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The wise man
Let's start from the first element, the one that should be taken into consideration as soon as we purchase our bike, i.e. the sag.
What is it about?
It is the initial sinking that the fork and mono should have when we get on the saddle, on average the range of use can go from 20% to 30%, values that refer to a component that has just left the factory; however, if a personalized tuning has been done, the matter changes, as it will depend on the indications given by the biker, but if you make parts that require personal tuning, this article will probably be of little use to you...
Why stay within this range?
The reason is simple. The manufacturers have designed the work of the hydraulics taking into account a sinking that is around these percentages, therefore in order for the shock absorbers to work at their best it is best to respect these parameters, in fact if we increase it we risk eating up a part of the hydraulics designed to support us, if we leave it too hard, vice versa, we do not allow it to function at its best. focusing on the mono, then to this reason we must also add the design of the carriage linkages, which could be affected by incorrect adjustments.
How is it regulated?
You get on the MTB, stand up carefully, maintaining a position similar to the one you would have while riding, stand still and then get off the vehicle, taking care not to load the front end. Then the position of the O-ring is measured. Some brands (Rock Shox first and foremost) make our work easier by having the values already printed on the sheath, a simple but effective solution.
How to interpret it?
But how do I know if my sag is correct for my riding?
Here comes the problems, as it is difficult to interpret what is happening while driving. I can give you my sensations, those that help me find an optimal set up for the bikes that I test and that I have used over the years, but everything remains very personal, it depends on the level of training, on the feeling you have with the vehicle, how many times it is used per week and the level of training.
Let's start with the fork
A low sag indicates a slightly harder fork and the sensations can be different, on smooth paths you can feel greater precision when entering corners and a greater height of the guide, but on the other hand the shocks are felt on the arms, which could stiffen. Driving often becomes unsafe on the roughest stretches, because the absorption is not optimal for our speed and our level of training. The front tends to bounce or the arm muscles tend to use too much energy to control the handlebars, energy which often reduces riding precision.
A SAG that is too high, however, can lead to a greater load on the front end when braking, which can make corner entry slower and more imprecise. A fork that is too soft does not provide safety when cornering and leads to having to move the center of gravity of the body back a little to lighten the front, a fact that can also be perceived with a greater effort on the quadriceps, which will find themselves supporting a good part of the weight. Another element that could be felt is an excessive sinking in the rock gardens, with a feeling of pushing forward and difficulty in exploiting the rebound for the swings, as well as a few too many end strokes in the most extreme compressions.
And mono?
Also in this case I start from a middle ground. When the sinking is too much the bike tends to sit a little, thus opening up the front corner, a fact which could lead to greater stability in fast and bumpy sections, but which on the other hand leads to moving the center of gravity backwards and making it more difficult entering the curve. I notice that I have too soft a sag when the front tends to open the curves, reducing the ability to lead and close them as best as possible.
If, however, the mono is too hard, the sensation I get is of having a bike that is stuck, a steering that closes in the curves, the front gets under me a little and in the roughest sections the sensation of tipping can be present.

Adjust the fork rebound
Braked or unrestrained fork? How many clicks?
This adjustment depends on the driving style, the training we have and partly the routes we find ourselves taking
Often the faster you go and the more athletically ready you are, the more you tend to have an unbridled return, to allow the hydraulics to always work in the optimal range. The driving position also influences this adjustment, in fact the more the driving position is loaded forward, the more it will be necessary to reduce braking. It is clear that this must go hand in hand with the level of training, an element we have talked about extensively.
What am I looking for when returning?
An over-braked fork
I enter a rock garden and the sensation is that the fork does not absorb shocks, in wall jargon. If the sag is correct it means that the fork is unable to return to the optimal position between one stroke and another and consequently that the hydraulics are not ready to absorb the next shock, because they are too close to that of the stroke end. The sensation is similar to that of a reduced sag, but the difference is that when the fork is hard the riding position tends to be higher, because it does not compress, while when the rebound is slow, the fork remains compressed, therefore the position of the handlebars is lower and you feel too loaded forward.
What happens when it's too wild?
It becomes more difficult to govern the front end in rock gardens, because the upward thrust is greater than what the arms can manage. Often you can also feel a bit of insecurity when cornering, because the front wheel puts too much pressure on the ground.
…and for mono?
Here the sensations are similar, when the mono is braked too much there is no possibility of returning to the rock gardens and when you try to ollie using the rebound of the shock absorbers the bike doesn't follow you. Conversely, with too unbridled a return the sensation could be that of having a rear end that runs away in the curves, which tends to skid, or of a rear wheel that kicks a bit, a fact that becomes very evident in the jumps.
Hydraulic compression
It is perhaps the finest adjustment. After finding the right sag and optimal rebound you can start working on compression.
It's the one that I modify the most depending on the tracks and that helps me balance the bike in different situations.
The bike is well balanced but when I get to the roughest sections I feel too much strain on my arms, the position of the handlebars is optimal, so sag and rebound do their job, but I probably have the compression at low speeds a little too closed, a fact that makes the hydraulics work a little less than optimal. Probably with this compression adjustment I will have better curve entry and travel, but the hits will be a martyrdom.
If, however, the compression setting is too low, I will be less precise when entering corners and when handling, I will struggle to make long jumps and in sections that are too steep I will feel the front end a little more loaded, with a less high ride.
As you understand, in this case it is a question of finding a compromise between absorption and support. In forks with better hydraulics, the difference is often made by a couple of clicks.

Mono compression
To understand if the compression of the mono is regulated at its best, it is necessary to have a good sensitivity in the legs, as well as having done a few tests to understand what happens. I often tend to have a mono with harder hydraulics in smoother bike parks, those with big jumps and banks, where more support is useful to increase stability and cornering speed and can help you jump more. In fact, with a compression that is too open, in these situations the ammo compresses more with the risk of having a slightly more seated position, while on jumps almost all the inertia on the ramp is consumed, slowing down the action and making it more the thrust that helps take off is also long. Conversely, on steeper and rougher trails (e.g. La Thuile and Vigezzo style) I prefer less compression, because in this way I feel the shocks less on my legs and the geometry opens up a little, helping in stability.
Conclusions
The adjustment of the shock-absorbing elements is a difficult topic to deal with, where driving style, but above all personal sensitivity, play a fundamental role. To build a good amount of experience it is necessary to stay on the bike, have a good athletic level and try different settings on known routes, so as to be able to recognize any differences.
