Video Comparison of RockShox Bottomless Tokens in a Pike Fork 10

RockShox forks offer the ability to adjust how much the air spring ramps up using red colored volume spacers known as Bottomless Tokens. These Tokens add bottom out support and alter the ride height, which can be great for aggressive riders.


We rode multiple trails at the Whistler Bike Park with zero and five Bottomless Tokens installed in a 130mm travel 29-inch Pike RCT3 fork. This side-by-side video shows the impact they have on a fork's suspension performance. All other settings were kept consistent with the air pressure set to 80psi, 6-clicks of low-speed compression, and 13-clicks of rebound (clicks are from closed). The test rider weighs 175-pounds.



To learn more about Bottomless Tokens, how to install them, how many your RockShox fork will accept, and how to choose a number that's just right, be sure to watch our in-depth RockShox tuning feature. This video is an extended version of the videos you'll see there.


Visit www.rockshox.com for more details, and visit your local dealer to pick up some Tokens of your own. Happy tuning!

Credit:

​Brandon Turman // Photo: Adrian Marcoux
Related:
RockShox
Suspension
Forks
Whistler Bike Park
Trail / All-Mountain
How-To / Instruction
10 comments

View replies to: Video Comparison of RockShox Bottomless Tokens in a Pike Fork

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Moneytrain81
8 years ago
This is a great video really. I always kind of understood the jist of using tokens and why, but this just makes it all clear.

Also, the Dual Position forks can now have tokens too, which is good as I just ordered some Pikes (27.5" 150mm 2015) and think I'll need a couple fitted.
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tabletop84
8 years ago
I heard that lower travel Pikes need more Tokens. When I add 1 Token in my 160mm Pike I have to lower the air pressure to use full travel and then the fork feels too divey... need to test two but I wonder if there is a point where I can run x Tokens with lower pressure so that the fork sits high in its travel but I still use it fully. So far 0 Tokens and much air pressure felt best but then the fork is not so supple in the first third of the travel...
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Rdot84
8 years ago
I was running into the same issue. Still experimenting but so far on a 160mm Pike I'm running 1 token at 75 psi, 5 clicks out compression and 10 clicks out of rebound. I'm 185lbs and this feels supple off the top but still supportive and not dive.
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bturman
8 years ago
It's true that lower travel Pikes need more tokens. There's a chart here that shows how many each fork can take: http://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/How-To-Get-The-Most-Out-Of-Your…

Don't be afraid to crank in that low-speed compression adjustment to help keep you higher in the travel. According to RockShox, "Low speed compression regulates oil flow in slow compression stroke speed scenarios such as rider weight shifts on the bike, and suspension compression during cornering or transitions." It also affects ride height, smoothness over small bumps, and traction.

After getting the air spring dialed in, if you feel like you're riding low in the travel, try increasing the low-speed compression by turning it clockwise (the direction of the plus sign) four clicks and repeating the test ride. If this was too much then turn back two steps counter clockwise.

If things don't feel smooth over small continuous bumps or if the front end has bad traction, back off the low-speed compression. Turn counter clockwise four clicks, then retest and make any correction two clicks at the time until you find that sweet spot. If you're unable to find it, chances are good that your air spring isn't set up just right for your terrain or riding style.

As always, when you think you've improved things, it's best to return to your original settings and double check. Be aware of other factors that can impact your ride like tire pressure, temperature, etc, to make sure they don't change things unexpectedly.

You can also chop the tokens in half if a full token is too much for you.
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Nicholast
8 years ago
It's true that lower travel Pikes need more tokens. There's a chart here that shows how many each fork can take: http://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/How-To-Get-The-Most-Out-Of-Your…

That chart also shows the recommended number of tokens for each travel as red blocks. @tabletop84, RockShox suggests 0 tokens for your 26"/27.5" Pike 160mm. That's obviously not a rule, but a suggestion to help give you a baseline. I bring it up because if you prefer the feel of your fork with zero tokens, you aren't out of line.


You can also chop the tokens in half if a full token is too much for you.

That's what I did. I run 2.5 tokens at 87 psi on my 150mm Pike 29.
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chyu
8 years ago
I run 25% sag@ 60 PSI with 1 token, 4 clicks compression and 3/4 clicks rebound from full open. my full kit weight around 156lbs/ 71kg.
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Mr. P
8 years ago
Well done.

I have to admit, there is less of a difference than I expected, but then this is just a rough visual. I'm sure it feels much different on the bike.
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kragu
8 years ago
I've done this myself and settled on 2 tokens in my 160 29er fork. Started with 0 and 5, then 1/5, 1/4, 2/4, and so on... There's a massive difference in feel between the extremes, but between 2 and 3 or 3 and 4 there's very little in it: only noticeable in particular situations.