REAR SHOCK: COIL/AIR?

[srands]

FULL SUSPENSION BIKES, the REAR SHOCK on those that are

~ COIL SHOCK, what keeps the ADJUSTER LOCKRING from vibrating loose? A guess here, but has this got anything to do with TENSION! Or do riders constantly re-check their rear coil shock adjuster lockring!

~ AIRSHOCK, at a glance is air pressure, with - and + KNOB ADJUSTER for softness/hardness, so I guess this KNOB ADJUSTER won't vibrate loose.
And also an excellent feature, a []TRAVEL O-RING! See how far you have gone, in travel cm! The coil shocks lack this feature.

NOTE:
~ SUSPENSION FORKS the adjusters are normally robust, and I've never had any move of their own accord (Or even vibrate to a different setting: higher/lower).

At a glance the ORDER of REAR SHOCK ABSORBERS, appears to be the following in some MTB manufacturers 2011 range:
~ BUDGET COIL SHOCK (REALLY CHEAP BUDGET MTB's)
~ BUDGET COIL SHOCK (ENTRY LEVEL QUALITY FULL SUS DH)
~ BUDGET AIR SHOCK (ENTRY LEVEL QUALITY FULL SUS XC)
~ QUALITY AIR SHOCK (FULL SUS HOBBY DH)
~ QUALITY COIL SHOCK (FULL SUS RACE DH)

PICTURE EXAMPLES:
~ BUDGET COIL SHOCK (REALLY CHEAP BUDGET MTB's)

~ BUDGET COIL SHOCK (ENTRY LEVEL QUALITY FULL SUS DH/HOBBY)

~ QUALITY AIR SHOCK (ENTRY LEVEL QUALITY FULL SUS XC)

~ QUALITY COIL SHOCK (FULL SUS RACE DH)

Of course these styles of MTB FULL SUSPENSION, have different purposes:
~ Differing skill
~ Different terrain
~ Different budgets

I know what I want:
QUALITY AIR SHOCK (ENTRY LEVEL QUALITY FULL SUS XC)
Something like the CUBE XMS, would do me, I mostly ride countryside or town, but lots of jumps and drops off would be cushioned more by FULL SUSPENSION, well I'd certainly buckle/replace my rims less often, and I could run higher tyres pressures (Less pinch punctures!), sounds good to me!

This is a a good explaination/animation of how SHOCKS work (A series of ONE way valves)
SOMETHING you DH jocks will find interesting if u don't like WORDS, & that.

 

[Scarfacexxx08]

I find if the bike has upto say 140mm of travel you're best off going for an air shock, you have a lot more control on set up

140mm up and i would say you're looking at a freeride/DH bike and are good aslong as you have the correct strength spring for your weight although they do tend to bob more

 

[Birdman]

Quite a good guide here for those struggling with shock setup

http://locotuning.co.uk/tech-info.html

I have never has an issue with adjusters vibrating loose on rear shocks BTW in over 10 years of full sus riding

 

[srands]

The OLD days. The NEW days.

Years ago, nearly every MTB was rigid:
basic bike has cheap groupsets and heavy steel frames, and
expensive bike has expensive groupset and lighter weight alloy frames.

But the headsets, b/b's and brakes were rubbish, and always needed continued maintenance and replacement.

Yes buying and owning a buying these days is relatively maintenance free.

But with the huge range of bikes (XC, DH, JUMP, ROAD, HYBRID, BMX, etc) and accessories, our dissatification grows quickly, perhaps we think change will definitely improve our ride. But perhaps the shocks on our full suspension bikes, are too soft for a reason, um ah about it for a while then either go for UPGRADED forks/rear shock, OR yet another this years FULL SUSPENSION MTB.

Then one thinks about a more simplified approach, but this is utter nonsense. Suddenly ridiculous thoughts about universal bikes, one size or Expanding/Shrinking frames, just need to put in an industrial sized microwave (It isn't Matt Schulze's I hope: Fast & Furious/Blade2 actor) or near a very large hair dryer, etc to increase/reduce size.

But instead of evolving the folding bike, into expanding/shrinking, we have become civilised cycling cohabitants of the world that recognises, we all are different heights/leg lengths, hence the introduction of different sized frames, such as: 16", 18", 20". Incredible isn't it.

Still, some MTB acronyms could be misleading at the least, some could say confusing:
HT = RIGID FRAME with or without FRONT SUSPENSION!
FS = FULL SUSPENSION

However I would have said:
RF = RIGID FRAME/FORKS
FS = FRONT SUSPENSION
RS = REAR SUSPENSION (I mean how many full suspension MTB's do you know of that don't have suspension forks, that would be ludicrous.)

 

[T'boo Ted]

You do realise that you're on retrobike...?

 

[srands]

FULL SUSPENSION (REAR SUSPENSION) is an old concept

"FULL SUSPENSION" (REAR SUSPENSION) is an old concept.

COIL SHOCKS have been about YEARS, and have been the prevalent (THE ONLY!) option for REAR SHOCKS for a long time, only recently do the quality XC MTB's in shops now have AIRSHOCKS.

As consumers/buyers, we question are AIRSHOCKS worth having, YET?

Or are they too SOFT (Even at their hardest), will they fail when bottoming out (Bust seals, and loss of pressure/hardness, etc)?, and in comparison to COILSHOCKS are they an inconvenience because some AIRSHOCKS lose air often and need pumping up frequently?

Or perhaps some AIRSHOCKS lose air more easily once a little used (That is after 100+ miles)?

 

[T'boo Ted]

I'd also say that air shock have been around for "years" too... the yeti ARC-AS from like 93 used one. its more a case of cheap shock, coil, short travel 2-5inch air shock, long travel- coil shock (as a vague guidline as I'm sure you can use both in either capacity).
Coil shocks can leak oil just like an air shock can leak both. The trade off I guess is weight and maybe also being able to fit it in the frame.

air have been around about as long as coil, its just that they were harder to get to work early on and now its is more applying the best technology to the situation rather than one is better than the other.

oh cannondale SE1000, there is a rear suspension frame, with no front suspension..

 

[MikeD]

I don't want to be rude, but what the hell are you on about?

 

[T'boo Ted]

me or him?

 

[srands]

COIL & AIR rear shocks

I don't want to be rude, but what the hell are you on about?

2 DIFFERENT TYPES of REAR SHOCKS for FULL SUSPENSION MTB's: COIL or AIR

COIL:

AIR: