REVIEWS DEALS BIKESHOPS TRAILS

2:1 leverage ratio frame; getting other shocks to work with?

1669 Views 8 Replies 6 Participants Last post by BC, Jan 7, 2010

scrublover

Discussion Starter · Jan 7, 2010

I've got a Corsair Marque built up, that I'm enjoying very much. The stock Marzocchi Roco (supposedly tuned by Marz for OEM spec on the Marque) works well, but is a pig, and getting to the piggyback res to adjust it at all involves removing things. A pain in the ass.

Thoughts on how to get something from the Fox Float or Rock Shox Monarch line to work decently? I've used some of them in the past on other bikes, and liked them. They'd dump a big chunk of weight, get rid of the piggyback access issue, and still give me the performance I'm after, in theory. I've actually got a Monarch 4.2 in the house of the proper size. I've tried it, and everything was just too sloooooooow.

As well, I've e-mailed PUSH to see what they think/if it is something they can do for me.

I'm about 165# all loaded up on the bike. 130mm travel out of a 63mm stroke shock. 8.5 i2i.

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tacubaya

· #2 · Jan 7, 2010

I think the Roco is your best choice, great air shock, don't be such a weight weenie...you may loose a lot of performance just to save a couple hundred grams.

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scrublover

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 7, 2010

tacubaya said:
I think the Roco is your best choice, great air shock, don't be such a weight weenie...you may loose a lot of performance just to save a couple hundred grams.

I know, I know...

I just find it irritating to be locked into one option. Obviously not a deal breaker, since I bought the frame, but still... If I can get one of them to work, then that's a half pound right there - the bike is a pig. A very well pedaling pig, but still a pig. Particularly if something can be done with the Monarch that I already have anyhow. It's as light as it's going to get withoutme spending stupid money, or giving up/compromising on some of the stuff on the bike I am not willing to, like the Gravity Dropper post.

IMO, if they are going to leave you only one shock option, they ought to have given a bit more room on the downtube in order to not have to remove the shock to air up the piggyback reservoir. Not that I'm messing with it now, after getting it dialed in, but IMO, it's still not good.

IMO, the RP23 and Monarch 4.2 I've used in the past have worked and felt great, so I don't feel it would be any performance loss anyhow.

(really, i'm just *****ing. the build is two pounds heavier than the prior frame, with near all the same parts. the frame is not what i'd call "svelte" by any stretch. rides beautifully, though.

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derailin_palin

· #4 · Jan 7, 2010

Is there any way to flip the shock?

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scrublover

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jan 7, 2010

derailin_palin said:
Is there any way to flip the shock?

nope; won't fit.

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slowrider

· #6 · Jan 7, 2010

Foes rp23

Foes has the rp23 custom valved to work with there 2:1 shocks. If one of them is the same length as your shock you could buy one from Foes and remove the adaptor that makes it long enough to work on the Foes.

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Jayem

· #7 · Jan 7, 2010

slowrider said:
Foes has the rp23 custom valved to work with there 2:1 shocks. If one of them is the same length as your shock you could buy one from Foes and remove the adaptor that makes it long enough to work on the Foes.

Maybe, sometimes companies like to claim this, but Foes may just be using the lightest compression and rebound tunes, which is an OEM option, but since it comes in other configurations one could claim that it's "custom". In this sense you could pick up a light-valved RP23 from a few places most likely, but the foes may work well if the shock is the correct length, and hopefully foes wouldn't make you buy the adaptor for their frames. Of course that doesn't mean it will work, some of the foes stuff doesn't always work that well, even on their own frames, such as the coil-shock options (other than the curnutt) that used to come on the FXR frame. The bike had a drastic falling-rate, so they didn't work very well, and the point is that most air-shocks have a flat-mid-stroke, so based on previous foes stuff, just because they use it doesn't mean it works all that well. The most sure-shot way would be to get something that can be revalved, and get it revalved. Float would be fine, RP23 would be fine, and so on. If you can pick up a cheap fox air-shock that can be modified by push, that would probably be the cheapest and smartest route.

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scrublover

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jan 7, 2010

Jayem said:
Maybe, sometimes companies like to claim this, but Foes may just be using the lightest compression and rebound tunes, which is an OEM option, but since it comes in other configurations one could claim that it's "custom". In this sense you could pick up a light-valved RP23 from a few places most likely, but the foes may work well if the shock is the correct length, and hopefully foes wouldn't make you buy the adaptor for their frames. Of course that doesn't mean it will work, some of the foes stuff doesn't always work that well, even on their own frames, such as the coil-shock options (other than the curnutt) that used to come on the FXR frame. The bike had a drastic falling-rate, so they didn't work very well, and the point is that most air-shocks have a flat-mid-stroke, so based on previous foes stuff, just because they use it doesn't mean it works all that well. The most sure-shot way would be to get something that can be revalved, and get it revalved. Float would be fine, RP23 would be fine, and so on. If you can pick up a cheap fox air-shock that can be modified by push, that would probably be the cheapest and smartest route.

That is sort of what I'm thinking, though they (PUSH) are gearing up to work on RS air shocks, so I may just wait for that. Again, since I already have the Monarch in the proper i2i and stroke. Hoping they'll get back to me with some info soon, so I can either get on with it, or shelve it and just know I'm stuck with the Roco.

For the short time I've been on the frame so far, the Roco actually feels pretty good. Unfortunately, it's been snowy and crappy trail conditions for th most part since building it up, so haven't been able to give it some good long thrashings.

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BC

· #9 · Jan 7, 2010

The ROCO air is the heaviest air shock I've had (~520 grams if I recall). I'm runing and older fox RC with a 300# ti spring that weighs 490 grams. You could probably find one of those fairly cheap and the older shocks were more active in their stock form. I was lucky enough to snag a ti spring on e-bay for $65.00. The other low $ option is to re-valve your monarch you have. Don't know if push works on those, but if you are mechanically inclined, you can re-vavle it yourself. I've never owned a RS, but I've re-vavled the fox float RL,Marz ROCO TST coil and FOX RC (roco is the easiest). The non piggybak shocks are more of a pain because the use a septa (requireing a needle and N2) instead of a schrader valve to pressurize. Otherwise I would search for an 06' model fox air shock for cheap. Seems like in 08', MFR's got "pedal concious" and overvalved everything IMO.

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