Changing the spring in my bike's rear shock?

Question

I have a schwinn ditch dh 2.0 and I am buying a a new spring for my rear shock. the current shock is a 950lb per inch shock and it's way too hard. I looked around ebay for some springs and i found a 650lb per inch shock. would that be sufficient? I am 5ft6in and I weigh around 150lbs. I am not jumping off of cliffs or anything like that, just going on dirt roads every so often. btw, my bike has a single pivot rear suspension, similar to this: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/53/SinglePivotMTBSuspension.jpg thanks in advance!

Answer 1

People usually try out a few different springs until they pick one that matches their riding style and comfort.  Make sure the spring you're looking at is the same diameter and length.....very important!  If you're not sure, take a close look at your spring and it should be inked on there somewhere.  If it's not readable, you can find the info online by asking around, or contacting the bike/shock manufacturer.  

I'm guessing you could go with a 450-500lb spring, but you're the only one that can decide really.  If you post this question on the forums at http://www.pinkbike.com and http://www.ridemonkey.com you might get an answer from someone your size that will help you decide.  Check out the classified ads on those sites, too....you can probably find a spring that will work for cheap.    

Hope this helps.....good luck!   :o)