Are there any? I don’t mean air can servicing, but the full shebang recommended after 100 hours riding. Simply cannot afford the official servicing, but like to keep stuff maintained, especially considering how much it cost to begin with!

(We’re talking shocks capable of 160mm travel)

Hardtail?

If you can afford to spend £200+ on a new shock you can spend £100 on a service on the current one surely?

DHX 5.0.

RS Monarch Plus? Full service kits available and all the service guides online.
Very little specialist tooling needed and a nice thing to work on.

DHX just as easy to service except you can’t buy (official) seals or look at a service guide.

I’m considering the hardtail option! Not at all: a one off payment of saved money is very different to 100 odd quid every couple of months.

Thanks, will look at both of those!
Is it the air dhx?

RS at least aren’t nitrogen-charged like Fox, and pretty much every part and proprietary tool is available for them for quite reasonable prices. Maybe the new Manitou one too?

Monarch – did mine for £26 plus oil and the £10 IFP adaptor, full seals including IFP. RS service manual is very good and clear.

I do a full service on the rear shock if something goes wrong. At most it’s once a year, often it will go 2-3 years all on various fox air shocks. I do my own air can service these days and it keeps them fine. Not the sort of outlay you are talking about (bikes get ridden a lot)

Unless you’re racing every week and doing a bucketload of hard riding you won’t need to service it every couple of months! Just checked the manual for the BOS Kirk I’ve got coming and it says oil service once a year, full service every 2 years!

Thanks all for the advice! It seems a new monarch plus debonair is in order!

As for the info not previously given: Currently got a Cane Creed DB air CS, it recommends a full rebuild every 100 hours of riding. As a student and a year round rider in the peak district, it gets used lots and in every conditions. (not to mention monthly uplifts, occasional racing and cheeky holidays) This is my first time with a full sus, and for the cost/benefit I’d rather stick to keeping it tidy. 😀

Soon for sale: CC DB Air CS 200x57mm – basically new