[mstrkrft69]

This is my last season on my 2014 5010C as my primary (and right now, only) whip. I've mod'd it out in most parts except suspension. So before I upgrade to a new bike, I thought I'd play with the suspension this season. Namingly coils.

I live in Marin County, CA and trail riding is 90% of my jam. So what I'm looking for is SMALL BUMP COMPLIANCE. my air system takes the medium stuff pretty good. But I get rattled on the small stuff pretty much at any speed. If I could get down Schultz at Annadel without my hands getting numb I'd be tickled.

I can pick up a Cane Creek DB CS coil on Pinkbike for $300 which seems pretty good. I'll have to buy a new spring for my weight (140lbs). Not sure about what I could put up front without spending $$.

Thoughts?

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[RBoardman]

That bike is not supposed to be plush over rough terrain. Get a Bronson if that’s what you are looking for.

 

[veloborealis]

That bike is not supposed to be plush over rough terrain. Get a Bronson if that's what you are looking for.

I guess you missed this part of the post:

"So before I upgrade to a new bike, I thought I'd play with the suspension this season. Namingly coils."

 

[jms]

First, is it the fork, shock or your riding position that's responsible for your hands going numb on the bike, and why? Maybe determine that first? Wheels and tires can have an effect on that too. CCDB's are amazingly tuneable shocks - it's all just a big kinetic puzzle - have fun playing with the pieces!

 

[mstrkrft69]

First, is it the fork, shock or your riding position that's responsible for your hands going numb on the bike, and why? Maybe determine that first? Wheels and tires can have an effect on that too. CCDB's are amazingly tuneable shocks - it's all just a big kinetic puzzle - have fun playing with the pieces!

They don't actually go numb, I was exaggerating, I'm just looking for a plusher ride overall.

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[cassieno]

Shock isn't going to help your hands. I have both that I switch between for a lot of Marin trails. Shock has less effect because of your legs.

 

[nilswalk]

Yeah, sounds to me like you'd be more interested in something like the Push ACS3 conversion kit.

 

[burpp]

cane creek sucks

 

[DH40]

I swapped out a 160 Monarch+ RC3 with a 170 DHX2. The coil is harder (for me) to tune but it ‘feels’ really nice to me (not a tuner- just a parts swapper). I have convinced myself that it’s ‘plusher’ but mainly I just ride.

 

[hoolie]

Shock isn't going to help your hands. I have both that I switch between for a lot of Marin trails. Shock has less effect because of your legs.

Care to elaborate a bit on some differences? Not alot of us have $ to use both air and coil on 1 bike(?). Your opinion is helpful, or have you posted in Suspension forum in regards to air vs coil? Thanks. Novato style with loooooong DH's ? Or More Southern Marin popular trails?

 

[RBoardman]

I guess you missed this part of the post:

"So before I upgrade to a new bike, I thought I'd play with the suspension this season. Namingly coils."

Ok, then here is my honest opinion.

I do not think the OP should spend money upgrading an older bike's suspension, because the difference on a short travel trail bike will be insignificant. He should save his money and be that much closer to upgrading to a completely new bike with better suspension and updated geometry.

And if that's not helpful enough... I personally do not plan on running a coil shock again. Been there done that, and I personally did not like it's more linear nature.

 

[5k bike 50cent legs]

If you weigh 140lbs why do you think you need a coil for small bump compliance?

 

[NRP]

Wouldn't speeding up rebound help with harshness over higher speed chatter?

 

[ssalinas]

Install volume reducers an lower air pressure a bit, oh and service your fork and shock, can make a huge difference, I just installed some tokens for my fork and volume reducers for my shock, as well as changing the oil on my fork and its f#**ing awesome, it a cheap mod as well

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[Little_twin]

Care to elaborate a bit on some differences? Not alot of us have $ to use both air and coil on 1 bike(?). Your opinion is helpful, or have you posted in Suspension forum in regards to air vs coil? Thanks. Novato style with loooooong DH's ? Or More Southern Marin popular trails?

I'll play.....

I live in Novato, grew up in Novato, and ride everything across Marin.

My bike is a a guerrilla gravity trail pistol, which is a short travel 29er.

I have 3 shocks for my trail pistol. This is how I feel about them.

Cane creek dbcoil inline 450 lbs spring:

Very good initial stroke but has a bit of a dead feeling in the mid and high speed hits. I don't run this shock because it just tends to sit too low in the travel for my liking. I also feel like it doesn't recover as well from successive hits.

RockShox super deluxe coil 450 lbs spring:

Firm initially with good mid and high speed support. It does take a lot of small trail chatter out of the equation. This shock definitely doesn't have nearly as wide of a range of adjustment but works very well for me.

RockShox deluxe air 195psi,
1 volume spacer:

This shocks damping feels similar to the deluxe coil (expected), it is firm initially with a nice progressive spring curve. It also rides higher in its travel but works very well for me and my trails. I feel a lot more of the small chatter and bumps but I'm ok with that. This shock is on my bike 90% of the time.

For reference the bike is always in crush mode and has 130mm lyrik.

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[Mudguard]

Shock isn't going to help your hands. I have both that I switch between for a lot of Marin trails. Shock has less effect because of your legs.

That's true, but 70% of the weight is on your pedals, and easier to lean back to relieve your hands. I'm in the coil camp, quiet, grippy, and comfortable. Often air to coil users miss the poppy feeling of an air shock. That's because an air shock ramps up (and rebounds), coils don't do that, they feel more 'dead'. But to me, it helps me go faster, because I can keep the bike on the line I want. Sure if I want to bunny hop or lighten the bike for a bump I have to use more body english to do so.
NB, I have four shocks for my bike, Fox CTD, RS Monarch Plus RC3, CC Inline Air CS and Ohlins TTX. The only time the Ohlins gets a break is when it's being serviced, then I'm reminded why I don't like air shocks (the CTD was a particularly terrible shock).

 

[5k bike 50cent legs]

The biggest factor for me in regards to numb hands is brake lever position.

 

[RBoardman]

Numb hands / arm pump on a mountain bike is also from lack of working out those muscles.

When I used to ride moto regularly I would laugh at anyone complaining about sore hands at the bottom of long DHs. Now that I’ve been exclusively on my mountain bike for the last 2 years, (and not working out in a gym) I definitely feel it on any DHs longer than 3 minutes or so.

 

[5k bike 50cent legs]

^^^ Yep. Find a pull up bar and hang for a few minutes everyday. After a month you’ll have hands like vice grips.

 

[Mudguard]

The biggest factor for me in regards to numb hands is brake lever position.

I swear I got numb hands changing from an alloy handlebar to a carbon one. I know carbon is stiff, but I never got the numbness with my old bars. Pretty sure my hand position was the same too.