Suspension & dropper cluster · Setup

How many volume spacers (tokens) should I run?

Quick answer

Volume spacers / tokens reduce the positive air chamber volume, so they add more progression: the suspension firms up at the end of the travel. Add a token if you bottom out easily but otherwise like the pressure. They don't firm up the start of the stroke —that's pressure or low-speed compression. Start with 0-1 and add one at a time, testing between each change. If the suspension bottoms out, this is your adjustment; if you want firmness off the top, look first at pressure by weight.

A token isn't an overall firmness dial: it only acts at the end of the travel. That's why it's for bottom-out, not for the initial feel.

What they actually do

A token takes up room inside the positive air chamber. With less air volume, that air compresses faster the deeper the suspension goes, so near the end the air spring becomes firmer. That's progression: the suspension gets harder to push to the bottom. By contrast, at the start of the stroke there's barely any difference: there, pressure and low-speed compression rule, not the token.

How to decide how many, step by step

1 · Set pressure and sag first — Before touching tokens, get pressure right with the correct sag. The token fine-tunes the end, it doesn't make up for wrong pressure.

2 · Check if you bottom out — Ride and watch the o-ring. If it reaches the end of the travel easily (you bottom out) but you like the rest of the feel, that's the case for adding a token.

3 · Start with 0-1 — Begin from zero or one token. Few forks need many from the start; adding several at once can make it too progressive so you don't use full travel.

4 · Add one at a time — If you still bottom out, add a token and test again. Repeat until you stop bottoming out easily without losing usable travel.

5 · Calibrate to taste — The final number depends on your weight, your terrain and your style. There's no single figure; the rider tunes by testing.

Suspension progression curve with different numbers of tokens: more tokens, firmer at the end of the travel without changing the start — More tokens = more progressive curve at the end; the start of the stroke barely changes.

When a token is NOT what you need

If the suspension feels harsh from the first moment or soft throughout the travel, the problem isn't the token: it's pressure or compression. The token only changes the end. Use it when the overall feel is good but you bottom out; for everything else, pressure comes first.

Common mistake: adding tokens to make the suspension feel "firmer" overall. It doesn't work like that: the start of the stroke barely changes. If you want more firmness off the top, raise pressure or adjust low-speed compression, don't add tokens.

Not sure if you're a token short?

Tell us your model, your pressure and whether you bottom out, and we'll suggest how many to try. Message us on WhatsApp

Frequently asked questions

What do tokens do?

They reduce the positive air chamber volume and add progression: they firm up the end of the travel, not the start.

Do they firm up the start?

No. The start is governed by pressure or low-speed compression. Tokens only act at the end.

How many should I run?

Start with 0-1 and add one at a time if you bottom out easily. The rider calibrates to taste and terrain.

The suspension bottoms out → Fork pressure by weight → Suspension & dropper cluster →

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BikeLab-pedia · Suspension & dropper cluster / Bicycle compatibility and standards / Carlos Eduardo Ravello Joo · BikeLab Studio · Trujillo, Peru