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Fox Racing Shox Van R

MSRP $
Weight 355 grams
# of Reviews 10
Average Rating 4.6/5
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Where To Buy

Jenson USA


Cambria Bicycle Outfitters

BlueSkyCycling






Submitted by cikman22jp a Weekend Warrior from PG
Date Reviewed: June 26, 2009
Favorite Trail:(anywhere goes)
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Strengths:a simple shock
Bike Setup:Marzocchi 55R
Bottom Line:A simple shock. It works good for me , as i'm not an extreem rider.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by konastinky07 a Downhiller from England
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2009
Favorite Trail:Hsd, KrAsh
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Purchased At:OEM with bike
Strengths:Rebound adjustment.
Weaknesses:Lots of things

first off, it clicks when on small bumps.
only one adjustment which is rebound and has the classic fox patant rubbish rebound which is either too fast or too slow.

Set up for my weight and is still unbelievably bad.
hardly any small bump performance, then it just bottoms on small or med jumps very harshly.

leaks oil as well.
Similar Products Used:fox dhx 5.0
marzocchi rocco wc
marzocchi rocco wc air (flawless)
avalanche dhs. (flawless agian)
Bike Setup:kona stinky 07 with marzocchi 888 ata wc's
Bottom Line:It's an alright shock for the money.

I would grade it as a spare part for your bike if you break your main rear shock or it needs servicing.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:2

Submitted by trainboy17 a Downhiller from winston salem, nc, usa
Date Reviewed: December 28, 2008
Favorite Trail:Salem LAke
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $200.00
Purchased At:cycletherapy
Strengths:can handle anything you throw at it and is very versatile.
Weaknesses:will occasionally squeak if used in wet conditions. spring may not be big enough depending on size (i use a 600lb spring, and i can compress it all the way)
Similar Products Used:none
Bike Setup:2008 Haro extreme x6 comp
Bottom Line:This shock is sick. I am an intermediate rider. I took this shock off 3-4 foot drops and it felt like a cloud. I recently went off a 7-8 footer and it was awesome. No noise, or trouble at all. This can definitely be used for cross country and straight trail riding. It so so versatile. Besides the two settings (bouncy and slow compression) you can adjust it somewhere in the middle. This is good for large jumps so you dont get bucked off your bike on the landing. I love this shock.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Davo a Downhiller from USA
Date Reviewed: December 14, 2007
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $160.00
Purchased At:online
Strengths:Everything! This shock is proving itself to be one of the best rear shocks for the money. In my opinion, I think this shock is a waaaaay better value than the over hyped DHX 5.0 Coil. I have taken some 15 footers and 6er's on to flats and this thing just can't bottom out. And above all of that, the propedal works so much better than my old dhx air 5.0. This shock will open up new worlds for people on a budget. It is so easy to adjust as well, jsut one turn of the rebound knob and you have a whole new setup.
Weaknesses:None, these things are heavy duty. With that comes the weight, but it doesn't bother me. iw ould rather have the weight than a crappy air shock that will stop working in a couple of rides.
Similar Products Used:The old and trust vanilla RC. YES THE VANILLA RC BUT BETTER!!!! HAHAHAHA awesome shock!!
Bike Setup:Specialized enduro expert, Mrp Bones crank system, zocchi 66 rc2x, fox van r, halo wheelset with spin doctor hubs, Fsa pig dh pro headset, Fsa handlebars, SRAm x9 shifters and derailleur, Juicy 7's, hussefelt stem.
Bottom Line:Awesome product. I love it when companies recognize the need for quality in all of their products. GO FOX!
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by DC a Weekend Warrior from Canada
Date Reviewed: October 21, 2007
Favorite Trail:Pidherny
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Purchased At:Northern Hardware
Strengths:Plush, extremely easy to set up and the Pro Pedal works.
Weaknesses:None.
Similar Products Used:Float RL, RP23, and DHX Air 3.0
Bike Setup:2007 Norco Six 3 w/ minor mods
Bottom Line:This was the shock that was spec'd with my Six 3 initially. When I got the bike it came with the "upgrade" of the DHX Air 3.0. The DHX became stuck down after 3 rides and I took it back to the shop and they put the original shock back on the bike and gave me the option of keeping the Van R or going back to the DHX when it comes back from service. I am definitely keeping the Van R. It is my first coil shock and won't be my last. It is much more plush than the DHX Air was and took five minutes to set up. It is very good throughout the range of travel, from small bumps to 3' foot drops (so far). I rode a fire road climb today with varying degrees of climbing and it worked great with no noticeable "bob. I highly recommend this product as it will keep you on the trail.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by ryan a from australia -- melbourne
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2007
Favorite Trail:all trails
Duration Product Used:3 months
Strengths:good solid platform,pro-pedal works gr8,cheap.
Weaknesses:none az yet
Bike Setup:07-stinky - 07-66 sl1 ata--straitline--king--hope--easton-avid--sram
Bottom Line:good cheap shock,came stock on my 07 stinky,i have 07 -66 fork and it feels on par with it,no bob,pro-pedal is workintakes five to six footers with out bottom out hassles,want to put a marzocchi rocco,but as this lil sun of a gun is powering alomg with no hassle ill stick to if it aint broken dont fix it on this one i think,good bang for the buck,grab 1 you wont be dissapionted
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by willly makit a Downhiller from orlando
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2007
Favorite Trail:anytrail
Duration Product Used:3 months
Purchased At:lbs
Strengths:good looks and very fuctional, I have taken some large drops 6'+ with not much transition on the landing and have only bottomed once (I am 215 lbs) so I am still impressed
Weaknesses:none yet
Similar Products Used:many over the years
Bike Setup:Iron orse Yakuza Ojiki
Bottom Line:Its has stood up to some heavy abuse so far without any problems and I am a bigger guy. Overall its a good buy
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Gavin Holmes a Downhiller from ATL
Date Reviewed: November 10, 2006
Favorite Trail:Carter's Lake DH
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $249.00
Purchased At:Universal Cycles
Strengths:Solid compression feel. No "air" to leak out. Never have to pump it up.
Weaknesses:External resevoir gets in the way of my Specialized Enduro frame. Had to turn it upside down.
Similar Products Used:Fox DHX 3.0
Bike Setup:Specialized Enduro 130, Fox Vanilla 125 RLC fork, XT drivetrain. Kenda Nevegals.
Bottom Line:I replaced the OEM Float R with this and I am very glad I did. Weighs a bit more, but I wanted to build up my ride to be a light (not lightweight) freeride (5" travel)/ heavy enduro. Very happy with the selection. Don't have to hassle with checking air pressure everytime I ride. I weigh in at 190lb (200 geared up) and this has made for a way more solid platform.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

Submitted by nicholas hanover a Downhiller from new zealand
Date Reviewed: October 18, 2006
Favorite Trail:hot x buns
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $249.00
Purchased At:i bike
Strengths:Great shock best thing ever purchused for upgrade
all great every thing works i take it off 6 foot drops and doesnt even come close to botteming
Weaknesses:none
Similar Products Used:x fusion glyde r
Bike Setup:specialized bighit spec manitou stance fork
fox van r shock and dmr v8 pedles
Bottom Line:best thing ever great propedle and works like a dream
if you ned a good shock for little $ buy this
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Finny a Weekend Warrior from W.A
Date Reviewed: October 4, 2006
Favorite Trail:Red hill
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $250.00
Purchased At:lbs
Strengths:very plush, did not start to leak on my first ride (5th element), seems very durable, makes your bike feel like it's got another two inches on it.
Weaknesses:none so far, only one adjustment.
Similar Products Used:giant HV coil over.
Bike Setup:Giant AC 06 model, van r, super Ts, x 9 rear derailluer, Arerial Industries chain guide.
Bottom Line:This is a great upgrade for any bike with one of those horrible stock shocks it's pretty cheap and will work. Who the hell needs adjustments any way, pros need it but i certainly don't. Get the right spring rate and your good to go.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5






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