Stendec EXT Storia & ARMA Extreme shocks

IT'S RARE TO see a coil-sprung shock on anything but a DH bike these days, with most riders using lighter and more easily adjustable air shocks.

EXT hope to change this with the STORIA, which is aimed squarely at the enduro market. Along with theARMA downhill shock, which shares similar internals, it was developed by Franco Fratten, an Italian motorsport suspension guru, and Dave Garland, mechanic for the Giant Factory Off-Road Team and owner of UK suspension tuners Stendec.

Key features include a low-pressure piggyback chamber, which helps minimise the force needed to get the shock moving, and a high oil flow rate, aimed at preventing hysteresis - the damping lag that occurs when a shock switches between the compression and rebound phases. EXTsay this allows them to capitalise on the coil shock's inherent small-bump sensitivity.

The compression tune has been designed to firm up towards the end of thetravel,compensatingfor the linear spring and preventing a harsh bottom-out. So effective is this that in place of the usual large rubber bump-stop, EXT fit one that's just 4mm thick. The three-way adjustable damping (high- and low-speed compression, plus rebound) is designed to be intuitive to dial in, and the purchase price includes a bespoke base tune tailored to your bike, wheel size,weight and riding style. Each STORIA comes with three different weight "superalloy" springs so you can fine tune your spring rate. Mounting hardware and a first service are also included. That price doesn't look so bad right now, eh?

PRICE 900$

Merida Big Nine 100

Wit the bikes swapped over, we head out on the same loop again, this time on the 29in Big Nine 100. Whereas the Big Seven was snappy off the line, the 29er takes a couple more pedal strokes to get up to speed. That said, once it's up there, it's easy to keep the big wheels rolling, allowing us to cover ground with ease. The fire road is at times a little rough, and the bigger wheels roll over the imperfections so we barely notice them.

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Chromag HiFi 35 (50mm) stem

This is a seriously solid stem. Chromag use 5mm Allen bolts throughout, which makes it that bit easier to fit because you don’t have to swap tools. Once torqued up to the recommended 6-8Nm, it clamps both steerer and bar solidly, with no appreciable flex. We couldn’t get it to twist on the steerer, either in our static test or when riding. It’s also available in a 35mm length and three other colours. At 204g the HiFi is the heaviest stem on test by some margin, despite being one of the more expensive offerings here. Price $112

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CANYON NERVE AL 8.0

S ince their entry into the UK market a few years ago, Canyon have made a name for themselves as purveyors of well-made bikes that exhibit often extraordinary value. The secret (or catch, depending on your point of view) is that the brand don’t have dealers – they ship bikes directly to your door.

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Cannondale Trail SL 29 SS

The fat aluminium tubes are a constrast to the skinny items seen elsewhere in the test, but this rigid Cannondale uses them to create one of the most old-school - and lightest - rides here.

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Canyon Strive AL 5.0 Race

Canyon share the same direct sales model as Radon, YT and Commencal, which means the Strive also comes with a stunningly good spec for the money. On top of that, it’s one of the quietest bikes here. Even on the choppiest Italian trail we rode, the Strive pattered down without a peep. It needs some volume bands in the shock to get the back end ramping up for the really big hits, but once sorted it’s a wonderfully efficient machine that carries speed incredibly well. The sizing feels spot on too, and it’s always nice to see manufacturers speccing longer dropper posts where possible. Our large Strive had one of the shortest seat tubes here, at 460mm, and used a 150mm drop Reverb. This meant none of our testers had any issues with arse-tosaddle clearance on the steeper trails we rode (unlike on the Commencal, with its 490mm seat tube). What we did notice when the trail began to drop away rapidly was the head angle. On our test bike it measured in at just under 67 degrees, making it ...

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All Arround MTB

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