Anyone running anything different to a FOX CTD Evolution/Factory Series on their Five, and how is it? Or Fox CTD users – what’s been your experience? Interested in Rockshox Monarchs and RP23s (although I don’t think you can get these amy more, can you?). I know Dirt once claimed that the cheapest Monarch shock worked superbly on a Five. Any tips/experiences/warnings welcome. Ta v much.

I used a TFTuned and Pushed Vanilla R with Ti Spring was awesome, climbed pretty good and went downhill even better, 90Kg+ rider 😀

Thanks for that, Jeffus. Probably looking for air though, not coil. No one else got any input?

I’ve got one of the Kashima Boost Valve RP23s with a medium tune (not CTD) .
It seems pretty good, although the propedal seems to make little to no difference.
Thinking about getting it custom tuned to ramp up in resistance at the end of the stroke as it seems to blast through all the travel too easily on drop offs and jumps. Need more ride time to be sure tho.

I’d steer clear from the DHX air, as it seems rubbish by most standards.
RS Monarch Plus looks really good for a hard hitting air can though, so that may be worth a look?
DB air is good if expensive, and I wonder if the mod cons are worth the money unless you really know what you want to get out of it, and are a good enough rider to need the difference.

standard rp23 XV here on my 2011 Five.

Not mega impressed so far, as it does blow through its travel far too easily if sagged correctly (a well documented problem and solution – fit a volume reducer). I have a small reducer in now, about to try the medium one instead.

Also got a brand new Kashima RP23 BV but not fitted that yet. Might just flog it unused and get a CCDB coil instead, as I’ve been blown away by the basic Van RC coil on my Patriot.

In my experience the RP23 XV boost valve is crap and blows through its travel on the 5 (as mentioned above). I swapped mine for a monarch standard volume and it was a huge improvement.

Cheers again. Any more ideas or feedback, anyone? What’s the Kashima CTD like on a Five? Got an RP23 BV on my 2008 Patriot and it’s amazing – so good I took a CCDB off because the performance difference wasn’t noticeable enough to justify the weight difference. Don’t know what this RP23 BV ‘XV’ is though?

“xv” refers to the tune of the shock I think.
I think the Kashima CTD is basically the same as my Kashima Adaptive Logic BV, but with climb, trail, descend rather then 0,1,2,3.

It seems to work well, and is super sensitive at the beginning of the stroke, but it seems to blow through the last part of the travel, as I often find the O ring at the very, very end of the shock after a fast DH section of trail.

If I were you, I’d whack an RP23 CTD Kashima thingymajig on and see how you like it, and then get it custom tuned if needed (that’s what I plan to do anyway). I have heard amazing things about coil springs on fives though, although I’m not sure if the weight is worth it unless you’re doing a lot of DH.

I have 2012 five pro with kashima coated rp23 test rode one with ccdb coil and it was amazing but ended up goin for the fox as orange wanted 300 quid to upgrade and you can get one for 425 from Tf tuned my rp23 blows through its travel really easily so thinking of getting a ccdb with a ti coil from Loco tuning the pro pedal does little too nothing for the rp 23 and the grip that can be had from the cane creek outweighs the weight penalty, sorry if missed few comers had few beers 😀