Mountain Biking - rear shock upgrade

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View Full Version : rear shock upgrade


denningmp3
06-14-09, 09:50 PM
Hello I am new to mountain biking and looking to upgrade my rear shock to an air shock with lockout. My bike is an Iron Horse SGS expert any recomendations ?


bikinfool
06-15-09, 01:20 AM
Get rid of the IH? J/k sort of. Why use an air shock with lockout on that bike? What's the point?

sirtigersalot
06-15-09, 07:25 AM
yeah a bit overkill on that bike but fox float rpl, otherwise rock shox and marzocchi each make what i'm sure is a fine lockout air shock

just make sure you get the right size and stroke (you may wanna head to your lbs)


denningmp3
06-15-09, 12:30 PM
Hey keep talking trash obout my bike and I'll cry. My reason for wanting the lockout is I'm not planing to ride down hill only and riding up hill with front and rear shocks going haywire everytime I peddle buggs. I tightend the spring and it seamed to help a bit. Thanks for your help though.

Smallguy
06-15-09, 12:58 PM
Hey keep talking trash obout my bike and I'll cry. My reason for wanting the lockout is I'm not planing to ride down hill only and riding up hill with front and rear shocks going haywire everytime I peddle buggs. I tightend the spring and it seamed to help a bit. Thanks for your help though.

you don't really need lockout to climb.... it's only really useful if you doing a long ass fire road climb that is smooth but some pedaling platform technology like pro-pedal in fox products would help

bikinfool
06-15-09, 01:19 PM
Hey keep talking trash obout my bike and I'll cry. My reason for wanting the lockout is I'm not planing to ride down hill only and riding up hill with front and rear shocks going haywire everytime I peddle buggs. I tightend the spring and it seamed to help a bit. Thanks for your help though.

Don't cry little guy, it'll all work out. What do you mean the front and rear shocks are going haywire? When you pedal (peddle is selling something). Is the suspension not setup for you? What do you weigh and what fork and shock does the bike have now? What's the rating on the spring on the shock? Do you know how to setup suspension at all? "Tightening" the spring sounds like you mean preloading the spring, but not sure (and you don't want to put too much preload on the spring, either btw). Maybe you can just tune up what you've got.

A little googling says that bike uses a 7.875" eye to eye and 2.25" stroke shock, so at least you should have plenty of choices in that regard. If you do end up with a new shock, how much are you willing to spend?

dminor
06-15-09, 01:32 PM
The obvious upgrade for your SGS would be the Fox DHX Air 5.0. It doesn't have a lockout (which you really don't need) but it does have Pro-Pedal. The adjustable Pro-Pedal platform combined with the SGS's Horst Link rear will allow you to pedal back up your runs just fine - - AS LONG as you do what you should be doing anyway on the bike: keeping your butt planted in the saddle and pedalling at a comfortable cadence in smooth circles.

Of course, DHX Airs don't come cheap; so there may come a point of diminishing returns as far as what your bike is worth to you and what the new shock costs. The SGS Expert was designed as a capable decender that could still be ridden (though not speedily) back up the hill. Is that how you're using it? Or would a lighter, shorter-travel bike suit you better for the way you want to ride?

sirtigersalot
06-15-09, 01:48 PM
Hey keep talking trash obout my bike and I'll cry.

I guess i should have said underkill, meant overkill in the XC direction lol,

denningmp3
06-22-09, 08:05 AM
Thanks for your help, been doing a little research and you are right . I have purchased a fox float will get it set up for my weight and keep my ass in the saddle!

TwinCam
06-22-09, 12:05 PM
Thanks for your help, been doing a little research and you are right .


the force is strong in this one.

WannaGetGood
06-23-09, 09:19 PM
Roco Air, I ride one. its the best thing in the world.