Giant SUSPENSION - User manual

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction....................................................................pg.4
Basic Terms & Shock Set-up Overview........................pg.6
General Maintenance.....................................................pg.9
Coil Shock Set-up...........................................................pg.10
Setting and adjusting sag................................pg.11
Suspension Settings
Faith.................................................................pg.13-14
DH....................................................................pg.14-15
AC.....................................................................pg.15-16
Warp DS/MTX 260 ............................................pg.17-18

Air Shock Set-up............................................................pg.19
Setting and adjusting sag................................pg.20
Suspension Settings
Trance..............................................................pg.20
Reign................................................................pg.20
NRS..................................................................pg.21
Setting and Adjusting Rebound Damping.....................pg.22
Front Suspension Travel & Sag Guide..........................pg.24
Suggested Front Suspension Sag Chart.........pg.26
Giant Bicycle Limited Lifetime Warranty.....................pg.27
Contact Info....................................................................pg.30

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INTRODUCTION
This booklet is intended as a quick-start reference guide to help familiarize you with your new
Giant full-suspension mountain bike. It is not meant to replace the general bicycle owner’s
manual or the shock and suspension fork manufacturer’s technical manuals that also came
with your bicycle. If you did not receive these manuals, please contact your Authorized Giant
Retailer. We encourage you to read all manuals relating to your bicycle and its suspension
components before your first ride. All manuals contain important information regarding the
safety and operation of your bicycle.
CAUTION Please refer to the manufacturer’s technical information that came with your
bicycle for specific details regarding shock function and set-up prior to riding your Giant bi-
cycle. If you did not receive these technical booklets, contact your Authorized Giant Retailer.
CAUTION If you do not understand the quick-start instructions or have difficulty with
set-up, please see your Authorized Giant Retailer before riding your Giant bicycle.

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WARNING Only Giant DH, Faith, and AC 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, 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 shock absorber 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 weight.
Spring Rate: The amount of force required to compress the spring.
Topped Out: When all the suspension travel is available (shock is fully extended).
SET-UP
Please refer to the individual shock manufacturer’s technical manuals for specific information
on how to adjust the shocks on your Giant dual suspension bicycle.

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The shocks on your Giant dual suspension bicycle can be adjusted to meet your riding style and
weight. This booklet is intended as a quick-start guide to help you get started. It may take a few
rides to find your preferred settings.
Platform Valve
On bikes equipped with a Stable Platform Valve (SPV) rear shock, you can adjust the bike’s
pedaling efficiency by increasing the air pressure in the SPV air cartridge. Increasing the air
pressure will resist pedal-induced bobbing. Decreasing the air pressure will make the suspen-
sion more sensitive to small bump forces. Please refer to the individual shock manufacturer’s
technical manual for specific information on how to adjust your SPV shock.
Sag
All Giant dual suspension bikes except the No Resonance System (NRS) rely on sag for their
suspensions to work efficiently. Please take a few moments to read through this guide to
understand sag as it applies to your bicycle (pgs. 11, 20). Setting your bike’s sag will greatly
enhance your riding experience and the performance of your bicycle.

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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, the more rebound damping is required. Please refer to
this guide for details on how to set rebound damping speed. You should also refer to the indi-
vidual shock manufacturer’s technical manual for specific information.

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GENERAL MAINTENANCE
1) Inspect all suspension bolts and tighten if necessary to required torque settings. If unsure,
take your bicycle to your Authorized Giant Retailer immediately for inspection.
2) Do not use high-pressure water sources to wash or rinse your bicycle. Doing so can displace
any lubricants that are present, as well as possibly forcing water and/or contaminants into the
bearing that can harm the pivot and bearing, reduce performance, and cause premature wear.
Use only water at low pressure, or fill a bucket with water and use a soft nylon bristle brush
and mild dish soap to clean the frame and components.

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COIL SHOCK SET-UP
Faith
Downhill (DH)
All Conditions (AC)
Warp DS
MTX 260 DS
All coil shock-equipped Giant bicycles use the same formula to determine “sag” and “rebound
damping” (see Basic Terms & Shock Set-Up Overview for definition of sag and rebound damp-
ing).
WARNING Please refer to the manufacturer’s technical information for specific details
regarding shock function and set-up prior to riding your Giant bicycle. If you have difficulty
with set-up, please see your Authorized Giant Retailer.

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SETTING AND ADJUSTING SAG (coil shocks)
1. Turn the spring’s tension collar counter clockwise until there is minimal tension on the
spring (figure 1).
2. With a felt-tip marker, place a dot on the edge of the collar so you can measure full rotations
of the shock collar.
Spring tension collar

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3. With no load on the bike, measure the distance between the two fixing bolts (eye-to-eye
distance) at the top and bottom of the shock (figure 2).
4. Position your bicycle next to a wall so that you can sit on the bike with both feet on the pedals
while steadying yourself with one arm. Gently sit on the saddle without bouncing. Have a part-
ner measure the eye-to-eye distance while the rider is seated on the bike (figure 3). Dismount
gently.
5. Subtract the weighted eye-to-eye distance from the unweighted eye-to-eye distance to
determine sag. See Sag Recommendations charts for sag distances. For your convenience,
compressed shock measurements have been provided.
6. For general purpose riding, the shock should compress approximately one quarter of its
travel. Turn the shock’s tension collar clockwise to increase spring tension/decrease shock
sag.
7. If you sit on the bike with minimal tension on the spring and there is less than one quar-
ter shock travel, a lighter weight spring is needed. If you turn the shock tension collar three
turns and the shock compresses more than a quarter of the shock’s travel, a heavier spring is
needed. Consult your Authorized Giant Retailer for replacement springs.

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CAUTION Never tighten the spring tension collar past three turns from minimum tension
as doing so can cause damage to the spring and internal workings of the shock.
Suspension Settings and Recommendations (coil shock-equipped bikes)
Faith with Maestro™ (8” rear suspension travel)
Giant’s Maestro rear suspension design precisely positions the pivots and linkages to give
you efficient pedaling and small bump compliance. Maestro’s pivot placement allows the rear
suspension to be completely active under braking, allowing the rear wheel to react constantly
to the terrain.
Maestro-equipped mountain bikes rely on rear suspension “sag”. Sag (see Basic Terms &
Shock Set-Up Overview on page 6) is a critical performance component and is relative to the
individual rider’s weight. See previous sag setting instructions on page 11 for details.
Faith’s frame design and travel is intended for aggressive freeriding and recreational/competi-
tive downhill riding. The sag range can accommodate a wide variety of riding styles and terrain.

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Faith Sag Recommendations:
EYE-TO-EYE SAG COMPRESSED SHOCK LENGTH
8.75” (222mm) Freeriding: .69” (17.5mm) 8.1” (204.5mm)
Downhill: .83” (21.0mm) 7.9” (201.0mm)
DH (8.25” rear suspension travel)
The Giant DH is a downhill-specific bicycle made for both recreational and competitive downhill
riding and extreme freeriding. The multi-tunable shock can be almost infinitely adjusted for all
types of terrain and riding styles. See previous sag setting instructions on page 11 for details.
Please refer to the Sag Recommendations chart on page 15 to set up your Giant DH bicycle.
For Manitou 6-Way coil shock tuning set-up (high-speed and low speed compression damping,
SPV pressure and volume), please refer to shock manufacturer’s technical manual.
NOTE: These settings must be made prior to standard sag and rebound damping settings.

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DH Sag Recommendations:
EYE-TO-EYE SAG COMPRESSED SHOCK LENGTH
9” (229mm) Freeriding: .69” (17.5mm) 8.3” (211.5mm)
Downhill: .83” (21.0mm) 8.2” (208.0mm)
AC (5.3” and 6.3” rear suspension travel)
Your AC bicycle is a versatile all-conditions bike that can take you up and down any trail on
the mountain.
The dual-position shock mount gives you the ability to change
the travel from 5.3” to 6.3” with a single bolt. This is accom-
plished with two positions of the upper shock pivot
bolt (figure 4).

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To Change the AC’s Travel:
1. Using a 6mm Allen wrench, remove the upper shock mounting bolt.
2. Pivot the shock backward or forward to align the eyelet with one of the two holes. The forward
most position is 5.3” travel and the rear position is 6.3” travel.
3. Install the bolt and tighten to the proper torque of 100-120 Kgf/cm (86-95 in.-lbs.).
4. After any adjustment is made to travel, readjust sag/spring tension and damping. See previous
sag setting instructions on page 11 for details. Please refer to the Sag Recommendations chart
below to set up your Giant AC bicycle.
AC Sag Recommendations:
EYE-TO-EYE SAG COMPRESSED SHOCK LENGTH
7.5” (190mm) Freeriding (5.3”): .49” (12.5mm) 7.0” (177.5mm)
Downhill: (6.3”): .69” (17.5mm) 6.8” (172.5mm)

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WARP DS/MTX 260 DS
The Warp DS and MTX 260 DS are great all-purpose dual suspension cross country mountain
bikes that can also take on the urban landscape with equal agility. Their single-pivot swing-
arms are strong and efficient with minimal moving parts for durability. The Warp DS offers four
or five inches of adjustable rear wheel travel that works equally well on climbs and descents.
Please follow the guidelines below in setting up your Warp DS or MTX 260 DS.
To Change Warp DS Travel (See figure 5):
1. Using a 5mm Allen wrench, remove the rear shock
mounting bolt (rear position attached to swingarm).
2. Pivot the shock up or down to align the eyelet with one of
the two holes. The upper position is 4” travel and the lower
position is 5” travel (figure 5).
3. Install the bolt and tighten to the proper torque of 90-110
Kgf/cm. (78-95 in-lbs.).

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4. After any adjustment is made to travel, readjust sag/spring tension setting. See previous
sag setting instructions on page 11 for details. Please refer to the Sag Recommendations chart
below to set up your Giant Warp bicycle.
Warp DS Sag
Recommendations:
EYE-TO-EYE SAG COMPRESSED SHOCK LENGTH
7.5” (190mm) XC/urban (4”): .49” (12.5mm) 7.0” (177.5mm)
Aggressive XC (5”): .69” (17.5mm) 6.8” (172.5mm)
MTX 260 DS Sag
Recommendation:
EYE-TO-EYE SAG COMPRESSED SHOCK LENGTH
5.5” (140mm) XC/urban: .30” (7.3mm) 5.2” (132.8mm)

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AIR SHOCK SET-UP
Trance
Reign
No Resonance System (NRS)
Giant mountain bikes equipped with air shocks utilize two different styles of rear suspension
designs. The Maestro-equipped Trance and Reign rely on sag (see page 13 for details on Mae-
stro), while our No Resonance System-equipped NRS bikes use a “no sag” set-up.

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SETTING AND ADJUSTING MAESTRO (TRANCE, REIGN) SAG (air shock)
1. Pump the main air chamber to a psi (pounds per square inch) equivalent to rider’s body
weight .
2. Push the rubber O-ring that is around the shock’s shaft all the way against the base of shaft
(closest to shock body).
3. Position your bicycle next to a wall so that you can sit on the bike with both feet on the pedals
while steadying yourself with one arm. Gently sit on the saddle without bouncing. Dismount
gently and look at how far the O-ring has moved down the shaft. Measure distance O-ring has
moved (figure 6).
4. Add or remove air until desired shock movement is obtained. Refer to the Sag Recommenda-
tion Guide below for proper sag measurements.
Maestro Sag Recommendations:
Trance: 3/8” (9mm) O-ring movement
Reign: 1/2” (12mm) O-ring movement