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Rebound 101
Many modern forks and rear shocks allow the rider to adjust the rate of rebound. What is rebound anyway? Simply put, it is the shock pushing back to its extended position after compressing. The rate at which the shock returns is very important. Here’s why…
After the shock is compressed by absorbing a bump in the ground, it must then get ready to absorb the next bump coming. If the shock rebounds too quickly after the first bump, the rider would feel the bike's suspension abruptly push back. If the shock doesn't rebound fast enough, it will be partially compressed when the next bump arrives. That bump would then compress the shock more and it won’t be able to absorb any further bumps until the trail has smoothed enough to allow it to rebound again. Adjusting the rate of rebound can take some trial and error, but once tuned, which will vary with rider and terrain, will help get the most performance out of your bike's suspension.
Many shock manufacturers recommend starting at the middle rebound setting and adjust it faster or slower from there. If the suspension feels less responsive over a series of repeated bumps, speed up the rebound. Only increase it in small increments though until it feels right. If the suspension feels like it is pushing back too fast and wanting to bounce you up or feels too harsh, slow down the rebound.
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