Ok so ive bought a second hand enduro in mint condition and really struggled on uphills on sunday.
Is this bike no good for trail and occasional dowhill routes.
It has a dhx 5.0 rear shock.wondered if i changed shock for a lockout shock and bought slimmer tyres would it ride better on trails and up hill.
If so what shock would anyone suggest.
Sorry im new to this biking and really struggled to keep up and worried ive bought the wrong bike
thanks lee

Can you describe in more detail why you were struggling?

Cramped
Heavy
Draggy
Front wheel wiggling about
Feeling like falling off the back
Rear suspension movement when seated pedalling
ditto – but when standing pedalling

If you’re new to riding and out with people who are used to it the problem may just be you not being ‘bike fit’ rather than anythign wrong with the bike itself.

Enduro’s never going to fly up hills, though. Have you weighed it at all?

Well it’s certainly not an XC bike or a hardtail, so will never be the fastest up hills, but with the right build it should cope ok.

Is yours a DHX air or coil? Air will be better than coil, but neither are renowned for their efficient pedalling. Specialized’s FSR design is quite active and can often benefit from a shock with a good pedalling platform, or a lockout, both of which would probably help you out.

As for tyres, narrower and lighter will help, as could varying the pressure, changing to a different tread pattern or rubber compound.

I’ve got a Pitch which is the same basic frame, just heavier and ride it on long all day rides with plenty of hills.

Plenty to get wrong though. IME my pitch is really sensitive to shock setup, rangeing from unresponsive to sloggy in just a few psi. Add to that everything from getting the saddle/bars/seatpost/stem not quite the right palces, tyre choice, to you’ve bought the wrong size.

I’d stick with it, I’m mediochrely fit and if I miss a few evening rides I feel slow on the next one. If you’ve just started it’ll probably take at least a couple of months regular riding (at least 4 hours a week) to get upto the sort of average fitness of a group ride IME, untill then you’ll keep up but it’ll feel hard work.

That and just gettign fitter will make you faster than any ammount of upgrades and costs less.

I have been riding this shape enduro since it was new, it’s built with a coil shock, Lyriks, wide bars, and tyres, clearly it’s no xc whippet, but I have ridden it up really steep trails on big all day rides in the peaks, lakes etc. I think the slight uphill slog is worth it for the really active suspension on the way back down, perhaps just ride it more?

Thanks for replys its the dhx5.0 rear shock and just found it or me was really struggling to get up hills and mates were flying up. saying that on the flat muddy grass i found it hatd aswell so maybe its more of a tyre issue.
Seriously thinking of changing to a lockout shock tho.
Any reccomendations out there please

swap bikes with a mate and see how you both get on 🙂

The DHX isn’t a particularly great shock for climbing so that wont help but its probably not the only issue. Do you have a pic so we can help diagnose what could be wrong?

There is a whole list of possible problems which, if you don’t know the inns and outs, could really confuse you. Try and put a pic up with some basic info like tyre model/size and air pressure in them, the pressure in the shock or weight of the coil spring in it will have some bearing too. Basically give us as much info as you can and people will be able to point you in the right direction.

thinking of changing to a lockout shock tho

Don’t. It won’t really help. Start by checking the air pressure etc assuming it’s not a coil. Turn up the propedal to max.

If this is the 2008 (ie the SL with the E150 fork) it should have the Spesh model shock on it. This did go wrong and was frequently replaced. Mine was OK, though.

It may be that you had a bad day, made worse by rubbish tyres. Stick a pic up and let’s have a look.

Will try and work out how to put pics on.
Its the enduro fsr tyres are 2.6s
dhx shock i had on full pro pedal and ehen i sat on bike went down a third with 200psi in it.
What lockout shock eould be s straight swap?
Im 5 9 and frsme is medium
thanks guys

The 2.6 tyres won’t help, and could well be pretty heavy dual ply downhill tyres. You’ll probably be better off on something around 2.2/2.3 and a bit lighter.

For the shock anything in a 200mm x 57mm size should fit. Fox Float RP23 and Rockshox Monarch RT3 are more xc orientated shocks and have better pro-pedal type settings, while the Fox Float RL and Rockshox Monarch RL both have lockout. Its probably best to get used to the bike a bit first, and maybe make a few other changes first, since a new shock is quite an expensive change to make so soon, and won’t help that much if you’ve got lots of other issues.

Don’t go spending money on it yet!
You could always up the air pressure if you want to see how it would feel with lockout but I suspect you’re to the wrong conclusion with this!

What sort of terain do you and your mates ride?
What sort of bikes are you trying to keep up with?

As a new rider, you’re quite possibly mashing the pedals up and down, wasting loads of energy. If so, just learning to pedal smoothly will make a big difference.

“on full pro pedal and ehen i sat on bike went down a third with 200psi”
pro-pedal shouldn’t affect a ‘sag’ (the gone down a third bit), all it should do is limit the choppyness of the suspension when riding/pedalling
Still for setting the sag the pro-pedal should be in the off position I think, as it ought to make it easier to get a better reading. If it sags a third with just you sat on it (ie no more bumps to make it sink more) then I’d be putting more air in. Try to get it to ‘go down a quarter/25%’
I used to run my specialized shock (on a stumpjumper) upto about 220psi
Most shocks are good upto 300psi

One had a boardman one a giant xc and one an old raleigh hard tail tho he is nails and flys up anything.
Wanna ride cannock chase, ladybower and some peak district runs mainly.
Will try tyres and pumping shock up a bit its just got that many nobs its hard to know whats right to set it on. that is why i was toying with a lockout shock.
Mine is as new so should get a bit on the bay for it or even do a swap maybe

As per all the other replies…

2.6 tyres will make a massive difference. They probably weigh 1 kilo or more each. 2.3’s would liven it up quite a bit and probably save a kilo off the pair of 2.6’s. And get the right pressure in them.

1/3 sag is at the limit of what you’d want, so I’d add air so that its 25%. It should be set with pro-pedal off, because it does tend to prop the shock up when you’re trying to get the correct sag.

Plus if you’re riding with regulars and you’re out of practice, you will likely struggle comparatively.

The shock is a pig to setup I really disliked mine however there are things you can do with it.

Try the shock at about 225psi and check the sag as above. There is a blue dial on the piggyback with an airvalve in the middle of it, unscrew this dial and put 125psi into that valve and screw the dial most of the way back in. Have a test and it should be better now.

Have a look at this, it might help you with the settings.

http://www.foxracingshox.com/fox_tech_center/owners_manuals/07/eng/rear_shocks/dhx_air_50.htm

Unless you’ve changed the forks, 2.6″ tyres simply will not fit. Hmmm…….

Either way, an Enduro was never designed to fly up the hills. More winch along at a merry speed up anything, safe in the knowledge that you can have fun on the other side. I love mine, especially with pimp-internals on the E150 fork, wide bars and a Reverb. No, it’s no mountain goat on the ups, but great fun going down. A great trail centre skill compensator!

I suspect that if the previous owner changed the shock the forks have probably been changed to 36s.

As others have said, 2.6″ tyres are probably the reason why you’re struggling. That model Enduro was supposed to be quite pedallable and brisk up hills.

FWIW at this time of year you’d be fine with a pair of Spesh Storms, or even a Storm up front and a Captain at the back. At 2″ wide they won’t slow you down either.

dhx shock I had on full pro pedal and when I sat on bike went down a third with 200psi in it. What lockout shock would be a straight swap?

Depends on how much you want to spend. That model Enduro is approaching five years old and you’re getting close to the secondhand value of the frame alone if you throw in £350plus for a new shock. I believe the shock size is 200×57 and there are plenty out there…Fox RP2 is a good bet for budget and performance. Your DHX could probably well do with a service, which would be far cheaper and you could get it set up to your tastes. Maybe give LoCo tuning a call for best, no-bull advice here.

33% sag is very much at the AM end of the range, so your bike may well feel a little wallowy and unresponsive. Try it with 25% sag and see how you get on.

All in all, you’re looking at circa £200 to get the bike into top nick, assuming that you opt for a fork and shock service to go with two new tyres, which isn’t bad. Far better than splashing £400 on a new rear shock.

My mistake tyres are 2.5s
will try and adjust pressures tommorow guys thanks for info

leefoz – Member
Thanks for replys its the dhx5.0

Lots of air pressure comments going on here, not so handy when it’s a coil shock

My mistake tyres are 2.5s

Still, have you changed the fork? I run 2.4s on mine and that’s a beast of a tyre. I get chain rub on the tyre when I drop to the granny gear when I wimp out on a climb!

My mistake tyres are 2.5s

It’ll still be like you’re dragging an anchor behind you!

legend – Member
leefoz – Member
Lots of air pressure comments going on here, not so handy when it’s a coil shock

He also said that there is 200psi in it so no its not a coil. That is unless you know the bike and he has put that much air in the piggyback he will have well and truely screwed it up.

Assume DHX5 Air which is well known as being a bit pants. Alternative would probably be something like the RP23 with Big Air Can.
Try some different pressures. Unless your DH ing get shot of the big tyres 2.35 maxxis single ply 60a is normaly good enough for most of the UK.

For setup sometimes it’s best to consult a professional 🙂 If you have a LBS who you know pop in and see them. If they have someone who knows what they are on about you should get somewhere. Especially if you get your new tyres from there.

If it’s the DHX5 Coil then maybe look at something else.

So “there’s 200psi in the shock” and “I’m going to try pumping up the shock”. Turns into “Lots of air pressure comments going on here, not so handy when it’s a coil shock”.

You are not helping us to help you. Some specific questions:

What IS the shock? What is the fork? What are the tyres (size, brand, model)? What tyre pressures? Is your seat set at the right height? Can we have a pic of you on the bike? Simply buying a lockout shock is unlikely to help much.

He also said that there is 200psi in it so no its not a coil. That is unless you know the bike and he has put that much air in the piggyback he will have well and truely screwed it up.

200 psi in the boost valve is within limits (just).

leefoz, is it a DHX 5.0 or a DHX 5.0 Air?

Depends on the year, in my link the max is 125psi. Yes I know its an 07 link but a) I’m on my phone and b) its not unreasonable to think the shock might used when it was put on the bike.

From the ’07 and ’08 air and coil manuals “Never ride your bike with more than 200 PSI or less than 75 PSI in the reservoir air chamber. Doing so can damage your shock and require repairs that are NOT covered under warranty.”

http://www.ridefox.com/fox_tech_center/owners_manuals/08/eng/2008_om_eng.htm

http://www.ridefox.com/fox_tech_center/owners_manuals/07/eng/2007_om_eng.htm

Its definately a dhx 5.0 air
didnt know there was 2 places to pump it up just done the main one on the side. it also has pro pedal and anoyher dial on it underneath.

Sorry my mistake, as I said I was on my phone so misread this “Bottom-out should be adjusted with a maximum of 125 psi in the Boost Valve” as this “maximum of 125 psi in the Boost Valve”

Turns out I was right anyway.

Is the propedal a dial or a lever?

Hi its a dial.
Boost valve?? Is that the cylinder on the top the small one

The boost valve is inside the small cylinder, the cylinder is called a piggyback. The piggyback is a way of adding extra oil and room for more adjustments than a normal inline shock can handle. The more pressure (up to 200psi) you have in the boost valve the firmer the propedal will feel.

Well ive not put any air in there and will see whats in it when im home.
Im thinking a trip to bike shop buy some tyres and get them to set it properly for me

You say you ride at the chase, I can recommend Swinnertons as a great shop. Its the one at the start of the Dog, go there and they will sort you out.

Where abouts do you live?

I can only find one valve to pump up?
I have pumped this ip to 230 with 20% sag with pro pedal off 14 clicks anti clockwise.
cant find anywhere to put air in small cylinder on top!!

It should be on the end. Look at these pics you can see the air valve in the middle of the bottom out adjuster on the end of the piggyback.

DSC_00251 (2) by i_ache, on Flickr

Ah…don’t some DHX airs come with factory-set boost valve?

I think it was just the ones on 05/06 Enduros due to the fact they wouldn’t fit as you can clearly see in the second pic. 😉

The 2008 takes a different size shock so it wont be a used one from an older Enduro.