Spring rate dilemma

[jungle]

Spring rates always confuse me, hence this post.

I'm running a 5th element on my Sunday and
I weigh 220 - 225 lbs, so I sit halfway between recommended Sunday spring rate/rider weights.
For 240 lbs rider it's recommended to run a 400 lb spring.
For 205 lbs rider it's recommended to run a 350 lb spring.

Which spring rate should I be running with (350 or 400)?
Also is the recommended spring rate/rider weights the
mininum rider weight or maximum rider weight for the spring rate ?
In other words does a 350 spring cover 205 lb to 239 lb rider
and a 400 spring cover a 240 lb above rider ?

[luke.b]

It depends on the type of riding you'll be doing. For DH, I'd go with the softer one. For freeride/huckabout you'll need the heavier one. If you do DH, and most of the tracks are hucky tracks, I'd go the heavier one. It all depends on what style of riding your doing.

[Dirt Devil]

Which spring are you running at the moment?.. 350 or 400?

[jungle]

I have a 300 which is way too soft for my weight
but found this from ironhorse for spring rates
and I fall in between the 350 and 400 spring rate

rider spring rate
140 lbs ------------------> 250#
155 lbs ------------------> 275#
175 lbs ------------------> 300#
205 lbs ------------------> 350#
240 lbs ------------------> 400#
270 lbs ------------------> 450#

[Daver]

350. I ran a 400 and i'm 120 kilos.

[jungle]

Thanks Daver,
Just to cap this thread off
when you get a spring recommendation from a bike company like this one from Ironhorse for the Sunday

rider weight spring rate
140 lbs ------------------> 250#
155 lbs ------------------> 275#
175 lbs ------------------> 300#
205 lbs ------------------> 350#
240 lbs ------------------> 400#
270 lbs ------------------> 450#

In my case I fall in the middle of a #350 and #400 spring rate
but they do not make a #375 spring

If your weight falls in between spring rates
do you normally go for the lighter spring and
preload it up and add more air pressure to suit your weight or
go for the heavier spring with minimum preload and minimum
air pressure ?

I'm guessing the lower spring rate will allow for adjustment
up to the next spring rate, whereas the higher spring rate
would allow for no adjustment at all to go softer, only stiffer.
Would this be the case ?

[bradh]

I haven't run a 5th, so I can't speak from experience, but, as far as I understand CVT/SPV technology, whether you round up or down would depend upon the feel that you're trying to achieve with the shock. As you observe, a lighter spring will need to be compensated for by a higher air pressure, but would this not result in a more pronounced platform effect? Conversely, if you wanted a less pronounced platform effect, a heavier spring would be the better option, no?

[floody]

If I've been between springrates, I've generally chosen the heavier one....But thats with non-platform shocks like Vanilla RC. In this case I reckon you'd be able to go the lighter of the two.

[luke.b]

When you put it like that, you might be better off getting the heavier one. It won't bottom out as easy. Just putting preload on a spring only changes how easy it is to get it to stat compressing, it doesn't make it harder to bottom, untill the VERY end of the stroke. Preloading by winding up the spring can cause it to bind when bottomed out, and that just about screws averything.

[tnankie]

Er get both.


No really you will thank yourself later.

A) piss easy to swap them around
B) choose the one that suits the riding your going to do
C) doesn't matter if you put on/take of a bit of weight cause you can use the other one then

Use the lighter spring and run more sag, faster for racing.
Use the heavier for big hit freeriding things.

I use an air shock and will always change teh settings for where and what style of riding I am doing.

Biggest thing I have noticed is that sag is your friend! more sag = better compliance = much faster, especially if you can adjust your bottom out resistance. My bike is set up so its quite plush with heaps of bottom out resistance/really progressive.

[luke.b]

Er get both.


That would be the best option, and I don't know why no one has mentioned it yet. You can always get a costom spring made up, or find a place that sell them in different incraments.