All Arround MTB

After riding early samples of this shock and being seriously impressed, it’s great to see the Storia continuing to be developed. The new LOK system, controlled by the bigger of the two levers on top of the reservoir, can be customised for the rider and uses an independent valve to control oil flow. This means the shock can be firmed up for pedalling but will still move when your rear wheel hits a bump.

At 498g, our 500lb/38mm test spring was just a little heavier than a titanium coil. We fitted it to a RockShox Kage RC shock, where it saved 69g. Super Alloy Racing’s springs come in a single length (in this case, 140mm), with a plastic spacer making up the difference. They say a shorter spring behaves in a more linear fashion, so less rebound damping is required and performance is more consistent. On the trail, we found the difference to be very subtle, but it’s something that might become more apparent on long alpine descents, where oil temperature becomes a factor. The thing we really like about SAR’s springs is that they’re available in 25lb increments, allowing you to fine tune your spring rate. If this isn’t something you need, then $150 is quite a lot of money for a relatively small weight saving. Price $150

Measuring just 4cm across, the ShockWiz is an ingenious little device that’s designed to tell you exactly how effectively your suspension is working and what you can do to improve it. The idea started as a Kickstarter campaign, before SRAM took over development under their Quarq brand last year. Now we’re excited to have our hands on the finished product. To use it, you simply ziptie the sensor to your fork or shock, connect the air valve and go riding. The ShockWiz measures and records everything and links, via Bluetooth, to an app on your phone to give you a performance readout. Adjustments are then suggested, based on your chosen tuning preset – ‘efficient’, ‘balanced’, ‘playful’ or ‘aggressive’. We can’t wait to get out there and give it a try. Price $538

During back-to-back testing, the Topaz impressed us with its low breakaway force. Thanks to a very large negative spring chamber (similar to RockShox’s DebonAir set-up) and a low-friction, bladder-sealed damper, it offers superb sensitivity at the start of the stroke and soaks up small bumps noticeably better than the benchmark RockShox Monarch Plus. Clip-in volume spacers make it easy to dial in progression too. We had to use all five provided to get the required ramp-up on our Transition Patrol test bike though, and hard riders with more linear bikes will need even more. Digressive damping means the Topaz is very active over square-edged hits but lacks support at times, particularly in ‘open’ mode. The intermediate compression setting is great for pedal-and-pump descents though, and the firmest restricts bob yet still allows the shock to open up nicely when you hit a bump – ideal for techy climbs. Despite the reservoir’s ‘cooling fins’, heat did affect rebound speed towards th...

AIR-SPRUNG SHOCKS used to be a rare sight on the DH World Cup circuit, but the introduction of Fox’s X2 has helped change this. It was ridden to numerous podiums in 2015 and used by Aaron Gwin to win the series title. So, just how good is it?

Over the last 15 years, mountain bike suspension systems have become incredibly sophisticated with more adjustability than one could ever hope for. They’ve become lighter, smarter, easier to adjust, and more effective. A lot of this technology has trickled down from the motorcycle world carrying with it the added challenge of fitting it within a much smaller and lighter fork or shock package to suit the changing demands of mountain biking. Suspension, like any high end machine, requires some specific setup and maintenance to work optimally, especially with many of the industry’s leading suspension frame designs that can rely heavily on the correct setup of suspension systems to reach their full potential.

Hidden away in the boot of Dave Garland's unassuming Citroen Saxo sits the culmination of years of hard graft on the World Cup circuit and a wealth of experience from the automotive suspension industry. We peer into the back of the car to inspect the finely engineered damper unit more closely — and attempt to shelter from the blizzard-like conditions — as Dave explains how he and his business partner, Franco Fratton of Extreme Racing Shox, ended up getting into the world of mountain bike suspension manufacturing.

As the name suggests, the Microlite shock is designed with weight reduction in mind. Our 184x44mm sample hit the scales at 195g saving around 50g when compared to a regular inline shock.

The Stage RLX is X-Fusion’s new all-mountain/enduro shock, which may not be obvious at frst. Where is the piggyback reservoir? All shocks need piggybacks to accommodate the extra oil that helps keep performance consistent on long downhills, right?

RockShox recently debuted the DebonAir, a new air can that works with both its Monarch and higher-volume Monarch Plus shocks. If ‘new air can’ doesn’t throw you into a geek-tizzy, we understand, but it should. DebonAir’s dual-chamber air sleeve adds volume to both the positive and negative air spring. Now it takes 25 percent less effort to get the shock moving through the frst third of its travel; that’s immediately noticeable. Small-bump compliance and traction on technical climbs are absolutely unreal with DebonAir.

The Float X has replaced Fox’s long-running DHX Air as the go-to shock for all-mountain bikes. It is, however, a much different beast than its predecessor. There’s still the piggyback reservoir, which increases oil volume and staves off heat and damping fade on long downhills, but the Float X is more well-rounded; there’s good midstroke support, and on-the-fy tuning makes it simple to go from super plush and bottomless to snappy and frm.

This shock comes with a notepad and a pencil. That sort of says it all. Cane Creek makes the most adjustable shocks on the market, but you can get lost setting the things up. Was that 15 clicks of low-speed compression and one-and-a-half turns of high-speed rebound? Two turns of high-speed compression and 11 clicks of low-speed rebound? That notepad comes in handy.

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.

WE'VE BEEN HANKERING after the new Vivid R2C downhill shock since its announcement, and we've finally got our hands on one. 

RockShcx's Monarch and Monarch Plus rear shocks get a new high-volume DebonAir air can designed to give a more linear feel and improved small-bump sensitivity.

CANE CREEK INTRODUCED a new level of suspension adjustability with their twin-tube Double Barrel design, which allows several damping circuits to be tweaked independently of one another.