Why Suspension Tuning Becomes More Important as You Progress (And Where Many Riders Get It Wrong)

At the early stages of riding, suspension doesn’t feel like a big deal. You pump it up, maybe follow a setup guide, and go ride.

And for a while… that works. You have bigger fish to fry - learning how to actually ride the bike for one!

But as you progress, riding steeper terrain, carrying more speed, pushing into corners, hitting bigger features, something starts to change.

The bike stops feeling quite right. Not terrible… just off.

The problem most riders run into:

Most riders are running a below-average baseline setup at best.

Something that was set once, either by a shop, a friend, or a quick online guide - and then never really revisited.

The issue is:

Baseline setups are just that - a starting point.

They’re not designed for:

• your riding style

• your speed

• your terrain

• or your progression

• changes in temperature and loss of air over time

And as you start riding more technical terrain, the gaps begin to show.

What suspension is actually doing (and why it matters)

Your suspension isn’t just there for comfort.

Its real job is to:

• keep your tyres in contact with the ground

• manage how your bike absorbs impacts

• and give you control when things get fast, steep, or rough

When it’s working well, you feel:

• More grip

• More stability

• More confidence

When it’s not…

• The bike feels harsh or unpredictable

• You lose traction in corners

• You hesitate in technical terrain

Properly tuned suspension improves control, traction, and overall performance on trail.

And at more advanced levels, those small differences become everything.

Why “set and forget” stops working:

As your riding evolves, your suspension needs to evolve with it.

Because what your suspension is trying to do is simple: Keep your tyres in contact with the ground, while keeping your chassis stable

But the way it does that changes depending on how and where you ride.

As speeds increase and impacts get bigger:

You’ll need more support from your suspension.

That often means:

• increasing spring rate to maintain ride height

• adding more high-speed compression to handle bigger hits

• and slowing rebound slightly to stay in control

On tighter, slower, more technical terrain:

Grip becomes the priority.

So you may:

• Reduce compression to let the suspension move more freely

• allow the bike to track the ground better

• and maintain traction through roots and rocks

In steeper terrain or under heavy braking:

Support and stability matter more.

You might:

• add low-speed compression to prevent diving

• adjust balance to keep weight distribution consistent

• and tune rebound to maintain traction through repeated hits

The real issue: understanding cause and effect

Most riders don’t lack good equipment. They lack understanding.

They don’t know:

• What each dial actually does

• How adjustments affect the bike

• Or how to interpret what the bike is telling them

So they either:

• Don’t touch it at all

• or change things randomly and hope for the best

Turning suspension from confusion into a skill

This is where things shift.

Because once you understand cause and effect:

• Suspension stops being confusing

• tuning becomes intentional

• And your bike starts working with you

Instead of guessing, you’re making decisions and predictions.

Want to actually learn this?

That’s exactly why we built the Suspension Masterclass.

A half-day, on-trail session in Squamish with World Cup-level mechanic Rob Farrer (Tuned Bicycles), designed to give you a real understanding - not just numbers to copy.

You’ll:

• learn how your suspension actually works

• build a proper baseline setup

• understand what your bike is telling you

• and know exactly what to change (and when)

Then take it straight to the trail and feel the difference.

If suspension has always felt like something you’ve struggled with…

This is where it clicks.

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