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Stumpjumper Evo suspension has me stumped-where to go from Fox

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snow snakes

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I’ve been running the Fox Performance Elite 36/Float X on the Stumpjumper Evo all season now, and I think it just doesn’t suit me well. I’ve spent an extended period of time playing around with settings, psi, and volume spacers, and it just feels like I’m dancing around the sweet spot. The bike feels like it skitters over washboard and roots rather than feeling nicely planted, and the differences between adjustments on both pieces of suspension feel too small to be easily felt (by me, at least).

I’m enjoying the geometry and overall feel of the bike, but I just feel that the suspension leaves something to be desired, so I’m hoping to swap to something different for next season. I’m about 185 lbs geared up, moderately aggressive rider, using the bike for a combo of winch-and-plummet enduro trails and backcountry riding, with the occasional bike park day. I would love to retain a moderately poppy feel without adding too much weight, but gain some small-bump compliance and traction. Looking to go to a new suspension brand (not cane creek as they’re tough to service around here) and something that’s easier to set up and fiddle with than the fox suspension.

Currently, I have a 2020 Super Deluxe Ultimate and a Zeb Select plus to experiment with, but the SDU seems like it would be very similar to the Float X, and the Zeb seems like it would be overkill (possibly too stiff and heavy). The most attractive option to me seem to is a prior generation Lyrik (love the red and I can get a good deal) with the SDU I have, or with a 2023 Vivid Ultimate or SDU coil, but I wonder if I’d be underforking with 35mm stanchions on this bike at my weight. The other option would be the Manitou Mezzer (which comes highly recommended around here) with either a Rockshox rear or a Mara Pro to match (though I haven’t heard much about that shock). I’m leaning more towards the Rockshox options since I’ve had good luck setting them up in the past, but I’m open to input on my current ideas, or other ones I haven’t thought of yet.
 
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#2 ·
snow snakes said:
The other option would be the Manitou Mezzer (which comes highly recommended around here) with either a Rockshox rear or a Mara Pro to match (though I haven’t heard much about that shock). I’m leaning more towards the Rockshox options since I’ve had good luck setting them up in the past, but I’m open to input on my current ideas, or other ones I haven’t thought of yet.
Click to expand...
Funnily enough I just wrote up some thoughts on the Mara Pro on my Evo. Sometimes it's tricky with this site, should it go under shocks, the Evo thread etc,
www.mtbr.com

Manitou Mara Pro

Edit: yes, the Mara Pro does exist Since it was first spied at Sea Otter, the Mara Pro has been slow to come to market, even the Manitou website hasn't linked in a set up "schedule"; come on already! I'd been riding a DPX2 and a tuned Bomber CR Coil on a 140mm travel GG Shred Dog. The Bomber...
www.mtbr.com www.mtbr.com
 
#3 ·
Posted on NSMB 7/27

"snowsnake
Posts: 52
Joined: Feb. 17, 2022
The Stumpy Evo really is a supremely dialed bike. Probably not the best for suspension fettlers - obviously folks can do what they want but I can’t help but cringe when people spend however much on an aftermarket yoke and linkage AND a new shock to get the rear to perform how they like - but great for geo tinkerers. I normally run high/steep, but it’s nice to know that it’s a headset cup, flip chip, and a tire swap from going full park."

So what happened ????????????????????????????????????????????????????
 
Discussion starter · #4 ·
joecx said:
Posted on NSMB 7/27

"snowsnake
Posts: 52
Joined: Feb. 17, 2022
The Stumpy Evo really is a supremely dialed bike. Probably not the best for suspension fettlers - obviously folks can do what they want but I can’t help but cringe when people spend however much on an aftermarket yoke and linkage AND a new shock to get the rear to perform how they like - but great for geo tinkerers. I normally run high/steep, but it’s nice to know that it’s a headset cup, flip chip, and a tire swap from going full park."

So what happened ????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Click to expand...
I said what I said - I’m not personally pro-aftermarket linkage, but I’ve ridden the bike more in aggressive terrain swapped it to the slack headset position, and decided I want different characteristics and easier setup out of my suspension. That’s what happened. Last time I checked that was allowed.
 
#5 ·
I’ve spent a lot of time finding the sweet spot on an evo with float x and here’s where I landed:
- cascade link
- high / slack
- set sag at exactly 15.5mm: 180psi for 170lbs
- almost no compression: 0.5 from open
- fast rebound: 5 from open
Feels great. Fast, supple, stable, progressive, and pedals well. Set the fork to match well with the rear.
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
TheWren said:
I’ve spent a lot of time finding the sweet spot on an evo with float x and here’s where I landed:
  • cascade link
  • high / slack
  • set sag at exactly 15.5mm: 180psi for 170lbs
  • almost no compression: 0.5 from open
  • fast rebound: 5 from open
Feels great. Fast, supple, stable, progressive, and pedals well. Set the fork to match well with the rear.
Click to expand...
I will say it feels a ton better in the slack headset position - that was a game changer for me. I will try faster rebound and lower compression for my ride tonight and see if that helps me out, too, since I’m damn near the middle on both of those. I think I’m just frustrated with the fox stuff because the adjustments seem so minute compared to my luck with Rockshox.
 
#8 ·
snow snakes said:
I will say it feels a ton better in the slack headset position - that was a game changer for me. I will try faster rebound and lower compression for my ride tonight and see if that helps me out, too, since I’m damn near the middle on both of those. I think I’m just frustrated with the fox stuff because the adjustments seem so minute compared to my luck with Rockshox.
Click to expand...
Yeah give it a shot. It was a little counterintuitive but seems to work. Just be careful not to run your fork with too much psi or damping or it’ll handle super sluggish. I’m running open hsc, 1 click from open lsc, and fast rebound (3 from open lsc and 1 from open hsc)
 
Discussion starter · #9 ·
joecx said:
Whatever dude, I just think your cringing at " suspension fettlers " was a pretty lame statement .
Click to expand...
Look, pal. Many people like to mess with suspension, including my best riding buddy, but I personally don’t enjoy that part of riding very much, and if I had to buy a new shock and linkage to get a bike riding how I want, I would think that it was the wrong bike. I feel similarly about the idea of riding a Zeb/38 on this bike, but it doesn’t make people who do that wrong. Seems like you’re looking for a fight, so I’m just gonna go ahead and mute you and spend my energy riding my bike. Hope you get to do so as well.
 
Discussion starter · #10 ·
TheWren said:
Yeah give it a shot. It was a little counterintuitive but seems to work. Just be careful not to run your fork with too much psi or damping or it’ll handle super sluggish. I’m running open hsc, 1 click from open lsc, and fast rebound (3 from open lsc and 1 from open hsc)
Click to expand...
I’ll give it a shot! Honestly, the fork is closer to perfect than the shock, but I’ll try to get it to match up as much as possible. I might have to get a better caliper, too, as i feel like getting to exact sag is tough with the tape measure I’ve been using.
 
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#11 ·
I find a soft sewing tape works well.

In regard to the fork I think you should get your rear setup first then fork to match. The rear has more kinematic constraints. Meaning when you make changes to your shock today, your fork may no longer feel perfect in balance.
 
#12 ·
Funny that you mention the bike not feeling planted, because even with the Float X it felt more planted than my Transition Sentinel ever did to me. I just finished swapping parts over to my EVO from my Sentinel a few weeks ago, so only had a few rides on it, but I thought the Float X felt pretty good. I did swap over to a new RC2T super deluxe air shock (planned to run this shock when buying the bike) before my last ride and I was surprised by how much different it felt. Not sure if I just landed on the proper settings right out of the gate, but I was very surprised by how much better it seemed to track the ground and provide extra traction for me, especially in the corners. I was planning on trying a superdeluxe coil as well, but I think I'm going to be sticking with the air shock. Heading up to some chunkier trails next week, so curious to see how it feels out there. I know that swapping over to a different air shock isn't the most cost effective option, but I have been really impressed by the latest RockShox stuff. Like you mentioned, the new Vivid is very intriguing for this frame, but the price is going to be steep for a while.
 
Discussion starter · #13 ·
TheWren said:
I find a soft sewing tape works well.

In regard to the fork I think you should get your rear setup first then fork to match. The rear has more kinematic constraints. Meaning when you make changes to your shock today, your fork may no longer feel perfect in balance.
Click to expand...
Noted! I’ll focus on the shock today, and if I get it to a good place I’l mess with the fork tomorrow. After all, the best case scenario would be working with what I have now, if I can get it set up correctly.

QuickSilverZ said:
Funny that you mention the bike not feeling planted, because even with the Float X it felt more planted than my Transition Sentinel ever did to me. I just finished swapping parts over to my EVO from my Sentinel a few weeks ago, so only had a few rides on it, but I thought the Float X felt pretty good. I did swap over to a new RC2T super deluxe air shock (planned to run this shock when buying the bike) before my last ride and I was surprised by how much different it felt. Not sure if I just landed on the proper settings right out of the gate, but I was very surprised by how much better it seemed to track the ground and provide extra traction for me, especially in the corners. I was planning on trying a superdeluxe coil as well, but I think I'm going to be sticking with the air shock. Heading up to some chunkier trails next week, so curious to see how it feels out there. I know that swapping over to a different air shock isn't the most cost effective option, but I have been really impressed by the latest RockShox stuff. Like you mentioned, the new Vivid is very intriguing for this frame, but the price is going to be steep for a while.
Click to expand...
I tend to have a lot better luck getting setup in a good place quickly on the Rockshox stuff - hard to say exactly why - I do have the SDU air already, so it wouldn’t be too expensive to get it set up properly for this bike. It’s worth a try!
 
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#14 ·
I really find that stump jumpers in general tend to really have a lot of rise when you get on the brakes (and their anti-rise numbers back up my experience). My counter to this is a fair bit more LSC in the fork than I usually run and really thinking about driving through my heels when on the brakes. And when I get it right the rear suspension offers amazing performance under braking. But it took me a while to figure it out. And all said they are not my favorite bike to ride.
 
#15 ·
Stumpy Evo are already high leverage. I don't think a link with more leverage is a good path for shock welfare reasons.

FLOAT X and Super Deluxe tunes can be anywhere. The Fox GRIP damper is better than the Select+ damper but both choke on sharp bumps. The Zeb is very progressive in the air-spring and pretty heavy for a 150mm bike.

Bolt on improvements that fit your requirements are the Mara Pro and Mattoc Pro/Comp/Expert. The Fox suspension can be modified and tuned to solve the issues as well but cost is probably the same or more than selling your current suspension and upgrading.
 
#17 ·
TheWren said:
I’ve spent a lot of time finding the sweet spot on an evo with float x and here’s where I landed:
  • cascade link
  • high / slack
  • set sag at exactly 15.5mm: 180psi for 170lbs
  • almost no compression: 0.5 from open
  • fast rebound: 5 from open
Feels great. Fast, supple, stable, progressive, and pedals well. Set the fork to match well with the rear.
Click to expand...
I think the StEvo is very, very sensitive to sag.

I like that in the sense that you can make the bike ride in a variety of different ways.

Me, I prefer supportive and like to run mine (with a cascade link) on the 15-15.5mm of sag range.

The Cane Creek Kitsuma and Helm have been amazing on the bike.

Before the Cascade link, I had to load the Kitsuma with air volume spacers and crank the HSC to control big hits. At this point, I can remove the spacers and dialed the HSC to half of what it was. Running much nicer now.
 
Discussion starter · #18 ·
FrankS29 said:
I think the StEvo is very, very sensitive to sag.

I like that in the sense that you can make the bike ride in a variety of different ways.

Me, I prefer supportive and like to run mine (with a cascade link) on the 15-15.5mm of sag range.

The Cane Creek Kitsuma and Helm have been amazing on the bike.

Before the Cascade link, I had to load the Kitsuma with air volume spacers and crank the HSC to control big hits. At this point, I can remove the spacers and dialed the HSC to half of what it was. Running much nicer now.
Click to expand...
I will say that it’s actually riding much nicer now with 2 spacers in the fork and none in the back (not what I was expecting). Ended up just riding road with the lady tonight, but I will definitely try to dial in the sag tomorrow.
 
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#19 ·
snow snakes said:
I will say that it’s actually riding much nicer now with 2 spacers in the fork and none in the back (not what I was expecting). Ended up just riding road with the lady tonight, but I will definitely try to dial in the sag tomorrow.
Click to expand...
Interestingly I could not get anything out of the fork until I took the two fork spacers out. It would just hit a wall halfway through its travel. I didn't actually realise it was shipped with any tokens in it.
 
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