How to Set Up an Air Shock

Air shocks are used in the mountain biking world. These shocks provide a sealed chamber that holds compressed air, allowing the shock to rebound and compress when under pressure. The amount of air pumped into the chamber dictates the performance of the shocks and is the crucial element to setting up the shocks. Do not use standard bicycle floor pumps. Use the specialized air shock pumps to get your air shock to the needed PSI for your riding preferences.

Things You'll Need

  • Air shock pump
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Instructions

    • 1

      Stand on a standard bathroom weight scale and get your current weight. As a general rule, use one PSI in the air shock for each pound of body weight. This is a general rule and may be altered to get custom settings for varying terrain.

    • 2

      Unscrew the cap on the air valve on the air shock. Place the hose off the shock pump onto the valve and pump the air shock until the gauge reads the proper PSI.

    • 3

      Sit on the bicycle and feel for the sag on the shock. As a rule of thumb, when sitting on the bicycle, the shock should compress or "sag" by 1/4 inch. Use the O-rings on the shock to determine the distance of sag. Push the O-ring down onto the shock chamber prior to sitting on the bike. Sit and get off. Look at the shock to see how far the O-ring moved up the piston.

    • 4

      Add extra PSI -- typically never more than 300 PSI -- to make the shock stiffer and have less sag. Use this for fast fire roads with few large hits. Remove PSI for terrain with large drops and big hits.