[KyleB]

Currently on a 21" Trek zx 6000, I'm 6'2" working my way down to 250lbs. Looking at dual suspension for my next bike. I like the Kona Coiler the best so far. Would it be safe for me to go down to a 19" ? I like my Trek but it just seems too big to have any fun on. Also would it be better for someone my size/weight to use a coil spring shock over an air shock? I'm just thinking a coil would be stiffer and support my weight better.
Benn looking around here for a few days and have seen a few places to get deals, any suggestions? I see wheel world has 06 Kona's on sale, is wheel world alright to deal with?

 

[KyleB]

hmmm, after doing a little more drooling, maybe it would be better for me to get a Dawg or Dawg Deluxe. I still would like to hear peoples thoughts on a coil over airshock for big riders please

 

[Call_me_Clyde]

A couple thoughts

As for the frame size, i wouldn't buy a bike whose frame was too small for me as a rider. Check out the 19" Kona and see if it feels right. if it doesn't, DON'T buy it. Buy the right size. As for the coil/air issue, I'm about your size and am a firm believer in coil-n-oil for larger riders. With that said, I'm giving air a shot this year as i'm hearing better things about the quality of the seals, and more riders our weight having good experiences. 275 lbs and up, I'd still recommend coil.

Bob

 

[KyleB]

thanks Bob, confirms my thoughts. I'm into rock crawling and have a pretty good grasp of airshocks and coil over's in that spectrum and the same applies there, air's work good on light comp buggies and coilovers for the heavier rigs. I have more weight to shed and that will give me plenty of time to do more homework.

 

[mtnbiker72]

A few more thoughts

One thing that is rarely mentioned in the coil vs air debate for clydes is the leverage ratio on the shock. I'm about 230lbs with all my gear on (helmet, hydration pack, tools, etc.) and I have owned three air shock FS bikes and from experience, the leverage ratio seems to make a big difference. What I mean by leverage ratio is the length of travel VS the stroke of the shock. I've found that because us heavier riders require a high pressure in the shock, a lower leverage ratio seems to work better. For example, my first full suspension had 88mm of rear travel and a 38mm stroke shock. So the leverage ratio was a low 2.3:1. This system worked great, I had no problems with the bike being a pogo stick. Now my next FS had 115mm of rear travel yet still used a 38mm stroke air shock (a 3:1 ratio). Overall, this was a great handling bike, but on big hits...the bike would pogo stick a bit. I had to run my rebound dampening (both bikes had adjustable rebound but not adjustable compression dampening) at the maximum level to try and control this. My latest air shock FS bike has 125mm of travel on a 50mm stroke shock for a 2.5:1 ratio and it seems to work quite nicely. I believe the Dawg line is also these exact numbers so I would be inclined to say that you would probably be OK for XC riding on a Dawg Deluxe (the Dawg does not have adjustable rebound dampening, so you will need to step up to the Deluxe). Should you start to throw in some larger drops (over 3 feet per say) or jumping...then go the Coiler.

Hope this helps
:thumbsup:

 

[KyleB]

Hope this helps
:thumbsup:

sure does got another one for ya, how well will a Coiler XC if I went that route ?

 

[mtnbiker72]

'04 Stinky set up very similar to Coiler

Well, I actually got a little first hand experience on this one. I have a '04 Stinky which is nearly identical to the '05 and '06 Coiler in terms of weight and geometry (its for sale BTW ). I have had it set up for an AM bike the last two years so here are my thoughts:
-On descents, rough trails, drops, and jumps it is a solid feeling bike. It gives you confidence that even if you don't land perfect on a drop or jump, you'll come out OK. It soaks up everything in its path and the Fox Vanilla coil over shock is great. Plus, there is nothing like 8 inch rotors...especially on the front wheel for braking power!
-On climbs, the pro-pedal Fox Vanilla R keeps the bobbing of the suspension in check. There is no hiding 37lbs on a climb...you just have to put it in low and grind away. One note, for some reason Kona likes to put 11-32T cassettes on their bikes, I would get this switched out to an 11-34T before you leave the dealer. That extra two teeth really help on the climbs. I also noticed that the 2007 Coilers have a 24t small ring. Again, I recommend switching to a 22t before leaving the dealer. Also, the front end does tend to wander on the climbs due to the slack headtube and long travel fork. I have a fork that can be reduced to 110mm travel for climbs that greatly helps this, but the fork on the Coiler does not.
-I have rode my Stinky on 25+ mile rides with no problems, you just have to know that with a 37lbs bike, you can't be in too much of a hurry. Having 2.3" tires are great, but also slow the bike down due to the inherited friction with the ground. But to me its a trade off, I don't mind being last on the climbs if I can be first on the descents!

Again, hope this helps

:thumbsup:

 

[jeffj]

The problem with coil shocks is that there isn't much to choose from when it comes to big fellas. I had the biggest spring available (850#) for a Fox Vanilla on a 3:1 lever ratio bike and I could only get to 1/3 sag if I turned the preload on the spring all the way up.

On the other hand, I have had a couple of air shocks (one on that same bike as the Vanilla) and they have had no problem supporting me at 275lbs. I also perfer the ride of the air shocks I've ridden but that is always subjective.

 

[rzozaya1969]

As for the frame size, i wouldn't buy a bike whose frame was too small for me as a rider. Check out the 19" Kona and see if it feels right. if it doesn't, DON'T buy it. Buy the right size. As for the coil/air issue, I'm about your size and am a firm believer in coil-n-oil for larger riders. With that said, I'm giving air a shot this year as i'm hearing better things about the quality of the seals, and more riders our weight having good experiences. 275 lbs and up, I'd still recommend coil.

Bob

Completely agree with CMC. About coil, I'm 230lbs plus gear, clothes, socks and whatever I had for breakfast. I had my frame with an air shock (Fox RP3) and it worked pretty good, but went to coil (Fox DHX 5.0 coil) and I prefer how the coil feels.