Getting a new frame with a Fox CTD shock on it but they have an upgrade option for a CCDB shock for just over 200 sponnies. Is it worth it? Is the CCDB that much better?

Based upon some recent experiences…. most things are worth more than £200 for not having a CTD shock hahahaha

air coil frame?
If it’s coil it’s a heap heavier.

Which CCDB?

I sold the new CTD Factory shock off my bike for £250, and paid £360 for a new CCDB Inline.

So upgrade cost was £120 after eBay fees.

What CCDB? Inline or CCDB Air?

Either way…I sold my near new CTD kashima for £200 so price wise it makes sense. Performance wise it depends on how much tuneability you like and the frame. My inline is far superior to the CTD it replaced and really happy with it on my bandit.

It will also be a bit heavier…or a lot heavier with an Air.

I’ve just replaced an RP23 with an Air CS. About to test it out so will find out. Everyone tells me it’s a massive improvement though.

Key thing I’ve read and been told is they very much depend on setting up right. The whole point of the CDDB shocks is fine tuneability, but it does mean you have to work at it. They aren’t set and forget shocks and the wrong settings can make them seem rubbish.

However Cane Creek have done some great work in getting base tune settings published for specific bike frames, along with great support, help and a good community forum on their site to discuss stuff too. Then also if you buy from TF Tuned or similar tuning places they’ll set the shock up with a base tune suited to you and your riding style.

And yes they can be heavier. My Air CS is about 250g more than my RP23! Screw it, the bouncy bike is 32lbs now. Not light, but acceptable for what I use it for.

The Inline I think is lighter though.

No idea, have you got £200 lying around and not needed for something else? Only you can decide that!!

What bike is it?

I demo’d a Banshee with a CTD shock on it and thought it was rubbish (not as bad as the CTD forks though). The small upgrade fee was well worth it. I wasn’t really a fan of air shocks but the CCDBa is ace – moch more controlled whilst still bieng plush.

The only downside to CCDB’s is there is scope to make the bike feel horrible if you fiddle too much.

Yes, it worth it, but only if a base tune for your bike is available on the cane creek website, or you know what you’re doing with compression and rebound settings or can get someone who does to set it up.

If theres no base tune and you dont know what you’re doing, and cant get anyone to help, you may as well forget it because the chances of you stumbling across the right ball park settings are slim.

They aren’t set and forget shocks and the wrong settings can make them seem rubbish.

They absolutely are “set and forget”. Once you’ve got your settings dialled, write them down and leave them be!

Coil version is phenomenal. Highly recommended.

I just popped an CCDB Inline on to replace a CTD. Night and Day different, in a good way. Repeated hits over rock gardens way better. Control popping off stuff & on landing so much more confidence inspiring and I’ve got better small bump sensitivity especially when climbing. Basically, everything is better. 🙂

It’s a Santa Cruz Bronson frame and the shock upgrade is a Db air. There aren’t specific tunes available on the website. Waaaaaaaaaaaaa.

What should I do?

There are setting for it in the rider forum area:

There’s probably more discussion, but they posted this:

December 2, 2013 11:41am by CaneCreekCyclingComponents

We have recently had some good feedback from riders using the DBAIR on the Santa Cruz Bronson and have a good starting tune for those of you riding Bronsons.

Start with 15mm of sag.

For the DBAIR-CS: X-Vol Can with 1 Large volume spacer-

HSC- 1.75 HSR- 1.75-2.00 LSC-7 LSR- 10

For the standard DBAIR: X-Vol Can with 1 Large Spacer-

HSC- 1.5-1.75 HSR- 2.00 LSC- 8-10 LSR- 10-14

Link to the thread here:
https://www.canecreek.com/products/suspension/lounge/forum/santa-cruz-bronson-tune

Is it possible to get the CS version? They’re an awesome bit of kit, it takes a bit of tweaking to sort out but once done it blows most others out of the water!

will depend on how happy you are tinkering and what it will solve on the bike. I have one on an Alpine (ie. simgle pivot) and I’ve tuned out the few niggles that the design had (predominantly ‘trap dooring’ on slow rolling stuff).

As my bike is a tank I’m not too bothered about the extra weight (though I used that to justify getting it a Ti spring 🙂 ).

If/when I change the Alpine the new bike will have a CCDB.

Fat-boy-fat – Member
It’s a Santa Cruz Bronson frame and the shock upgrade is a Db air. There aren’t specific tunes available on the website. Waaaaaaaaaaaaa.

What should I do?

Buy it from tftuned..and sell the CTD.

You could be really really cheeky and ask TFtuned for their opinion for a base setting for your bike. Sure they’d be willing especially as they are such a good company.

Tftuned – can help this guy out?

Sure thing, just give us a bell in the morning 01373 826800

Cheers, TFT

I reckon it depends on the bike- I put a coil one in my 224, it was properly gamechanging- the DHX4 was perfectly good but the CCDB just kicked its arse, even before it was set up right. But then some suspension designs really need a lot of help from the shock, others not so much.

I put a CCDB coil on my Blur LT for an Alps trip, the Fox RP23 is still in the garage. I doubt it will go back on, the extra weight is worth it ( I did buy a Ti spring though) as is the extra cost.

Don’t know much about the air version but my guess is it’s way better than the standard Fox offerings on frames but probably not as good as the coil version.

CCDB Air CS on my bandit and it is awesome.
The bike was ok with the RP23, but it is amazing now

A little tit bit of info that may or may not sway your decision, it may mean an awful lot to you or very little –

In order to build in the CS circuit, the rebound shim stack was removed from the main piston, all the rebound damping is controlled by a poppet valve (HS) and orifice/needle (LS).

On rebound we just have the poppet and the low-speed orifice; there’s no shims on the rebound side of the piston, just like in the DBair CS.

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/the-story-of-cane-creeks-new-dbinline-shock.html

Fat-boy-fat – Member
It’s a Santa Cruz Bronson frame and the shock upgrade is a Db air.

This may sound like mad thinking but….
Have you ridden the bike? What did you think of the CTD? Is it the basic one of the CTD TA? I’ve got one on my LTc, down side is it’s on it’s way back to Fox for it’s 2nd damper rebuild plus side is it’s been really good on there, even when I lost C/T it still pedals really well and the suspension design picks up a lot. Still your choice 🙂

I have just put one on my NPMega and its an instant improvement, However i feel theres more to come has anyone got some magic settings for a 77kg rider weight?

Just ride the bash about 20 times with a notebook and pen and tweak one thing at a time Gav.

The mad thing is that the Fox, CCDBa and CCBDinline are all off a similar price so asking you to pay £200 more is actually just a way of saying that they specced the Fox to hit a price point.

I’d look at selling the Fox and going with an inline from tft. That way you get your ‘upgrade’ for under £200 and you will get the shock delivered with the correct base tune for your bike/weight etc.

As far as I can tell the inline offers more control than the Fox for little weight penalty whereas the air will weigh a fair bit more which might not suit the lightweight nature of the Bronson.

Either way it is a nice problem to have…

Edit – There was an issue with the inline regarding rider weight, tft pointed it out themselves so talking to them is your best bet.

Selling the Fox shock sounds like a lot if passing around to me and there’s no guarantee that you’ll get good money for it especially as most people have a downer on Fox suspension these days.

I wouldn’t worry about the weight of a normal CCDBa too much either, the Bronson isn’t exactly a fly weight XC thoroughbred. I’d rather a bit if weight there to benefit from the good stuff that the CCDBa will do and try and trim some off elsewhere if it’s that much of a concern.

Personally I wouldn’t even stress about the climb switch but I’m a luddite who has avoided lock out and travel adjust at all costs so far. My bike pedals pretty damn well without it.

Have they sorted the weight limit issues on the inline yet? Interested in one for my Alpine Five.

chiefgrooveguru – Member
They absolutely are “set and forget”. Once you’ve got your settings dialled, write them down and leave them be!

Still requires either effort on your part to find the base tune for your bike and set it up, or get a place like TF to do it for you, or at least to get it to a good starting point.

And the point of these shocks is while it’s a great feel at first there’s a huge amount of tweakability to get it even more awesome for your ride. Though you could just forget it once set up and it will still be rather nice.

But buy from CRC etc, you can’t just slap it on the bike, set the sag and go ride. Unlike something like an RP23.

I’ve taken the plunge. Apparently, the CCDB they offer is a specially tuned one for the Bronson and it has the climb switch. To be honest, the faff of buying the frame and selling the Fox shock just isn’t too appealing. As far as I can see, there’s about a £100 RRP difference between the Fox and the CS version of the CCDB.

Adding in 2nd hand values for shocks, I reckon it wouldn’t be a kick in the arse off £200 difference and just buying it direct avoids faff and gets a pre-tuned shock.

Anything for an easy life.

BTW, I did test the Bronson with a specially tuned Fox shock. That’s what convinced me to buy it. Pretty darned good. I’ve just heard so much about good the CCDB was, I wanted to check whether it was worth a few extra spondoolies. It sounds like it is.

You never know, I may be back to moan at you all for recommending it 😉

Dark Side – TF told me it’s not a weight issue it’s a pressure issue, if you run less than 200psi in your shock at the moment it should be ok, more than that and the damping can’t cope. They were waiting on some new parts from CC when I spoke to them about a month ago, might be worth checking with them

If you are thinking of a DBA CS shock and you have a Bronson Cane Creek in the USA sell a Bronson specific shock with changes to the negative airspring so it becomes the perfect shock for a Bronson. I’d see if I could get hold of one of those over a standard one.

It’s not the only bike they do this for, they make a Ibis Ripley specific Inline.