Looking at a Raaw Madonna V3.
Got to make the the decision between Fox or Öhlins with regards to the bouncy bits.
Read the the Fox DHX2 has had some issues. Can anyone confirm? Solved with the newer versions?
It can be tricky finding places that service Öhlins, or so I've heard.
Ride lots of park in summer and turn the cranks more in winter.
Can anyone give their opinions or experiences with either brand. What would you recommend?
Cheers!
I'm on my 3rd Ohlins coil shock and I've never had an issue with any of them. I've done multiple Alps trips, winter holidays to Málaga, bike parks and uplift days. Zero problems.
Plus they're really easy to set up. You can't go too far wrong, they always feel good.
How heavy are you? Lighter riders complain that they're slow and over damped. I'm about 98kg and I must be in the sweet spot.
Servicing from J-Tech in the UK is top notch and Jaff VTT in Morzine.
I haven't used any modern Fox stuff. I feel like they're the type of company to piss on you and tell you it's raining.
Fox forks, Öhlins (coil) shock.
72kg.... Maybe a little more during the winter 😭
Wondering how much of the Öhlins effect is placebo or bias..... Not you, personally, but overall.....
Ohlins tune their shocks for the frame you buy it on… there is no off the shelf OEM tune. It shouldn’t be overdamped… check with RAW what is being specced. All assuming you’re looking at the coil shock. I know nothing about the air shock (or why you’d pick one over an easier to get serviced Fox one).
Ohlins tune their shocks for the frame you buy it on… there is no off the shelf OEM tune.
Not strictly true. They are stock tunes, they just pick from a list of options best suited (same as everyone else).
Ohlins coil shocks are decent, if you can get the tune right. I’m pretty sure every year they ‘listen’ and their stock tunes get lighter & lighter & lighter.
Their forks, I’ve had less success with. They also suffer from being over-damped & quality is definitely on a downward trend. Lots of bushing play issues & stanchion wear.
I prefer my current Raaw with RS suspension to my previous (with Öhlins).
Had both, ohlins ttx coil is possibly the plushest ride I’ve ever had. Then got fat and had to buy a new spring, which is less good.
Ohlins on my v2.2. I’ve not tried a Fox on this bike, but the Ohlins is fantastic, I’ve just set it up as per the base settings Raaw provide and it feels great, complements the bike really well.
Ohlins tune their shocks for the frame you buy it on… there is no off the shelf OEM tune. It shouldn’t be overdamped… check with RAW what is being specced. All assuming you’re looking at the coil shock. I know nothing about the air shock (or why you’d pick one over an easier to get serviced Fox one).
Not strictly true, there's a catalogue of OEM tunes and yes if you buy one with a frame it should have the correct one. However, they can do whatever they want with the shim stack but they can't predict who will buy the bike. There can be huge weight variations between riders on the same frame size.
The most common complaint I've heard is that rebound is too slow or they feel too planted on the ground.
I don't know about hype or bias. They work for me and I like the yellow. If I'd had any grief I would have bought something else.
Next bike will probably have something different out of curiosity more than anything else.
I've had a couple of TTX coils, and both had a very damped feel. I'm not saying they are over-damped, just that they muffled the trail more than anything else I've ridden. Wasn't ideal for a trail bike for me, but very good on an enduro sled.
Also the most supportive and easy to ride fast - and IIRC Steve from Vorsprung said they were clearly the most reliable shocks on the market (his wasn't out then).
So I'd get the Ohlins if I were you.
Öhlins front and back?
I'm not particularly heavy at 72kg, but ride hard/heavy if that makes sense.
Is that your only way to get the Öhlins coil?
razorrazoo’s build is pretty close to what I’d go for… Fox forks that can be serviced anywhere (including at home) with loads of modification kits from third parties available, I suspect for years to come. A controlled reliable coil shock that will run and run. Big user serviceable brakes from someone like Hope.
Raaw offer Fox or Öhlins..... Although you can mix and match if you want. Fox upfront and Öhlins shock (or vice versa) isn't a problem.
I'm leaning towards Fox 38. Just not sure about the reliability of the Fox DHX2 coil.
Fox forks, Öhlins (coil) shock.