The shocks that came on my bike really blew... They WERE cheap, but outside of cleaning around the boots, they didn't take much maintenance. I eventually replaced them with a rigid, suspension corrected, cro-moly fork. I lost significant weight from the bike, but I noticed a decrease in the comfort of my ride. After I got used to it, I decided it was the right choice, and I like that the rigid forks don't absorb as much of my energy when I pedal.