Coil vs Air Shocks: MTB Suspension Explained
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ค. 2024
- What's best? Coil vs air shocks. Today we're back at the pseudo-science to help you decide if you should run a coil or air shock on your mountain bike. One is grounded and planted while the other is light and poppy. But, is one of them better? Stick around to see the results of all our on-bike testing. This one took a lot of laps.
0:00 Intro/Test Setup
1:21 Results
2:10 Flow Trail
3:35 Tech Trail
5:18 Climbing
6:11 Pump Track
6:54 Sprint
7:52 Un-Timeables
9:28 Conclusion
Read the writeup on our website - www.bebikes.com/the-hub/coil-vs-air-shocks-mtb-suspension-explained - กีฬา
A fair and informative review of both types of shock, and thank you so much for spending time and effort testing, measuring and sharing the findings with us.
Bumped into your channel by mistake. Loving your simple, down to earth reviews. Thanks!! 🤩
Big fan!! 😎
Hey thanks. Glad you like them!
This channel has great things ahead of it. Relevant topics and no click bait gimmicks. Keep it up and looking forward to the next videos.
Thanks for watching!
Nice detailed, unbiased review. To me fastest time and weight isn't the end all. Overall ride quality is what I'm after. Thought your data driven information was spot on. Switched to a coil shock on my downhill sled and love the performance. Not a big jump guy anyone as I approach my 60's and really like the stable, grounded ride quality with a little less "feel" characteristics. Fortunate enough to have a Yeti to compliment my dh bike and am debating on switching it to a coil as well. Your review gave me good info to consider. Happy Trails!
Great video. I just bought a new 150mm travel frame, and was having a hard time deciding between the air and spring, this video helped me deciding for air. Thanks a lot.
Glad it helped!
thanks for posting the times and talking while showing the ride sequence rather than having the ride sequence and then results like a lot of other people do. much more interesting this way.
Thanks for the feedback. These kind of comments help us make better videos! Glad you liked it.
Enjoyed your review, thanks. I own a Ripley v1 and a Giant Reign (2018) with a coil shock. I rode both at Kingdom Trails summer 2019. Obviously, the Ripley climbs better. Later in the year I changed the front ring on the Reign with two less teeth and the Reign climbed much better. At Kingdom I rode a very rough rutted and chunky service road descent on both bikes. I was constantly braking and getting bounced around on the Ripley, On the Reign I never touched the brakes and actually pedaled to go faster! September 2020 I bought a new Mojo HD5 (air shock). It is incredible. I enjoy the HD5 more than the Reign. If I were racing I'd use the Reign but for just plain fun the Mojo is the way to go.
I switched to coil out of curiosity. Feels plushier which is helpful on raw trails here.
I prefer it since I have a limited access on bike shops which can service an air shock.
I don't have much worries on a coil shock.
Terrific video. Same as Joao Jose Leite I was recommended your channel. I'm subbed! I'm in the Lake Tahoe and hope to visit UT by next season. Thanks!
I love the coil for our local trails.the trails here in quebec are pretty raw, but what's hard on a coil is popping on a technical downhill when there's no lip.
If your trails are raw and rugged, and you don't care about jumping, the coil is going to be a solid bet.
I'm serching this vs epics.
Your opinion helped me!
Thank you! :)
I agree with everything you said. Coil is very planted and I do have trouble catching more air off jumps. Air is very versatile and tunable. I honestly just rock a coil for the looks and cool factor 😎😝
I hv a ripmo af wit the dvo coil. Add in the sprindex spring for easy adjustment. Im a big size rider and in my country, we have amazing technical short trails. I am so far happy to have the coil but to hv both will be fun.
Good video and explanation. Well done.
Thanks. Glad you liked it.
After riding with a buddy on the exact same bike seeing how much pop he can get I'm removing my plush dead coil for a fun, poppy jump enhancing air shock. Just hope I don't lose too much of that initial bump absorption I love.
Great video. I have a Ripmo V2 on order with the DVO fork and Jade X coil. I test rode a v2 with the air shock and loved the bike. Ordered it with the coil as I live on Vancouver Island and my regular ride includes a ton of chunk. Worst case is I save up some $$$ and buy the air shock. Thanks for this comparison.
I would imagine folks near Vancouver would do well with the coil. Having both is the best setup. It’s almost like having two bikes.
Easy to find a good 2nd hand air shock for sale at a good price 👌
Thanks for the great review. I have the Jade X and I can agree on most all of this. I actually like it for jumping becuae it doesn't "pop" as much.
what I really want to know is where are these trails. Everytime I watch you videos, I want to ride thes trails!
These trails are Trailside Bike Park in Park City, UT. We have some pretty cool stuff around. Thanks for watching!
Excellent analysis. Thank you.
Glad you liked it!
Good job, and thank you. Very informative, great info!!!!
Glad it was helpful!
Also worth noting that the Jade X is a "trail" coil shock. Different than the original Jade or a DHX2 , CCDB coil, or super deluxe coil. As well, the nuances of coil setup are an important factor to keep in mind. Spring rate, sag, turns on the preload, etc.
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@Archer Marlon thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site on google and im trying it out atm.
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@Archer Marlon It did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. I am so happy!
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@Grey Cullen No problem xD
I loves me a comparison video! Pretty ballsy coming out in favor of the air. Coil is very trendy now. I’ve never tried coil but I really prefer firm and progressive suspension so I think I Know how I’d come out. Thanks for taking the time to do this for us lazy YT viewers😁
I didn’t think I was going to prefer the air either. I also didn’t think coil supporters were this set in their ways. It’s like politics in the comments.
I’ve never been happy on an air shock for riding in the pisgah. For the trails you were riding I could def understand the air preference. I have both like you depending on what I’m doing.
DVO makes a progressive spring that ramps up in the higher travel. try it!
for a propain tyee with very progressive supsension, i dont get the full compression or "clang" even with 30% sag and in open mode. the coil is def not as 'poppy' as my RS SDU but the latter doesnt hug the rocky trails.. it's a matter of ride feel. like you said: for racing, like the world cup downhill - most wins are on coils fwiw.
imho, if you ride hardpack, and jumps, go air. if you ride chunky downhills and lots of loam w/ roots and rocks, go coil.
Obvious Results with Quantifiable Results. Excellent test and review. Thanks.
Glad you liked it. I wish the times were a little more definitive but I couldn’t change that. It is what it is.
@@bikersedge Great job, as always.
I think your correct most riders are just ridding thing like you did in your video. But if you are one of the dh guys that just got an enduro/am bike just because it could do it all and your ridding the same trails on it then coil forsure.
thx for the explanation, very helpful.
Hey thanks. Glad you liked it.
Helpful and informative 😊
Thanks! Glad you liked it.
Love the BE content generally. Glaring fault in this one is that all the test tracks used are pretty much flow trails. Even the tech is mostly flow vs. actual natural/tech trails where the coil shines the most (e.g. The techiest bit of the "tech" trail are some grippy clearly defined straight rockgardens). Take the test to a test track with proper natural trails with off-camber roots etc, particularly when it's a bit damp.
Again, love the BE review videos etc. Just some constructure feedback so your tests don't end up in "GMBN" vein where they do an XC vs. Enduro bike on a flow trail and conclude that "XC bikes can rip too!".
Great video, and at just the right time. My Ripmo ships today and I went with Fox Factory, I'm glad I don't need to spend more $$ to say...meh.
You're going to love the bike!
The Leverage Ratio of the Ripmo is very linear and is not suitable for installing a coil shock.
DW-Link systems works with very low compression damping.
Trailbuilders build a lot of jumps, and people love it.
Right now coil shocks don't have Bottom Out adjustments.
High end air shocks works really well.
To anyone who runs coils, try progressive springs. MRP makes them.
From the automotive world I'm used to "helper" springs, nice to see a similar concept being utilized for MTB.
Send it!!
Helper springs add zero function to your spring rate. They are only there to keep the spring seated during full droop. Mountain bike coils don't need this function, since you can easily match spring length to damper length or add spacers.
But yeah, progressive coils are cool for bikes. I'm using a Sprindex adjustable coil to dial in the perfect rate.
I ended up trying a progressive spring after filming. Just out of curiosity. It seemed to be a little bit of the best parts about both platforms. The weight penalty is pretty big but I think if you’re considering coil, you’re not overly concerned about weight.
@@skullsroad3642 thanks for the reply. Perhaps I should have explained better. In reference to the "concept" in which I mentioned, just as the helper springs take up the preload job the main can be engineered appropriately and specifically to have dedicated dynamic performance qualities while the craft is loaded and in motion. So having the helpers your suspension setup will have the qualities of preload and/or shock seating(helper), but also it's tuned linear qualities(main) for its given application.
Progressive springs follow suit, albeit within a singular spring body whereby along the length of the spring the rate differs, usually by the end(s).
This is why I used "similar" when referring to the "concept".
So for example, running a dhx2, ill change to MRP Progressive spring on there, maintaining the tracking and bump compliance of the linear fox spring, while the progressive portion helps to ramp up and not blow through my strut stroke. Then I'll truly have the best of both worlds, X2 and DHX2 in one package.
If you have any disagreement, let me know.
Great video and content. Before reading this comment I was going to mention "progressive coil". I run one on my sb150 and really like vs sls coil. Cane Creek progressive vault spring is much lighter than MRPs btw...good content!
Alot of the differences you noticed could be down to damper / damper set up. And not just the difference between coil and air.
Do the Air Shocks prevent the getting pogo rider launched off the rear and over the bars when the spring unloads off the coil suspension?
@@antdx316 No. It has nothing to do with the type of spring. (Air vs coil)
That is mostly dependant on how good the rebound damper is at controlling rebound.
Great video. When testing the coil, which setting did you use for compression on the coil shock? I’ve heard the open setting is great for dh tech and the trail setting is great for support (jumping and such) I currently have an 150 mm air shock that’s pretty good but suffers at the park. So I bought a Jade X for riding park , but I’m yet to test it. Your input would be helpful. Thanks in advance.
Love your content, especially for having more of a ''scientific'' approach. However, having 'speed' as one of the main metrics when comparing shocks does not seem very reasonable since the experiments are not performed equally given the variability of conditions (riders fatigue, picking different lines etc. which I'd guess are the main factors for speed) Keep up the great work!
Thanks for the feedback. That’s why I do multiple times laps so I can average out all the inconsistencies. Plus I’m immune to fatigue. Too strong.
Some Coil shock Dampers have IFP pressure adjust for bottom out resistance and there are progressive springs available from DVO, Cane Creek, and MRP..Not sure about the Jade X but I thought you could adjust something similar on that shock(bladder pressure?), I have a progressive spring on my own bike and it was designed for an air shock. To me the ride feels poppy like the air shock but more supple and active than air and no bottom out, kind of the best of both worlds.. I also love that once the correct spring is selected and the shock is dialed in, I don't have to use a shock pump on it ever, it requires less maintenance, and always feels the same every time i get on it... For me that makes the coil simpler, easier, and my ride more fun. Having said that It took me awhile to arrive at the correct spring rate, a DVO progressive spring 425-500# @ 130 USD.
The DVO does have an air bladder to help out with bottom out control. Maybe the Ripmo isn't the perfect platform for the coil shock, but I certainly preferred the air on that bike.
I've used the Rockshox Super Deluxe Air and the Coil. Both are great and definitely prefer the feel of the coil just how stable the bike feels. I was lucky enough that my bike came with a coil out of the box.
I ran both on my Megatower. On that bike in particular the coil was amazing.
Biker's Edge I guess the one thing you didn’t go into detail (I heard you touch on it though) is that certain bike kinematic just lend themselves better for coil setups. For those that don’t - there is also the option of progressive springs. So... maybe you could follow up on whether a progressive spring fixes some of the issues you experienced this time- I.e bottom out, and whether the progressivity (if that’s a word) can make the bike feel more “poppy”.
I run one on my Transition patrol, and it addresses the harsh bottom out. But the large bottom out bumper on coils means you also have effectively lost some travel too... meaning you reach bottom out earlier than an air shock. So going off topic, this could be another video on setting up your coil to feel it’s best
@@GallantLee I like the idea for a future video. Progressive vs linear spings. I rode an MRP progressive spring after filming and ended up liking it more than the linear. I'd still take the air shock on the Ripmo though.
Biker's Edge totally!
@@bikersedge I was so ready t forget everything id just seen and decided to keep the air on my mega until I read this comment ..sh&^
Thx bro. Really helpful!
Glad you liked it!
Top work 👍👍👍
Thanks ✌️
Great comparison of the shocks! Do you think if you had more options with the spring rate in the coil that you could avoid the bottom out issue that you were running into? Great job with the comparison I think you hit the nail on the head.
Sprindex is a really good option for coils. Let’s you quickly adjust spring rate in a reasonable range
Sprindex looks really cool. It would be a good option. I think the solution would be a progressive spring but even that still isn’t as lively as the air shock.
Good video. Thanks. Any thoughts on air shock performance over varying temperature conditions? As the shock heats up--or on a really hot day vs a cold day--the pressure (aka spring rate) increases. Methinks a coil will perform the same on the bottom 200 vertical feet of a rough and rowdy 4,000 ft descent, where the air shock is getting harsher...(?)
Agreed. The coil will be more consistent top to bottom than the air shock.
Be cool if you did the test with a MRP progressive spring that ramps up compared to air.
I rode that after just out of curiosity. I liked it more than the linear spring. Still wasn’t as lively as the air shock though.
@@bikersedge so did you put their progressive spring into the Jade?
@@brianmullin524 Yes I used a 500lb MRP progressive spring.
@@bikersedge hi mate, what spacers were needed to do this?
@@juslookinatyas I just pulled the ones from the stock Ibis shock and swapped them over to the DVO.
Thanks for the great review! I was wondering how do you think the jade x would perform on the Rallon for general trail riding vs the air shock?
Thanks
I think you explain right !! That’s why I got my Coil Jade x ... I’m going to do Gnarly rocks routes so it’s the best for me and if we can afford both ... it’s a great suggestion!!
If you mainly ride rocks it’s tough to beat a coil!
Biker's Edge you know what Connor it’s hard for me because I also do mellow and trails routes but I’m about to start to do gnarly and rocks (Bootleg Canyon) with my ripmo .... so I found this video really useful
Glad I could help! If I owned a Ripmo I’d probably try to buy both shocks.
I did a far less scientific comparison and I’m a mediocre+ rider and totally get it comes down to preference.
On my Ripmo-AF I took the Jade-X for a 3-4 hour ride on trails I’m very familiar with this week in the PNW. WAY smoother on the rougher trails, I was able to ride noticeably faster through the chunder, especially in “point and shoot” sections. Glued to the ground if you will.
Downsides……..coil is noticeably more sluggish/less poppy on the flow/jump trails and felt the weight a bit towards the end of the day (I also need to play with the settings more and try a progressive spring which just arrived in the mail). I think the air shock felt like it rocketed me through corners a bit more decisively. (I may just need more practice with the coil cornering).
Not surprisingly, in short, I like them both for different reasons and as mentioned by others.
One last upside…….it honestly felt like I had two different bikes for an extra $650 (includes spring). Not bad in today’s tight bike market.
It's also all about how the leverage ratio on the frame is. Ripmo v2 goes from 3.18 and drops down to 2.52. My bike start at 3.15 and goes to 2.25 so it's naturally more progressive and will suit a coil better than the ripmo. Not that the ripmo is terrible with coil, but I'm not sure it's a completely ideal candidate.
Agreed. Some bikes are better suited than others.
Great video, better thumbnail
Why thank you. The $20 fog machine is worth its weight in gold.
First time coil user. Is it normal to have sound from the coil shock on every compressions? Thanks great comparison as always.
Or an x2 for the best of both worlds? My Devinci AC came with a dhx2 coil, works really well in the East Kootenays jank, I also picked a up a cheap dpx2 performance elite, definitely not as supple in the rocks, a little less traction, better bottom out support and more support to push off in corners. Definitely makes the bike more Poppy and playful too. 38 rides nice, compared to the 36 it's not mind blowingly supple off the top but definitely notice the less deflection in chunk and overall stiffness. I'm around 265lbs and the bikes another 55lb so it's definitely noticable for me.
I personally don’t think the X2 is the best of both worlds. It’s a little more dead feeling than the DPX2 but it’s still an air shock so you don’t get the coil (low friction) benefits. The small bump sensitivity isn’t good enough for me to justify the amount of “pop” you lose vs the DPX2.
The X2 is the shock that made me realize I'd like a coil. I had a DPS, swapped to an X2, loved the ride but hated the reliability and cost of maintenance, got a Jade coil and never looked back.
@@skullsroad3642 that will be the coil I'll get for my wife's bike. The compact reservoir will work well in the small frame, she's definitely more about traction and stability than jumping.
Nice review! Love these pseudo science tests!Did you use the climb switch on the coil for any of the tests? I can definitely notice the difference on the climbs, sprints , etc with the climb switch on my coil. Obviously , it’s not something you want to have to depend on switching on a dh.
I know it’s expensive and should perform well , but the EXT storia v3 with the hydraulic bottom out is the real deal. Helps a lot on big hits. Climb switch is the best I have used as well. Lastly, the sprindex coil is assume to be able to adjust spring rate. Easier to adjust then air even! In sum, like air shocks - not all coils are made equal either.
The EXT looks promising. I haven’t been able to ride with that shock yet. The Sprindex is a great solution for fine tuning. I mostly left it out of this video just to keep things simple. And I left out progressive spring as that’s likely the topic for a future video.
I don't have an opinion yet but getting a Jade to try it out and for my first enduro race. Thinking the coil may be a good fit with S. Utah local trails vs. trail side
For sure. I think in southern Utah a coil will be great. Depends on the bike and riding style.
You should do a linear vs progressive coil comparison and if you want to go above and beyond throw an air shock in there
It sounds like that will be on the list of videos to make. I ended up riding a progressive spring after and liked it more.
@@bikersedge how progressive was the coil u rode? How much % stiffer was the end stroke compared to the base stiffness and where in the stroke did the ramp up start?
I like a linearly progressive springrate and feel like the progressive coils ramp up way too late and sudden in their travel. Wish they'd just progress linearly from start to finish.
For the coil, you had two main issues, one being the bottom out resistance, and the other being less pop than an air spring. Could this potentially be a tuning issue? One could use a slightly firmer spring in a coil and have tonnes of bottom out resistance while still having comparable small bump compliance to an air spring. For the pop, or even the bottom out resistance, this can probably be tuned through compression. Tuning in more LSP will give you more pop off of lips as it will give you more support through the takeoff, and more HSP will give you better bottom out resistance. But, of course that is only if you can easily change these settings. The same would go for an air shock as well.
I know this is not mountain bike related, but who makes that shirt? Really like it! 👍
Wish I could tell ya. Can't remember honestly.
How is you weight and how was the spring mass? Progressive coil? Steel or titan?
But coils look better so I know where my money's at!
Looks>everything else.
But where can you put that Fox sticker on a coil?
Minus points
@@airhogglider Orange colour spring? I guess everyone know orange is foxs colour...
Orange Fox coil 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Jump line you should have kept it in trail mode. I have the DVO Jade X and have never bottomed it out. Wondering if you had the incorrect spring or rebound? The Jade X was hands down better than my X2 over everything. I will say the air shock is a bit springier but all around the coil was easily much butter overall. Bike is a 2020 Tracer...it really likes a coil. The coil was also way better then they air as well. Glued to the ground. I climb in trail mode. I should say that I ride a lot of chunk here in So Cal. Bike is also progressive as well.
I had the correct spring and setup. I spent a lot of time testing options before I settled on what I used for the test. I'll agree that I'll take a Jade X over the X2 all day. I'm still taking the DPX2 over the Jade X, at least on the Ripmo. Each bike is going to handle coil vs air differently.
@@bikersedge Nice, glad you had it setup correctly. I did like my DPX2 on my last bike, it could just be that my current bike I feel like is made for a coil.
@@ericbarkhurst2951 I don't disagree. Some bikes work better than others. My Megatower was much better with the coil.
What do you recommend for a very heavy rider as me (313 lbs) who needs firmness in the back end of the bike to climb better? Also, I'm afraid I'll keep scraping the pedals because of my weight... But, FS bikes are appealing, I just don't know if they work for me...
I’d look at some hardtails like the Norco Torrent or full suspension bikes with a lot leverage ratio. Sometime e bikes have better kinematics for bigger folks. The Santa Cruz Hightower and Heckler come to mind as good options.
Where did you do these tests? These trails look awesome.
Trailside Bike Park
hey man these trails look amazing! where is that place?? thanks
This was filmed at Trailside Bike Park in Park City, Utah.
I'm interested in how the DVO Topaz T3 air that comes on the Ibis Ripmo AF compares to the DVO Jade coil and Fox DPX2 air shock, would you still prefer the DVO Topaz air for 95% of riding
It’s funny but that’s one shock I’ve never ridden on the Ripmo. I’ve ridden it with four different shocks now and that’s not one.
@@bikersedge I reckon a Topaz would have got you 98% of the way there. The lack of IFP makes it probably the nicest air shock around.
These runs are really short though. The 1.4% difference on the tech trail for example would be around 13 second difference over a fifteen minute descent and the two second difference on the two minute climb equates to a whole minute on a one hour climb. That would be a significant difference for anyone who might be racing.
For sure. That’s a good point.
@@bikersedge I appreciate you taking the time and effort to measure it though!
I also have a jade, but I think the coil is way better than the air. Your bike's linkage is very linear while my bike (Canfield Riot) is very progressive.
Agreed. it will certainly depend on the bike. Some will work better with coil than others.
What about maintenance? I just got my DPX2 fully serviced and it costed me over $200. Are coil shocks easier/cheap to maintain? I've been told I should service my shock about once a year, and with a price between $150 to $230 every time, I'm considering switching to coil. Also removes the possibility of the shock blowing out. Any thoughts?
Yeah coil shocks generally require a little less maintaining. Less seals and stuff to deal with. No sir can to service.
If you want bottom out control on a coil try a EXT Racing Shox shock.
That one looks really promising!
What are your opinions on fork coil vs. air? Looking at a Ripmo AF, the new models have a Bomber Z1 coil fork and Marzocchi air shock. Having a hard time deciding between this or finding a year older with the DVO air components.
I’ve spent very little time riding coil forks. In my experience they haven’t been mind blowingly different.
Do the Air Shocks prevent the getting pogo rider launched off the rear and over the bars when the spring unloads off the coil suspension?
No. They’re both springs. Suspension settings and technique are what keep you from getting bucked.
Anyone know what trail this is? Or just got any rad suggestions I’m planning a big across the country trip and this one looks SICK
Trailside Bike Park in Park City Utah
What drive train were, or do you run on your V2 Ripmo ? I have the V2 Full XT and have found the cable port in the rear of the chainstay to be a design problem. As the suspension activates, it pulls the housing forward and kinks the cable at the derailleur causing the shifting to go to hell. I spent hours trying to tell Ibis about the problems, and they just basically told me to pound sand. They said there were no issues, yet they offered a hundred solutions that someone there had done for a problem that supposedly doesn’t exist. I think the port is perfect for a Sram 12:31 derailure, but sucks for Shimano. The V2s has a revised port that works great for Shimano and the rear triangle is compatible with the frame but they have no intention on offering to let anyone purchase one. I’m not happy with their lack of customer service, especially when you buy a 7g bike.🤷🏼♂️
EVOL DPS shock issue: impossible to disconnect shock pump without loosing lots of air, 15-25PSI...on 2 diff. pumps, one having "no leak " valve. I am starting to think shock valve is shot. Thoughts ?
I will refer you to this article on that point. They explain it better than I could here on TH-cam. In short, you’re not losing air taking the pump off. You’re losing it when you attach the pump. Air has to fill the hose and pump. enduro-mtb.com/en/air-loss-shock-pump/
Weird, never heard a review saying air is better. For me, coil always was better, traction, confidence, plush feeling...I have Transition Sentinel with Push coil, it is amazing, poppy, live with a lot of traction I need. It also depends where you ride, I only ride rough single tracks, technical, jumps usually are natural rocks etc, flat landings, rocky terrain...so...coil for me. Air is more lively but need better technical abilities to work with it. Now days I am moving from enduro to trail bike, all air, shorter travel...I guess I am moving towards the one bike that will do 85% YT IZZO, and will keep my enduro for shuttle days
Air isn’t better for everyone. I just think most average riders will be happier on an air shock than a coil. Some folks will be better off on coil. Just depends on riding style really.
@@bikersedge I tend to recommend all should try coil. Once dialed, you enjoy overall better suspension. But that's me😉
Did you use the climb switch on the coil on the climb and sprint?
No. I left it open on both shocks for consistency.
Did you ride the same sag with both shocks? Sounds like maybe the coil was softer sprung than the air?
I was wondering the same..
I ran just under 30 on both shocks.
do you think a higher springrate coil would feel livelyer, compared to what you tested
No. I think it would just feel oversprung and harsh. Would defeat the purpose of doing a coil I think.
This bike frame isn’t ready for heavy duty of using coil shock. Simply the frame doesn’t have that much progression to run coil without bottoming out issues.
While the Ripmo isn't super progressive like some others, it is coil compatible at least according to Ibis. But I do think other bikes that are more progressive are better suited for coils.
Been running Cane creek db coil rear with a climb switch and helm coil fork. When you get used to setting them up they will smash your air shocks. Way more lively, compliant and easier to pop and clear jumps with the coil. Only people who can't tune a coil properly prefer air. It takes time. I love jumping and it so much easier with the coil. It's a shame nearly all coil reviews are by air users trying coil, not coil users trying air. A bit biased.
To be fair I’ve had many bikes with coil shocks. In fact I’ve ridden them almost exclusively for the last two years. I can confidently say I know how to tune them. In this case on the Ibis Ripmo I certainly preferred the air to the coil.
You weighed 185, what spring did you use?
Settled on a 500 after trying a few.
are coil shocks more sensitive?
Yes. There’s way less friction than with air shocks so they respond better to impacts.
Really enjoy these reviews. Just like enduro/gravity oriented tires, coils are not needed nor are adequate unless you're balls out race pace aggressive...or niche.
Agreed. Although I think some riders who simply don’t care about jumps will like the feel of a coil for bumpier terrain. Not necessarily hard chargers. Just not jumpers.
I recommend enduro/gravity tyres to a lot of riders who aren’t going race pace. These range from riders who aren’t that smooth, to people riding very rocky terrain, to heavier riders... that’s the great thing about the sport. There’s no right or wrong, and there’s no need exclude things. Just great to have options and for the tinkerers like myself, different experiences
@@GallantLee Thanks, understood. Although slower and heavier, what i do get from enduro tires is confidence and placebo of looking at the bike sitting there looking like a monster truck with that aggressive tread.
I look at this "objectively" and I've analyzed that its not "needed". Much like a 2021 BMW M5 in a small brick road town in Europe. Absolute overkill!
To each is there own. We buy what we want/can afford.
Like East Coast North Americans buying 160mm enduro bikes as their only bike, visiting bike parks upto
@@fcbotieno Well said! With todays technology, so many things comes down to personal preference. No "right or wrong!"
Nice video. I heard the ripmo has a falling rate at the end of its travel apparently, meaning it loses progressiveness. Maybe that’s why you bottomed out so easily. Wonder if you’d find the same results on a Bronson or something with a higher leverage ratio.
Yeah the Ripmo isn’t necessarily the best platform for a coil. It’s going to vary bike to bike but in most cases I still prefer the air shock. I did some experimenting with could and air shocks on my Sentinel (very progressive) and I still prefer the air.
Sure, each to their own. I prefer coil because I’m a Clyde and ride a lot of tight, rocket trails in New England. None of the open trails you ride. Also with coil you don’t need to adjust for air temperature. Huge advantage up here.
Sure, each to their own. I prefer coil because I’m a Clyde and ride a lot of tight, rocket trails in New England. None of the open trails you ride. Also with coil you don’t need to adjust for air temperature. Huge advantage up here.
Sure, each to their own. I prefer coil because I’m a Clyde and ride a lot of tight, rocket trails in New England. None of the open trails you ride. Also with coil you don’t need to adjust for air temperature. Huge advantage up here.
Sure, each to their own. I prefer coil because I’m a Clyde and ride a lot of tight, rocket trails in New England. None of the open trails you ride. Also with coil you don’t need to adjust for air temperature. Huge advantage up here.
So basically, for a regular average rider they should go for the air fork because its more comfortable and lively. For a downhill rider they should go for the coil because it plows through rock gardens and rough terrain at higher speeds with less bounce.
Sums it up pretty well.
What's the name of the song in the intro? Thanks!
No idea to be honest. It’s royalty free music from a stock music site. Sorry!
@@bikersedge cool how you mix audio and short POV on the MTB, really like your channel and the contents. I might recommend you a comparison between Oiz and Occam, Rallon in case you have one. I have an Orbea, woild be cool to see how they compete to each other. Have a nice WE!
Thanks for the kind words and for the feedback!
2:30 what trail is this
Trailside Bike Park
Set up is everything, air 30% sag coil 25% sag, the frame is a compromise to accommodate both, the fact the supplied shock was not a large volume air suggest very low progression in the frame maybe 25% or less, If the initial sag set up was incorrect all the tuning knobs in the world won't fix it!
Agreed. Setup is everything. That said coil isn’t always going to be the perfect option for every rider on every bike. I’ve tried different coils on close to 20-30 bikes at this point and in most cases I still prefer air.
@@bikersedge Fair enough, I prefer the consistency of coil over air but I think being a heavier rider is probably a factor for me!
@@justincase7109 I’m also on the heavier side. I think it just comes down to preference. Really just trying to correct the “coil is superior” mindset and show that it’s just different - not better.
Find the correct setup for Jade X, i mean psi,rebound clicks,spring rate and you ll never bother with air again! Service cost ....(what??? does it need)
Not always the case. Some bikes are just better with air.
DHX RC4 best shock there ever was.
Anybody know where this bike park is?
Trailside
Park City, Utah?
Correct
You need a progressive coil. Then you have the best of both!
Still think it depends on the bike and rider. Coil isn’t the superior option. Just a different option.
@@bikersedge most of your complaints would have been solved by a progressive spring on the coil. Cane Creek makes one.
@@byronswogger I've ridden one on this exact setup. Still prefer the air shock. It's a pretty common misconception in the industry that coil = superior. Granted, the Ripmo may not be the best platform for a coil in the first place.
My girlfriend said she's getting a copper coil so we can shred harder.
Can't wait to hit the trails!
The copper IUDs make them a bit more smelly down there, and can cause pain. Which will mean you shred her less hard.
@@BramBiesiekierski I think she meant I don't have to worry about blowing my cheese in her gash
My girlfriend lets me blow in her everytime. Except for a few days window around her ovulation, where I have to pull out. She has an app that tracks her cycle and knows when its possible to get pregnant. So good.
No condoms. No painful IUDs. No random hormonal mood swings. Not babies.
Guys the best answer to this is Get whatever you like get whatever looks the coolest to you.
Why?
These shocks are so advance and performs so good that you can choose either of the two.
Shocks now are so advance they make black trails a blue now.
Those world cup guys who fly like a madman 10 years ago their shock dont even come close to what we have now.
I agree with what Doddy said on GMBN Tech Bikes now are so advance they dull the feeling of rough trails.
Rocky step hills and roots feels like nothing with modern day bikes.
Get the shock that looks coolest to you and your money can buy.
Im saving for the DVO cuz its lime green my bike is a Bright Yellow Slayer C50 so Green will match.
While I agree that most shocks these days are really good, I can't advise that anyone buy one based on the color. There's a big difference in damper performance between shocks. there's also a huge difference between coil and air shocks. Some bikes will work better with one and not the other.
Float x2 > DPx
lol I though the coil was gonna be better for jumps
You got it wrong because I have blown an air shock 12 miles out and it just plain out sucked! Never again coil for life and you can fine tune the coil and it is not to hard to do with the proper shim stack! But you are right the average rider will just be happy with the air shock! But once you start dialing in the coil it is buttery smooth! I even changed out my spring on my DIAMOND for the OTT and it cost me $180 but so worth it. Just listen to Chris Porter from Geometron bikes talk about it he knows his stuff and it is funny when you hear KOOKS talk about stuff that they don't know anything about! Have a good day and I like the channel!!
Luckily I’ve never blown out an air shock. To each their own I guess.
You need to share the setup of each shock for it to be a fair comparison. If you run a fast rebound on you Air Shock but have a coil that puts you at 30% sag then it is not a fair comparison. Both shocks require some level of puzzling to achieve the best ride. Interesting video but IMO flawed in it's method.
I’m not seeing how rebound on the air equals sag on coil... shouldn’t spring rate be compared to spring rate and rebound to rebound?
I spent quite a bit of time dialing in each shock before filming. I tried to get the spring rate as close as possible between the two. I went through multiple shocks and setups before deciding on the ones I used for the video. I felt the ones I used best represented their category.
Next test: install a progressive coil spring.
I did run a progressive spring after this test. My thoughts didn’t really change at all.
Ripmo isn't a very progressive frame... Needs a progressive spring.
I rode it with a progressive spring as well. Still prefer the air.
No,No,No! how come ? coil shocks,are seeing a revival, in enduro,and DH bikes?