[Closed] Avalanche rear shocks - can they offer this?

The [url= http://avalanchedownhillracing.com/Fox%20DHX/Fox%20Float%20RP23%20SSD%20Mods.htm ]Avalanche RP23 (Linky)[/url] is a new product so getting any review of it will be difficult; even on MTBR there are not many users writing about their experiences with any Avalanche stuff. The FAQ section for the upgrade is really interesting and if you call and speak to Craig you will find he answers questions very honestly... you sometimes wonder if he wants to sell stuff.

I'm running a DHX Air with Avalanche internals and its the best shock I have used. I've written about it a few times on here; in a nutshell it's such a well set up shock that it does not need a CTD type crutch. It's firm and supportive most of the time and feels great when pumping a trail, but when the going gets gnar it uses all its travel and is able to return back to supportive without getting bogged down.

I was riding a well set-up CCDB-Air yesterday and it felt good... but not as good as my Avy DHX 8)

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If your shock has not been custom tuned for you and your bike I would start with that. Loco/Mojo/TFT etc will probably be able to improve your RP23 with a custom tune; but if you really want to get the best from the shock then Avalanche has in my experience been worth the effort (but I am a bit of a geek).

Let us know what you do.

Glad that has an Avalanche sticker on it. The DHX air is possibly the worst shock ever.

Cheers for that.

I've sent Avalanche and Loco an email last night.

The current kashima CTD settings just don't seem as good or as noticeable when changed compared to the old rp23s from a few years ago.

I agree with Messiah, I've got a dhx5.0c that's had the avalanche treatment. That shock now does everything with no need for levers, dials, knobs or adjustments. Set it and forget it.

The only bad thing I can say about the avalanche rear shock is that it will show you how bad your forks are.

apologies for the slight thread hi-jack

interested in peoples experience of service from avalanche, i'm thinking about getting a 5th element modification that they offer - need to stick with the 5th due to linkage options on the bike, so a new shock aint an option.

however, i'm slightly nervous about sending my shock off to the good ol us of a - how have those who have used avalanche found it, service, communication, booking work in etc

cheers

I bought a brand new DHX-Air (above) shock from ebay in the USA and had the seller ship it to Avalanche; who then did the work and shipped it to the UK. The process took a while and Avalanche can be a little slow but worth it in the end.

Can't see a cheap way to send the shock to the USA now after all the Royal Mail issues. Also presume that on its return to the uk it will fall into the hands of parcelforce to do the delivery. Again a big risk now.

As Messiah say Rik the CCDBair is good undoubtedly. New one has a climb switch and Nicolai publish their recommended settings after testing with CC. That would seem to tick your boxes?

Have you tried the various volume reducers in the CTD?

@hando. I've had a shim stack upgrade on my 5th Element at TF tuned. Not sure what avalanche offer for the 5th but the upgrade worked a treat on mine.
I'm having a CTD pushed at tf this week as I'm looking for something lighter..

As Messiah say Rik the CCDBair is good undoubtedly. New one has a climb switch and Nicolai publish their recommended settings after testing with CC. That would seem to tick your boxes?
Have you tried the various volume reducers in the CTD?

Yep, tried the spacers. Big one makes the shock harsh at the end stroke. Smaller ones don't seem to make enough of a difference.

It's the beginning and mid stroke I need more support. The C and T settings just don't seem to do very much. I'm happy enough with the D setting.

But would be good if the shock sit higher in its travel more of the time without resorting to high psi which then effects full travel. It's currently a choice between good on the downhill and crap at climbing or the reverse.Think the Pikes on the front are exaggerating the issue as they are far more controlled in the beginning and mid stoke and do sit high in their travel.

I found the Fox worked a treat in my a Helius AC but I never tried it in the Ion. What was clear was that the more compliant progressive nature of the Ion leverage curve demands a well controlled shock. It appears less forgiving that the Helius which ramps up very quickly after giving up its initial travel.

Messiah - I seem to remember there was a particular model of DHX Air that was recommended for the conversion. What was the difference and what are the identifying features if I wanted to get the same result?

Gaz

Chainline - Phil I've just emailed you

Surely the easiest way is for some one with the avalanche shock to "lend" it to TF or Mojo .........

Speeder - if you look at the picture above I posted of my DHX you will see its the version with the dial at the back rather than the three position pro-pedal switch; because this becomes a low speed compression adjustment after the modification the dial adjustment DHX is the better shock to modify. This was the advice from Craig last year but he is constantly fiddling with his kits so this may have changed... and to be honest, I am so happy with the basic set up that I have hardly touched the adjustments (and I was a constant fiddler with the CCDB I had before this as I could never get it quite right). Avalanche are now modding Float-X shocks as well. When Craig was doing my DHX he discussed how this type of shock is prone to pushing air into the oil and hence they require more frequent servicing than coil shocks, and its a price that has to be paid for any air shock. I got a local guy to service my DHX after it started squelching as I had indeed pushed air into the oil (6 months and the Trans-Savoie of use).

On a side note about the more basic Float/RP23 type shocks I have a Float R which TFT did a PUSH modification too. It took two goes with TFT to get the set-up pretty good with the Float R; and as a normal use shock I am very happy with it. The way it is set up it sits quite high in its travel (a bit like a BOS VIPr) and there is good control even when the going gets gnar, but other shocks I have tried feel better hence my constant faffing and geekery. Had I not tried other things and if I were less of a geek I would probably be happy with the Float/Float combo but to try things and be looking for improvements is a hunt for a needle in a haystack. The Float shock worked well with the Fox 36 RC2 fork I had, but not with the Marzocchi 55 RC3-Ti fork, and the Marz fork worked well with the CCDB but I stuggled with the CCDB and the Float fork - I like a ballanced feeling suspension set-up.

Summary of my suspension geekery (there are a number of threads on this) - The basic Float/Float combo worked best with about 20% sag and was a great XC/Trail set up; but when I dropped the pressure to get 30% sag and improve the doonhall performance the shock and fork would pack down and bottom out etc. The Push kit on the Float shock improved this and I could run lower pressures in the shock getting closer to the 30% sag of the Marz fork, but it still feels like it wants to run higher in the stroke. I preferred the plusher 30% sag set up with the Marzocchi 55 RC3-Ti and the CCDB, although there was brake-dive and shock-wallow with this; better at high speed stuff but scary in low speed techy riding and not great for out of the saddle honking or pumping the terrain.

Ideally I wanted the 30% sag and plush DH feel of the Marz/CCDB with the low speed control and reduced dive of the Float/Float set-up, and thats what the Avalanche tuned 55 and DHX-Air gives me. I'm able to run 30% sag and have plush suspension without having brake-dive and wallow in low speed techy manouvers, or pack-down and bottoming out on big/square hits. What I have also found is that the fork and shock work fantastically well for pumping terrain where it feels like a big hand is pushing the bike along the trail as you pump the little rises and falls, and getting out of the saddle and honking is not a huge chore as the fork and shock only seem to use part of the travel when riding in this way... my Avalanche tuned DHX and Marzocchi fork combo is stunning.

I'm testing a lovely bike at the moment and the Pike fork and CCDB-Air shock work well together but I miss the magic of my own personal Avy set up (but I want a longer top-tube... and possibly wheel-size!!!).

Beware the geekery!