One of the most common questions we’re asked is how to set up mountain bike suspension properly.
Most setup guides focus on sag percentages, rebound clicks, and compression settings. While those things all matter, there’s one fundamental principle that often gets overlooked:
Your bike needs to be balanced front to rear.
Getting this right first is really important – and your first step before you start setting your sag, rebound, hi-speed, lo-speed and all that other stuff.
When you compress your bike, either by riding or pushing down through the pedals, both ends of the bike should move together.
The bike should travel parallel to the ground, rather than pitching forwards or backwards.
If your forks are too firm, the rear suspension compresses more than the front and the bike pitches backwards.
If your forks are too soft, the front compresses more than the rear and the bike pitches forwards.
Neither setup allows the bike to work as a balanced system.
Instead, you want the front and rear suspension to compress together, maintaining the bike’s attitude as it moves through its travel.
A balanced bike feels calmer, more predictable and more intuitive to ride.
When the front and rear suspension work together, weight stays evenly distributed between both tyres, giving you:
Many riders spend time adjusting rebound and compression damping before they’ve even established this basic balance.
Getting the spring rates working together should always come first.
A simple way to assess your setup is to watch what the bike does as you ride along and push down firmly through the pedals.
Ideally, the bike should move vertically beneath you while remaining parallel to the ground.
If the bike pitches backwards, your front end is likely too firm relative to the rear.
If it pitches forwards, the front is probably too soft.
Making small adjustments to fork pressure is often all that’s needed to bring the bike back into balance.
It can be difficult to feel this yourself initially, so asking somebody to watch you ride, or filming yourself, can make the movement much easier to spot.
Sag still matters—but perhaps not in the way many setup guides suggest.
With a linear suspension design like a Starling frame, there isn’t a single “correct” sag percentage that every rider should aim for.
Some riders prefer a firmer setup for efficiency and support.
Others prefer a softer setup for maximum grip and comfort.
Both approaches can work perfectly well, provided the bike remains balanced front to rear.
Rather than chasing a specific number, think of sag as a way of choosing the overall firmness of your bike. Once you’ve decided how supportive you want the suspension to feel, you can then balance the front and rear to work together.
No.
Compression damping and rebound damping both influence how the bike behaves, but they’re best adjusted after you’ve established a balanced spring setup.
When checking balance, it’s good practice to reduce compression damping as much as possible and use sensible rebound settings, allowing the spring rates to dictate how the bike moves.
Once the bike is balanced, you can fine-tune damping to suit your riding style and terrain.
Every rider is different, and there’s no single suspension setup that works for everyone.
If you’re unsure where to start, we’d recommend you swing by the Starling Cycles Owner’s Manual first and follow the link to the suspension setup pages for the brands we work with.
or if you’d like some advice on getting the best from your Starling, get in touch—we’re always happy to help.
If you’re still searching for your next steel full-suspension mountain bike, explore the Starling frames range to find the model that’s right for your riding.
