Canyon Mountain bike Manual page 45

86 SUSPENSION FORK ADJUSTMENT AND MAINTENANCE
The damping is usually afforded by oil which is
enclosed in special chambers. Some models are
equipped instead with friction or air damping ele-
ments.
For long uphill rides involving hard pedalling out
of the saddle it is advisable to activate the lockout
mechanism. On the other hand, for downhill rides on
uneven ground it may be better to open the damping
system more or less completely.
ADjUSTMENT AND MAINTENANCE
To ensure an optimal functioning the fork has to be
adjusted to the rider's weight and its intended pur-
pose, even if your Canyon has been delivered with
springs matching your weight. Adjusting the fork to
your needs is easy, if you use a simple trick.
Slip a cable binder onto the upper fork tube so that
it can still shift easily along the tube.
The fork should yield in general when you sit on the
bike, in order to create a sag. With cross-country
and marathon bikes we recommend a sag of approx.
10 - 25 %, with enduro and freeride bikes a sag of
approx. 20 - 40 %. If this is not the case, you have
to change the initial spring tension.
The initial tension of forks with steel springs or
elastomer filling can be adjusted to a limited de-
gree by a turning knob located in the top area of the
fork head, i.e. on the connecting piece of the upper
tubes.
With forks that use oil and air, damping is adjusted
via the air pressure in the fork. The pressure must
be checked at regular intervals with a special-pur-
pose pump which is normally made available by the
fork manufacturer. Be sure to observe the manufac-
turer's recommendations.
Ride your Canyon on different kinds of surface and
check afterwards how much of the fork's travel was
used. If the cable binder has only moved a few milli-
metres, your fork is in too rigid adjustment and you
need to reduce the initial spring tension. If this does
not help, have the springs replaced.
Slip a cable binder over the upper tube
Find out the spring travel used by means of the displaced cable
binder
Adjust the spring rate with a damper pump
Almost all fork manufacturers include
i
well-written operating instructions with
their deliveries. Be sure to read these carefully
before changing any settings or doing any main-
tenance on your fork.
ADJUSTMENT AND MAINTENANCE
If the cable binder has moved along the entire trav-
el range or if you can hear the fork bottom out, the
spring is too flexible and you have to increase the
initial spring tension. If the adjustment range is too
small, have the springs replaced by an expert.
The damping adjustment mechanism is often locat-
ed at the top and/or bottom end of the upper fork
tube, near the drop-outs or on the other fork leg.
Start with maximum damping and approach the
damping ideal for you in quarter to half turns.
If the available adjustment range does not cov-
er your needs, you have to replace the springs or
shock absorbers. Many manufacturers deliver tun-
ing and retrofitting sets. Be sure only to use compo-
nents approved by the manufacturer of your fork.
Suspension forks are comparatively sophisticated
components and require a considerable amount of
maintenance and care. This has led almost all sus-
pension fork manufacturers to establish service cen-
tres where customers can have their forks thoroughly
checked and overhauled at regular intervals.
The suspension fork should be set up and
!
adjusted in such a way that it does not
reach the end of its travel (known as bottom
out). A spring rate which is too soft (or too low
an air pressure) can usually be heard or felt as
a "clunk" type noise. This noise is caused by the
sudden complete compression of the suspension
fork as it reaches bottom out. If the suspension
fork frequently reaches bottom out, it will become
damaged over time, and so will the frame.
SUSPENSION FORK 87
Adjusting device of the damping
Activation of lockout mechanism
Activate the lockout-system only on
!
smooth lanes or paths.
A fork with a too soft damping may bring
the fork to the point where it no longer re-
bounds when going very quickly over a number of
obstacles. Risk of an accident!
For more details on suspension fork ad-
i
justment and maintenance visit the follow-
ing websites:
www.centurion.de
www.manitoumtb.com
www.rockshox.com
www.sportimport.de
www.foxracingshox.com
www.toxoholics.de