Another thing that should probably be mentioned about air forks is that while some newer designs are being produced to handle heavier riders, the nature of most air based systems produces a progressive feel. While this can be tuned by the manufacturer, in general, if you're approaching the upper range of the amount of pressure needed for that shock, you will have a less than linear behaviour. This is why coil units are better for heavier riders and/or applications that see greater hit loading. So although an air shock may say that it can handle up to a 220 lbs rider weight, things may get a bit stiff and uncomfortable when those things are preloaded past 185lbs.