Dear All,

What are your thoughts on air versus coil rear shocks. I have a Fox Float RL from a Specialized Enduro and it does the job but I run the pressure quite high (210 psi) to keep a tight hardtail style bike.

Consequently I am dubious of the longevity of the shock, 10 months and counting, Mojo in Wales want £70 for a full rebuild but for that I am close to buying a whole new shock.

Any thoughts on swapping to an oil damped coil shock?????

Don't do it, dude-

I ran a Vanilla R on my 2002 Enduro Expert for a few weeks while my Float was being flaky, and while it made it a better Alpine downhiller, it didn't like flats at all, let alone climbing. Shouldn't MoJo still repair your shock under warranty anyhow? Let them do that and rebuild yourself- its not too bad, really.

mbc

Go with the coil-over!!!

No worries about blowing seals, or dirt destroying them either and no pumping them up.

Put simply, they are far less hassle and depending on who you ask, they give superior performance. BTW I agree with the last statement!

So much so, I have coil-overs on the front and rear of my Whyte, and every full susser that's not an XC jeyboy and still worth it's salt has a coil-over.

I ran a coil-over for four years on my last bike and never had to maintain it. Not a penny spent on it and thousands miles on several continents later it still worked perfectly - and the fact that I was able to sell it after all this is testament to their indestructability.

Still wondering????

Thanks to both of you for your advice, jury's still out though.

I'll blow the Float to pieces first. Then think about it afterwards.

By the way Gav which coil over did you use????

Dan, 70 quid really isn't all that near to the price of a new shock. Not one that's as good as the one you've got, anyway. I wouldn't change it unless it goes pop. Get it serviced regularly (or whenever it starts getting really bouncy or makes funny noises) and it'll last for years.

And remember some frames are designed for air shocks some for coil over, you put a coil over on a frame designed for an air shock and unless its a fifth element or something equally trick the different rising rate is going to make a real mess of the performance.

If your running it at 210 you might as well go for a hard tail and be done with it as you are getting little or no suspension out of it?

Steve - it totally depends on his weight.

I'm running Vanilla R's front and rear now, but had a Shockworks before. Despite the fact it's not one of the "premium brand" shocks, it performed faultlessly and so far the Vanilla R's have been spot on.

Russ - I disagree about the frames designed for different shocks - any properly set up shock will work with any frame. The fact whether its a coil-over or an air shock is neither-here-nor-there.

Some frames (shock positions) are designed to utilise (counteract) the rising rate of air shocks to provide a more linear rate which means that if you put a coil over on the shock will blow through the end of it's travel very quickly which is not good. It's a fact and it is here or there I'm afraid. It's the reason that Santa Cruz specifically advise against using a coil over on the SL.

Of course a really trick shock like a fifth element can be set up differently to take account of this and some coil overs can be bought with progressively wound springs (but most dont come that way as standard) so the problem can be got over. Yes the standard linearly wound coil over shock may work but it won't work nearly as well - the difference on moving from a linear standard spring to a progressively wound aftermarket one on my old Marin was marked.

Only really a problem on frames specifically designed for air shocks but the problem does exist and no amount of fiddling with damping circuits can make up for a spring with the wrong rising rate for the design of the bike.

I have a rising rate coil-over..........

it has a progressive spring.

And it came as standard (from Whyte, not Fox before you ask - Fox had no idea about the availability of a progressive shock, which kinda surprised me!)

You are right about a linear shock being bad on a frame designed for rising rate shocks, but in the case of coil-overs this can be accomodated by changing the spring type. Sure it may cost £40 or so, but a service on an air shock is about £60-70 is it not, and you will save this every year by switching to a coil-over....

But you don't need a full £70 service on a air shock every year - cleaning out and regreasing the air chamber is a do it at home job.

The service intervals on air or coil over shocks should roughly be the same (baring an air seal needing to be replaced) as it's the nitrogen charged damping circuit that goes which is roughly similar in both types of shock. Certainly the coil over on my old bike didn't last any longer before needing a service than the air on on my current bike. (about 2 years in both cases which Tim Flooks reckoned was about right this time for the air shock).

It's a horses for courses sort of thing though - I've heard lots of people say that the Whyte is better with coil overs (even though it was designed for air), however your point about fox not knowing about progressive spring availability kinda reinforces my point. Jon Whyte obviously has this sussed but I suspect it's unlikely that the bigger manufacturers do - or even care, if Fox don't supply it they're not interested.

I'd class your shock with it's aftermarket spring as 'something equally trick' in which case I think we're pretty much in agreement ?

Yep - agreement agreed upon!

Although........

My mates experiences of all things air suspended (shocks and forks) need them serviced on average once a year (more if they're over 18months old). And seals have blown on planes / at altitude..... and you have to take a shock pump with you to check / adjust the pressure ......

I just won't touch them with a barge pole ...... which provides me with a topic I'm happy ranting about....... and like all good rants it's not worth listening to beyond the first couple of posts!!!!

Dan.
I have run 210 - 230 in my float RLC on my Enduro for over a year now with no problems. The max is quoted at 300 psi so your still well within that. Surely the internal shock pressure rises far above that when the shock is compressed. The only bit that has needed replacement is the bushing where the shock mounts on the upper bar.
The servicing of the float is far easier than I initially thought unless the damping circuit goes and I do it myself every few months. Fox back up & info from Chris at Mojo is also excellent IMHO.
With the Enduro the shock is very exposed to the mud kicked up from the rear wheel a good idea would be some kind of shield to prevent this.
As far as I know the Vanilla works OK on this frame. I know someone who gives his Enduro some serious abuse and has fitted this shock, although for XC I'll stick with the Float.
Hope this helps. Tony

Guys,

I'll just bite the bullet and get it professionally serviced now and again. What the hell the bike cost enough to start with. £70 a year for a slap up tune is not too much to ask.

Thanks again for all the advice.

Dan ;-)