Interesting that WC Mechanics would use one if its not an issue as some believe
An accurate gauge shouldn’t be an issue as you set up the fork/shock to your unique weight, size and riding style. Just mark it where you think it feels best and keep topping up to there if required. Personally I only actually ever touch the air in my suspension when I’ve been working on it and only use the old level as a starting point for dialling it in.
In terms of air loss, I’m in the air is lost when attaching the pump, not when removing it camp. But it’s not a hill I’m willing to die on so each to ones own.
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It would be fairly easy to build a test rig to test this. A piece of pipe with end caps sealed up, either welded or sealed threaded caps, a pressure gauge attached to the pipe, and a schrader valve. Pump it up with a shock pump, if the gauge on the test rig drops when you remove the pump you know it is actually losing air when removed. if it only drops when you re-attach the pump, it is losing pressure when it re-fills the pump chamber.
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Yeah there’s a few different ways it could be done. Jeff’s Y-splitter idea would work too.
Pretty sure I put air in my various forks and shocks last year. Maybe the year before.
I use the does it feel good/am I bottoming out guage
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Fancy pants air forks. My Rock Shox Quadra 21r has plenty of plush, elastomer sprung travel.
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I had the first Manitous, I think it was like 91?
I remember riding with a guy named Mike Nagle (sp?–sorry Mike!) who had the first Manitou fork. I think it was mounted to a Marin?
I had a Specialized Future Shock on my StumpJumper FS (cromo–not M2), which was a Rock Shox Mag 21. That thing was amazing for the time. Those were the days. No travel. Full gas DH runs with a 69° HTA. Ridiculous.
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