Rockshox explanation of their threashold setting.
What does that mean?

Just received my new revs rct3s
Which have 3 settings open/ threshold/ closed plus a separate low speed compression control.

I should have titled this thread ‘Idiots guide to suspension’ me being the idiot.

As I understand it slow/high speed refers to the speed of the fork stroke.
And the slow speed compression is set to counter brake dive and wallowing.

Where as high speed compression would be better left on a low setting on faster rocky/rooty sections where it needs to react quickly to cope so as not to deflect the bike.

On more burly terrain where your encounter bigger hits you need to increase compression to slow the stroke to either stop your suspension bottoming out or at least control the speed at which it bottoms out to stop your bike being deflected. Down side being you will be buffeted about more on the smaller rocky stuff as your suspension would not be able to react quickly enough to deal with it properly.

So am I right in thinking the three settings simplify this to,

Open = fast supple suspension for fast rocky/rooty terrain/ eating a mr whippy while riding one handed across trail center car park.

Threashold=. Burlier/ bigger drops/ bigger hits.

Lock out = steep smooth fire road ascents. Trips to the offey for sherbet saucers and Guinness.

Please correct me if any of the above is cods wallop as it’s an attempted understanding using google .

I don’t find threshold to be especially useful, although perhaps I’m using it wrong. I thought it was a firm pedalling platform that gives into supple travel when you hit something hard IE for racing round flat ish trail centres it’s good because it provides a lot of support when honking up short climbs, gives way for the odd drop and remains firm but that’s ok because where you’re riding doesn’t really have rocky sections.

In fact I think of rockshox’s locked / threshold / open as exactly the same as Fox’s Climb / Trail / Descend.

The blue lever on your forks isn’t high speed compression – it’s a threshold / gate which is different. More of a blow-off valve (when in the middle position) than a compression setting. At least that’s my understanding of it all.

FWIW I have 2012 Rev RCT3s and I run them in open with most of the compression clicks on. This seems to give a decent amount of anti-dive but still remain supple. I think that’s the best setting for charging / going flat out down hills. Occasionally I’ll flick to lockout for long climbs but usually I don’t bother. I’m not one for messing with forks when I’m riding, though (in fact, usually I forget to turn the lockout off and wonder why the next descent was such hard work…).

Interesting, thanks.

Also I see some people recommending starting with low speed set as low as possible and working up towards final setting as so to set as low as you can get on with, and others recommending starting with it as high as poss and then working your way down to end up as high as you can get on with .

If you have your low speed set too low you will suffer from brake dive which can eat into your travel and then cause problems if you hit something where you would need it.
But what would be the disadvantage of having you low speed compression set too high .

But what would be the disadvantage of having you low speed compression set too high .

Just that the fork would be firmer over chatter and would be harder work / more tiring on your forearms, especially on longer descents. It’s a trade- off between comfort and stability I guess.

Superficial looks like your right.
Appears to be a pro pedal setting.

According to this video RTC3 has 3 settings,
Open ultimate bump compliance
Middle pedal setting with bump compliance
Closed maximum pedal efficiency , I think that is what he said.

The vids about pikes but I am sure the settings are the same.
[video]http://youtu.be/nYFppCaosOo[/video]

I’m awaiting some Pike RCT3s and from what I’ve read so far the trick with them is to add as many volume spacers as you need to give enough spring rate ramp up to prevent harsh bottom-outs and add enough low speed compression damping to prevent excessive dive/wallow. Not sure if the new Revs allow you to reduce the positive air spring volume?

If you have your low speed compression set too high then the fork will deal with harsh chatter or sharp hits but won’t absorb more rounded rubble or allow the tyre to track the ground well or soak up drops so well (unless they’re really big). It’s shaft speed that matters, so anything that causes the fork to compress quickly will push oil through the high speed circuit whilst slower stanchion movements will push oil through the low speed circuit.

I’m guessing I’ll be using lockout for those rare road bits, threshold for tough climbs when I’m in a hurry and open the rest of the time. I’ve noticed that slack bikes are easier to handle on more technical climbs with the fork open because it sags into better climbing geometry and doesn’t get knocked off line so easily.

Not sure if the new Revs allow you to reduce the positive air spring volume?

Not to my knowledge, at least not with any official method. I’m not sure that it’s required though – if anything I find the Revs a bit too progressive – it’s difficult to use the last 20mm or so.

So it’s looking like,

Open= downhill / trail pootle mode.

Threshold= tetchy uphill / trail strava mode.

Closed= Tarmac (but then probably only if in strava mode between trails)

Not sure if the new Revs allow you to reduce the positive air spring volume?

Worst case scenario if you find them too linear is pop 5/10ml of fork oil in the air chamber.

RCT, is equivalent to CTD.

I’d argue that open is the most useful setting, as you want grip going uphill, so overly stiff compression damping doesn’t really help that, and stops you getting your weight over the front end.

I tend to use the threshold setting for when coming up to big steps, or jumps, to have something to push off, and not blow through the travel / endo.

I hate Strava.

Rickon,

So you use the threshold as I originally speculated, to slow heavy hits.
I stiffen my current forks on climbs for pedal efficiency as I’m not the fittest but these are normally fire roads.

I have never used strava, but use the term strava mode to mean going flat out.

While it does not deal with the rct3 damper, this is a good guide and makes up for the poor manuals you get with the rockshox forks.

http://cdn.sram.com/cdn/farfuture/1FFQoMhAf5hzKxw5_VBfmOxMShyo_waJ2mrRP_MACbY/mtime:1383926105/sites/default/files/techdocs/rockshox_suspension_theory_10-replica.pdf

There was a previous thread on the Rct3 damper a little time ago which was pretty good.