Thinking of changing my rear shock to coil, as I’ve heard they are much better bikes with one. What are you recommendations?

I’m using the stock Fox float RL that came with it at the moment which feels pretty pants although it is due a service so will see if that helps.

I’m running dual ply minions so my heckler isn’t exactly lightweight at the moment so how much more weight does a coil shock add?

Thanks Mike

Have a look at the CCDB Inline, performs better than many coil shocks and weighs just a bit more than your Fox Float.

Coils are nice in the alps but not great on UK climby peddling trails, I have a float on mine which replaced a dhx. The float was nice but wasn’t perfect, never using full travel, bit under damped. Loco did a custom tune and it’s now as good as the coil downhill but way better for everything else. I

I’m sure I heard the inline wouldn’t be suitable for my weight as I’m 6ft, about 90kg kitted up probably.

My shock is very basic. Its either to stiff or blows through its travel to easily.

I dont know if its worth getting my current shock PUSH tuned?

I’ve changed the shock on my Intense from a 5th Element coil (TF upgraded shim stack which helped) to a Push Tuned Fox CTD. I’m about the same height/weight as you and my bike is built up for AM stuff (1 x 10, Flows with 2.5″ Minions, 170mm Lyriks etc) and I find the CTD is miles ahead of the coil in every department.
Would highly recommend a Push tuned air shock.

Apparently the shim kit you can put inside the air can resolves this issue, so would be your cheapest option.
I run a Marzocchi Roco TST R and that is nice shock, and has a very useful climb and descend lever which nearly locks it out for climbing and then makes it nice and coil like for the downhills.
Bonus of the Marzocchi shocks is they can be picked up quite cheaply second hand.

Have a coil shock (no platform/pedal damping) on my heckler, it has a very very nice action, it does how ever weigh a tonne and is quite soggy under pedalling. Can still pedal some decent distances on it but I guess it’ll never be as efficient as a well damped air can. I’m about to try a ctd airshock on it, see how it compares, my guess will be better pedalling with worse dh performance, just depends how much of each.

dunno how much better it would be with a ccdb….

I’m sure I heard the inline wouldn’t be suitable for my weight as I’m 6ft, about 90kg kitted up probably.

There was that weight limit thing yeah, TF Tuned might be able to confirm whether your combination of weight and bike would likely be a concern.

Is the Heckler 150mm travel? Maybe a CCDBair CS would fit the bill better?

A Push tune can make a big difference IME, but it’s not in the same league as CCDB for performance.

Had a stock Fox DHX Air 5.0 on my Heckler from new and with very few exceptions it’s performed great for me. Pro pedal is good on the climbs and tarmac and to be fair the Heckler doesn’t bob anyway. Had Loco service the shock for me a couple of times and that’s about it. I weigh about 11.5 stone kitted up, ride mostly trails with some air (not usually very big) involved; running about 150psi in both main and piggy back chambers. My own personal little triumph being having recently done the drops and jumps on the descent of a wet Cadon Bank at Innerleithen. Terrified me but the Heckler and the shock worked fine. Incidentally my mate was in front of me on his Heckler which (I think) has and RP23, which we recently serviced ourselves, and that worked fine too.

I made a shim as per this:
http://forums.mtbr.com/turner/dw-5-spot-rp23-mod-503070.html
It transformed my RP23 on my Heckler. It took 15mins to make and install.

Not sure if this will fit a Float RL though.

@chakaping – yeah Heckler is 150 travel.

Had a look at the other CCDB coil and air but cant stretch to paying 500 odd quid for a shock.

maybe push tuning the Float RL is the cheapest and best way forward.

Before you invest in a push tune, try the shim (if you can). I had my RP23 push tuned at a cost of £200 (inc a new sleeve). Its only a little better than it was with just the shim – not bad considering I hadnt touched it in the previous 2 years.

I’ve got a DHX 5 coil on mine & think it’s great – really plush & with the propedal on full it doesn’t bob too much when pedalling (not that I take on too many steep techy climbs to be fair though!), can’t really compare it to anything else though as i’ve never had an air shock on there. I recall reading through a massive Heckler thread on one of the US forums & the general consensus seemed to be the DHX coil was one of the best options with the DHX Air popular too – that was a few years ago though so there may be more up to date options depending on priorities – weight v price v plush etc. etc.

Basic CTD on mine is ok. Had become noticeably less active recently so hopeful that the service I gave it at the weekend has sorted that out.

lock out is handy on endless fireroad climbs. other than that I mostly leave it on trail.

toyed with the idea of getting a second hand coil (as a friend did for his heckler) but I’d rather save up for a CCDB air.

Yep mine is just lockout and rebound, nothing else. I’ve always left it open whether its fire-road climbs or whatever.

@superfli – what plastic did you use for the mod? Im going to try this first at the same as doing a service on it.

I used a cd stack case.

Had 2 hecklers 06 & 09 I think, the 06 came with a DHX5 coil, rode it round loads and loved it, upgraded to an RP2 which was lighter, flipped between them a bit. Newer frame ended up with a RP23 in it, I swapped the DHX5 into it for the alps one year and ended up back with the RP23 much better all round.

Coil shocks in some ways are no better than modern air shocks but have a weight penalty. I’d look at tuning what you have or upgrading to a better platformed air shock.

Superfli – Did the CD case not snap, it feels like it would? Assume we are taking about a standard case?

I’ve got a DHX5 coil on an Iron horse Sunday I’ve just got. there is a lot of tuning/set up to do on them!

superfli – Member

Before you invest in a push tune, try the shim (if you can). I had my RP23 push tuned at a cost of £200 (inc a new sleeve). Its only a little better than it was with just the shim – not bad considering I hadnt touched it in the previous 2 years.

The shim can be a good change, but it’s very different to the Push upgrade. A damper upgrade is never going to be able to cure a falling spring rate for example.

volatilemike – Member

Superfli – Did the CD case not snap, it feels like it would? Assume we are taking about a standard case?

I assume he means the type of case you get on a spindle of CDRs, not your Spice Girls album. 🙂

Yeah a spindle case for cdr’s.