[Mark 42]

I'm trying to find an owner's manual for a Trek Remedy 5.

My 1985 GT Timberline All-Terra is finally getting old enough that I can't get the rear derailleur to adjust anymore, so I'm retiring it (for now)

Being on a budget, I ended up buying used - a Trek Remedy 5.
It's my first Full Suspension mountain bike (actually, my first that isn't fully rigid, unless you count a couple of Walmart bikes bought at Goodwill, which I think belong to my son)

Since I've never owned a full suspension bike, I'm not sure how to fine tune the damping and preload to my preferences.

I know that my preferences will evolve, and the shop I bought it from set it up fairly comfortable to me now, but I'll be wanting to adjust it as my riding changes, and when I change the type of riding I am using it for (yes, it will be my only bike... snicker and sneer, but I'll make it work for what I want to get out of riding, for now)

I asked the shop I bought it from to go over it, and he suggested I find the manual for the forks and the shock online.
His "bedside manner" isn't the most friendly, but it was a decent deal for a bike that came with an inspection, tune-up and 60 day warranty. At least I think it was a reasonable price after looking at the same bike in classifieds, and I liked the way it rides. Of course, I didn't consider the fact that the rear shock wasn't moving when I test rode it, but there's a long story behind that, and I'm already rambling.

I'll post a picture after I get a decent one to upload, but for now, assume everything is original, except the CF handlebars.

 

[Mark 42]

I posted the question after searching for Instructions, Manuals, Guides for Trek Remedy 5.
Afterwards, I remembered the guy in the shop telling me to search for Manitou (black?) Forks.
So I searched for Manitou Forks, and turned up this:
https://manitoumtb.com/documentation/

Now I just need to figure out which forks and shock I have.
Not sure I trust these online specs, but this is something I found:
I"ts Black Platinum Air fork gives you 120mm of travel up front, while the 154mm Swinger 3-way rear shock absorbs monster hits in the rear."

But I am finding bits and pieces of specs & info on various sites (after quite some Googling over the last few days).

I'll look at the bike & see what info is on the shocks & forks themselves when I get the chance.

I'd definitely be grateful for any help I can get on learning more about the bike.
There's a lot of new things for me to learn - like the CF bars (there's a scratch which worries me), the cassete rear cogs, the hydraulic disk brakes, the suspension, and even the presta valve stems are new to me!

 

[AK Happy]

Trek Suspension Calculator

https://suspension.trekbikes.com/us/en/ This is what I use.

 

[HowMaybesGo]

Trek also has a chat service on their site you can hit up with questions. I had good luck when I was trying to find the geometry of my 2014 Remedy.

Assuming all suspension is stock, the suspension calculator AK linked will give you recommended settings.

Anything else, Youtube.

 

[Harold]

Owners manuals like you're asking for rarely give you very good details on setup. They're full of the requisite legal liability language and bs, and they MIGHT include some service information (most notably service intervals), but these days that's mostly online.

You do have to figure out what you've got, though. Usually such things are marked somewhere, and if you need to know the year, the manufacturer can usually tell you if you reach out and supply the serial number if you can't find what matches your stuff online.

This is the most concise suspension setup guide I've encountered in all honesty.

http://www.shockcraft.co.nz/media/wysiwyg/shockcraft_1_page_suspension_setup_guide_v0.pdf

There's a lot that's packed into a small space here.

Speaking of service, though, it'd be VERY worthwhile to ensure that the fork and shock are serviced with new oil, new seals, and such. Make sure that everything's working as well as possible before you begin the setup process. The vast majority of people under-service their suspension components. Some people never service anything unless it's totally broken. So unless the seller did service the suspension right before you bought the bike (doesn't always happen, but sometimes it does), you'd do well to do that work or have it done. It's almost entirely labor and requires care and cleanliness (and only a couple fairly inexpensive tools) and is typically really cheap to DIY. But if you pay someone else for the job, can be fairly expensive.

 

[Battery]

Is it a RockShox fork? If so, you can visit the RockShox Trailhead website and input your serial number. From there, it will give you all of the specs for your fork.

If I recall, that website has a section that allows you to input your weight and it will give you a baseline pressure to start dialing in the fork. I wasn't too sure about the pressure the website gave me to use. Their recommended baseline pressure was to max out the air pressure in the fork. I ended up running 30psi less than what it recommended. Either way, the Trailhead website should give you an idea what to do.

 

[Mark 42]

Thanks everyone! I'll try to post updates.

Apparently the front is a Manitou Black Platinum air fork.
and the rear is a Manitou Swinger 3-Way adjustable (Similar to Air X3 from the few pictures I can compare it with).

Sadly, the bike shop didn't do much, so I'll have to eventually learn how to change the oil in both ends. I have no history of prior use or service, but the tires look new, and there are very few scratches on the bike (only worn pedals - but they may have been transferred from another bike).

Thanks everyone! I'll try to post updates.

 

[Battery]

Apparently the front is a Manitou Black Platinum air fork.
and the rear is a Manitou Swinger 3-Way adjustable (Similar to Air X3 from the few pictures I can compare it with).

Sadly, the bike shop didn't do much, so I'll have to eventually learn how to change the oil in both ends. I have no history of prior use or service, but the tires look new, and there are very few scratches on the bike (only worn pedals - but they may have been transferred from another bike).

Thanks everyone! I'll try to post updates.

This guide will help you. It's pretty universal to get your full suspension in the ballpark where it needs to be. I use this guide to set my stuff up.

 

[mack_turtle]

I would not trust any guide that has specific settings based on rider weight. Set the pressure by static sag, set the rebound in the middle and make minor adjustments as you go. Take a shock pump along on your first few rides. Write down the settings that work for you for future reference.

The manual that comes with most complete bikes is very generic: wear a helmet, maintain your bike- with few specifics, don't ride beyond your ability, warranty specifics, etc. Any Trek dealer should have a bunch of those in a drawer but they are barely worth the paper on which they are printed.

Look for guides to the specific components on your bike: brakes, wheels, etc. Find a diagrams of the frame with the part numbers in case you damage one of the bits. If you work on the bike at all, use a torque wrench to avoid crushing anything or under-tightening.

 

[Thor29]

Do you have a shock pump? If not, get one. (Can't use a tire pump - shock pumps are tiny volume / high pressure).

Next, set the pressure so that you have the necessary sag front and rear. (Reference above recommended videos for that).

Go ride. Try adjusting any other knobs (rebound, etc) one click at a time to see what effect they have on suspension action.

That's it. No need for manuals, which as others mentioned will probably be useless anyway. Even recommended settings will only get you so far. Much better to experiment and see what works for you and your trails.

 

[Mark 42]

How can I tell what frame size I have?
I guess it doesn't matter, since I do feel like the bike is a good fit.
It does seem like the pedals are up high (I end up with the seat post sticking out farther than on most bikes I've owned).
That got me wondering if the pedals are up high because it's an All Mountain bike and needs more clearance for the type of riding it was designed for.

 

[mack_turtle]

Do the pedals feel high when you're on the bike? The static (unweighted, un-sagged) bottom bracket hieght might seem high because it's going to lower when you get up on the bike, even more when you hit a bump, drop, etc.

 

[Mark 42]

I guess that would explain it some.
It's when I'm just cruising - I had to raise the seat to keep my thigh muscles from burning when I pedal for long (I'm a bit out of shape - although round is still a shape).

 

[Mark 42]

Here's what the bike looks like:

Here is the scratch in the CF Handlebar.
I don't think it's into the plies, which means I should be able to just epoxy it & not lose strength. (It's the highest stress part of the handlebars though)

 

[Harold]

I've replaced carbon bars for scoring like that. Better safe than sorry, IMO. Because a failure here means lost teeth, smashed in face, etc.

Seat height is not unreasonable relative to handlebar height, but it all depends on your body proportions. Long legged/short torso folks are going to have huge saddle-handlebar drops. Long torso-short legged people will have a pretty low saddle relative to their bars.

That thick, cushy saddle isn't doing you any favors, though.

 

[stixxs]

I've replaced carbon bars for scoring like that. Better safe than sorry, IMO. Because a failure here means lost teeth, smashed in face, etc.

Seat height is not unreasonable relative to handlebar height, but it all depends on your body proportions. Long legged/short torso folks are going to have huge saddle-handlebar drops. Long torso-short legged people will have a pretty low saddle relative to their bars.

That thick, cushy saddle isn't doing you any favors, though.

Where is your proof. No hocus pocus saddle theories please. What a ***....

 

[Le Duke]

Where is your proof. No hocus pocus saddle theories please. What a ***....

No, he's right.

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[Harold]

No, he's right.

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He just doesn't like me.

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[MSU Alum]

Where is your proof. No hocus pocus saddle theories please. What a ***....

Huh?

 

[mack_turtle]

Where is your proof. No hocus pocus saddle theories please. What a ***....

I am not sure if this is a joke. Please clarify.

That saddle would be fine on a beach cruiser but it's most likely far too wide for mountain biking. If it works for you, go for it, but most riders would not chose a saddle like that because the riding position on a mtb would create a ton of friction and chafing on your inner thighs.