Home | Reviews | Older Categories Bikes | Older Rear Shocks

Login  |  Register
RST RST-22 Rear Shock

MSRP $
# of Reviews 27
Average Rating 2.81/5
More Products from RST

Submit a Review









Submitted by aaron98433 a Weekend Warrior from pacific northwest
Date Reviewed: July 6, 2008
Favorite Trail:any singletrak/mountain
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Purchased At:came stock with bike
Strengths:Better than no suspension
Great if you are just messing around
Weaknesses:Rebound kicks you in the arse, literally
Head seperates from piston repeatedly

Similar Products Used:This was my first full suspension bike
Bike Setup:IronHorse Sinister purchased in '04; upgrades to everything except frame and wheels
Bottom Line:I used this shock for almost 4 years and technically it has held up but I have finally killed it; no problems for the first year but the attachment head kept seperating from piston and is impossible to tighten well even using loctite; pretty annoying when you come off a big jump and your bike falls apart underneath you; threads are completely stripped out. I am upgrading to FoxShox ASAP. If you are looking for a rear shock, look much further and dig deeper in your wallet. If your new bike comes with this, use it while you wait for a replacement.
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Michael X a Racer from PA
Date Reviewed: September 22, 2006
Favorite Trail:State game lands trail No.156
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $60.00
Purchased At:the bicycle outlet
Strengths:can azorb every thing iv' given it (18 foot no down ramp)
Weaknesses:threds on the shock head
Similar Products Used:none
Bike Setup:Mongoose PRO
Bottom Line:I have taken it off of some sweet jumps. I took it off huge jumps for 3 months non stop then one day the shock head sepreted from the shock. I repeletedly fixed it then the threads became so screwed up that it is un fixable and I need to get a new one!
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Rhys Lennings a Downhiller from Australia
Date Reviewed: May 7, 2005
Favorite Trail:Blackstone
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Purchased At:REdcliffe cycles
Strengths:sturdy, looks alright
Weaknesses:stiff, leakes, no rebound, hardly any travel, barely moves, bad quality
Bike Setup:Giant ATX 970 (now sold)
Bottom Line:Don't like it. Hardly moves, leaks, has no rebound and its not very good quality. All i can say is that it lasts. it has put up with 9 years off abuse including downhill and jumping and it hasn't broken
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

Submitted by stavros a Cross Country Rider from Greece
Date Reviewed: July 10, 2004
Favorite Trail:many
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Strengths:it's ok. I have been using it for almost 5 years and it's still ok. It was already "assembled" on the bike. I have tested it quite hard (crazy downhills, taking big air...)
Weaknesses:"small" travel. Also, it's hard and doesn't absorb big bumps well
Similar Products Used:none
Bike Setup:Raleigh MAX LITE FS3 (1999 model). Front suspension Sr Suntour DC80, rear RST22, disc brake Diatech Twin Cam, transmision SRAM 9.0 (9 sprockets), aluminium 7005 frame.
Bottom Line:Buy it only if you don't want to spend lots of money. If you go serious & aggresive mountain biking, buy something else better.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by TJ a Cross Country Rider from Brunswick, me, USA!
Date Reviewed: June 27, 2004
Favorite Trail:wherever my tire is
Duration Product Used:6 months
Purchased At:Came with bike
Strengths:Ok shock, doesnt bottom too easy. Seems like it will last, lasted 450 hard miles so far
Weaknesses:No dampning adjustment, pretty stiff
Similar Products Used:cheapo walmart junk
Bike Setup:Schwinn Moab DS3, pretty much stock, FOR NOW!
Bottom Line:Ok shock, works alright. Had the spring off and compression dampning is almost zero, rebound is pretty tight.

Its a pretty good shock, I will probably swap it out if I find a good shock thats adjustable.

Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Bart X a Weekend Warrior from NC USA
Date Reviewed: September 18, 2002
Duration Product Used:3 months
Strengths:Had fairly good damping feel when new. When adjusted right it took 6 foot drops ok. Came stock on my X-10. Would probably be fairly cheap to buy if you could find anybody that actually sells them.
Weaknesses:Not much damping after 3 months of moderate punishment.Not much travel. Spring seems a bit short and too strong. Looks cheap. Wouldn't recommend it as an upgrade unless your bike came from Wallyworld.
Similar Products Used:None
Bike Setup:Stock Diamondback X-10.
Bottom Line:If you don't ride over anything rougher than cracks in the sidewalk this thing would probably last a long time. After a few months of rooty trails the thing feels kind of squishy. This is the first thing to go in favor of a Fox Vanilla.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

Submitted by ricky a Weekend Warrior from st john's newfoundland
Date Reviewed: July 12, 2002
Favorite Trail:clovelly trails
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $150.00
Purchased At:sport chek
Strengths:ummmm it didn't break and it has a fair bit of travel.
Weaknesses:it is a bit springy on the recoil so you have to losen it a lot before that stops. It also keeps on getting lose from my frame.
Similar Products Used:none yet
Bike Setup:20001 nakamura cliffhanger with easton handlebar and salsa grips with rock shox judy tt's
Bottom Line:this sock is a good shock for crosscountry and ok for rocky trails and up to 5 ft drops it takes it well .
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Jools a Weekend Warrior from Sydney, Australia
Date Reviewed: April 16, 2002
Favorite Trail:Sydney North Shore
Duration Product Used:3 months
Purchased At:Warranty on old frame
Strengths:Hasn't broken yet
Weaknesses:Cheap and nasty
Rebound doesn't work
uses a 900 pound spring to make up for the pathetic oil dampening
Heavy
Similar Products Used:Fox Vanilla and Float
Bike Setup:Diamondback X-Link Pro frame - marzocchi mxc front - all XT stuff
Bottom Line:My old Diamondback V-Link snapped and they replaced it under warranty with a new X-Link however the old fox vanilla I had on the V-Link didn't fit on the new bike so they just gave me the RST instead. I'm saving for a new shock as this one is not responsive to small bumps or big hits. Its very soggy and clunks a lot. At least I've had a bike to ride for the past 3 months while I save up money for a nice fox or cane creek shock. I wouldn't recommend that anyone actually pay money for this unless you are in the situation where its an RST shock or no riding for months while you save for a new one.
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Anson Koh a Weekend Warrior from Singapore
Date Reviewed: February 24, 2002
Favorite Trail:East Coast Park. All the way
Duration Product Used:3 months
Strengths:Might be cheap. not sure about the price. It's a simple suspension.
Weaknesses:Can't take big shocks.
Bike Setup:Haro Extreme X0 2001, marzocchi Dirt Jumper II, WTB moto Raptor 2.4.
Bottom Line:It's average, used it for 3 mths on my bike and it seems normal, can take all bumps, but not big ones.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by chris wuilleme a Weekend Warrior from ontario canada
Date Reviewed: November 27, 2001
Favorite Trail:anything rough and gets you in the air
Duration Product Used:3 months
Purchased At:spokeskis
Strengths:cheap so i've heard, seems solid enough i ride hard adn have not bottomed it out yet over 4'+ drops, though i am a light rider (145lb) and the spring is a 750lb.
Weaknesses:no dampening adjustment
Bike Setup:haro extreme x0 with rst 381 tl and deore derailler
Bottom Line:good enough for now but i want something with more stroke mainly to increase my travel if it comes with the bike use it but don't buy it get something better if you are putting out the cash.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Joe Momma a Weekend Warrior from Staunton VA USA
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2001
Favorite Trail:Big Levels
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $10000000000000.00
Purchased At:Supergo (stock on univega 950ds)
Strengths:its got a good price apparently. decals dont fall off.
Weaknesses:it sucks. its really bad.
Similar Products Used:rock shox coupedeluxe
Bike Setup:stock cept for the rear shock.
Bottom Line:this isnt really a good shock. rst should stick to stocking bikes that you buy at wallyworld.
Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Pat Murphy a Weekend Warrior from LaPlata MD
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2001
Duration Product Used:3 months
Purchased At:Bike Doctor
Strengths:It works great for small downhills and hoping roots
Weaknesses:The thing broke
Similar Products Used:none
Bike Setup:Haro extreme X-O 2000
Bottom Line:The c clap which counteracts the pressure of an impact broke off. I contacted the manufacture and the guy told me that this was not a common occurancce but he had seen it before. I noticed the piece missing after bombing off a 3 fter so if this is normal riding for you I would not recommend.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Ant Cullum a Downhiller from Welford Northamptonshire UK
Date Reviewed: May 3, 2001
Favorite Trail:layby (welford)
Duration Product Used:3 months
Purchased At:x-mas gift
Strengths:good over small jumps and bumps . cheap to buy so i have beentold. newcomers should get this . any better dont do it
Weaknesses:Not enough travel for the bigger jumps . or for the more nutty riders who just about jump and drop off every thing
Similar Products Used:RST 53 this is great
Bike Setup:giant atx 970 . planet x bars . vp 550's .rioggi rims rst mozo comp 3+ half inch
Bottom Line:good for small jumps and lumps . i whould go for nothing less than rst 53 if you wont rst rear shock
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:3

Submitted by SEAN D a Downhiller from SAN dIEGO
Date Reviewed: April 9, 2001
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $55.00
Purchased At:BIKE SHOP
Strengths:sOMEWHAT PLUSH, ABSORBS SMALL JUMPS AND BUMPS WELL. bETTER FOR SMALLER RIDERS LIKE ME.cHEAP EASY TO REPLACE
Weaknesses:nOT ENOUGH TRAVEL-nOTHING COMPARED TO THE fOX FLOAT SHOCK
Similar Products Used:FOX FLOAT SHOCK
Bike Setup:GT i-Drive 5.0- rock shox judy c fork-shimano deore drive train.
Bottom Line:Good for smaller riders, and or begginers.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Nick newman a Weekend Warrior from stocton, england
Date Reviewed: March 31, 2001
Favorite Trail:hamsterly forest
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $60.00
Purchased At:skinnergate cycles
Strengths:it works
Weaknesses:not much travel
heavy
Similar Products Used:stratos
Bike Setup:stxrc/lx drivetrain judy tt
deore discs
Bottom Line:good shock for price nothing like fox or rock shox deluxe but works quite well
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Tha Killa a Cross Country Rider from Warsaw, Poland
Date Reviewed: October 31, 2000
Duration Product Used:3 months
Strengths:It's a shock instead of hardtail. 550 lbs. spring
Weaknesses:We'll see through the coming winter.
Similar Products Used:It my first rear shock
Bike Setup:Merida CObra + miscellaneous (front RST Beta TL)
Bottom Line:For me it works great as it's my first full frame. As far as now I don't know what damping really means but it seems to have a good one. Looks solid and as many peapole say coil is much more interesting than air. To tell the truth if you are to buy a rear shock choose RST 22A (with return damping adj.) or RST 56, 58 if want to spend some more money.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by nick Hector a Downhiller from martinez,ca,usa
Date Reviewed: October 20, 2000
Favorite Trail:annadale(long loop) 100 best rides
Duration Product Used:3 months
Strengths:cheap
Weaknesses:spring way too small, flexes when a lot of pressure is place on it, mainly on drops
Similar Products Used:first
Bike Setup:gt i-drive 5.0 all xt rock shock judy tt, xtr wheel sets
Bottom Line:I am basicly waiting for the shock to go boom, although i do ride preaty hard, once it brakes i can buy a fox vanilla
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

Submitted by Adrian Miller a Weekend Warrior from Glasgow, Scotland
Date Reviewed: September 23, 2000
Duration Product Used:3 months
Strengths:Nice and cheap
Quite plush (compared to my last shock)
Weaknesses:Kind of weak
Spring is too small
Similar Products Used:Shockworks thing (OEM on my '98 Saracen Blitz)
Bike Setup:'98 Saracen Blitz with '99 RST-22 shock,'00 Marzocchi Z1 dropoffs
Bottom Line:This is an OK shock, good for someone on a budjet. I like it more than the other thing I used, but that was like having a pogo stick shoved in the frame. The only real problem with it is the strength, I've noticed it flexes a little bit when stress it put on it. Also, the spring I got with it is too short by about 1/4 of an inch
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Luis Rodríguez a Cross Country Rider from San Juan, PR
Date Reviewed: March 29, 2000
Favorite Trail:Cambalache and Susua Forest
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Strengths:None
Weaknesses:I really dont know. I broke mine before finish my ride.
Similar Products Used:ROCK SHOX Deluxe (actual)
Bike Setup:HARO Extreme 2000. Rock Shox Judy, Shimano XT, XTR components, Avid Arch Rival 40, Mavic CrossLink and Panaracer Firepro 2.1
Bottom Line:What????????????????? The shok itself....
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by alex spencer a from england
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2000
Favorite Trail:bond lane
Duration Product Used:3 months
Strengths:cheap
easy to strip
Weaknesses:ugly
Bike Setup:univega ram 900 d/h chain ring ,buckeled wheels,odessey twsited pedals wobbly b/b
Bottom Line:bounces
takes big air without much fuss

p.s. if you get chance fly down mt snowdon
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Alex Spencer a Weekend Warrior from england
Date Reviewed: February 4, 2000
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Strengths:cheap
copes well with small hits\jumps
Weaknesses:not enough travel
very ugly
Bike Setup:univega ram 900
Bottom Line:copes fine until u try 12 foot drop off in quarry
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Garan Sink a Cross-Country Rider from roanoke va
Date Reviewed: December 22, 1999
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
works pretty well, nothing compare to fox vanilla r
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
many
Bike Setup:
souped up ds 900 univega
Bottom Line:works great for people on a budjet
Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Grisha Strashnij a Cross-Country Rider from Moscow, Russia
Date Reviewed: December 17, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Parks, hills, forests, show roads
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Price = 60 USD in
Moscow. Big maintainabity (possible
repair without special
tools).
Weaknesses:
Full death negative step after only 1000 km (~600 miles) and 1 month
racing.
Similar Products Used:
AMP B3 shock '97
Fox Vanilla ALPS 5 '98
Stratos Shock Pro '98
Many Ballistics.
Bike Setup:
Carbon OCLV Y3 Trek
frame 1997 year.
Full XTR set. Wheels
Ritchey OCR WSC +
Ritchey Z-Max.
Front Manitou SX-R 1998.
Rear RST-22.
Bottom Line:Unfortunatelly no ZERO point :-). I say 1 point.
Is very big. After 1000 km and 1 mount, I repair
this device (change oil and the middle piston)
about 2,5 hour. I made new middle piston from
poliuretan lining from skateboard track. Really, I made new device.
Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Chris Jackson a Downhiller from N Wales
Date Reviewed: September 2, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Llangwyfan DH
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Good strength - good on routy sections - soaks up the shock
Weaknesses:
Cheap, not much travel, looks shite
Similar Products Used:
many
Bike Setup:
Raleigh Max Lite Zero-G with rst 381dh
Bottom Line:great for those on a budget
Overall Rating:3

Submitted by MRT a Weekend Warrior from Toronto, Ont, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 15, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Dagmar
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Price, good dampimg (although not adjustable), reliable so far.
Weaknesses:
A little heavy (but expected for the price), pre-load adjustment only. Spring occasionally shock rubs on body if the preload is to slack.
Similar Products Used:
DSM rear air shock on a 1999 ATX 970. Fox RC on a Can. V-400.
Bike Setup:
Giant ATX 970 all w/VP 135 clipless. Pretty much stock. The STX RC crank is going soon, it stinks. The middle chain ring on the 4 arm cranks bend under tourqed climbs! My LBS confirmed that this is a fairly widely reported problem. Shimano claims it is not...yea right boneheads!
Bottom Line:It does a good job of sucking-up the bumps, while providing good damping. Mine came with a 350 lb. spring and seems OK. I wouldn't go buy one of these new, as there are much better shocks out there. However, for a box stock set-up, it's OK until it dies, providing that's at least a year or so into some serious rides. I'm giving it four for ridability Vs real low cost. If mine breaks in the next few months, I'll revise my rating.
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Garan Sink a Cross-Country Rider from Roanoke, VA
Date Reviewed: June 12, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Explorer Park
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Great rear suspension for the deal, good rebound, similar to rock shox deluxe
Weaknesses:
cheap stickers, not rbound adjustable
Similar Products Used:
rock shox deluxe
Bike Setup:
Univega DS 900
Bottom Line:Performs great
Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Victor a Cross-Country Rider from Washington
Date Reviewed: June 2, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Down the toilet
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Every thing was fine. Great rebound and a responsive feel. cheep OEM
Weaknesses:
After two mounths it broke. The teeth on the coil adjuster smushed apart.
Similar Products Used:
RST 53
Bike Setup:
99 IRONHORSE G-SPOT WITH A Z1 BAM AND A SET OF 9.0 SL DRIVE TRAIN
Bottom Line:THE RST 22 SUCKED AND DON'T BUY ANY RST REAR SHOCKS THAT HAS A NUMBER LESS THAN 53
Overall Rating:1






What's New
» BEST OF MTBR - Check out the highest rated bikes, parts, & gear!
» LED BIKE LIGHT SHOOTOUT 3 - We test all the newest products and latest light and battery technology in this comprehensive guide»
» INTERBIKE - See all the latest 2010 bikes, parts, and gear in our extensive Tradeshow Coverage»
Latest Articles and Reviews:


Quick Poll
(sponsored by Moots)
Do you own a GPS?

  yes, dedicated GPS
  yes, smart phone w/GPS
  not yet, but looking to buy
  no

Photo Caption Contest

(sponsored by Maxxis)

Enter here

Contact Us  •   About Us  •   Terms of Use  •   Privacy Policy  •   Advertising
 MtbREVIEW.com  RoadbikeREVIEW.com  OutdoorREVIEW.com
 PhotographyREVIEW.com  VideogameREVIEW.com  ComputingREVIEW.com
 AudioREVIEW.com  CarREVIEW.com  GolfREVIEW.com
Copyright ©1996-2009 All Rights Reserved.ConsumerREVIEW.com, a business unit of Invenda      RSS Feed