Noob needs info on rear shock upgrade

[Dr Phil mmkay]

Hi,

I'm pretty green to the sport of mtn biking (<2 months in). At the beginning of said 2 months I bought an Iron Horse Maverick Pro dual-susser from Performance Bike on a whim (ooo, 24spd, dual susp, disc brakes!) not having done any research.

After riding Accotink, Wakefield, and Fountainhead on an average of 3 times a week for the past 2 months, I've been considering upgrading my bike's rear shock (stock: Tough Shock FD R Coil, 6.5"X 1.5"). After a weekend full of trails (Friday afterwork-Accotink, Sat-Accotink & Wakefield, Sun- Fountainhead & Wakefield) my rear shock threw up it's guts.

I am still in school and am on a tight budget (~$300), although I want to get my money's worth as far as performance and weight saving. I'm not sure whether to go with coil or air (I come from an automotive background-coils are familiar) and as far as brand goes, I've been looking at X-Fusion's 02 PVA and Fox Float and Vanilla.

I'm aware that my bike is an entry level bike aimed at moderate trail riding. I'm guessing that the trails around NOVA area are comparatively moderate. I don't take huge jumps, I'm still learning to navigate through the trails at speed, and am aware of the frame's limitation as far as upgrades go.

I was wondering if any of the local trail-regulars could give me any pointers or nudge me in the right direction, like what to look for when shopping for components, pricing, local stores (or online) with nice deals.

Thanks in advance,

Phil

[jmblur]

You'll be paying almost as much as you paid for the entire bike for a fox shock.

The bike is < 2 months old, and should still be under factory warranty. Take it back to performance, make a stink about it if they don't offer support (bring in the factory warranty info if you still have it!), and get them to replace it. Performance is notoriously bad at supporting stuff like this, so you'll probably have to be pretty insistent.

It STILL won't be a great shock, but your money is better spent saving up for a new bike in the future. You'll end up spending a LOT more if you upgrade everything on your current bike that if you just try to get by until you can afford a new bike.

Almost without exception, a new bike is worth significantly more than the sum of its parts. If you were to remove and sell each part individually at full MSRP, you'd probably make a 25% or more profit.

[saxman]

One other option is the Cane Creek Cloud Nine. It runs in the $220 price range, and will be a zillion times better than the coil spring unit. It's definitely an old school type of rear shock. It has lots of adjustment capabilities. I originally had a Rock Shox Bar on my Trek Fuel 70 and switched to the Cloud Nine and it totally changed the whole way the bike rode for the better.

[CRAIG2]

One other option is the Cane Creek Cloud Nine. It runs in the $220 price range, and will be a zillion times better than the coil spring unit. It's definitely an old school type of rear shock. It has lots of adjustment capabilities. I originally had a Rock Shox Bar on my Trek Fuel 70 and switched to the Cloud Nine and it totally changed the whole way the bike rode for the better.


Where'd you get that Cloud 9? I'm considering an upgrade on my NRS, that I intend to keep for a while as a new bike is not in the budget anytime soon. I'm not super impressed with the Rock Shox SID that's on there now, though, it is still very funtional.

[BikerMiker]

Take that bike back to Perf and get 'em to replace that shock under warranty. If the bike is that new, you shouldn't have any issue with it. That'll buy you another few months at least...

Go with a float R or RL. Good luck.

mike

[saxman]

Where'd you get that Cloud 9? I'm considering an upgrade on my NRS, that I intend to keep for a while as a new bike is not in the budget anytime soon. I'm not super impressed with the Rock Shox SID that's on there now, though, it is still very funtional.

I got mine at Alfred E. Bike, online (thanks Brizn for the tip on that one!).

[Dr Phil mmkay]

Thanks for the info, I'm definitely considering a new bike already, but I'm going to wait to develop my skills further, or atleast get more seat time. I'll check with the warranty and see what can be done. Again, thanks and see ya on the trails.