Megneg on v3 Bronson

PB Forum :: Santa Cruz
Megneg on v3 Bronson
Author Message
Posted: Jun 16, 2020 at 11:59 Quote
I am 5.8ft, weigh 145pounds, and mostly ride steep tech trails.
My V3 Bronson CC needed some bottom-out resistance and after giving it some thought, I decided to purchase the MegNeg upgrade kit. While installing the kit, I noticed that the stock air can had one GnarDog spacer in the positive air chamber.
However, Rock Shox suggests removing 1-2 positive air volume spacers because the MegNeg air can produces more force near bottom out and may be difficult to achieve full travel.
I had no choice, so I left the GnarDog in, placed 3 bands in the negative chamber and pumped the shock with 20% more air volume to achieve 30% sag.
Any thoughts?

Posted: Jun 17, 2020 at 14:01 Quote
Just fitted mine it had 3 positive spacers no gnardon, I removed 2 and fitted one negative band will try that tomorrow and report back

Posted: Jun 19, 2020 at 15:18 Quote
rydelean wrote:
Just fitted mine it had 3 positive spacers no gnardon, I removed 2 and fitted one negative band will try that tomorrow and report back

That's strange. I ride a Medium. What frame size do you have?

O+
Posted: Jun 20, 2020 at 4:19 Quote
I been playing with my setup again and my large frame came with 3.5 tokens to start(1 reg + gnar dog) and now I’m running the megneg with 4 negative bands and 2 positive tokens. The bike does feel better than stock but using higher pressures required to get the correct sag do seem to negatively affect the small bump sensitivity.

Posted: Jun 22, 2020 at 4:08 Quote
local29 wrote:
rydelean wrote:
Just fitted mine it had 3 positive spacers no gnardon, I removed 2 and fitted one negative band will try that tomorrow and report back

That's strange. I ride a Medium. What frame size do you have?
mines a large. Started with 1pos 1neg didn’t feel great. now on 2 and 2 feels a lot better need to have a play with air pressure and rebound compression if I don’t get what I’m looking for I might put one more positive in. As I am a bit on the heavy side lol but mid stroke feels a lot better, very noticeable

Posted: Jun 22, 2020 at 7:07 Quote
That is cool to know.
Others suggest that zero spacers also work great (0 in positive and 0 in negative). By this, I can assume that an even amount of spacers between the two air chambers must do the trick!
Tune 30-32% sag, set a fast rebound, and you're good to go!

Posted: Jun 22, 2020 at 7:19 Quote
rockhucker15 wrote:
I been playing with my setup again and my large frame came with 3.5 tokens to start(1 reg + gnar dog) and now I’m running the megneg with 4 negative bands and 2 positive tokens. The bike does feel better than stock but using higher pressures required to get the correct sag do seem to negatively affect the small bump sensitivity.

You should try removing 1-2 negative bands to make it feel more compliant over small bumps but always remain at the same sag. It will require more psi.

O+
Posted: Aug 10, 2020 at 13:41 Quote
Figured I’d write this up as I read all of the MegNeg posts prior to purchasing and had to learn a lot about shock curves and the different factors at play. At the outset, I would highly recommend watching this video as I’ve yet to find a better explanation of shock curves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=39&v=3HeL5NNHbFw&feature=emb_logo

I also noticed that a lot of posters don’t include the kind of information that’s needed to really be useful (rider weight, pressures, terrain, previous setup, etc).

Bike/Rider Info:
- 2020 Bronson V3 (carbon, XL)
- 2.5 DHF Exo front tire (22psi); 2.4 DHR II Exo+ rear tire w/ Cushcore (24 psi); Raceface ARC30 alloy wheelset
- Rider weight approx. 160lbs geared up
- I live in Moab and gravitate towards technical, fast, and chunky trails (I’m not really into flow trails); I also like pedaling/big climbs

Previous setup: Rockshox Super Deluxe+ with one GnarDog token (terrible name) which equals 2.5 regular tokens; 180 psi at 30% sag; 4 clicks of rebound dampening (i.e., 4 clicks from fast). My biggest complaint with this setup is that I was regularly blowing through all of the shock’s travel. Not harsh bottoming out, but a rough, sometimes unstable ride. On repeated hits, it would sometimes feel like the rear wheel was hanging up, which I believe was due to the shock being too deep in its travel (even though I had rebound as fast as possible without compromising other ride qualities).

Started by removing the GnarDog token, so 0 tokens in the positive air chamber. I recommend starting with 0 tokens, as any tokens will have some effect on the progressivity of the midstroke and it just adds another variable that has to be factored in. I also started with 0 bands as I wanted to see the full effect of a large negative air chamber on the shock/ride quality. Notes below:

0 bands/0 tokens. 225 psi for 30% sag. 4 clicks of rebound dampening. Tested on a typical fast, chunky Moab trail. Initial stroke was amazingly soft yet very supportive in the midstroke. Climbing platform actually felt better than stock, as the midstroke was very supportive and seemed to stay higher in the travel. The main issue was that repeated hits in fast, chunky terrain were harsh, which I believe was due to the midstroke being too progressive for my weight. I was using all but 10mm of travel, with all but 5mm on a few drops. Even with these issues, it still felt better than the stock shock setup. Decided to add 2 bands to see if I could mellow out the progression a bit, while keeping the initial suppleness and midstroke support (while also using more of the travel regularly).

2 bands/0 tokens. 228 psi for 30% sag (unsure why the pressure actually went up 2psi here). 4 clicks of rebound dampening. Tested on a typical fast, chunky Moab trail. This completely cleared up the harshness that I was experiencing with 0 bands in rough, repeated hit sections of trail. The initial stroke was slightly less soft, but not enough to really notice. Midstroke was still plenty supportive for climbing. The bike felt really planted and stable through rough sections of trail with repeated hits. Followed up by taking the bike to the Colorado high country. There was a lot of high altitude climbing and the midstroke support was great. Rode high in the travel when climbing but still was soft in the initial stroke. Felt great other than I added one click of rebound dampening (5 clicks), although I may adjust down again for chunkier Moab riding. All told, 2 bands/0 tokens feels excellent. Better than anything I’ve ridden before and feeling like it’s pretty much dialed.

Possible next steps would be going to 1 band or 3 bands.

With 1 band, I would expect slightly softer initial stroke with a bit more midstroke support. I would be paying attention to see if the midstroke/endstroke harshness returned whether I wouldn’t be using enough of the travel. I would also expect a bit more pop from the shock.

With 3 bands, I would expect to lose a bit of initial stroke suppleness and lose a bit of midstroke support. I would be paying attention to see if the pedaling platform was still supportive enough or if it felt too soft and whether I was blowing through the travel. I would also want to see if the shock felt a bit dead as I would expect it to lose some pop. I could always end up adding one token in the positive chamber to address any endstroke travel issues (one toke to ramp up the progression at the end). But, adding a positive token would have some effect on the midstroke progression and would likely result in messing with the bands again (possibly adding another band—4 bands total—to mellow out the midstroke progression a bit).

I hope this info is helpful for anyone trying to work through getting the MegNeg dialed. Curious to hear any thoughts or feedback on the above info as well, as I’m still in the learning process.

If you’re willing to spend some time learning about shock curves and positive/negative air chambers, have enough awareness to know how your bike is riding, and want to take the time to dial it in, then it’s hard to see how you can go wrong with the MegNeg addition.

Posted: Aug 10, 2020 at 23:59 Quote
portermoab wrote:
Figured I’d write this up as I read all of the MegNeg posts prior to purchasing and had to learn a lot about shock curves and the different factors at play. At the outset, I would highly recommend watching this video as I’ve yet to find a better explanation of shock curves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=39&v=3HeL5NNHbFw&feature=emb_logo

I also noticed that a lot of posters don’t include the kind of information that’s needed to really be useful (rider weight, pressures, terrain, previous setup, etc).

Will definitely have a look at this and agreed on the second point quoted.

Bought a new Bronson this year and I'm 200 lbs. Stock was set at 220 psi as recommended. Sag looked good and it came with a Gnar token. Riding single black trails, bit of tech with 4-5 foot drops to flat. Was not happy with the rear suspension performance and found it blew through the mid travel so I just installed a MegNeg

Set it up with 265 psi and I thought 30% sag, with 2 bands and no tokens. Ended up with LSC all the way open and it was still rock solid. Drops were fine but small chunk might as well have been on a hard tail. Going to drop 10 psi on my next ride and expect I'll end up needing a token as well.

I agree that I think it's good to start with no tokens and do some bracketing just with the PSI in the shock and maybe messing around with LSC a little if you have it (but never more than half closed). If you do a run with 10 psi too much it should be noticeable, and if the lower pressure has you blowing through travel then install spacers.

Would have had a better first ride if I had brought a shock pump in my bag.

Posted: Aug 12, 2020 at 5:27 Quote
local29 wrote:
I am 5.8ft, weigh 145pounds, and mostly ride steep tech trails.
My V3 Bronson CC needed some bottom-out resistance and after giving it some thought, I decided to purchase the MegNeg upgrade kit. While installing the kit, I noticed that the stock air can had one GnarDog spacer in the positive air chamber.
However, Rock Shox suggests removing 1-2 positive air volume spacers because the MegNeg air can produces more force near bottom out and may be difficult to achieve full travel.
I had no choice, so I left the GnarDog in, placed 3 bands in the negative chamber and pumped the shock with 20% more air volume to achieve 30% sag.
Any thoughts?

I now run 3 bands and 1 token (gnardog was way too much), 30% sag, open LSC, and +3 of R from open. It's the best setting so far.
It resembles the stock character but with a more playful behavior, to the point where I had to slow down 1 click of R. I started with +2 and chose +3 for a little more compliance and predictability.
Small bump sensitivity is good and it kind of eliminates that low sunk mid-travel situation that keeps you glued to the ground when sometimes you'd rather pop things. Bottom out is obtainable but harder to reach than it was with the stock air-can.
I still need to test it at bike park speeds though. I believe it won't disappoint!
It feels supportive and springy.

Posted: Aug 16, 2020 at 23:05 Quote
local29 wrote:
I now run 3 bands and 1 token (gnardog was way too much), 30% sag, open LSC, and +3 of R from open. It's the best setting so far.
It resembles the stock character but with a more playful behavior, to the point where I had to slow down 1 click of R. I started with +2 and chose +3 for a little more compliance and predictability.

How much do you weigh and what pressure are you running?

I'm 195 lbs and tried 2 bands with 265 psi which was too much pressure, practically like riding a hardtail. Dropped it down to 255 and would have been sitting at or past 35% sag which simply isn't an option given some of the techy rocky climbs I have and that I much prefer the low suspension setting.

Went up to 3 bands with 255 psi, 33% sag and LSC 3 clicks in from open (I realize that's the wrong way to count). Shock felt good. I bottomed hard once but am running no tokens so will definitely be installing one but have to order it. I will probably try with 4 bands and a bit lower pressure to see if I can get some of my sag back. With 4 bands at 250 psi I'm guessing it'll be plush but that I'll lose some mid stroke support. I'd say I prefer the feel with lower pressures and the stock air can but not the blowing through the travel (with a gnar token in)

Posted: May 18, 2021 at 6:26 Quote
jspicoli wrote:
mtbgeartech wrote:
So in my search for even better suspension performance on the Bronson I installed the Cascade LT link. Game changer, just awesome. I then went a step further and installed a CC DBiL coil...game over! This is the best feeling rear suspension I've ever experienced on a non-DH bike.

When the coil felt so good on the back of course my curiosity was piqued. In went the Vorsprung Smashpot at 170mm.

The bike is supportive and responsive while taking the harness out of the trail. It isn't a sofa ride, you still know whats going on with the

trail below you it's just communicated in a smooth and controllable manner. Root filled flat corners are crazy addicting on this setup. Insane amounts of traction.

I'm running this exact same shock and linkage setup and 1,000% agree. Still getting the shock tuned but right off the bat in the factory settings it was definitely a BRONSON SMASH sensation. I'm still curious about doing some "side-by-side" comparisons with the stock air shock and new Cascade linkage. I'm also really surprised how poppy it feels (when tuned for pop), this is my first coil and was not expecting that based on what I've read about air v. coil.

I also upgraded to a 170 Grip2 - I'm on the fence, might go back to 160 but I think I need to play around with my stem shim stacking.

Looking to do the same thing. My V3 is already at 170mm up front with a cascade link, but still with the stock shock. I ride mostly enduro trails as well as bike park and with the DBiL coil I hear that it’s only just a trail shock. That true? Or will I be fine running this at the park and Dh trails?

O+
Posted: Nov 21, 2021 at 18:36 Quote
I wasn't super convinced, but today i rode wardens climb, seventh secret and expresso with:
A 1.4 positive token (custom)
30%sag
2 negative bands
2 Rebound clicks from fast to slow
And I'm converted!
My bike never had so much traction and it still jumps just as good as it did without the NegMeg and with 3.4 positive tokens at 29% sag.
If you have a bronson v3 get this shit and go to 1 positive token! It works great!

Posted: Nov 21, 2021 at 18:39 Quote
mottarr wrote:
I wasn't super convinced, but today i rode wardens climb, seventh secret and expresso with:
A 1.4 positive token (custom)
30%sag
2 negative bands
2 Rebound clicks from fast to slow
And I'm converted!
My bike never had so much traction and it still jumps just as good as it did without the NegMeg and with 3.4 positive tokens at 29% sag.
If you have a bronson v3 get this shit and go to 1 positive token! It works great!

I should have sold you my MegNeg lol. I definitely felt it was much improved over stock and went with 1 positive token as well, but when I needed the shock serviced I decided to get the custom tune from Vorsprung. It'll blow your mind! But I had to go back to the regular air can as I asked for a pretty stiff tune.

O+
Posted: Nov 21, 2021 at 19:00 Quote
I wasn't super convinced, but today i rode wardens climb, seventh secret and expresso with:
A 1.4 positive token (custom)
30%sag
2 negative bands
2 Rebound clicks from fast to slow
And I'm converted!
My bike never had so much traction and it still jumps just as good as it did without the NegMeg and with 3.4 positive tokens at 29% sag.
If you have a bronson v3 get this shit and go to 1 positive token! It works great!


 


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