Strengths: Durable, simple, easy adjustments. Works well for BIG boys! Some one has to represent the big kids.
Weaknesses: Tuning the spring rate can be difficult, or should i say expensive. I was lucky enough to have a fairly common setup and be able to ask riders my weight what they use.
Not the most high tech looking, some say dated, some say burly.
Bottom Line:
Good solid design, if it aint broke dont fix it. Works GREAT on my Heckler, and will work great on yours.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Flatline3
a Downhiller
from Comox, British Columbia, Canada
Date Reviewed: July 15, 2011
Strengths: Lots of adjustments, and can take on all the jumps, and all the big and small bumps
Weaknesses: Although there are many adjustments, I find they aren't that easy to use
Bottom Line:
I find this is a great rear shock. It soaks up all the bumps for me with a 350 pound rear spring(Im 130lbs) and it can take on the local road gap no problem. Takes on all the jumps, and soaks up everything. I would recommend this shock to anyone. Its amazing for how much it is. Which is why I give this 5 chilis for overall and value rating
Strengths: its butter when riding downhill. nothing else.
Weaknesses: you gotta add air to the thing. My coil is too light for me right now. 165 and a 400 lb coild just bounces around. i put my old 600 on there for the time being until i get a 450 or 500. The propedal doesn't do a damn thing. I'd go back to my old shock even, an old manitou metel RP!! whaaat! but It bobs horribly. I lose so much energy climbing up hills it's incredible. Plus, when you disconnect your pump you lose a few lbs of air pressure. if it would not bob as bad i wouldn't hate it.
Bottom Line:
If I were riding only downhill i'd probably be happy with it. I ride my bike uphill just as much, if not more uphill than i do down. I do ride an all mtn bike w/ 6" travel, but i run 5" in the rear. I wouldn't buy this shock if you ride a lot of xc with lots of uphill. I feel like after I put this shock on my bike i may as well convert it to a full downhill rig and buy a new bike now. It was an expensive trial and error purchase, and i'm not too thrilled about it's climbinb capablities even w/ 200 lbs of "boost" air in it.
Submitted by
cafam1
a Weekend Warrior
from New York , NY
Date Reviewed: March 26, 2010
Strengths: sturdy, looks good.
Weaknesses: small bump sensitivity
Bottom Line:
Cannot seem to achieve small bump compliance with this fork. I have tried everything. had it pushed, numerous springs, sag, piggyback psi cannot seem to get it right . This shock may be good for a free rider or dh rig, but for all mountain use the dhx air with the smaller air can is way better in every aspect, square bump hits big hits rebound control. I here the new dhx coil works much better but as far as the 2005 06 model i would not bother for all mountain use.
Submitted by
donn wilson
a Cross Country Rider
from anacortes wa
Date Reviewed: July 22, 2007
Strengths: at least the coil spring works
Weaknesses: Too complicated to work, properly. Fox figured out how to bring all the weaknesses of air to a coil over.
Bottom Line:
I got the DHS 5.0 to take the pedal feed back out of my high pivot machine. The shock blew in less than a year. I am 51 and weigh 150 lbs. Sent it to fox under warranty, blew again on first ride. Sent it back to fox, didnt make it out of the driveway, blew again. clearly a lemon. still under warranty. fox told me they would give me a discount on a new one. Im buying a Risse. Keep the air out of your coil over
This review goes more towards Fox customer service or lack ther of. I ordered a 5.0 on the tenth of febuary for a trip this weekend the 24 two full weeks later needless to say i still do not have the shock. Dealer says Fox turnaround is 5 days. Ya right. So I call Fox explain my problem ask if they have one in stock yes they do can you over night so i have tommorrow Friday for my trip answer NO it is after 12 noon we dont cate if you ordered this two weeks ago and have not recieved it yet. Miss your trip is essentially waht they are telling my.
Needless to say I don't know how it performs because I cant get one. If you need this product in the Decade do not order it Fox is shipping at a snails pase.
Strengths: awesome range of adjustibility. plushness. bottom out resistance is kick ass. soaks up the bumps, drops, jumps, and pretty much anything that you can throw at it. this shock inspires big ole grins and mass confidence, unlike my crappy fork (manitou kingpin),
Weaknesses: nodda
Bottom Line:
one bad ass shock. (wish i had a bike that allowed for a bigger stroke shock, i have the baby of the 5.0, 2 inch stroke.) little pricey, 400 bucks but well worth the cheddar. bottomed it twice, adjusted rebound and blammo added some air and that was the end of that. super plush, propedal kicks ass. never seen so much adjustibilty in a shock. still getting to know it so i havent discovered the true potential. im 200lbs w/ gear on and its so nice. i wish my fork were like this. this shock soaks up the big hits and asks for more. can almost hear it speak to ya "please sir, may i have some more". ramps up so nice on big hits. bottomless travel when adjusted right.
bottom line, if you dont have one, i advise you get one, unless you got a rocco.
Submitted by
Gord
a Weekend Warrior
from Vamcouver, BC
Date Reviewed: October 13, 2006
Strengths: Great adjustability, takes a hit like a champ.
Weaknesses: None that I could find
Bottom Line:
As far as the V10 goes, this is exactly the right rear shock. Tried a couple of others from friend's V10's but nothing even came close, They put mine in thier bikes and now most have this shock.
I have owned the DHX for almost a year now, but I haven't been able to ride it for the past 3 months. When I first had my DHX, I loved it, but when I was at a local ski resort hitting a simple, low wallride until I noticed that my DHX was leaking. I finished up the ride, went home, looked at it and noticed that it was leaking from the rebound chamber and took it the LBS (in which I work at) and sent it into fox. I figured, hey, it is covered under warranty, its just a blown seal or something and I should get it back in a week or so. While the shock was at FOX I had talked to a co-worker and he said he had the same problem. Sent it into FOX and they didn't do squat. He recommended I send it into PUSH. Well I was WRONG. I got it back, 2 months later, 2 MONTHS!!, (they claimed they had fixed it) mounted it up on my bike, pushed down to make sure everything went right, and low and behold, something wasn't right- the rebound chamber started leaking again! So I immediately jumped on to my computer and ordered service from PUSH. They were really easy to deal with. Right after my order they sent a conformation e-mail, and after they had recieved the order they sent my invoice. So I printed it out, dotted the T's-crossed the I's, and sent off my shock to PUSH. I oredered an entire rebuild plus I told them of the problem I had been having, and a new spring. This time, I got my shock back in 2 weeks, on the dot, not bad. But when I mounted up the shock, pushed down on the suspension, the shock started leaking. Although PUSH did an excellent job, from what I was able to feel, I am now really pissed. I have been without my DHX for 3 months, and even missed out on a few races due to it.
FOX's feel great, but once you bust it, good luck.
I would recommend this product to only DH racers, not FR's. It won't be able to withstand the abuse.
Similar Products Used: Fox VanillaR, Fox RP3 w/ Brain
Bike Setup: 05 BigHit, Fox 40RC2, Fox VanillaR(currently the DHX is broken, Avid juicy 7.
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Submitted by
Stuart
a Downhiller
from Abbotsford, B.C., Canada
Date Reviewed: August 11, 2006
Strengths: amazing big hit absorbancy, awesome pedal platform, not too heavy and yas yet to blow!!:D
Weaknesses: top bit of the stroke is disgustingly sticky, making small bumps very noticeable. maybe its still not broken in or its designed to do this for pedaling...
Bottom Line:
I havent found a problem with this shock that absolutely pisses me off yet, and that's a good thing. It's crazy adjustable, (preload, rebound, bottom out, propedal, propedal boost) and has a great feel when paired with a 4-bar linkage. It takes everything except for the smallest bumps, but that can be fixed by lowering tire pressure. All in all an amazing shock that I plan to ride for a couple of years. (or until fox releases another crazy model)
Similar Products Used: The 4.0, Vanilla-R, 5th element.
Bike Setup: Yeti ASX, Boxer Ride and ofcourse the DHX 5.0.
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Submitted by
cory W
a Downhiller
from Phoenix, AZ, US
Date Reviewed: March 21, 2006
Strengths: Absolute butter while mantaining a decent pedal platform. extremely adjustable
Weaknesses: None whatsoever
Bottom Line:
The best shock out there if you ride around town or uphill. The Rocco is slightly plusher but this design pedals loads better and is proven. Get this shock if you are into Freeride
Bike Setup: 06 Transition Dirtbag, 66 RC2X, DHX 5.0, and a ton o other goodies
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Tim
a Weekend Warrior
from New Hampshire
Date Reviewed: December 11, 2005
Strengths: Extreemly adjustable (propedal, bottom out, rebound, compression range, and preload), super smooth running, low to no maintence.
Weaknesses: uhhh......makes biking to easy?
Bottom Line:
This shock is great. Has to be the smoothest shock i've ever ridden. It makes the knarliest trails seem like their smooth pavement. I've only had 1 problem. Fox sent the wrong weight spring off the start. I was given a 500lb spring for the bike and it was not enought. With the amount of sag that i was getting it made the bike ride rough over chatter bumps and roots. I went up to a 600lb spring and it made all the difference. I weight 180 lbs and it works great. Deffinatly a buy for any freeride, downhill bike. Or if you just like coil shocks.
Similar Products Used: never had a coil-over before
Bike Setup: 2005 Gemini 900, Shimano Hone Cranks, Stan's no tube kit with 2.3 spec. enduros
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Nathan Strefford
a Weekend Warrior
from worcester uk
Date Reviewed: November 15, 2005
Strengths: tuneabillity to riders weight as im a big lad 120kg !!!
Weaknesses: cant find any
Bottom Line:
cant belive the difference with this shock it has given me balls of steel, and for the price of it @ £350, if your unsure about doing certain things on ya bike buy this shock it gave me double the confidence i had.
