Finally got round to using the Shockwiz…2015 Pike RC fork.

Told me to add air and a token, add some compression and remove some rebound.

Been for a few rides, but still to try some more technical stuff but will get that next week.

Anyway, halfway through ride told me I needed to remove some compression and add air. I did the compression but left the air as I’d need to reset everything.

Ens of ride and compression and rebound is green but apparently I need to add 2 more token and add more air.

Ride today was out with kids so wasn’t fast/hard or massively technical (was still very enjoyable though), so I’m unsure if I’ve just not cycled it through enough movements for it to be ‘happy’.

49% confidence so I’m assuming I just need to ride more and get some rougher terrain. Would that be right?

I’ll add more air and reset everything and try again but I’m just wanting to make sure I’m not doing something completely wrong.

Ditch it. and learn how your suspension works instead.

Its algorythms can’t know “how” you ride. Or how you like to.

Are you starting a new session each time you make a change to the fork? This is essential.

Nah, the stuff it has recommended so far feels better. I don’t know enough about suspension to know what I’m adjusting properly.
This seems to know and although it is a ‘generic’ setting change, it does seem to be an improvement to what I can do myself.
Until I can absorb suspension setting knowledge, I’m fine with a machine making suggestions.

Yes, making adjustments of air and tokens then resetting the calibration.
I’m assuming rebound and compression can be tweaked on the fly as the calibration doesn’t do anything with those.
I’ll add air tomorrow and reset.
If I can understand more then I suspect the rear shock will be easier to setup.

Fair enough then

You need to restart a new session each time you make a change to the fork; air pressure, compression or rebound damping. If you don’t start a new session the data will be a confused mix of both settings.

If you add/remove a token then you need to re-calibrate as that changes the air chamber compression ratio. This is the only change that needs a re-calibration, everything else is just a new recording session.

Start by trying to get the top settings (air) green before adjusting the settings further down. This is the recommended approach.

Also the suggestions will very much depend on the type of riding you record during the shockwiz session. A mellow ride will say remove air/tokens and a hard ride may suggest more air/tokens. Try running the shockwiz on the type/style of riding you are looking to optimise the suspension for. Or run it in different situations and get a feel for what it suggests in each case, then set it up as an ‘average’ with compromises where you choose, or have a setup optimised for each type of ride if that’s your bag.

Ta…sounds like my tweak mid-ride affected it.

So…the tweaking continues…I think there are improvements being made, settings are slightly different to what I was riding before – namely more air in fork and a bottomless token.

However, it is now telling me I need to speed up my low and high compression and rebound – but I only have 1 adjuster for compression and 1 for rebound – so which one do I follow? The low speed or high speed recommendation on the app? Just so I can get the final tweaks made and that should be it (for now!).

Then I can repeat it on for my rear shock…

I’ve never played with one, but from people who have the feedback seems to be that you can use it in two distinct ways.

You can make a list of ideal settings for different rides/styles which is essentially what you’re doing by following guidance after each ride. This is likely to become a data collecting hobby unless you’re trying to set up race bikes for particular events. I think most riders would find this boring, but some would really get a lot out of it. Potentially it seems like this approach coupled with some thought might be a good way in to learning what your settings actually affect.

Another idea I’ve heard suggested is collecting data over a number of rides that cover pretty much everything you do, and then adjust as suggested. This should give you a broadly do-it-all setup.

Really it all depends how much you’re interested in optimising the bike for individual rides. Some people love this and that’s fine, others just want a base setup they can use day in day out.

If you only have one adjuster for compression and rebound they will be low speed adjustment.

As Mark says go with the low speed. On the suggestions page in the app you can edit and take out both the high speed options so they don’t show

Ideal, thanks…low speed it is, ta.

I wasn’t aware you could remove them, useful, thank you.

What % sag you running? I would low the air pressure a bit, depending a bit on sag you running.
Their is a bit of a range of air pressure that still keeps it in “green” (10 to 15psi depending on fork)

reducing the air pressure by 5 psi to start with, less press will speed up compression a bit.

Apparently I need to add more air. 96kg (which is also a shock as last time I weighed myself I was 85kg!), so went for 95psi in for (showing as 93psi on Shockwiz today), fork was at 80psi previously.

OK so you added 15psi, you might only needed to of added 10psi? (or not)
This is why riding the same section of track and making small adjustments, to get good feedback on any changes you do. (and what adjustment in one area/reading can effect another area/reading)
Also don’t be afraid to adjust things, if they don’t work out you can always adjust it back. (keeping good record of adjustment and settings help for this)

Latest ride is suggesting more air, so I’ll stick another 5psi in and see how that goes.

The bike is riding better now, so the tweaks are helping, just trying to understand a wee bit more as I’m pretty clueless about it other than the very basics.

AS you may have seen in my Shockwiz thread, it’s not that unusual despite what a couple of others may say…

Keep going 🙂 Needs more pics 🙂

The shockwiz is a really good tool but remember the basics or you’ll go round in circles

Work top to bottom on the list.
Do only 1 change at a time, always resetting for each change.
You’re better off testing on the same track over and over, as long as it has enough variety.
Start out with any compression totally wound off (open), and as little rebound as you can get away with without the bike being dangerous.

Thanks. Good tips and apart from not restarting a session that has been what I’ve been doing.

apart from not restarting a session that has been what I’ve been doing.

that’s the main think you have to do though, you make say change 1…. Air pressure… you then do ‘reset baseline pressure’ so it knows your new pressure, then start new session…. So it knows the previous settings are done and starting again…

You then set rebound (for example) but not until AFTER the end of the session, as any changes until then are not configured as it still thinks it’s got the same air pressure….

Not sure i’m explaining it well, but every time you change an adjuster, or pressures, you need to start a new session. (i think)

Any change = start a new session. Add/remove volume spacers = recalibrate.

Yes, explaining fine..I adjusted once mid-ride – compression, but forgot to hit the restart – the suggestions were all over the place (I posted about it further up). Now I check at end of ride, make a tweak and then do another ride with a restart of the session.
I do think I’m close so it has been useful. Just the rear do do now!

You need to make sure the data you produce is valid.
I would only run it when I was riding my typical trails. (EG for me it would be descents and fast up n down stuff) If you run it for the whole time then the data will suck.
I also think you should be sure your suspension has warmed up.

Aye, riding my local woods which has a bit of everything.

Ok, but I would turn it off for the climbs and transfers. You don’t want silly data leaking in.

Ok, but I would turn it off for the climbs and transfers. You don’t want silly data leaking in.

Surely that depends on your normal riding ? No point me tuning my bike for BPW when my usual stuff is Ridgeway and local woods ?

Yeah but it depends on what you want out of it. If you are xc and love climbing then you will end up with more of a compromise as a descender. If you want a bike that is tolerable on the climbs but feels great in the quick bits then you know what to do. BPW is a mixture anyway,At my local woods, I like rooty technical singletrack I can learn and be quick on. Lots of BPW is quite bike parky, other bits are more technical. I am less fussed about how my bike climbs as long as its OK, I rather have it set up for the fun bits.
My point is get the data for the bits that are important to you.

Yeah but it depends on what you want out of it. If you are xc and love climbing then you will end up with more of a compromise as a descender. If you want a bike that is tolerable on the climbs but feels great in the quick bits then you know what to do. BPW is a mixture anyway,At my local woods, I like rooty technical singletrack I can learn and be quick on. Lots of BPW is quite bike parky, other bits are more technical. I am less fussed about how my bike climbs as long as its OK, I rather have it set up for the fun bits.
My point is get the data for the bits that are important to you

Can’t argue with that yes…. At the end of the day a MTB is always going to be a compromise to someone who rides a varied route. Something like a DH bike is just set up for one riding style/purpose.. In fairness, i could arguably ride a rigid 🙂

No point me tuning my bike for BPW when my usual stuff is Ridgeway and local woods

This is where I think Shockwiz may help me the most. Tune it for both and hopefully gain understanding of the differences

Transfers? I just ride bike…up, across d attempt the downs…needs ro work for all of those, but I’m happy to accept that setting it up to do all will mean it isn’t exact for one.

This is where I think Shockwiz may help me the most. Tune it for both and hopefully gain understanding of the differences

Indeed, that’s where my longer term plans are with it, i’m hoping it ends up being say 2 clicks less on the rebound each end…. As doing pressures, rebound etc, maybe…. but day in day out changing…. hmmmmm. But longer term i’d certainly like that

Transfers? I just ride bike…up, across d attempt the downs…needs ro work for all of those, but I’m happy to accept that setting it up to do all will mean it isn’t exact for one.

Transfers are bit of flat, up, or down that are just ridden to get you where you want to be, IE sometimes you roll down a fireroad for a few hundred meters to chip off into a bit of tasty Singletrack. Does your bikes suspension response there really matter to you?

If you are happy with it being a compromise then that’s great.