Let’s imagine that while rolling down the trail your wheel encounters a small bump. The bump forces the wheel to deflect upwards. Without enough fluid resistance (damping) to this upward motion, the wheel can actually continue in that upward trajectory after it’s left the crest of the bump. It's as if each and every bump on the trail becomes a tiny ramp. This is simply due to Newton’s First Law of Motion which states that “an object in motion stays in motion.”

That continued upward trajectory further compresses the suspension, unweights the wheel, and can cause a momentary loss of traction as the tire lifts off the ground.

To summarize this, without adequate compression damping to slow the rate of compression, your wheels are more likely to bounce and leave the ground over even very small bumps.

If you’re used to running your compression adjustment (particularly LSC) mostly open, experiment with going back to the middle of the damping range. You may find that you feel a more confident sense of traction as the damper works to keep the tire planted firmly against the surface of the trail.

Perhaps the most noticeable and important function of compression damping is the feeling of support that it provides.

Imagine visiting the beach. You remove your shoes, step into the sand, feeling it soft and loose beneath your feet. At first it feels nice to walk on. But anyone that’s ever tried to walk a long way on deep, loose sand knows that pretty soon your feet ache, your calves hurt, and you feel exhausted by the lack of support that it provides. If you step back off of that loose sand onto the pavement to walk to your car, the feeling of relief washes over you. Back on solid ground you instantly notice how efficient and effortless walking has become. The surface is firmer – less soft – but it’s far more comfortable and conducive for transporting yourself.

Compression damping provides a similar sensation of efficient support to a suspended bicycle. If you think of compression damping as the enemy – something that only makes suspension feel harsh – then you may find yourself stuck in the proverbial 'loose sand.'

Just as you need a moderate amount of compression damping to have sufficient traction over bumps, you also need a moderate amount of compression damping for sufficient support as you lean on, pedal, steer, pump, and push into your bike to change directions.

I have just spent several paragraphs describing why compression damping is a good and desirable thing – a type of hydraulic support that increases your level of control and efficiency. That said, as a wise man one told me: “too much of a good thing is too much” and this could not be more true with compression damping.

The goal is to find a setting for yourself that offers good traction, good support, and is plush enough that you can ride for hours without feeling beat up. If you overdo it on compression damping, your ride can suddenly become very harsh as the damper creates too much fluid resistance to movement. After all, we want the suspension to compress easily over bumps! We just don’t want it to compress too easily.

Decreasing compression damping can make suspension feel more plush, but it's best to not take this urge too far if you want to maintain the other positive benefits of this type of damper control.