Hardpack and blue-groove: compliance is grip

Hard, slick ground - dry hardpack that polishes into shiny blue-groove - has very little grip and it does not move under you. The instinct is to stiffen the bike up. That is the mistake. On hard ground you want COMPLIANCE: a bike that lets the tyre follow every ripple and stay planted, instead of a rigid setup that skates over the top and deflects off square edges.

What you want to feel

• The tyre TRACKS the ground - it follows the surface instead of skating over it.
• The bike does not deflect or hop off square edges and braking bumps.
• The front holds its line on hard, off-camber and polished corners.

The changes and why

• Slightly softer, faster settings. Open compression a touch (a couple more clicks out) so the suspension moves early and keeps the tyre pressed into the ground. Speed rebound up slightly (a click faster) so the wheel recovers and stays in contact rather than being held down and skipping.
• A small pressure bump. Raise tyre pressure a little so the knobs stand up and do not fold or squirm on the hard surface. This is the opposite of sand - here a slightly firmer tyre gives a more precise, stable footprint.
• Do not chase stiffness. If it feels harsh or nervous, you have gone the wrong way - back off compression, do not add it. Smoothness and momentum beat aggression on slick ground.

Starting change table (off your dry base)

Setting	Change from dry base	Rider terms
Fork compression (fork_comp)	+1 to +2 softer	1-2 clicks out
Shock low-speed comp (shock_comp_ls)	+1 to +2 softer	1-2 clicks out
Fork rebound (fork_reb)	+1 faster	1 click faster (out)
Shock rebound (shock_reb_clicks)	+1 faster	1 click faster (out)
Front tyre pressure	+0.05 bar	knobs do not fold
Rear tyre pressure	+0.05 to +0.1 bar	knobs do not fold

Note: clicks are counted out from fully closed. + means further open (less damping), - means turning in (more damping). Signs on mm, bar and teeth do NOT follow this rule.

Ride an intermediate or harder tyre, run smooth lines, and use any moisture or off-line dirt for grip. Change one thing at a time and ride the same section to feel it.

Sources: MXA hardpack setup articles; Keefer Inc. suspension and MX tyre pressure guides; clicksuspension.com hardpack notes; Race Tech Suspension Bible; LAISA condition-factors (hardpack rules) and reading-mx-track-conditions.

A starting point, not a safety guarantee - always test yourself.