2010 suspension
manual
table of contents
Basic Terms & Shock Setup Overview
Coil Shock Setup [Glory, Faith, Reign X (coil)]
Suspension Settings & Recommendations
Setting & Adjusting Sag
Sag Recommendations Chart
Air Shock Setup
Using a Shock Pump
Setting & Adjusting Sag
Sag Recommendations Chart
Setting & Adjusting Rebound Damping
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Front Suspension Travel and Sag Guide
Suggested Front Suspension Sag Chart
INTRODUCTION
This booklet is intended as a quick-start reference guide to help familiarize you with the
suspension settings of Maestro Suspension-equipped mountain bikes. It is not meant to
replace the general bicycle owner’s manual or the shock and suspension fork manufacturer’s
technical manuals that also shipped with the bicycle.
CAUTION
Please encourage your consumer to refer to the manufacturer’s technical information that
came with the bicycle for specific details regarding shock function and setup prior to riding.
WARNING
Only Giant Glory and Faith model bicycles are engineered for use with dual crown suspension
forks. Use of dual crown suspension forks on any Giant bicycle other than these models will
void the warranty and may result in frame failure, which can cause injury or death. Giant
Bicycle Canada, Inc. is not responsible for damages to the bike and rider resulting from the
use of dual crown forks.
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Basic Terms & Shock Set-Up Overview
Terms
Bottomed Out: When a rear shock or suspension fork (herein after referred to as “shock”)
is compressed completely and all the suspension travel has been used
Compression Stroke: The motion of the shock in response to an impact
Damping: Internal mechanism to control the speed of compression or rebound
PSI: Pounds per square inch
Rebound: The extension or return stroke of the shock
Sag: Compression of the shock caused by the rider’s static weight
Spring Rate: The amount of force required to compress the spring
Topped Out: When the shock or fork rebounds quickly enough to cause a “clunk” at the
very top of its upstroke
setup
The shock on a Giant dual suspension bicycle can be adjusted to meet the riding style and
weight of the consumer. This booklet is intended as a quick-start guide to get the
consumer started. Please refer to the specific shock manufacturer’s technical manuals for
more information on how to adjust the shock equipped on the Giant dual suspension
bicycle.
sag
The shock on a Giant dual suspension bicycle can be adjusted to meet the riding style and
weight of the consumer. This booklet is intended as a quick-start guide to get the
consumer started. Please refer to the specific shock manufacturer’s technical manuals for
more information on how to adjust the shock equipped on the Giant dual suspension
bicycle.
rebound damping
Rebound damping controls the rate of speed at which the shock returns to its original
position after responding to a bump force. Rebound damping prevents the shock from
springing back too quickly. This is desirable because it improves the rear suspension’s
sensitivity to small bumps and the tire’s ability to stay in contact with the ground. It also
helps reduce the “pogo stick” motion from the rear suspension when the bike encounters
a bump while the rider is seated. Typically, the heavier the rider (and higher the necessary
spring rate), the more rebound damping is required. Please refer to this guide for details on
how to set rebound damping rate. You should also refer to the individual shock
manufacturer’s technical manual for specific information.
pedal platform
A pedal platform system is part of the compression damping circuit in the rear shock on a
Maestro bike. The system helps to control pedal induced “bob” on the suspension. Please
refer to the shock manufacturer’s technical manual for specific adjustment information.
NOTE - The linkage design of the Maestro Suspension system is inherently efficient; therefore very
ittle or no pedal platform is required to get the best for your consumer’s bike.
COIL SHOCK SETUP*
*Applicable to the following bikes/ framesets:
Glory (8.0” rear wheel travel)
Faith (7.0” rear wheel travel)
Reign X (6.75”rear wheel travel) Terms
Suspension Settings and Recommendations
(Coil Shock-Equipped Bikes)
Giant’s Maestro rear suspension design precisely positions the pivots and linkages to
provide efficient pedaling and small bump compliance. Maestro’s pivot placement allows
the rear suspension to be completely active under pedaling and braking, allowing the rear
wheel to react constantly to the terrain.
All coil shock-equipped Giant bicycles use the same formula to determine “sag” and
“rebound damping” (see Basic Terms & Shock Setup Overview for definition of sag and
rebound damping).
WARNING
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Maestro-equipped mountain bikes rely on rear suspension “sag.” Sag is a critical
performance component and is relative to the individual rider’s weight. See the following
sag setting instructions (Page iv) for details.
Giant’s Glory frame design is intended for aggressive freeriding and recreational/
competitive downhill riding. The sag range can accommodate a wide variety of riding
styles and terrain.
The Giant Reign X is an all-mountain bicycle designed to handle both aggressive trail
riding and light freeriding duties. The multi-tunable shock can be almost infinitely adjusted
for all types of terrain and riding styles.
SETTING AND ADJUSTING SAG (Coil Shocks)
1. Turn the spring tension collar counter clockwise until there
is minimal tension on the spring (figure1).
2. With a felt-tip marker, place a dot on the edge of the collar
and the shock body so you can measure full rotations of the
shock collar.
3. Position the bicycle next to a wall so that the rider can sit
on the bike with both feet on the pedals while steadying
themself with one arm. Have them gently sit on the saddle
without bouncing. Measure the eye-to-eye distance while
they’re seated on the bike (Figure 1). Get the rider to dismount.
Spring
Tension
Collar
4. Subtract the weighted eye-to-eye distance from the
un-weighted eye-to-eye distance to determine sag. See the
Sag Recommendations Chart for sag distances.
Eye-to-Eye
Fig. 1: (Model: Faith)
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SETTING AND ADJUSTING SAG (Coil Shocks) cont’d
5. For general purpose riding, the shock should compress
approximately one quarter of its travel (please refer to the Sag
Recommendations charts for specific recommendations for
the frame). Turn the shock’s tension collar clockwise to
increase spring tension/decrease shock sag.
6. If the rider sits on the bike with minimal tension on the
spring and there is less than one quarter of the shock travel, a
lighter weight spring is needed. If you turn the shock tension
collar three complete turns and the shock compresses more
than a quarter of the shock’s travel, a heavier spring is needed. Contact your Giant Canada Inside Sales Representative
for replacement springs.
WARNING
Never tighten the spring tension collar past three turns from
minimum tension as doing so will cause the spring to “coil
bind “ which can cause damage to the spring and internal
workings of the shock.
Sag Recommendations chart (coil shock)
AIR SHOCK SETUP*
*Applicable to the following bikes/ framesets:
Reign X (AIR) (6.75”rear wheel travel)
Reign (6.0” rear wheel travel)
Trance X Advanced SL (5.0” rear wheel travel)
Trance X (5.0” rear wheel travel)
Cypher (5.0” rear wheel travel)
Anthem X Advanced SL (4.0” rear wheel travel)
Anthem X (4.0” rear wheel travel)
Anthem X W (4.0” rear wheel travel)
Yukon FX (4.0” rear wheel travel)
Suspension Settings and Recommendations
(air Shock-Equipped Bikes)
Giant cross-country, trail and all mountain bikes feature an air shock equipped Maestro
suspension design. Maestro-equipped mountain bikes rely on rear suspension “sag.”
Sag (see Basic Terms & Shock Setup Overview) is a critical performance component and
is relative to the individual rider’s weight.
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USING A SHOCK PUMP
These simple steps will help your consumer get the most accurate use and longevity of
their shock pump.
1. When screwing the pump onto the shock do not screw it on
all the way until it stops. This will damage the seal on the pump
and also allow too much air to escape when you remove the
pump.
2. Watch the pressure gauge on the pump when you screw the
pump onto the shock. Screw the pump on until the gauge
registers a pressure and then another 1⁄4 - 1⁄2 turn. At this point
you now have a strong air seal.
3. When you remove the pump a small amount of air will always
be lost. If you follow our recommendation above the pressure
loss will only be approximately 5% rather than up to 50% if the
pump is screwed all the way onto the valve. Because of this
pressure loss when you have found a pressure that gives you
the best performance from your frame you will need to add 5%
extra pressure according to the gauge to leave the required
pressure in the shock once the pump is removed.
EXAMPLE: if the required pressure is 160psi, 5% = 8psi.
Pump the shock until the gauge reads 168psi, remove the pump; 160psi will be left in the
shock.
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SETTING AND ADJUSTING SAG (air Shocks) cont’d
1. Pump the main air chamber to a psi equal to 100% of rider
weight in pounds (2.2lb = 1kg).
2. Push the rubber O-ring that is around the shock shaft all the
way against the base of shaft (closest to shock body).
3. Position the bicycle next to a wall so that they can sit on the
bike with both feet on the pedals while steadying themself
with one arm. Have them gently sit on the saddle without
bouncing. Get them to dismount gently without bouncing and
take note of how far the O-ring has moved down the shaft.
Measure the distance the O-ring has moved (Figure 2).
4. Add or remove air until desired shock movement is obtained. To achieve a high level of accuracy it’s best to carry
out this procedure while the rider is wearing a normal riding kit
including shoes, hydration pack, any tools, etc. The shock
pump must be removed every time you check the sag.
Figure 2 (Air Shock)
NOTES
Please refer to the shock manufacturer’s technical manual for minimum and maximum
working pressures for the shock. Refer to the Sag Recommendation Guide on the next
page for proper sag measurement.
Shock Body
Shock Shaft
O-Ring
If there is no O-ring on the shock body or you cannot clearly see the shock shaft then
please use the method for coil sprung bikes using the eye-to-eye measurement as
described on Page iii of this manual.
Sag Recommendations chart (air shocks)
SETTING AND ADJUSTING REBOUND DAMPING
(Both Coil and Air Shocks)
1. If you are unfamiliar with rebound damping, perform this
procedure: With full body weight, push down on the saddle
forcefully to compress the shock. Watch (and feel) how the
shock rebounds from compression.
2. Next, turn the rebound-damping knob clockwise until it stops
and compress the shock under full body weight. Note that the
shock rebounds very slowly. Next, turn the damping knob
counterclockwise a few complete turns and re-perform your
compression testing until the shock rebounds more slowly than
with no damping.
3. To check the rebound-damping rate while riding, have the
rider ride off a curb while seated. The rear suspension should
bounce only once upon rebound (the heavier the rider, the more
damping will be required). Adjust accordingly to accomplish this
motion. If the suspension bounces more than once, turn the
damping knob clockwise until one bounce is achieved.
FRONT SUSPENSION TRAVEL & SAG GUIDE
A suspension fork is effective at both absorbing bump forces and helping the tire to track the ground
for improved traction and braking control. When in active mode, a fork will rely on sag to keep the
front tire in better contact with the ground during braking. The chart on Page vi should be used as a
general guideline.
To determine the bike’s specific front suspension travel adjustments and recommended settings,
please refer to the fork manufacturer’s technical manual.
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AIR SPRUNG FORKS
As a general guide, pump the main chamber (main spring) to a psi equal to 60% of your rider’s weight
in pounds (2.2lb = 1kg). Adjust the fork’s sag by using the same procedure used for accurately
adjusting the sag on the rear shock as described on Page vi .
COIL SPRUNG FORKS
Springs on these types of forks are set at the factory. Most have a simple preload adjuster that allows
the rider to make the fork firmer or softer depending on rider weight. The heavier the rider, the firmer
the spring setting should be. If with no preload you are not achieving the recommended sag then a
softer spring is needed and if with maximum preload you are achieving too much sag then a harder
spring is needed.
To check rebound, turn the rebound-damping knob (if applicable) counter-clockwise until it stops.
With full body weight, push down on the fork forcefully with the front brake on and watch (and feel)
how the fork rebounds. Turn the rebound damping knob clockwise until the fork rebounds slightly
slower than with no damping (the heavier the rider, the more damping will be required).
SUGGESTED FRONT SUSPENSION SAG GUIDE (ALL TYPES)
fork travel (mm) sag (mm)
85/ 90 mm 12-17 mm
100 mm 15-20 mm
120 mm 18-30 mm
140/145 mm 28-37 mm
170 mm 34-50 mm
180 mm 36-54 mm
200 mm 40-60 MM
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