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ShockWiz Consistent Suggestions – Rear Suspension – 21 Rides

ShockWiz is Consistently Telling Me to “Soften Up!”

ShockWiz Rear Suspension - 21 Rides
The ShockWiz Suspension Tuning System can provide solid knowledge on ways to improve the comfort, control, and performance of the suspension on your mountain bike. Click on the image to get to a short video summary. 

The ShockWiz Suspension Tuning System continues to reveal ways to help me optimize my suspension. Peavine Mountain in Reno, Nevada, is exposed and rocky. The trails are a mix of sand and exposed, boiled Andesite rock. The trails are about 2 feet wide, with LOTS of rounded rock heads, sharp rock heads, and sagebrush. It’s classic mountain bike terrain, with winding climbs and twisty descents. Good suspension is a must, and the ShockWiz will help you optimize damping, compression, and preload.

Let’s Start With the Rear Suspension

ShockWiz Rear Score 21 Rides
Over the course of 21 rides on my home terrain, the ShockWiz Suspension Scoring system Varied from 70-92 points, but settled in at 92 points on 6 of the last 7 rides.

I’ve been using two ShockWiz units, one up front and one in the rear. This blog post is about the rear suspension, because the values have been consistent since about the fourth or fifth ride.

I began using the ShockWiz to set my suspension sag. Once that was dialed in, I followed the suggestions provided by the ShockWiz app, and tweaked compression, rebound, and air pressure. Small adjustments were made. However, no matter what changes I made, ShockWiz continued to suggest that I soften up Compression. I ended up with about 30% sag on the Fox Float DPS. Rebound was pretty dialed in. But Compression suggestions were consistent. The video with the GIF shows this.

Let’s Go Visit Mike Davis at MAD RACING!

Mike Davis MAD Racing
Mike Davis at MAD Racing in Reno, Nevada is my go-to for suspension tuning and service.

Mike Davis at MAD RACING in Reno, is my Suspension Specialist. I trust him to make internal changes to the rear shock. My bike is now at the shop, and when it returns, I’ll immediately perform a ShockWiz recalibration. THEN, I’ll head out to Peavine for more rides, and data collection. I’ve asked him to help me get sag back up to about 25%, and to make Compression softer by about 15%. He’ll use a combination of oil weight, air pressure, and valving. I can’t wait to try it out!

On Another Note….

Peavine Peak Recovery Benches
Peavine Peak is covered in trails for hikers, runners, bikers, and equestrians. Having this mountain in my back yard has been a true blessing. Here I am with my wife and my Brother From Another Mother, Jeremy, our first week in Reno in 2019.

It looks like my time in Reno is temporarily coming to an end. Our family will be relocating to Pueblo, Colorado, by the end of the month. We do intend to return to Northern Nevada at some point. However, Southern Colorado has plenty of mountain, road, and gravel opportunities and I’m excited about learning to read the terrain some place new.

Thanks for reading, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

Did you enjoy this article? Please feel free to buy me a Cup of Coffee!



Like what you see in these posts? Why not take the next step? Coach Wharton is currently accepting new clients for both Xert and PerfPro training methodologies. He is also available to discuss specific questions or equipment/training issues—just  schedule an online video consultation.