Jeremy Wilkey
Owner, MX-Tech
- Jan 28, 2000
- 1,453
- 0
My appolgies I read your responce wrong.. Now I see your agreeing with me.. Jezz.. Anyway this was already typed and well its good.. I need new glasses.. :)
Why not? If you examine what I've said it’s pretty straight forward..
I fully acknowledge that rocks are "a real pain to deal with" and also state that a rock set-up is best for rocks.. Now most people have to deal with both rocks and other more typical loads associated with off-road riding and need to find a compromise.. And the more efficient your valve system works the less overall compromise you have..
How do you compromise? While this is a very deep and longwinded explanation it comes down to valing theory and how it’s applied. I'll give my quick explanation.
When dealing with valving we are trying to create and tune a system of valves (Variable orifices) to create an infinite range of sizes over an infinite increment of speeds with in a set speed range.. In other words imagine a XY coordinate grid with 1CM increments. And we have speeds (X Domain) within in 0 and 10CM that we will encounter in our use of the given suspension system. Now let’s say that our valving (system of orifices) is not as efficient as possible. Efficiency defined as its ability to precisely regulate size based on fluid flow in as little time as possible, so it at times is oversized (soft) or undersized (stiff) and hence it only can effectively size itself (Damping Coefficient) at an average rate within an average increment (Y Range)
The more efficiently the system works the better able the system is to size itself, and more finitely it can produce the desired damping coefficient within smaller increments of speed. In other words the Chart went from plotting 1cm increments with a degree of precision to plotting 1mm increments with a degree of precision.
An effective orifice size is not a steady state but undulates sometimes creating too much size and then readjusting past ideal and subsequently to little all within instances of time, but the average could be correct.. The more stable the fluid size relationship is the more efficient the valve is.. Generally we see this more as the lag that is created as fluid flow increases and the valve initially is undersized and the suspension is stiff as we encounter a bump. If the valve could create area faster it would be undersized less within the load and the suspension will fee less harsh even thought say two different valves could maintain the same average area or damping coefficient..
Now factor in the interplay between the different valves and how they interact together all under the same frame work.. We have Base-valve producing initial low speed, midvalve contributing midspeed to limit the BV’s high-speed contribution to the overall coefficient and then finally a CV perchance reducing high-speed further..
Valving theory and how it’s applied with piston designed, shims and materials have huge impact on how efficiently a total valving system works and ultimately the end definition of efficiency.. So by definition the more efficiently the system works the more wide the range of loads a suspension system can encounter without being harsh or soft and that is what makes a rider happy and provides the best compromise..
BR,
Jer
Why not? If you examine what I've said it’s pretty straight forward..
I fully acknowledge that rocks are "a real pain to deal with" and also state that a rock set-up is best for rocks.. Now most people have to deal with both rocks and other more typical loads associated with off-road riding and need to find a compromise.. And the more efficient your valve system works the less overall compromise you have..
How do you compromise? While this is a very deep and longwinded explanation it comes down to valing theory and how it’s applied. I'll give my quick explanation.
When dealing with valving we are trying to create and tune a system of valves (Variable orifices) to create an infinite range of sizes over an infinite increment of speeds with in a set speed range.. In other words imagine a XY coordinate grid with 1CM increments. And we have speeds (X Domain) within in 0 and 10CM that we will encounter in our use of the given suspension system. Now let’s say that our valving (system of orifices) is not as efficient as possible. Efficiency defined as its ability to precisely regulate size based on fluid flow in as little time as possible, so it at times is oversized (soft) or undersized (stiff) and hence it only can effectively size itself (Damping Coefficient) at an average rate within an average increment (Y Range)
The more efficiently the system works the better able the system is to size itself, and more finitely it can produce the desired damping coefficient within smaller increments of speed. In other words the Chart went from plotting 1cm increments with a degree of precision to plotting 1mm increments with a degree of precision.
An effective orifice size is not a steady state but undulates sometimes creating too much size and then readjusting past ideal and subsequently to little all within instances of time, but the average could be correct.. The more stable the fluid size relationship is the more efficient the valve is.. Generally we see this more as the lag that is created as fluid flow increases and the valve initially is undersized and the suspension is stiff as we encounter a bump. If the valve could create area faster it would be undersized less within the load and the suspension will fee less harsh even thought say two different valves could maintain the same average area or damping coefficient..
Now factor in the interplay between the different valves and how they interact together all under the same frame work.. We have Base-valve producing initial low speed, midvalve contributing midspeed to limit the BV’s high-speed contribution to the overall coefficient and then finally a CV perchance reducing high-speed further..
Valving theory and how it’s applied with piston designed, shims and materials have huge impact on how efficiently a total valving system works and ultimately the end definition of efficiency.. So by definition the more efficiently the system works the more wide the range of loads a suspension system can encounter without being harsh or soft and that is what makes a rider happy and provides the best compromise..
BR,
Jer
