Submitted by
MattZo
a Weekend Warrior
from Derby, UK
Date Reviewed: July 1, 2009
Strengths: Reliability and tuning options
Weaknesses: Difficulty in getting precise pressures
Bottom Line:
I regard myself as heavy at around 225lbs. I was worried about the shock blowing on rocky downhill sections but have not suffered any issues at all. I think that it is probably more to do with the leverages of the frame but i rarely get close to bottoming out the shock with the sag set to 35% and the SPV valve wound right out. Maybe I'm just not aggressive enough!
Submitted by
jSatch
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego
Date Reviewed: October 27, 2008
Strengths: Swinger 3-way: Smooth, good SPV, no leaks after setting.
Best feature- set and forget
Weaknesses: SPV valve leaks when detaching pump. It leaks reliably 15psi, so I just over-inflate by 15 psi. Odd, not same issue when filling main chamber. Not really a weakness once you are aware of it.
Not quite a coil ride (but lighter).
Bottom Line:
I prefer this to the Fox. I like the set and forget. Too many times I've forgotten to switch out the lockout of the Fox until I'm going downhill. My bad. The Swinger SPV does a nice job when climbing, so no switch needed. One less thing to grab for, or think about, when riding.
I get the feeling that the Swinger is smoother, less bouncy than the Fox. Different bikes, so not sure. Still not a coil. I haven't tried the Fox RP23 model though.
Your milage may vary.
Submitted by
Mike Sinkoski
a Cross Country Rider
from martinsville, IN
Date Reviewed: October 26, 2008
Strengths: adjustability, and serviceability
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
this is for the 3 way spv air, shock is bottomless feeling with a platform that keeps all that supple travel from sapping your power. the rebound can be adjusted from none to dead slow and the air pressures are less than the same sag on a fox shock, anyone thinking of upgrading a older rig with a newer shock with spv wont be sorry. This shock transforms the suspension feel of my fsr that it feels like a new bike. I dont know if a rp23 is comparable but it seems that there is only 3 settings for the platform where the swinger is infinately adjustable.
Submitted by
joker24
a Cross Country Rider
from Davis, Ca USA
Date Reviewed: October 6, 2008
Strengths: Super adjustable, doesn't leak, very smooth
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
This shock is light, durable, and only needs to be set up once. Every aspect of the shock is adjustable, and the directions are very simple to follow. The SPV platform works well and really improves the efficiency of a single pivot frame like the Joker. If you have an older single pivot frame you love but are wishing for a more efficient ride, this is definitely a cheap way to get a lot more performance out of your ride.
Bike Setup: Ellsworth Joker, Fox Float RLC, Swinger 4-way Air, mavic wheels, Sram X.7 drivetrain, avid SD7s
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
wisemonkey72
a Cross Country Rider
from everywhere, china currently
Date Reviewed: September 4, 2008
Strengths: smooth performance, easy to set up, rebound adjust works pretty nice. spv valve is a nice feature. really nice xc shock.
Weaknesses: why oh why oh why does the airvalve screw into the shock body, this is a really lame design. i find it really fiddly inflating as the valve seems to come loose whenever i remove my pump.
Bottom Line:
i like the shock i really do, this bike has had alo of action this summer and the swinger laps up the downhills and climbs lovely, works really nicely with my u turns. but the airvalve is a real shame. my i drive is now in the hands of my girlfriend as i have a new machine now, and i have to say i will be sticking with fox shocks from now on.
Similar Products Used: all the fox ones,fox float, rp2,rp23
Bike Setup: i drive, revalation u turns, xtr drivetrain 3 way swinger up back.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
darrinw2001
a Weekend Warrior
from Valrico, Fl
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2008
Strengths: adjustability, SPV is great for no pedal bob
Weaknesses: none yet, I do have to pump a litle air in before every ride, but being over 260lbs, i expect that
Bottom Line:
So far so good for a larger "Clydesdale" rider. I needed air shocks due to my size and this has fit the bill so far. I got a great deal on this bike used on Craig's list, and so far my favorite thing about it is the shock and the Manitou Black Super Air forks! I hve put it to test on some pretty rough trails so far and have not bottomed out yet.
Submitted by
Bryan Corbridge
a Cross Country Rider
from Goshen, In USA
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2008
Strengths: This is for the 3 way swinger with SPV. Light weight, multiple adjustments and good customer service.
Weaknesses: None so far.
Bottom Line:
I recently purchased this shock on E-bay just rebuilt by Manitou. I was looking to replace my coil over shock for something with less pedal bob but with the smoothness I need. I researched every shock on the market extensively and found that the Manitou offered the features I was looking for. I was right. Love the adjustability. Seems to be almost endless possibilities. You can set it up as firm or soft as you like. I set it up to be plenty active to supply the smoothness but enough air in the SPV to offer the pedaling efficiency I needed. Set the rebound in the medium and I have a shock that is smooth and efficient. Love it!!! Granted I've only had the shock for a short period of time, but will submit another sometime down the road.
Bike Setup: 2005 Jamis Dakar with a Marzocchi Bomber XC 600 fork and a Manitou Swinger 3 way with SPV rear air shock.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Matthew
a Weekend Warrior
from Escondido
Date Reviewed: May 29, 2008
Strengths: This review is for the 4-Way. The air valves are easy to get to. The platform works really well on single pivot bikes and exceptional on Faux Bar bikes. The bottom-out feature is nice for clydesdales. Rebound very responsive to adjustments
Weaknesses: It took me a while to learn how to set up the shock, but I was just learning. Small bump compliance is so so, but it is a platform shock.
Bottom Line:
This a great rear shock for do it all use. I originally put on my GF Cake and it provided a more plush ride with the ability to take bigger hits. Only experience a small amount of pedal bob in second and third chainrings while cranking. On the Jamis it is super smooth. I have been able to tune it to nearly bottom about 10% of the time leaving the remainder of the riding smooth. No pedal bob with minimal pressure in the SPV. I don't set sag because I blow through travel too quickly and at 210+ lbs the shock has held up really well. The Cake shock has over 500 miles on it and Jamis shock has 600 miles on it. I have thought about replacing it but for no good reason other trying something else. No complaints, no problems, 5 psi air changes in main chamber make a big difference.
Bike Setup: Jamis XLT, Fox Vanilla 32 RLC, Stylo Crank, XT shifters/deraillers, Hayes HFX-9, FSA Stem, Answer Pro-Taper bars, DT Swiss Wheels/ WTB Laserdisc Hubs
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
daryl stahler
a Cross Country Rider
from tucson, AZ
Date Reviewed: March 30, 2008
Strengths: Completely eliminated pedal bob.
Weaknesses: No specific on-line manual support. Kind of a pain to set up on my bike.
Bottom Line:
I purchased this on ebay for $60 NIP, so what did I have to loose? Not a lot of choices for the Jekyll. The Fox Float served well over the years, but needed the seals changed every 12 - 14 months. The Swinger is a 3-way, and I could not find specific details in the manual. So I read a few reviews, and tried setting it up. The sag adjustment is a real pain on my Jekyll, I need to remove the rear bolt and swing the shock down. Once I'll dialed it in I took it out for some urban assault. I'm in Luxembourg, so I headed up through the vineyards, and few forest roads, through some villages, down stairs, etc. Did I say, there is no pedal bob. I didn't realize how bad my Fox was!! Appears to suck up medium to big hits well, so well I stopped a few times thinking my tire was low or something!!
If you want to update that old full suspended bike without breaking the bank, this should do it!!
Oh, I weight in at a light 16 stones, 102 kg, or 225 lbs.
Two days and air pressure is still holding. I'll update the rating after some time! I only gave it 4 flamers for value since I got it off ebay. Overall - it's too early to tell.
Bike Setup: Cannondale Jekyll, ELO Lefty, Spinergy Wheels, SRAM 9.0 shifter & rear der, XTR front der, XTR cranks, Easton Monkey lite bars, Easton EC-90 seat post.
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Submitted by
Plug
a Cross Country Rider
from England
Date Reviewed: January 19, 2008
Strengths: Configurable, reliable.
Weaknesses: Lack of on-the-fly SPV control
Bottom Line:
I'm running the original 2003 Swinger 4-Way here, now 2008, and it's still running really well considering. It doesn't noticably lose any air pressure over time. It still feels smooth and plush though it did benefit a lot from sucking a bit of oil into the main air chamber last year as it was getting a bit sticky. There's a bit of air in the damping circuit though nothing that appears to affect its operation.
I'd definately consider upgrading to the latest model if they're as good as this, particularly given the newer model's addition of the on-the-fly adjustable SPV which I think could be useful out on the trails.
Submitted by
Mark B.
a Weekend Warrior
from Ft Wayne, IN
Date Reviewed: December 8, 2007
Strengths: easy to air up, SPV works, light weight, simple to disassemble
Weaknesses: MANUFACTURER SUPPORT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seals easy to replace, but HARD to get for replacement!!
Bottom Line:
While it worked, it worked great -- but the seals went, and it's been a chase-your-tail to get a seal kit. Since nobody wants to step up and do the right thing here, the only savior for the air shock industry is Fox, and I can't pop for a DHX right now! I'll likely go coil for the rest of my life (Fox Vans are reasonable, 5th E is GONE!, and Cane Creek is ridiculous)
Bike Setup: Jamis Dakar XLT 1.0, Nixon Comp, X.9, Avid BB7 (7/7), Race Face cockpit, Hutch Spiders
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Eric B
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2007
Strengths: easy to set up if you don't try and overthink it
Weaknesses: too early to tell...will write more if it ends up sucking like most of the Manitou shocks!
Bottom Line:
this shock changed my whole bike and possibly saved me the money of buying a whole new frame. the old fox float rc was like riding a pogo stick. Not sure how I did it for so long. that said the new p/p technology is pretty darn good.
I just rode the swinger-i'm using the 3 way-last night for the first time. I ride 5 days a week and weigh 190 lbs. I try and brake the bike or myself everytime I ride and crank the biggest gears possible (I ride a 1x1 when I'm not on the superlight). however, I may ride the 1x1 less. because the swinger three has made the single pivot superlight climb like a hard tail...only better since it gives just enough that I don't spin the back wheel when I'm standing up on the bike. Otherwise the rear end is immobile until i hit something at which point it moves upward.
on descents it railed and was very plush. This canged the whole ride of the bike and enabled me to push harder and go faster since I could keep my body weight where I wanted it and not get bucked by the pogo-ing shock.
I am running at about 105 in the main chamber and 55 in the spv chamber. I guess the accepted rule is to ride it at 15 lbs below your body weight in the main but that is crazy. The shock didn't move when I did that. and I like a very firm rear-end! I set the rebound on the slow side of the middle of the range. I perhaps haven't found the "sweet spot" that everybody is looking for but it's sick and I probably won't fu*&k with it too much. Honestly, the bike rides way better than any of the blurs or yeti's that I've riden with a variety of shocks. All of the VPPs that I've riden have bounced after being "set-up" by the shop guys. If any body has studied physics or rides by feel as much as they think they do then you know that force or motion down and into the suspension saps your energy forward. riding a plush, sagged out overpriced frame is not for me. firm up your ride, gear up and ride faster.
Submitted by
Bart Simpson
a Weekend Warrior
from UK
Date Reviewed: June 18, 2007
Strengths: Hassle free motoring. Does what it says on the tin
Weaknesses: Only one setting, ie you set the pressure in the main can and SPV chamber and get on with it.
Bottom Line:
I have had this shock for three years, and it has been through regular mudfests, rock gardens, rain and sludge( ie a good day in the UK ). It is a bit of a faff to find the best combination of pressures for you and the type of riding that you do, but when you do( in my case about 140 psi in the main and 70-80 psi in the SPV chamber ), it is reliable and quite plush. It is also fantastic with regards to pedalling, and virtually eliminates bob, which is a good thing on my single pivot bike. All in all, it works, and works well.
Bike Setup: Orange 5, swinger 4-way, Talas 130 forks.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Simon Jeffery
a Weekend Warrior
from Kuala Lumpur
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2007
Strengths: When it works, it seems OK
Weaknesses: Leaking seals and questionable assembly
Bottom Line:
I took delivery of a new 5.5 frame last December. I specified the SPV 4 way because I'd had a great expereince with a SPV 3 way supplied with a 2004 model Trek Liquid. (There were a few options of shocks you could specify with the Intense frame). On the first day of delivery, I went to pump up the shock, and all the air immediately leaked out. I found out that the little valve holder that you stick your pump onto wasn't screwed in tight. Well I screwed it up finger tight and the "O" ring split. This was not a big deal as I removed the valve holder, wrapped a bit of teflon tape around its thread, pumped it up and off I went. The local Malaysian bike store that supplied the shock got me a replacement "O" ring. (They are good guys here - called KSH Bicycles) No big deal. BUT - over the coming months I noticed it slowly but surely lost air. My old SPV never lost a single psi, so this annoyed me a bit. I sent an email to Answer products who responded with the same as they responded to the writer below on the 11th Oct 2005 - sort of saying nicely it is loosing air because it does this when I stick my pump on (duh). I suppose at least they responded to my email. Anyway I didn't want to have to send it all the way back to the States and not be able to ride so my LBS double checked the seals for me (and loaned me a spare SPV 3 Way they had - told you they were good guys). Well this helped, but still it slowly but surely leaked air. Finally I thought I'd upgade it to another brand as I got sick of pumping it up. The LBS has checked Intense and worked out a fair price for me (the Intense guys are good as well). I took it off on the weekend, dumped the air out of it and "bingo", it sucked fully in on itself. At least I know where all the leaking air was going now - to the wrong side of the piston. So in conclusion I'm a little unsure on Manitou shocks now. My first SPV 3 Way was extremely reliable. This second one leaves me puzzled, not so much with the seal issue, but also that from day one it had a small assembly problem. Also the shock has a SPV lockout/bypass(??) lever, but to this day I can not find a manaul on their website that notes how this lever is to be used. Perhaps I was just unlucky, as I'm sure they sell thousands of these shock every year. When they work, they are well priced and work well, but I'm a little disappointed at present.
Bike Setup: Intense 5.5. frame, Fox Float forks, usual stuff.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Soki
a Weekend Warrior
from Ellensburg WA USA
Date Reviewed: May 23, 2007
Strengths: Good adjustments for the cost. Easy to use and set up.
Weaknesses: Bottoms out a bit.
Bottom Line:
Its a good air shock and the first one I have ever owned. So far so good, but Im a bit worried about the bottoming out on it. Odds are I haven't set it up 100% right yet. But it gets me to work and back so Im happy. Does well on smooth trails with smaller jumps and bumps.
