Should I be bouncing so much (rear susp)?!

[Pebble]

I also have a fox float R shock on my Trance - the recommended sag for my bike & that shock is 9mm (which I think is 25% of the travel). This figure may be different for yours.
You will need a shock pump to set the correct sag to start with (refer to your bike manual & shock manual to find out the correct sag, which changes according to the pressure you pump the shock to according to your weight- or ask your LBS).
Once that's done take it for a ride & see if it's still happening - if it's still happening try adjusting the rebound damping knob (red dial). I only realized yesterday I've been running mine at the "least" rebound damping end and it seemed to ride pretty well if a little bouncy at times-only rarely - on smoother or flatter trails the more rebound damping you have the more bouncy it would be from my understanding - and there are no hard and fast rules for settings, I think it depends on your weight and other factors too. The more you weigh the more rebound damping you may need.

So if you think the sag is already correct then try playing with the rebound knob. The fox float R doesn't have a lockout (I find it doesn't need it on on the Trance anyway) but the fork lockout does make a big difference in regards to not sapping energy on the road or up hills.

[emily_in_nc]

I also have a fox float R shock on my Trance - the recommended sag for my bike & that shock is 9mm (which I think is 25% of the travel). This figure may be different for yours.
You will need a shock pump to set the correct sag to start with (refer to your bike manual & shock manual to find out the correct sag, which changes according to the pressure you pump the shock to according to your weight- or ask your LBS).
Once that's done take it for a ride & see if it's still happening - if it's still happening try adjusting the rebound damping knob (red dial). I only realized yesterday I've been running mine at the "least" rebound damping end and it seemed to ride pretty well if a little bouncy at times-only rarely - on smoother or flatter trails the more rebound damping you have the more bouncy it would be from my understanding - and there are no hard and fast rules for settings, I think it depends on your weight and other factors too. The more you weigh the more rebound damping you may need.

So if you think the sag is already correct then try playing with the rebound knob. The fox float R doesn't have a lockout (I find it doesn't need it on on the Trance anyway) but the fork lockout does make a big difference in regards to not sapping energy on the road or up hills.

Pebble - thanks for the tips. I haven't even noticed a red dial but will take a look to see if my shock has it -- perhaps it varies by the model year. When the LBS pumped it, they set it on 70 PSI based on my weight (around 105). They had me up on the trainer several times to get it right. They told me that I change it according to my preferences, but of course didn't mention I should buy a pump for it!

I rode singletrack tonight, and the bounciness was much appreciated since I rolled over a lot of roots and rocks. Very different from the packed trails I was complaining about the bouncy/bouncy ride.

I do plan to buy a pump very soon (looking at at Fox HP on ebay) and getting this all figured out. For now it is more of an annoyance since I am just a beginner to mountain biking and am not trying to set any kinds of records -- just have fun and stay upright!

Thanks again,
Emily

[emily_in_nc]

2k, Yikes! Just like us, our bank accounts sometimes need recovery also.

Just to clarify: that $2K included the bike (2000 Titus Racer X), which I got on ebay, new XT crankset, new XTR cassette, new Mavic 717/XT wheelset, and a general tuneup and small replacement stuff (cables, etc) at the LBS. So that was not just parts and upgrades but included the bike as well!

Emily

[emily_in_nc]

Emily - when you do find your rear shock pump, here's a tip: make sure not to overtighten the connection between the pump and your shock (the nut, or whatever it's called). You want to slowly tighten it just to the point where it makes the needle on the pressure gauge pop up to a positive pressure reading. Of course, if your shock is totally flat, you may not get this jump. But the point is, you don't want a supertight connection. I believe overtightening it can cause seals in your shock to fail, or something to that effect. And servicing fancy shocks can be $$$!

As I suggested earlier, best to download the product manual from the Fox website.

Thanks jenxxs - these are great tips! I will definitely download the manual before I do anything. I do not want to screw up my shock!

Emily

[Pebble]

I weigh more like 132lb, but I can't remember what mine is pumped to, luckily I've been able to "set and forget", even still I probably should be checking it regularly

Great tip about ovetightening - I found that I had to tighten it a fair bit to get a good / accurate reading on the shock pump (I think it's a Giant brand one) but I guess this can vary a bit with the pump. Basically every pump should put in about 3psi every pump, same if you press the button to let air out - if the gague on the pump is jumping all over the place then you probably haven't got the pump attatched properly or tight enough.

Still - I'd check other adjustments your shock may have first.

This is my first dual suspension bike so I don't really know about older or other models apart from what I've got.

I guess you should find the knob (red or otherwise) somewhere near the top end of your shock. The little red dial you can see in the picture below is what I'm talking about.
And having seen the price of this shock on the website I got the picture from, I can all of a sudden understand the value in my bike - shock plus fork equals half of what the bike is worth!

[madisongrrl]

I weigh more like 132lb, but I can't remember what mine is pumped to, luckily I've been able to "set and forget", even still I probably should be checking it regularly

shocks will loose pressure slowly over time....might want to try to check it once in a while