Best replacement rear shock?
 

Hi all, thought i'd open myself up to advice and opinions (all very welcome!) here with this question:

What's the best replacement rear shock for my bike?

Facts:

Bike is a 2015 Kona Precept DL
The current rear shock is a RockShox Monarch R.
required specs are 7.5x2.0 (190mm x 51mm)

I've swapped out the brakes, discs, levers, derailleurs, cranks, cassette, chain for new XT and i'm mostly super happy, but i'd like a lock-out rear shock.
I thought the Monarch RL would be a fine replacement, but I like the idea of Fox's CTD settings. Then I see that DT Swiss and Manitou do some nice stuff too, and then i get lost in the internet...

Any thoughts?

So, you still have the original fork?

If so, I'd leave the shock alone and replace the fork first. If you think the fork is fine, it seems like the shock would be fine then as well?


..wait. What/where are you riding that makes you want a lockout?

Hey Colin, yep the stock fork is still on the bike, I'll be heading to the states in a couple of months and probably pick up a fork well beyond my skills or requirements then, but in the interim, locking out the rear shock would be helpful on my daily riding. I've moved on from the "a bike for every purpose" school of thought and am liking the idea of one bike to just do everything. So with a second set of wheels to give me road-going tread, I'm using the same bike for riding to work, riding to the shops, riding with my daughters, as well as hoofing it down single-track and regular bmx-for-adults type fun.

So its really just to give me a bit less bob and bounce on the cycleways, and if I remember to flick the lever, I might even see some benefits in the forest too!

The Pike fork is amazing, I can't even come close to riding hard enough for it to be a limiting factor. I have been very happy with the Fox Float shock. I believe the fork is a much more noticeable change, though.

If I were buying a new air shock for a short- to mid-travel bike today I would buy a Rockshox Monarch RT3. The debonair can is a big improvement for making an air spring more linear, to the extent that everyone is copying it.

I have read far too many reliability problems with Cane Creek DBinline or DB air CS shocks to consider or recommend one.

I second the Monarch RT3. It's been a proven and reliable platform and a big improvement over the Fox CTD, or even the Trek DRCV units.