2
Scan to follow along with Pivot Factory
Racing star Bernard Kerr as he shows
you how to set up sag.
Assistance, Terms, Tools and Pivot Details
In this setup guide, a few terms come up that we want to briefly explain:
Sag: Sag is measured in millimeters or given as a percentage
of the overall travel. Sag describes how far your bike will
compress under your weight, when the bike is at rest.
This is critical to provide the best riding experience.
Click: Dials on suspension usually feature an indication, that you can feel or hear, when turning the dial. These clicks make it
easy to index your adjustments.
Rebound: Rebound controls how fast your fork or shock extend after being compressed. Rebound dials on all Fox and Marzocchi
suspension are red. The fully open position (fastest extension) can be reached by turning counter-clockwise or to "–".
Adjust to the fully closed position (slowest extension) by turning the dial clockwise or to "+". Rebound is set based on
your spring rate. Your rebound should be set based on the air pressure you use to achieve proper sag.
Compression: Compression controls how the fork or shock feel and react to bumps or weight shifts. Compression dials are blue and
black for all Fox products and golden or black for Marzocchi suspension. The fully open position can be
reached by turning counter-clockwise or to "–". Adjust to the fully closed position by turning the dial clockwise or to "+"
or "FIRM".
Low-Speed: Low speed damping works for loads that result in low shaft speeds at compression or extension, like weight shifts.
High-Speed: High speed damping works for loads that result in high shaft speeds at compression or extension, like square edged
bumps.
Tools:
To set up your suspension, you only need a few tools. Most importantly, you will need a shock pump for bike suspension to set sag.
Damping adjustments on Fox and Marzocchi forks, as well as Fox Float and Float X will not require tools. 2 mm, 3 mm, and 6 mm allen
keys are needed for setting up Fox Float X2 and DHX2 shocks. To set up sag on coil shocks, you will need a tape measure. For a spring
change on coil shocks you need to take the shock off the bike using the dedicated tools and a bike stand.
Pivot Details:
Most Pivot bikes feature our sag indicator mounted on the rear shock. This is a helpful tool we created to make setting and checking
your sag quick and easily. Follow the sag process and line up the o-ring on your shock with the indicator and you are set.
Our set-up guide may differ slightly from Fox's guidelines because our settings are calibrated in the rocky southwest terrain. Consider
these recommendations as a starting point. If you are riding on steeper terrain, or smoother trails, you may want to alter your setup.
In general always follow this procedure, when adjusting your suspension:
1. Set Sag
2. Adjust Rebound
3. Adjust Compression
Before setting sag, it is necessary to turn all dials to the fully open position. Pivot counts the clicks from the fully open position, because
that way, you won't need to turn all dials to the fully closed position again. This will save some time, that you can spend riding instead.
Another reason is it is easy to damage the shock or fork adjustments when turning the adjuster all the way in. It can feel like there is an
"extra" 1/2 click that doesn't exist. This can break the adjustments and requiring service or repair. Fox suspension set up guides always
count clicks from closed. We reference clicks from open and closed in our setup charts in this guide.
1. General Information on Suspension Setup
www.pivotcycles.com 1.877.857.4868
SUSPENSION SETUP GUIDE
