Maybe mine is an 06 model then as it looks exactly like the 2nd picture. how do you fit a pump on as its too close to the frame. thanks

Well that might explain things a little. If its an 06 the shock will not have the air valve on the piggyback. These arn’t true DHX 5.0s they are often referred to as a DHX 4.5. In my opinion the shocks are rubbish and dont work with the suspension layout at all. I tried everything on mine to get it to work well including fitting the air valve like in the above photo. Everything I did improved the shock but it was still rubbish and ruined the bike. I wouldn’t bother spending another penny on that shock.

The best thing I did was fit a Rock Shox Monarch Plus RC3. The bike is fantastic now.

Just for your reference here is a (my) 2006 Enduro.

DSC_0076 by i_ache, on Flickr

And here is a 2008 Enduro

Ok thanks i will look on ebay for one. Bike is a medium what size will i need and is it easy to fit?

I take it yours is an 06 then?

You would need a 222 x 66mm (8.75×2.6″) with a medium tune, and no not particularly easy to fit. Possibly the hardest shock to fit on any bike ever! If you have a decent LBS/live close to somebody who knows how its done they should be able to help you out, the LBS will obviously charge for that tho.

Right ive pumped it up with pro pedal off until 20% sag.
When i turn pro pedal on full its the same sag.
Called in at bike sjop and all they said is its squeaking a litgle so needs a service (120 squid)
Tho i know its not losing pressure from main cylinder.
Is this shock in need of service and is it worth spending 120 on it.
The guy in the shop said it wad a great shock.
Im confused lol

Go out for a ride and see how it feels.

Yes it probably does need a service but IMHO I don’t think its worth spending money on that shock.

Just wondered if sag is the same with pro pedal off and on when just sat on the bike.

I’ve got a 2005 enduro (basically the same frame as your if its 2006), and I have the 2006 dhx air shock on it.

I wouldnt say the shock is terrible, but its certainly not the best.

You should be able to get it performing good enough. I think if you can verify that the shock is working correctly, ie when you adjust the rebound to fully slow , when you bounce the shock it should rebound quite slowly, versus setting the rebound to fully fast, the shock should rebound quite quickly, and there should be a lot of difference between these two points. if this adjustment is working fine then I wouldnt bother with a service at this point in time – because you might end up binning the shock.

Set the sag at 20-25% for now – you’ll probably want to increase the sag to 30% once you get to a good starting point, but for now you just want it to pedal ok.

Set the propedal to somewhere in the middle. set the rebound to somewhere around one third to one half in from minimal reound damping.

IF after all the above it still feels terrible, then its probably the 2.5 tyres you are using that are causing it to feel terrible. Put some 2.2 or 2.3 middle of the road tyres on it (eg maxxis high roller, but not the super tacky variant etc), and ensure they have a decent amount of air in them, say 35 psi. Just double check that the inner tubes you’re using are not downhill tubes. Downhill tubes will be very thick and heavy, and will make the bike feel like it pedals terribly in my experience.

If it still feels terrible after putting the shock into the above ‘safe’ configuration, and changing the tyres and tubes for known reasonable ones and not downhill stuff, then it may be that you’re expecting too much from the bike/are not fit enough.

note the above shock settings/tyre pressure/choices are not going to be 100% bang on correct for you, but I reckon they’ll be a fair enough starting point that are going to remove the shock from the question of why you think the bike pedals badly.

PS – have you asked a mate who has more experience to ride it and see what he thinks?

(eg maxxis high roller, but not the super tacky variant etc), and ensure they have a decent amount of air in them, say 35 psi

Good tyres, but they take a bit of comitment to get them to bite, not sure Id recomend them for someone new, they really need leaning over before they grip in the corners. And 35psi? Round Cannock that’d be like riding on ice! Unless you’re 15stone, start at 25-27psi and you’ll have more chance of getting round a corner smoothly.

ok, no more comments from me on this.

All I’m trying to do is remove the variables that could lead to poor pedalling , I’m not trying to recommend the perfect setup, once the pedalling has been corrected then he can start to make adjustments to more suit him personally.

Hence my ‘disclaimer at the end:-

“note the above shock settings/tyre pressure/choices are not going to be 100% bang on correct for you, but I reckon they’ll be a fair enough starting point that are going to remove the shock from the question of why you think the bike pedals badly.”

If the bike still doesnt pedal well after doing the above, then either the rider has an unrealistic expectation of the bike (ie doesnt suit its style) or is too unfit.

Unless you’re 15stone

Judging by the pressure he has in the shock he cant be far off that.

Ok thanks guys i will try.
Apparently my tyres were 2.5 super tacky so this is prob mote why i was struggling

Apparently my tyres were 2.5 super tacky so this is prob mote why i was struggling

And I bet they have downhill tubes in as well, some narrower more trail friendly tyres, plus regular tubes should make a massive massive difference compared 2.5 super tacky and downhill tubes

With the sag thingy if pro pedal is on or off will sag be the same to just sit on the bike.
I thought pro pedal stiffened the shock?

With the sag thingy if pro pedal is on or off will sag be the same to just sit on the bike.
I thought pro pedal stiffened the shock?

yeah, sag will be more or less the same with propedal on or off. If you were going for absolute perfection in terms of setting sag then you’d want it switched off, but on the whole it’ll make no difference.

Ok thanks so how does the pro pedal work then? Im confused…why did they not build with just a lockout mode?

I thin The pedalling platform in propedal only really starts to coem into effect after a certain amount of travel, ie is position sensitive damping

a full lockout wouldnt give any movement so traction when climbing over rough ground wouldnt be as good as one that had some movement.

Full lockout is more efficient for pedalling and better if tge path is smooth,pro pedal tries to give the best of both worlds

The propedal is a form of damping and is as such totally separate from the spring, this is the same if the spring is air or coil and is why it ultimately doesn’t effect sag. It is wise to turn off the propedal when setting sag because the propedal slows down the compression of the shock so when on the shock will take a little longer to reach the real sag height. Simplisticly all the propedal does is reduce the speed that the shock compresses, by controlling the speed oil moves around inside the shock, this makes the shock feel firmer.

The reason why it doesn’t have a lockout lever is that it was designed as a DH/big mountain shock and lockout has no place on a DH shock. Later versions have a 2 position lever where the propedal is either on or off. This option makes the shock better for trail riding.

So if the slight squelching sound is oil in the shock a service may help with the propedal then. as now it feels the same with it on or off

If you’ve got a 2006 Enduro then you’re one lucky so and so, they’re amazing machines. They’re not however, the most agile up hill of the breed, but the payoff is a bike that’s hugely capable downhill and will cope with everything the UK could throw at it (indeed, a 2006 Enduro won rounds of the national DH championships).

We have had 3 of them. Great bikes not had a problem with setting up the shocks. My frame is on the garage wall waiting for me to get round to selling it.

Katie still has hers and loves every minute on it

Is it the right size shock

So if the slight squelching sound is oil in the shock a service may help with the propedal then. as now it feels the same with it on or off

Quite probably, it should be (almost) silent. A service will be arround £100 from a company like MOJO. It’s not something LBS’s can do themselves, although I did once have a debate in one after they offered to service mine for £50 but didn’t admit this was little more than an air can service, new bushes and a sticker rather than actualy taking the damper appart and serviceign that. Typicaly they need a service every year, although I’m sure somewhere on the Fox website it says 100 hours which is nearer 4 months for most people!

2.5 super tacky

Gulp. That is at least half your problem! Get some Maxxpro 2.35 Minions, or a 2.35 Minion up front and a 2.2 Ardent out back. Or similar.

It sounds like the oil has cavitated (mixed with the air) so will need a proper service to get it working as designed. TF Tuned wont touch them, I’m not sure about Loco but Mojo will definitely do it.

Put some 2.2s on and made a massive difference. im thi
thanks guysnking about getting shock serviced or buying a lockout shock…..not decided yet

I love a story with a happy ending. You can never have too many Spesh Enduro threads either – I have a 2004 frame, which is sat on my mantelpiece as I type.

Decided that this shock is not worth spending the money on.too many bad threads on it so im gonna change it.
The bike is 2006 enduro fsr. medium frame.
Does anyone definately know what size shock i need as had too different sizes posted and also seen a thread about wrong size quoted in the manual.
Also any reccomendations as to what shock

Short answer is 8.75×2.5 I will give you a long answer tomorrow morning as that size is very hard to find.

Marzocchi roco rc world cup any good?
Found one over half price 222 x 70
Do these have lockout or pro pedal