Ibis
Exie XT Complete
X-Large
Cheat-O Orange

Purchasing Steps from BikeCo.com (The Bike Company)

Place Your Deposit
Our team will contact you to go over common questions including common part swaps / upgrades, tuning considerations, initial setup requirements, etc.
Your bike will be built and setup for you including delivery documentation to help you better understand and fine tune the bike’s performance.

Remainder of balance is due at pickup or prior to shipment.
Delivery consultation on-site or available by phone / video conference goes over FAQ on a new MTB or eMTB highlighting common questions on suspension setup, bedding brakes, bolt checks, cockpit and seating fit, etc.
Our team will follow up several times after delivery to help you better understand minute adjustments. And of course we’re always available by phone, email or chat!

Availability Definitions:

IN-STOCK and Available Now!
Typically ready for pickup or shipment within 2-4 business days.
Custom components may change this window (we will advise).

AVAILABLE: Secure this Bike
Shows in-stock at the vendor (stock updated as often as possible).
Order is processed & shipped to BikeCo (typically 3-7 working days), built by BikeCo (usually on the day the product lands at BikeCo) for pickup or shipment.

PRE-ORDER: Due 1st week of XXX
Part of a inbound BikeCo order or shows available in this time window.
May be later or earlier than predicted depending on product availability.
Bike is due at vendor, will be quality checked, processed and shipped. (typically 3-14 business days) Built by BikeCo for delivery.

Air Spring & Volume Spacers

The FOX 34 provides riders a range of setup options using air spring as well as volume spacers.

Suggested sag is 15% for a firm feel and 20% for a plush fork. On the stock 120mm setup 15% equals 18mm or about 0.7 inch of sag. 20% will use 24mm or about 1″ of sag.

Volume Spacers

The 120mm FOX 34 is factory spec’d with1 volume spacers (bike manufacturers may or may not change this). The 130mm fork can carry a maximum of 4 volume spacers.

Do not install more volume spacers than the FOX advises. Installing more than the maximum volume spacers will result in  product damage and potential for injuries, etc.

Volume Spacers Reference Page 10 on 34 Tuning Guide available Here (opens in new tab)

FOX 34 StepCast FIT4 Rebound Controls

The FIT4 damper provides 10 clicks of low speed rebound located at the red knob on the bottom of the fork lowers.

Rebound controls the extension of the fork back to neutral. Ideally the fork will be “fast” enough to reset prior to the next obstacle without being so fast as to create a pogo stick feeling which compromises traction.

As your riding speeds increase it is common to reduce the rebound setting to accelerate the return to neutral. Sound like a lot? Its’ not that bad – and BikeCo clients always have access to our team for tuning questions. After delivery our team will reach out several times to help you fine tune your setup. BikeCo’s after sales service is second to none…

FOX FIT4 Remote Compression Controls

In addition to the on-the-fly, in fact, on-the-handlebar(!) compression positions the FIT4 notably features 22 clicks of low speed compression adjustability in the Open mode.

The small black dial in the center of the assembly provides riders with exceptional levels of support adjustments to help the bike stand up in fast corners, resist brake dive or bottom out.

Air Spring & Volume Spacers

The Ibis Exie uses a 190 x 45mm shock, spec’d with the Fox Float Factory DPS.

SAG is adjusted by PSI – typically trail riding styles gravitate to 25-30% sag. This would measure about 13mm for a plush setup and 11mm for a more firm setup.

Volume Spacers

Volume spacing provides fine tuning options to support the air spring.

By changing to a larger volume spacer, thus reducing the volume, you increase the air spring’s ramp rate for improved bottom out support and pop.

Conversely smaller volume spacers produces a more linear feel as the air has more volume during shock compression per mm of travel.

Do not install more or larger volume spacers than the FOX advises. Installing more than the maximum volume spacers will result in  product damage and potential for injuries, etc.

FOX FLOAT Factory DPS Remote Rebound Controls

The DPS provides a rebound control with 11 clicks of adjustment.

Heavier riders will use more rebound control than lighter riders to slow the air spring’s return to neutral.

As your ground speeds increase it is common to allow your bike to rebound more quickly to prepare for the next terrain feature and avoid suspension packing from slow rebound setup.

FOX Float Factory DPS Remote Compression Control

The Fox Float Factory DPS Remote provides on-the-fly and on-the-bars compression control in a 2 position Open or Firm setting.

Learn more about the FOX DPS on their tuning guide here (opens in new tab)

PSI / Spring Rate

MTB suspension must accommodate a wide range of rider weight. To achieve this nearly all forks and rear shocks use an adjustable air spring.

By varying air pressure riders set a desired sag, or percentage of travel that the bike “sits into” under neutral loading.

Modifying this sag percentage will change small bump compliance as well as bottom out characteristics.

Learning how to Pre-Charge your suspension pump will help you make finite adjustments to sag.

Typically 15% sag is for a firm setup and 20% sag is considered plush.

Air Spring Fine Tuning Control(s): Volume Spacers & Compression

Volume Spacers
Air springs ramp rate, sometimes called Spring Rate, is based on how air compresses in the containment cylinder. As the air is compressed the PSI increases according to the decreasing volume of the containment. This is done via non-compressible volume spacers in the air chamber.

Compression.
Hydraulic damping assists air spring providing support in mid-stroke and bottom out.

Opposing Control: Rebound.
Higher spring rate will drive the suspension back to neutral with more force than a lower spring rate. To keep the bike from skipping across trail rebound damping is utilized.

Volume Tuning

As suspension compresses (travel reduces) a piston moves closer to the end of a sealed container. By decreasing the volume of the container the PSI pushing back on the piston is increased.

By adding or removing non-compressible volume spacers riders modify the air spring’s ramp rate which directly changes the amount of support and bottom out feel of the fork or shock.

By removing volume spacers a rider increases the available volume in the suspension. The larger volume compresses less per mm of travel resulting in a lower PSI per mm of travel. This creates less support and is utilizes more travel.

Adding volume spacers decreases the available volume. With less air volume the PSI per mm of travel increases providing more support and greater resistance to bottom out.

Opposing Control: Rebound.
Rebound may need to be adjusted for volume tuning depending on how drastic of a PSI change is being tuned in or out of the suspension.

“Helping” Control: Compression.
Compression provides additional support and bottom out resistance.

Compression

Compression controls provide damping to slow suspension travel as a load is applied and the suspension is compressed. (easy one right?)

When riders have found sag and volume spacing preferences compression controls provide minute adjustments to dial in performance. Adding compression provides more support allowing the suspension to ride taller in its travel which is important when dialing in a bike’s personality in corners, etc.

With too little compression a bike will sit deep in the travel. This compromises cornering and braking force resistance. Headtube angle, bottom bracket height, front to rear weight bias, etc are modified as a bike goes through its travel. Maintaining control of the use of travel is paramount for good performance.

Since compression hydraulically slows the suspension’s use of travel it therefor lowers the air spring’s PSI. Properly setting compression controls will help ease the load on the rebound system by controlling the air spring’s push back onto the rebound circuit.

Too much compression will cause a bike to feel harsh and not use appropriate amounts of travel.

Generally, compression settings are fine tuned after sag and volume spacing have riders “in the ballpark.”

Low speed compression controls mid-stroke as well as support in cornering and against brake dive.

High speed compression helps with bottom out and high shaft speed inputs.

3 positions switches are a type of compression circuit with Open the most plush, Mid providing some additional support and Firm for climbing. If you climb in firm remember to put it back to plush for the downhill or you’re in for a potentially rough ride.

Rebound

Rebound damping controls a suspension’s shaft speed returning to a neutral position. Or, how fast the air spring pushes back as the load changes.

More rebound damping slows the suspension by decreasing the amount of fluid allowed to pass through the hydraulic design.

Less rebound damping allows the suspension to return faster with less hydraulic restriction on the damper.

Rebound setting is based on weight, ground speed, terrain and aggression. Setting the rebound properly means finding the right frequency or feel for your riding.

If your rebound is too fast, or doesn’t have enough clicks of rebound, the bike will tend to skip and suffer poor small bump compliance.

When the rebound is too slow, or you have too many clicks of rebound, the suspension may “pack up” creating a harsh ride as each bump uses progressively more travel forcing the suspension deeper into the travel, which will have higher spring rates.

Opposing: Air Spring PSI / Spring Rate.

“Helping” Control: Low & High Speed Rebound.

Some suspension is designed with 2 rebound circuits. The High Speed Rebound circuit is designed to provide additional control resisting increased PSI late in suspension travel.

Typically High Speed Rebound settings are used as the Low Speed Rebound controls edge towards closed. Example: you might not use any clicks of High Speed Rebound until you reach “X” clicks on the low speed.