I will getting my 2014 Altitude 750 MSL next week. I have been looking online for a How To article or video for adjusting the ride 9 system. I have been on The RM ride 9 website which tells you which positions are for certain HTA and STA but I haven't found anything that tells you how to physically adjust it. Any resources out there anyone knows about?
You'll see it's pretty easy once it's in front of you, you just remove the shock mount bolt and remove the Ride9 inserts and then rearrange the pieces in the configuration you want them. Put a bit of grease on all the metal to metal surfaces and reassemble. They are quite a close tolerance fit, so the grease will make it easier to assemble them and keep them from creaking when assembled.
You'll see it's pretty easy once it's in front of you, you just remove the shock mount bolt and remove the Ride9 inserts and then rearrange the pieces in the configuration you want them. Put a bit of grease on all the metal to metal surfaces and reassemble. They are quite a close tolerance fit, so the grease will make it easier to assemble them and keep them from creaking when assembled.
That pretty well nails it. I've been riding an altitude 730 all summer so I would like to add a few tips.
When you start, start at 1 of the 4 points and ride it, when you change it make sure you have another hand and do it in a clean area. You may find that playing with the air pressure while changing the system around.
Thanks for the replies. When you say "start at one of the 4 points" do you mean starting in one of the 4 corners? Also what is the benefit of playing with the air pressures while changing the system around? These tips are great so if you have any others, I am all ears. Thanks!
Yes to four corners. With the system closest to the top tube I had to run unbelievable high pressure. I'm 235 geared so I have mine presently between the lower and front points with air about 220psi. I use the bike for a cross between AM and straight DH. Works great. You will find a sweet spot.
I read this when I first got mine, and thought I was being overly optimistic that I'd run it for the same use - after dinking around with all the other Ride9 settings, going up and down ~15psi in 5lb incriments, and going at least 8 clicks each direction on rebound, I've wound up back at this position running 225psi in the shock (as I weight 245lb geared), and it's very much in the sweet spot now.
For my part, the neutral horizontal line (1,2,6) works brilliantly if you're within one standard deviation of the mean, or biasing the geometry one way or the other. I found that I like the big more slacker, but I was using all of the shock travel very early unless I had it at least partially downward (in the fat kid positions); at this point if I can find a used 140mm pike I'll swap that on and then scoot the chip to the 8 setting instead of its current 7.
No you don't need to touch the shock pressure to change the Ride9 widgets, the suspension is uncompressed when you work on it. After you make the changes to the geometry, then you'd set the sag again as you would from the start with 25% sag as a typical starting point. You may find that you want to adjust rebound damping a bit.
It also helps to have a goal in mind before you start tweaking. Ride the bike as it is and then using the Ride9 mini-website, determine which quality of character you want to change. If you pay special attention to the rider weight slider that will be a good predictor of what the range of ride quality might be. The middle of the range is around 175 pounds, so if you're heavier or lighter than that, the settings that maintain the geo but change the leverage ratio to tweak the weight range of the shock settings will make a huge difference.
Cool. I weight about 165 so with my gear I guess I will start with the middle if the road weight on the ride 9 setup. Anyone else want to chime in on what they weigh and what weight setting( light, medium, heavy) they run? As far as getting the bike, I guess I just got lucky. I'll put up some pics when it gets here next week.
I have the 770 (2013 model) in a small. I weigh about 135 and am 5'6". When I demoed it, the Ride 9 was the most slack (don't remember the setting) and I had a hard time getting forward enough to climb the stuff I could climb with the 5-spot.
Then I had the Ride 9 (using the online cool adjusting tool) setting changed to #3, which is mid-weight (may be too heavy for me, actually) and good climbing. I like it a lot, but am glad to see exactly how to readjust the system. So many other adjustments to be made, seems easier to get it slacker for downhill than tighter for climbing.
I'm 175 pounds and running in setting 5 which is biased towards descending and for a slightly lighter rider. I did try setting one which feels good as well but not quite as good on the downs. I am running a 160 fork so ymmv.
135 pounds. Started in setting 1. Trying setting 3 at the moment, seems to climb better, but not that much difference in the twisty stuff, preferred setting 1. Thinking of trying out 5 tomorrow as going somewhere with more serious descending.
I just purchased a 2015 Thunderbolt 770 MSL and absolutely love the bike. However I am having a difficult time adjusting the ride 9 to test out different settings and looking for some help. I have switched it 3 times now and each one has been a 20-40min process. I have watched this video many times and mine doesn't adjust as smoothly as this.
What I have found is that conical bushings and shock twist slightly once I remove the bolt and the left bushing starts to push into the opening for the large ride 9 chip (looking from rider position). This makes it incredibly difficult to align and slide into the proper position. Basically when this happens and the bolt is slid back in the drive side setting will be #8 and the left side might be #1 or #4 because of the twisting.
I have managed to get it back in but its a chore right now and I am worried about damaging the frame. Do I need more grease on the bushings? Any suggestions?
15 minutes is about what I have experienced too, and that's on a service stand. I always end up with having everything fall out of the frame, then I align the chips and put them back in the frame and then reassemble, I've given up trying to do it quickly. Having some synthetic grease on the chip pieces actually helps keep them together when sticking them back in the frame, and the grease eliminates squeaks/creaks.
I found it harder to do in the stand due to the downward pull on the shock from the rear end. I have never had the parts completely slide out on there own its always been a struggle (maybe tighter tolerances on my frame?). Not really sure at this point.
I usually end up knocking the chips out of the frame with the shock spacer/reducers, so I've just given up and use that as part of my process now. Knock the chips out, arrange them as needed and pop them back in the frame and try to avoid knocking the non-drive side out again when pushing the bolt back into the shock.
Hmm, thought it was just me.
As a procedure now I take everything out, then place the drive side in and slide the bolt through everything, then slide the other side through at the last. I don't use a stand, normally doing it out on the trails. I should note that when I first got my Altitude I was resort riding for work (Bike patrol) and now live 3600 km west in Alberta where I don't resort ride at all but explore the front range in Alberta. That being said back to re-configuring my bike to where I like it.
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