MTB: Adjust suspension fork correctly - how to do it

With a new mountain bike, difficult terrain should become a playground. For this to succeed, owners absolutely must set the suspension fork correctly. Our guide explains how.

A question of weight: the suspension fork reacts to the rider's body mass.

The suspension fork decides how strongly (or weakly) any impulses to the front wheel are damped. The setting must fit not only the terrain, but also the driver.

Mountain bike: rider weight as a central factor

Because the heavier the driver, the more pressure the suspension fork can tolerate. Basically, there are even two methods. These depend on the conditions on the mountain bike:

• Some models have a sticker with table directly on the suspension fork. From this you can see what pressure is recommended for your weight. As a result, you must either release pressure or pump air into it, which requires a special pump. More info on this can be found here.

It is also possible that a scale is plotted on the left side of the suspension fork:

1. In addition, there is a sliding rubber ring. Position this at the top.
2. Then get into an upright position in the pedals and lean forward over the handlebars with outstretched arms.
3. Then check where on the scale the rubber ring is.

The perfect setting depends partly on the purpose, but also on the preferences. Therefore, the golden rule of thumb is important: this states that the rubber ring should be at about 30 percent of the spring travel. If the suspension fork is set accordingly, this is not wrong for most situations.