions. -- Soul Rider

Send any bike-related question you want answered by Soul Rider to: bikemag@primedia.com.

FS You
Everybody's got it. You guys say it's here to stay. So why doesn't anyone talk about how to adjust them? I'm talking about full suspension.

Is there an ideal balance between front and rear? If so, what does it look like? There are so many adjustments for front and rear suspension these days that the permutations between the two seem infinite. Any suggestions?
Cyrus

Bike setup is 100-percent personal. I've seen two completely different guys run exactly the same setup and both do well. It's just based on the chassis and your own limitations. First, know your limits as a rider; then know your machine. Know how it performs when it's set up differently. Sag in the back can range from 25 to 40 percent of your total travel. Front-end sag can go from 10 to 30 percent. If you are more of a cross-country rider, then you would want less sag. Maybe even think about a lockout feature; again, this is something you would have to get used to and adapt your style to. You might find that you are less fatigued when you set up your bike in specific ways.

Here's where I'd start:

1. Setting up your spring rate should be the first thing you do. If your fork or shock doesn't have the correct sag for your weight and style, then none of the other settings will be tunable for optimum performance. Check your specific fork or rear shock's recommended sag settings, note it, and then try a little more, maybe a little less. Make notes on your findings.

2. Too soft of a spring can make the bike handle poorly and create excessive or premature bobbing. It will cause the bike to be twitchy and give the rider the feeling of going over the front end and/or create premature fatigue in your upper body.

3. Too firm of a spring will limit your bike's capabilities. Your sag will be less and it'll be extremely difficult to bottom it out. A lot of people run their suspension too firm only because they don't really know how to get everything out of all their adjusters.