With very limited experience of my own, I need to choose a suspension platform for a Hope HB130.
As stock the bike comes with Fox 36 Factory 140mm Grip 2, 44 Offset. And Fox DPX2 Factory 3 Positon Factory Metric shock.
As a free upgrade, I could choose Ohlins RXF36 m.2 Air or Coil Fork in 140mm and the TTX Air shock custom tuned for the HB.130.
I haven't really got a clue which to choose. Home trails are Yorkshire dales but I am up for riding anywhere/anything, enjoy red/black grade trail centre and hope to enter a few enduros.
All advice gratefully recieved.
Get the Fox. Again, no question.
either will be pretty good tbh. the fox will be able to be serviced at more places but again this isnt a limiting factor
Cheers chief! Care to elaborate as to why?
Stick with Fox - easier to get serviced/you to service - more common.
PS lucky man !!!
fox, ( unanimously) I know a wiser mechanic.
Stick with Fox – easier to get serviced/you to service – more common.
This
As above go with Fox, for ease of servicing and spares. Simpler setup too. I have actually ridden both setups on the HB130 and the Ohlins was actually really nice, but not worth the hassle unless you are chasing seconds.
I’d go Fox. I’m a big fan of Ohlins as a motorcycle brand, but as above I think not quite there for MTB. And we will need pics when you get this thing....and get it Invisiframed BEFORE you ride it please!
Fox. Thing is with Öhlins it will be back in for warranty repair longer than you actually ride it.
OK folks I am getting the message. Cheers all! Yes, I am a very happy lucky sod 🙂 and will defo post pics when it arrives. I wonder if I can get it invisiframed on the order. Just need to choose which colour Hope bits for it now, think I can manage that one on my own though 🙂 Probably won't bother with the crank upgrade unles someone can give a compelling reason why I should. Thanks all once again!
Thing is with Öhlins it will be back in for warranty repair longer than you actually ride it.
Ridden mine for 9 months 2-3 times a week and it's not missed a beat, it's going to need to spend quite a bit of time in warranty.
Ohlins for me all the way
Coil for the shock and the fork too.
Oooh different opinions!Keep em coming please, I'd like to get a balanced perspective.
Just need to choose which colour Hope bits for it now
Green.
@slackboy was thinking that myself but according to the website not all the bits are available in green.
BTW. if people are reccomending Fox mainly for ease of servicing then that isn't really an issue so long as parts are available for Ohlins. I am an experienced mechanic so home servicing doesn't worry me.
No personal experience of either brand but from what I’ve read in multiple reviews the 36 Grip 2 is going to be pretty hard to beat and the Ohlins fork can be tricky to get setup right. So I’d go with Fox 100%. The point around servicing and availability of spare parts is also worth considering.
Ridden mine for 9 months 2-3 times a week and it’s not missed a beat, it’s going to need to spend quite a bit of time in warranty.
Sure thing, my grandad smoked and lived until he was 94. The general vibe I get, from more than one example, is that their warranty department is busy.
I live in Sweden,Öhlins is fairly popular here from a "buy local" perspective, but alot of these people I know are having to send stuff back and are looking elsewhere. I have friends who work for Öhlins and they freely admit to releasing products to early etc
Factory spec Fox 36 and DPX2 are the current industry benchmark that everyone is raving about, so I don't think you can go wrong there.
Ohlins are a high end brand too, but more associated with motorbikes and high performance car dampers than bikes, where they are more of a niche/something a bit different.
Personally I would choose Fox every day. They seem to have the market nailed for this application.
Fox all the way. Although I'm a coil convert myself as others have said that Fox combo is a) the best they make and b) the benchmark for that kind of bike/riding.
Push do a coil conversion for the 36 with an adjustable air bump stop - don't know if it plays well with the Grip2 damper but that'd have me drooling 🙂 There - something else to think about 😀
BTW. if people are reccomending Fox mainly for ease of servicing then that isn’t really an issue so long as parts are available for Ohlins. I am an experienced mechanic so home servicing doesn’t worry me.
Have you found anywhere you can buy the seal kits? Or service manual?
bigyan
Have you found anywhere you can buy the seal kits? Or service manual?
No, not even looked yet. Thats why I said "so long as parts are available". Probably worded that wrong actually, just dashed it out while still sleepy before going to work this morning.
I am heeding the good advice though, Cheers! Unless someone comes up with a very convincing reason to go Ohlins I am pretty sure I will be sticking with Fox. As I said, I have very little experience in this department but I know a few MX guys who talk about Ohlins as if it's the dog's danglies but it would seem that it doesn't transfer quite so well to MTB.
The only advice I can give, is to get coil shocks, even though they are a bit heavier. Even the very good modern air shocks of the past few years can’t compete with a good coil shock.
They’re trickier to get the spring rate right, which is very important, but if performance is top of your list... you’ll love them.
They won’t let you down on a big day out by losing air, and they won’t need servicing as often.
Fox, or Ohlins would be good.
I have an Ohlins coil shocked stumpjumper and it’s fab. The only bike I need really. Trails/enduro/alps/dirt jumping/uplifts.
I went orange/green for my HB160. At the time I fancied something different from the bog standard colours, and the website didn't show the full range as it does now.
Blue/purple looks nice, but if I was getting an HB130 I'd go silver.
Surprised to hear people saying Fox rather than Ohlins. I changed my Fox X2 on my DH Bike for an Ohlins coil and it’s awesome.
Interesting choice on the front. Grip 2 seems to have stepped things up a gear on the damping quality, so is a good choice. The new Ohlins “trail” range is supposed to be very good, but think I’m right in saying it’s not been out long.
Think I would go Ohlins coil on the back, Grip 2 on the front personally.
Well, a bit more food for thought. Went to the Hope factory today and spoke to Doddy head of HB stuff. He tells me the new Ohlins gear is spot on and there is nothing to choose between them and Fox other than personal preference. Hope recommend J Tech for Ohlins servicing so I gave them a call and the servicing prices are only a bit more than for Fox and they sell the kits for a diy lowers service.
The thing that is really starting to make Ohlins attractive to me though is that you can convert from air to coil for around £150 and this is easily reversible. Also, changing travel only involves an adjustment to the coil system or a new airspring cartridge for around £120.