Fox 34 Float Rhythm pre load advice

I’ve just come back from a long weekend of biking at Cwm Carn and Afan, after a few downhills  my hands starting to hurt after I did the Cafall trail at Cwm Carn on the Friday.

I lowered the pressure before we started to ride on the Saturday morning to about 100 lb as I’m about 95kg and thought that would be better but my hands still hurt. My friend recommended I should try and adjust the pre-load so the beginning of the stroke would be a bit softer and easier on my hands and wrists. Does anyone know how or even if I can adjust the pre load on a pair of Fox 34 Float Rhythm forks?

Pre-load tends to be a term used with coil not air shocks.

I find with the 34 Rhythms that running the compression damping as open as possible (adjuster on the top of the right leg as anti-clockwise as it’ll go) works well for what you’re after.

There’s no preload as they are air forks. You can adjust the air or the damping. You might find it is the opposite issue of too soft thats the problem. Cheaper forks tend to suffer from the problem of chokey damping, which means it all feels fine until it isn’t. You smash through half the travel then you end up hitting high speed damping and air ramp at the same time, and the fork stops moving abruptly, which you feel through the hands.

I would consider adding compression damping (the top dial) as a possible solution, dissapating more energy in a linear manner from the start, so that you don’t get it all at once later in the stroke.

Agree with the above comments. Air pressure may be too low and causing you to run too deep into the stroke. Rebound may be too slow causing the fork to pack down further into the stroke.

Also worth keeping in mind that suspension helps with, but doesn’t eliminate the heating you get from going hard and it’s always a balance between comfort and performance.

Cheers both, the right hand dial is fully open I think but I will check that later. I thought it was like my old forks where you can lock them with the right hand dial. So what does the right hand dial do?

Regarding the pressure being too low, I’d already lowered it from 115 to 100 lbs and didn’t really notice the difference. Its the first time in ages I’ve done any biking like that, so maybe my hands need to get used to used to it again.

And with regards the pressure, I might have lowered it too much. One thing I will say is the trails are a lot rockier than I remember but the muds probably been washed away with the trees being cut down that used to stop the rain washing the mud away.

Mind you, it was still great fun.

Right hand dial opens/closes the slow speed compression circuit. Fully clockwise applies so much damping that it locks the fork, fully anti-clockwise is the minimum amount of damping (note this does not mean no damping). There’s also a rebound damping control on the bottom of the fork, under the black cap. That’s where to look for changes next.

Did you use all the travel?

Could see if their are any volume spacers inside and remove 1.

I used about 125mm of the 150. It’s more the beginning of the stroke is more harsh instead being a bit softer I think.

Where’s you based Gaz as can offer hand setting up if near Plymouth

I live in Saltash, what a small world.

How often do you normally ride and what type of riding?

I’ve had that fork and those pressure seem a little high.

I completely agree with the others thsat say sometimes too low pressure can feel harsh due to hitting the ramp up too early. I’ve had that happen several times on other forks. But I was around 180 lbs and running 80psi in my Rhythm 34 and it felt great, so i think 100 psi might be a little high. I had zero tokens. If installing tokens, generally reduce the psi a little.

I beleive the compression dial is overall compression, not LSC. So by dialling in some compression, unfortunately you are increasing LSC support (less diving = good) but also increasing HSC which I found made it harsh. That’s when I started noticing the limitations to that fork, after having other forks with dedicated LSC/HSC so you could dial in a little LSC support but still keep the HSC wide open to keep it plush.

Not familiar with that fork but having recently gone through the 1 year service on my rockshox forks, it’s an absolute revelation (no pun, they’re SIDs) and has improved small bump sensitivity massively.

Another point, and especially since you mention you haven’t ridden like that in a while, is to think of technique. Make sure you’re not slipping into a death grip on the bars. Keep hands loose and allow the bars to move.

If it’s a Rhythm with GRIP damper isn’t the compression either on or off? I don’t think turning the dial to varying degrees changes anything, you’re either open or closed. At least that’s how it feels on my 36 Rhythm.

@rudedog I generally do a mix really, it’s a newish bike. I’ve done a few descents on a Dartmoor they’ve been a bit harsh but as they’re not as long you don’t notice your hands hurt.

@Goldfish24 I did relax my grip a bit but still as painful come the end of the descents. I do this type of descending quite frequently but not the same length.

@Citizenlee It looks like the compression is on or off with nothing between but I don’t know too much about the fork to be honest. And maybe because it’s my first eBike, it’s a harsher ride but I don’t think that’s the case.

@dartdude  Where are you living? I guess near the river Dart?

@citizenlee some Grip dampers are configured with 3 detents, some use no detents (sweep). The range of adjustment is exactly the same. You wont feel much difference in the car park squish test but when riding its very obvious.

Also with regards to the pressure in the fork, I was using the pressure table on the side of the fork.

some Grip dampers are configured with 3 detents, some use no detents (sweep). The range of adjustment is exactly the same. You wont feel much difference in the car park squish test but when riding its very obvious.

On my 36 it’s the sweep type. Full closed almost locks them out, and in any other position they appear to be fully open.

some Grip dampers are configured with 3 detents, some use no detents (sweep). The range of adjustment is exactly the same. You wont feel much difference in the car park squish test but when riding its very obvious.

I started with that too, but it was too firm and I was only using half the travel. Dropped the pressure a bit and they felt much better and now use all their travel.

I’m tempted to try a TruTune Flow insert to improve their small bump compliance, but overall I’m happy with them for being a basic model.

After visiting my lbs, they recommended getting some volume spacers for my forks, has anyone used them for their forks?

Most forks ship with a couple already installed. Have you checked to see if you have any already?

No not yet. Could I check online to see if there should be some fitted from new?

Yeah iirc putting the serial number into the Fox service site will show how many were installed

I think I’ve got 2 fitted. Could that be too many or I need more?

Pity it’s not that easy time wise to try out all combinations.

@mashr @kernowgaz

I’ve got those forks , just scanned the QR code on the crown says +1VS which I guess means Volume Spacer

@oldfart Cheers, I looked online and it said 2 but I do have the e-bike version, do you have the standard one?

Before I mess around with the spacers I should lower the pressure to 90 psi and go from there. The bummer is im not when I’ll be able to try it out before I go back to Cwm Carn at the end of the month.

I’ll also scan the QR code.  Thanks for that.

@kernowgaz standard from Merlin , my 36s on my EBike had 2 in , I had one taken out they are so plush now especially compared to my 34s maybe need a long bedding in period ?36s are 2 years old .LBS said for air pressure the chart on the leg isnt that accurate . Their advice was whatever your weight in kilos is what you want to start with pressure. In my case that’s 74kg .

@oldfart. I finally got around to scanning the QR code and I have the 2024 RHYTHM E-TUNED 34 FLOAT 29 150 which has confirmed 2 spacers. Strange really as I bought 2023 Cube bike on Sale in April from Tredz and I thought it would’ve had the 2023 Fork on it.

Just need the time to lower the pressure first and then maybe remove a spacer before I go away at the end of the month.