I'd point out this heavily depends on the fork and shock you are using. Not all dampers are tuned the same and some may require you to be closer to open than not. Even being 210lbs with high pressure/spring rates, I've had to run some dampers (RXF36m.2 for instance) a few clicks from open, while forks like the Mezzer Pro and Fox/RS products, I found myself more in the middle. So I'd be careful speaking in absolutes about where people should and shouldn't be. Friction is also a huge variable in some of these components, which can be influenced by poor QC or lack of service, and your token/progression setup can also.
I can also say that I got a massive improvement in feel with the Motion Instruments recommended rebound settings, so I disagree they recommend settings that are too fast. I'm not a pro rider by any means, but opening it up closer to what that system suggested gave me a bike that was more confident at speed, more responsive, and tracked better. I used the raw data more than recommendations, though.
I've gotten on bikes where people had it set so slowly you could press into it and count a second before it fully returned. Most bikes I get on, the rebound feels too slow for the spring rate or pressure being run, when you open it up, the bike feels and tracks considerably better. I've been through this with several riders and all said it was an improvement. There is obviously a limit, you don't want it bouncing around all over, but I've personally found that my components were packing up (either due to friction or incorrect damper setting) more than I thought as I started to open it up.
IMO the best, easiest tell of this is side video footage. Have someone record you riding through some rough features at varying speeds, then watch what your suspension is doing. I started experimenting with this very thing after someone did this during a rough day at the bike park and I realized I was packing up badly. Telemetry is helpful but getting some footage of what your bike is doing can be a good start in the right direction.
Dec. 16, 2024, 7:29 a.m. - Shinook
I'd point out this heavily depends on the fork and shock you are using. Not all dampers are tuned the same and some may require you to be closer to open than not. Even being 210lbs with high pressure/spring rates, I've had to run some dampers (RXF36m.2 for instance) a few clicks from open, while forks like the Mezzer Pro and Fox/RS products, I found myself more in the middle. So I'd be careful speaking in absolutes about where people should and shouldn't be. Friction is also a huge variable in some of these components, which can be influenced by poor QC or lack of service, and your token/progression setup can also. I can also say that I got a massive improvement in feel with the Motion Instruments recommended rebound settings, so I disagree they recommend settings that are too fast. I'm not a pro rider by any means, but opening it up closer to what that system suggested gave me a bike that was more confident at speed, more responsive, and tracked better. I used the raw data more than recommendations, though. I've gotten on bikes where people had it set so slowly you could press into it and count a second before it fully returned. Most bikes I get on, the rebound feels too slow for the spring rate or pressure being run, when you open it up, the bike feels and tracks considerably better. I've been through this with several riders and all said it was an improvement. There is obviously a limit, you don't want it bouncing around all over, but I've personally found that my components were packing up (either due to friction or incorrect damper setting) more than I thought as I started to open it up. IMO the best, easiest tell of this is side video footage. Have someone record you riding through some rough features at varying speeds, then watch what your suspension is doing. I started experimenting with this very thing after someone did this during a rough day at the bike park and I realized I was packing up badly. Telemetry is helpful but getting some footage of what your bike is doing can be a good start in the right direction.