Latest Reviews of Mountain Bikes & Parts

Öhlins TTX22M Rear Shock

“Ohlins TTX Coil - 2 years in ”

The Good:

Great small bump sensitivity, improved backend braking considerably

The Bad:

Nothing really - After 2 years finally running a bit rough and sending back for Ohlins for a tune (this is to be expected)

Overall Review: I bought this as my first coil 2 years ago for my Spec Enduro 2017. I immediately felt much more confident on the bike as during braking the rear end felt glued to the ground. The only downside to coils is having to switch the actual coil if someone else is riding your bike like my 14 year old son or if you lose 20 pounds. No problems with the Ohlin coil to date. Doing first service now, shipped back to Ohlins in NC, USA.

RockShox Monarch 2019 Rear Shock

“Santa Cruz Bronson with Monarch was good after upgrade to Monarch with piggyback it was better”

The Good:

simple, easy to maintain, light

The Bad:

if you are on the heavy side - go with a shock that has a piggyback

Overall Review: I had that shock on my Santa Cruz Bronson. I was okay, nothing spectacular, it just worked. After a while did a upgrade to a Monarch with piggyback and it was better.

Marzocchi Bomber CR Shock

“Performance higher than the price tag”

The Good:

- Affordable
- Fits a wide range of bikes
- Set & forget performance

The Bad:

- Minimal adjustability
- No climb switch may be an issue for some riders

Overall Review: When it came time to squeeze a bit more out of my current bike (Santa Cruz Nomad) I knew I wanted to change the stock Rock Shock Super Deluxe air shock for a coil shock. I wanted better downhill performance on a budget. I bought the shock, found a spring rate Fox / Marzocchi recommended and tossed the shock on my bike. Right away the shock felt smooth and supple out of the box. With only low speed compression and rebound it didn’t take me more than a couple rides to settle on some settings and be happy with the feel. I’ve been running LSC wide open, and rebound in the middle. Performance has been fantastic, I’ve had Read More »

DVO Topaz Air Shock

“The best no matter which way you slice it”

The Good:

Glassy-smooth action, infinitely tunable, easily serviceable, reasonable price, and backed by the best suspension company in the industry. Seriously—the guys at DVO go above and beyond.

The Bad:

The only thing I can think that may be a negative about this shock is the color. Some may not like the acid green bits with their bike's color scheme.

Overall Review: Not only is the DVO Topaz the best-feeling air shock on the market, but the price is reasonable, the customer support is best by far, custom damper tuning is a breeze (whether DIY or via the factory), and it can be fully serviced with a handful of common tools. AND you can add or remove volume reducers without removing the whole shock from your bike. Why hasn't anyone else thought of that? It's so good I worry about not having a fork good enough to match it. There is no situation where the DVO Topaz is not the answer. Bike too linear? Add positive volume reducers. Too wallowy? Add negative volume reducers. It can be Read More »

Push Elevensix Rear Shock

Featured Member Review

“11.6 on my Santa Cruz Megatower”

The Good:

US made / cosy / installation + (no setup required) + ride it + forget it

The Bad:

adds a bit of weight - haha my bikes weights 16,6kg - so no problem - pedals great uphill

Overall Review: I have the 11.6 now for nearly a year on my Santa Cruz Megatower. I did it because there was a sale on push(for years a dream on my wish list) and wanted coil again. The coil added about 500gr to the bike, thats the only negativ I could write. Positiv sides: * US made and you feel the good quality. (Okay as European I should have bought EXT, but I like US stuff ) * Installation is done in 5min, setup comes for your needs. I tried some more and less clicks but the default setting was great for me. So installation + (no setup required) + ride it + forget it. * responsiveness is a dream - all the small stuff is getting Read More »

DVO Jade X Rear Shock

Featured Member Review

“Fantastic Upgrade from Air”

The Good:

- Excellent small bump compliance
- Excellent big hit absorption
- Lockout switch for climbing
- Trail switch for medium terrain
- Great price!

The Bad:

- The weight...

Overall Review: Put this on my 2019 Transition Patrol to upgrade the Rockshox Monarch air shock. I absolutely put that RS Monarch through the paces, with lots of sustained downhill runs and multiple large huck to flat hits. My issue with it was that it would start acting like it would lock out towards the bottom of a run and I couldnt get full travel out of it. I am sure its because the pressures were varying wildly inside from top to bottom as it started heating up, so I started looking at coil options. I picked the DVO Jade X for two reasons - 1) The piggyback on almost every other coil shock (including the old Jade) hits Read More »

RockShox Super Deluxe Air Ultimate 2020 Rear Shock

“Great shock”

The Good:

Easy to set up
Noticeable adjustments

The Bad:

When at sag it is a stiff shock but easy to use all travel

Overall Review: Would highly recommend this shock as un upgrade

EXT Storia Lok v3 Rear Shock

“A new level of suspension! EXT”

The Good:

Amazing performance!
Low weight
Fit and Finish

The Bad:

Noises
Order wait time
Hard to adjust

Overall Review: I purchased the EXT Storia V3 Lok for a V3 Bronson. The shock arrived 2 months after ordering from suspension syndicate. The shock is extremely light compared to other coil shocks. I mounted the shock to the Bronson using the EXT hardware and Fox roller bearing mount. It took a few shuttle runs to get the settings where I felt were comfortable. The adjustments are harder to make than a normal shock as it needs a socket to turn the knobs. Once dialed, the shock absolutely eats all chunk and roots. This coil shock works great with bikes that have a linear suspension curve as the hydraulic bottom out truly works to create Read More »

FOX DHX RC4 Rear Shock

Featured Member Review

“Much better than the newer Fox Shocks”

The Good:

price
tuneability performance
easy to service

The Bad:

optimal setup can be time consuming

Overall Review: I purchased a 2015 RC4 as a new take-off to replace a 2017 Fox DHX2 on my 2017 Knolly Delirium, seen here. I had been running the DHX2 in DH mode giving 185mm travel and overall was content with its performance. It was fairly easy to service and keep in good working order, but even with all the adjustments I found it difficult to tune to my liking. This bike had replaced a 2011 Specialized SX trail that came with a RC4 shock. After many years that shock was performing flawlessly, eating up anything I could throw at it and more. After finding a great deal on the 2015 non-boost valve model, I was Read More »

EXT Storia Lok v3 Rear Shock

Vital Review

“Italian Suspension for Your Enduro Bike: EXT Storia Lok v3 Reviewed”

Extreme Racing Shox or EXT is an Italian suspension supplier, primarily known for its rich motorsports history which includes working with legendary racers like Sebastien Loeb who dominated the World Rally Championship for years aboard his Citroens. In 2014, EXT decided to try its hand at making products for mountain bikes as well, and brought over many of the technologies and the expertise it had developed over the years. Intended primarily for enduro and gravity riding, the Storia and Arma have been well-received and are now onto their third generations, respectively. We’ve put the latest version of the Storia to the Read More »