DVO Jade X coil shock review

Two things that will make the DVO Jade X an instant option for a significant number of coil-curious riders: the piggyback layout and lockout.

• Price: £499.95
• From: shop.windwave.co.uk
• Weight (w/o spring): 406g
• Adjustments: Low Speed Rebound, 3-position Compression (open, firm, lock-out), bladder pressure

The first of those: the size, orientation and offset of the piggyback, means that the Jade X Coil doesn’t foul as many frame designs as some other piggyback coil shocks do. It’s a modest-size piggyback that’s basically turned 90° for maximum discreteness. This alone is worthy of praise as it can be really annoying to get excited about a coil shock purchase only to find that it will clash with your frame layout and/or water bottle placement (see the RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate RCT also tested).

As regards the lockout, that’s exactly what it is. Locked the f**k out. One for those who just flit between fire road climbs and full-on descents. That said, there is a mid setting which you could perhaps call ‘pedal’? This setting does firm things up significantly but it also adds an undesirable degree of choppiness to the ride, not to mention a distracting ‘gasping’ noise as it compressed and decompressed. The shock didn’t feel or sound like it liked to be in this middle ‘pedal’ setting. We did wonder if this gasping noise was a result of insufficient pressure in the adjustable-pressure bladder. But it was still there even after re-inflating up to recommended pressures (and even beyond).

There are a couple of other easily-overlooked aspects to the Jade X Coil that could be deal-sealers for many: the 14mm shaft and the relative ease of home servicing. The 14mm piston shaft makes it less of a risky option for bike frame designs that have the rear shock attacked via a yoke. The overall design – self-inflatable piggyback bladder and all – is also great for home tinkerers with a modicum of knowledge, confidence and tool collection. As for on-trail performance, it was another great coil shock. OK, the middle ‘pedal’ setting never really felt nice to us but if you just run the shock in open or lockout setting, you get what you expect. Its relative lack of damping adjustment (essentially just low speed rebound) will be off-putting to some, but for those who want a fit-and-forget high performance coil shock, that can be serviced at home as-and-when, there’s a lot to like about the DVO Jade X Coil.

Overall

The Jade X Coil is an excellently practical choice for a coil shock. It fits more frames than many coil shocks, performs ‘very coil’ on the trail and should be easy to live with for modest mechanics.

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Ben Haworth

Orange Switch 6er. Stif Squatcher. Schwalbe Magic Mary Purple Addix front. Maxxis DHR II 3C MaxxTerra rear. Coil fan. Ebikes are not evil. I have been a writer for nigh on 20 years, a photographer for 25 years and a mountain biker for 30 years. I have written countless magazine and website features and route guides for the UK mountain bike press, most notably for the esteemed and highly regarded Singletrackworld. Although I am a Lancastrian, I freely admit that West Yorkshire is my favourite place to ride. Rarely a week goes by without me riding and exploring the South Pennines.

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