Beginner needs help with a bike

jasongauthier
Edited Date/Time 6/12/2023 11:49am

Hello everyone,

  I've been mountain biking a handful of time, and I really enjoy it.  I got a bike from my friend and I'm trying to figure out how to adjust it.     The bike is a Giant Anthem x 29er, from 2014.  My understanding is that it has gone through some upgrades.    It hasn't been used in a little over a year, so I want to make sure I inflate the tires to an appropriate amount.  

Here's a snapshot of one of the tires:

20230529 092016

 

Secondly, there is an adjustment for the rear hydraulic.  It seems that no matter how I adjust it, the hydraulics go all the way down. 

This is the unit used to adjust them.  I thought turning the dial would have some effect, but I just don't have the confidence I am doing it correctly.
20230529 092003 0

 

Thanks! Be gentle.  I realize these are pretty noob issues.

 

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Falcon
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Falcon 6/12/2023 11:42am
6/12/2023 11:42am

Can't see your pictures, but start with 30 PSI in the tires and an equivalent psi to your body weight in pounds in the shock. That will put you in the right ballpark. The bike should sag 30% into the travel or so with you aboard. Same with the forks.

jasongauthier 6/12/2023 11:50am
6/12/2023 11:50am

Thanks!  Tried to fix the pictures. I will take a look at what you said.  

jeff h
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jeff h 6/12/2023 12:36pm
6/12/2023 12:36pm

Those dials adjust how the rear shock will behave.  
 

The blue dial is your compression damping which will have three settings: firm, medium, soft - firm the firmer settings are for when you’re pedaling uphill and want to limit the suspension action, the softer settings are for when you want more suspension action on the downhills.

The red dial is your rebound damping which will control how fast the shock rebounds back to its extended position - start in the middle of the range and experiment with what feels best. 

The air valve next to the dials is where you pump up your suspension. Use a shock pump and pump it up to your body weight - if you weigh 150, start with 150 psi, and experiment with more or less air. 
 

We all started where you are - don’t let this deter you. Go have fun! 

jasongauthier 6/12/2023 2:12pm
6/12/2023 2:12pm
jeff h wrote:
Those dials adjust how the rear shock will behave.     The blue dial is your compression damping which will have three settings: firm, medium, soft...

Those dials adjust how the rear shock will behave.  
 

The blue dial is your compression damping which will have three settings: firm, medium, soft - firm the firmer settings are for when you’re pedaling uphill and want to limit the suspension action, the softer settings are for when you want more suspension action on the downhills.

The red dial is your rebound damping which will control how fast the shock rebounds back to its extended position - start in the middle of the range and experiment with what feels best. 

The air valve next to the dials is where you pump up your suspension. Use a shock pump and pump it up to your body weight - if you weigh 150, start with 150 psi, and experiment with more or less air. 
 

We all started where you are - don’t let this deter you. Go have fun! 

Thank you! That was incredibly helpful in my understanding of how the shock works. I was able to find documentation after reading your post that helped too.

Is there something special about a shock pump? I have a powered air pump for my car, and I did try it but doesn't seem to be able to go above about 95psi. So I feel like the shock needs more pressure. 

 

Mas
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Mas 6/12/2023 3:51pm
6/12/2023 3:51pm
jeff h wrote:
Those dials adjust how the rear shock will behave.     The blue dial is your compression damping which will have three settings: firm, medium, soft...

Those dials adjust how the rear shock will behave.  
 

The blue dial is your compression damping which will have three settings: firm, medium, soft - firm the firmer settings are for when you’re pedaling uphill and want to limit the suspension action, the softer settings are for when you want more suspension action on the downhills.

The red dial is your rebound damping which will control how fast the shock rebounds back to its extended position - start in the middle of the range and experiment with what feels best. 

The air valve next to the dials is where you pump up your suspension. Use a shock pump and pump it up to your body weight - if you weigh 150, start with 150 psi, and experiment with more or less air. 
 

We all started where you are - don’t let this deter you. Go have fun! 

jasongauthier wrote:
Thank you! That was incredibly helpful in my understanding of how the shock works. I was able to find documentation after reading your post that helped...

Thank you! That was incredibly helpful in my understanding of how the shock works. I was able to find documentation after reading your post that helped too.

Is there something special about a shock pump? I have a powered air pump for my car, and I did try it but doesn't seem to be able to go above about 95psi. So I feel like the shock needs more pressure. 

 

Correct, you will need a shock pump. Same fitting, but much higher pressure.

jeff h
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jeff h 6/12/2023 9:47pm
6/12/2023 9:47pm

Every good bike shop has a shock pump that customers can use. If you decide it is something you’ll want to have so you can experiment with different pressures, they are inexpensive. 

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