To get the correct pressure in your shock it is important to follow some guide-
lines. Thread the pump’s connector onto the Schraeder valve on the shock.
Pump to the desired pressure. Quickly unthread the connector from the
Schraeder valve until the connector breaks free. The pressure you have in
your shock is the one you pumped to. At this point do not re-attach the pump
to check your setting, as it will be inaccurate. This is due to some of the
shock’s air rushing into the pump’s hose, making the reading wildly incor-
rect.
HOW TO CORRECTLY PUMP YOUR SHOCK
6
The Foes Shaver is equipped with a replaceable derailleur hanger. This part
is installed as a safety feature, as well as a convenience to you, the owner. It
is not uncommon for foreign objects, such as sticks, stones and other debris
to bend your hanger. A bent hanger can occur from shifting hard under load,
and/or transporting your bicycle. Foes derailleur hangers are designed to
bend and break! This inherent design actually keeps more
REPLACEABLE DERAILLEUR HANGERS
In addition to the minimum seat post insertion mark on most seat posts, you
must follow the following recommendations for seat post insertion: a 31.6mm
seat post must be inserted a minimum of 4” into the seat tube of the frame.
Anything less than this will not be covered under warranty.
MINIMUM - MAXIMUM SEAT POST INSERTION
1) Keep your bike clean. Riding a dirty bike will cause all of your bearings,
bushings, contact points, finish, shock shaft and seal head area, and every
other moving part to wear much faster than if they were cleaned regularly.
Keeping your bike clean will also give you that satisfied feeling of taking care
of your investment in a high quality hand-crafted frame. Foes recommends
first rinsing loose dust and mud with hose water, taking care not to blast
water into areas that water could damage over time by lack of evaporation
quickly, like, pivots, bushings, bearings and shock parts, as well as the com-
ponents installed on your frame, like bottom brackets, head sets, gear sets
and the like. Wash the bicycle with a mild dilution of detergent and a soft
cloth. Rinse again, taking care not to force water into those areas mentioned.
Dry with a towel. A light coating of a light lubricant, like WD-40, can help
displace water from areas that are hard to reach. However, it is important to
note that these light lubricants can actually wash away oil and grease used
to lubricate the bicycle, and render brakes inoperable. If you use a light lubri-
cant, use it only to displace water, and keep it away from brake pads and
rotors.
2) Keep your bike lubricated. After cleaning your bike, lubricate your chain
and drive train with an appropriate lube.
3) Periodically check all of the bolts and fasteners on your bike. Do not over-
tighten anything, as this too will void your warranties – just check and “snug”
each fastener. Also, it is a good idea to check all of your frame’s welds and
tube junctions for cracks and any damage. Aluminum has a limited life –
inspect your frame in a well lit area, and inspect carefully – especially after
crashes.
4) Keep the shock shaft, and surrounding areas, clean of dirt, debris and crud
– wipe it off after every ride.
GOOD RIDER BICYCLE MAINTENANCE
5
For the break-in period Foes recommends that you introduce a low pressure,
like 65 psi, to start. This is a good setting to break-in your shock, and will
allow you to get a good feel for what this pressure will do over a variety of
terrain. Your Curnutt will break-in properly in about 10 hours of ‘normal’ riding.
This means that, much like a new motor, the contact-moving surfaces of the
shock will ‘seat’ better if they are allowed to move throughout their entire
range or stroke, without introducing them to undue or violent spikes of energy
(as in landing from jumps). Once your shock has broken-in, you will be able
to much more accurately feel what the shock is doing with more or less air
pressure. Adjusting air pressure during the break-in period will be confusing
at best. That being said, if your shock repeatedly bottoms over normal trail
terrain during break-in, it is appropriate to introduce more air pressure to
compensate – 5 psi at a time. Additionally, it should be remembered that
proper break-in requires the shock to cycle through its entire stroke or travel.
If it appears that your shock is not using its entire stroke (too stiff) – over
normal riding conditions - then reducing its air pressure would be an appro-
priate measure – BUT NEVER GO UNDER 50 PSI!. Once your Curnutt XTD
is broken-in, controlling bottoming with proper air pressure and the Ramping
Dial will be more accurately achieved.
BREAK-IN PERIOD
Since your Curnutt was actually built, valved, sprung and pre-loaded accord-
ing to your specific rider weight, skill level and type of riding you mostly enjoy,
your Curnutt shock is about 95% tuned to you right from the factory. The
other 5% will be the Bottoming Control, and tuning your Rebound Damping.
The ‘BOTTOMING CONTROL’ section on page 11 will address Bottoming
Control and the air pressure that affects it. (If you have an AIR shock, please
see its addendum.) Rebound Damping will be addressed in a following
section. Your Curnutt XTD Shock is a true fluid–damped, coil-over shock
which, uniquely, uses air pressure to control bottoming (as well as reduce
fluid foaming). The range of air pressure needed inside your Curnutt XTD is
between 65 and 100 psi. This means, between these minimum and maxi-
mum pressures lies an ideal setting for the control of bottoming the rear
suspension over a given terrain. As said initially, your shock’s compression
damping is mostly set for you at the factory, yet, adjusting the air pressure will
tune your shock’s ability to resist bottoming – an important feature for the life
and longevity of your Curnutt Shock and Foes Frame.
FACTORY SETTINGS
