Looking for a entry level priced fork with close to high end performance? Look no further than SR Suntour Epicon probably one of the most versatile and cheap fork out in the market.
Been using Epicon X2 variety since I started to get serious about Mountain Biking. My 1st mountain bike came with coil spring fork and it rode like shit. Decided to replace it with friends advice to Air sprung Epicon.In this edition of Tech Martes will tackle basic tuning and “Issues” regarding Suntour Wonder fork the Epicon.
Spec:
Air sprung adjustable via shock pump
External Lockout
External Rebound adjustment (+/-)
Internal Travel adjustment 80mm-140mm
Setup
Put the specific amount of air on your forks by following the manufacturers recommended PSI per weight. Suntour recommends 15%-20% sag on 100mm travel fork heres the manual.
SR Suntour Manual
How to video
Setting sag up the 1st step in tuning your fork. For advance tuning leave the sag measurement zip tie, ride your bike on your regular routes, trails. And see where your zip tie traveled on stanchions.
Zip tie hitting the crown (bottoming out) add air on the fork.
Zip tie only traveled 50% or lower on stanchions decrease air.
Zip tie traveled between 70%-80% maintain or lower psi.
You could go until 90% for maximum plushness but do not exceed or it will bottom out.
Add, decrease between 5 psi for maximum tune-ability.
External Lockout the newer EPICON forks have little clicks on the lockout (manual models not the remote types) which works like FOX CTD but simpler.
Open-Full - maximum travel, rough rocky, DESCENT.
Open-half - put the lockout knob in the middle and you get 50% lock out perfect for smooth single tracks, fire roads and TRAILS.
Close- Full - smooth roads and CLIMBING. And Clicks notches in between for added compliance on mentioned lockout positions.
The older Epicon forks has NO clicks on lockout knobs. I know this because I owned a 2012 model it only has two modes Open, close.
External Rebound adjustment (+/-)
According to SR SUNTOUR manual
The rebound function enables you to control the speed of your fork’s rebound after its been compressed.
If you are going to ride on a terrain with lots of small and fast bumps, we recommend to increase your forks rebound speed. Otherwise it implies the risk that your front wheel loses its contact to the ground. If you are going to ride on a terrain with a lot of big and slow bumps, we recommend to decrease your forks rebound speed.
+ on small and fast bumps.
- on big and slow bumps.
It has 10 clicks of adjustments in total. For first use move the knobs until the last click on either side the fork has a sticker indicating which direction to turn for positive, negative rebound. Adjust for type of terrain you are riding or for 50-50 split set it up in middle count (5).
Internal Travel adjustment 80mm-140mm
Clean the stanchions after each ride as dust sticks to lowers and dust seals.
What would make Epicon great the ability to EXTERNALLY adjust travel of the fork,
Ernest Hamster
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