after you have unpacked and assembled your bike, position the shapeshifter remote so you have easy access to the gear levers. activate xc mode to set up shapeshifter. all you have to do is push the remote. you can tell shapeshifter is in xc mode when the indicator at the top of the linkage shows green. you will have received a shock pump with this special adapter when your bike was delivered. screw the adapter onto the end of the shock pump. then turn the black dial above. the air pressure in the system should now be shown on your shock pump pressure gauge. remove the dust cap on top of the rocker arm and screw on the shock pump by turning the silver dial. now pump up to the recommended pressure according to the values shown in the table. the first time you connect the shock pump the pressure gauge should read between 9-11 bar.
once the correct pressure has been set, unscrew the black dial to close the valve. before unscrewing the shock pump entirely you should release any air left in the tube by pressing the button at the side of the pressure gauge. this will make the pump easier to remove. turn the silver dial to remove the pump. don’t forget to replace the dust cap on top of the rocker arm. if you connect the pump for a second time, air escapes into the tube meaning the pressure gauge will give off a reading about 5 bar lower than before. you therefore have to pump the gas spring up again to the required pressure. now you can set suspension sag. put the bike into dh mode first.
to do this, push and hold down the shapeshifter remote and at the same time shift your body weight to the rear and compress the suspension once through your heels. to shift into dh mode hold down the remote, stand on the pedals and move your weight to the rear. release the remote. once in dh mode you will notice the bike’s slacker angles and plusher suspension feel. if you cannot easily shift to dh mode, then reduce the air pressure in the rear shock. then sit on the bike with your full weight and use the o-ring to check suspension sag. this should be 25% of full travel. if you have too much sag, pump more air into the shock and check again. if there is not enough sag, then use the button on the pump to release air from the shock.
repeat this process until you hit 25% sag, that way shapeshifter and the rear shock can work best together. now you’re ready to ride. to shift back to xc mode simply hold down the remote, stand on the pedals, raise your heels and unweight the rear wheel. this unloads the system allowing the gas spring to decompress. release the remote before returning to a central riding position. xc mode gives you steeper angles and a firmer suspension feel for extra efficiency.
