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Anthem owners; shock suggestions, ideas..

2K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  Onie 
#1 ·
hey all, like the new anthem 2, but, and this is a large BUT, the rear manitou shock, S-type SRL feels like sh*te!!!!!
now before you jump all over me i have an idea what suspension should feel like. owned s-works fsr's, nrs, scalpel and blur xc. also have and ride a trance with fox float.

no matter what i do, this is not the SPV rear shock, i cant seem to get the thing to move unless it is a square edged bump. i have ridden the fox rp3 on a blur xc and in two of the settings it still moved more than the new manitou. i have set sag and moved psi + -10psi and it does not seem to help.

do you think i should just buy a 6.0 X 1.25 fox rp3 and see if it works?
i loved the way the scalpel and the blur xc just floated over the bumps, and i know it is possible for this bike to work that way too, but just pedal better than them all!!!!

input, feedback suggestions???thanks in advance.
 
#2 ·
" owned s-works fsr's, nrs, scalpel and blur xc."
Even though you owned all these, I can't assume anything and still need to ask basic questions.

"i have set sag and moved psi + -10psi and it does not seem to help."

I find it hard to believe that with 45% sag which is the max sag mentioned in the Manitou manual, you are only getting shock movement on square edged bumps. Are you starting with a sag % or using some percentage of body weight ala MBA as starting psi? Moving only -10psi is not very much. We have experimented with - 50 psi change from a 4 mm sag. I assume your rebound was set to middle as a starting point.

Getting the balance right between front and back suspension is crucial. Are you running your R7 soft for a plush ride? If so, maybe adding some pressure would help transfer some weight to the back suspension or you need to get more sag in the rear. Did you change the handlbar position? Do you have your fore/aft seat position far forward? More weight towards the front will lesson the rear response.
 
#3 ·
well, here is what i have done so far

i set sag according to giant's website; 6mm from eye to eye.
that rode like a rock. that equated to about 110psi, i weigh about 155lbs.

i ran the rebound in the middle and run the fork medium in firmness. blue nob on bottom of fork, not much in the way of adjustment there either. in that it only turns about 3X.

next, i tried dropping it down to 100psi. still it only moved sag on the ring to 3mm.

then tried dropping it down to 85-90psi and 6-8mm of sag on the O ring, and it moved more, but still feels so firm. might at as well be a hartail and i already have a 20 pound one!!!

i think that 45% sag is way out of line for this intended purpose. that would be almost half of the travel. i even let out the air in my trance and anthem and the triangles moved differently, the anthem took much more effort. i think this whole problem is attributed to the platfrom plus that is embedded in the rear shock. it does not need a platform as it is basically a VPP or DW-link bike...

thanks for your suggestions, really!!
 
#4 ·
Mountain Bike Action tested the Anthem 1 in the February issue. Here's what they said about the the ride and rear shock. "Giant's Anthem proved to be a rude awakening" and "the SR delivers an ultra-firm ride" So if you were expecting a plush ride you bought the wrong bike.:eek: It's Giants new XC Racer:cool: Hence the stiff ride:rolleyes: Nice looking frame set thought. Good luck:D :D :D
 
#5 ·
Maybe I'm just ignorant, I dunno but....... As far as I know the SPV Manitou shocks have 2 air chambers - the regular (for adjusting for your weight) and SPV chamber (to adjust for the type of ride/plushness you want) and you haven't mentioned what settings you're using for the SPV. Also you seem to have mainly used FOX shocks in the past and are probably familiar w/ how to set them up and are not accustomed to dealing w/ the Manitou SPV stuff so give it a little time. Also as noted the Anthem is a racer and will never be anywhere near as plush as the Trance, Blur etc. Don't go to Manitous' site fo any help it's absolute $hite, try dropping the pressure down a lot lower than you have - say to 80 PSI, you can never tell.
 
#8 ·
45% is what manitou recommends for downhill apps, 25-30% for XC. Those are general guidelines and I suggested the higher sag for the plusher ride you want to experience. The 85 psi gave you 8mm sag which is 25% sag. 45% is 15mm. Interestingly, positive chamber max is 300 psi while no min is mentioned. I would lower the pressure some more and see how it feels.

Something else you might try is to pump up the shock to 300 psi and then lower it to your test psi again. Maybe something in your shock is behaving differently.

The other thing I would check is to make sure you have the lockout disengaged. I've ridden a lap before and thought the suspension was stiff only to find out I had the rear shock locked out. :rolleyes: The red lever should be around the 7:00 position when viewed while mounted.

I've been told to measure sag, stand on the pedals and compress the suspension several times, then sit in riding position and pull the o-ring to the shock body and dismount. It is important to compress the suspension to get an accurate sag measurement.

I've only ridden the NRS from your earlier list. I use to run about 20 lbs over body weight in the positive chamber. I like about 4-5mm sag in the Anthem and it provides a plusher ride than the NRS. What I consider plush is probably rock hard to you.
 
#9 ·
Mtnbiker45 said:
Mountain Bike Action tested the Anthem 1 in the February issue. Here's what they said about the the ride and rear shock. "Giant's Anthem proved to be a rude awakening" and "the SR delivers an ultra-firm ride" So if you were expecting a plush ride you bought the wrong bike.:eek: It's Giants new XC Racer:cool: Hence the stiff ride:rolleyes: Nice looking frame set thought. Good luck:D :D :D
Mountain Bike Action tested doesn't mean anything. The use shock pressure equal to riders weight - 10 psi. if you do that, you get 0 sag :confused: I don't know what they were thinking.

In any case, if you use the appropriate pressure (for 155 pounds use 110 PSI), you should get a shock that moves easely (linear spring rate). if that is not the case, you bike has a problem. I suggest 1) remove the shock and make sure the linkage system moves freely 2) if one is not the problem, contact manitou about the shock.

good luck
 
#10 ·
Alexc said:
Mountain Bike Action tested doesn't mean anything. The use shock pressure equal to riders weight - 10 psi. if you do that, you get 0 sag :confused: I don't know what they were thinking.

In any case, if you use the appropriate pressure (for 155 pounds use 110 PSI), you should get a shock that moves easely (linear spring rate). if that is not the case, you bike has a problem. I suggest 1) remove the shock and make sure the linkage system moves freely 2) if one is not the problem, contact manitou about the shock.

good luck
Ya what he said. I have the same bike and my shock isnt the plushist but its not the stiff.
 
#11 ·
Alexc said:
Mountain Bike Action tested doesn't mean anything. The use shock pressure equal to riders weight - 10 psi. if you do that, you get 0 sag :confused: I don't know what they were thinking.
That should be for NRS rear shock setting. No sag. For Anthem, if I am not terribly mistaken about a quarter...
 
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