[Closed] Why are air can reducers (apparently) needed on so many bikes?

Fashun

Just like folk buying bikes that are too small, bars that are suddenly wider, shorter stems etc etc etc

And posting things thrice?

VERY fashionable.

It's because not everyone likes their bikes to ride exactly the same. And possibly because lots of manufacturers realise that mincers complain if they don't use all the travel while riding over an acorn, while everyone else is gratified to discover they ride the bike [i]so damn hard[/i] they need to alter the suspension setup.

And posting things thrice?

Wow! That should be impossible. I suspect a forum glitch.

To label the point.

Because people want bottomless squish

A dodgy connection and itchy finger can cause more than one post.

Was that me then? Didn't see.. Connection dropped.

So, what are the manufacturers trying to deliver instead of the bottomless squish that the punters want?

I am genuinely curious about this.

Adding a volume reducer at the consumer level is easier and less costly than changing the air can sleeve, they're doing us a favour.

Northwind is bang on. People like wallowing around in the travel vortex. That's why Santa Cruz's are so popular.

Was that me then?

Well given you posted after I mentioned it then, no it wasn't you. 😀

person who mtbs are designed around/for
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average stwer
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Cos lots of people reckon they know more about bike set up, suspension & how it should work on a certain bike in a certain situation than a multi-million pound bike company, or maybe not. You decide

Since its been asked, I put one in my RP23 because the travel is linear, as told to me by the frame designer, and it just so happened that their design/QA resulted in the rocker very slightly hitting the seattube when the travel bottomed out...spacer went in reducing this, not ideal as fundamentally the design shouldn't have allowed the rocker to hit but there we go 😐

Since its been asked, I put one in my RP23 because the travel is linear, as told to me by the frame designer, and it just so happened that their design/QA resulted in the rocker hitting the seattube when the travel bottomed out...spacer went in reducing this, not ideal as fundamentally the design shouldn't have allowed the rocker to hit but there we go

Surely that's just speccing a shock with too much travel?

Surely that's just speccing a shock with too much travel?

Shock stroke and length was as specced by the company with correct tune. Apparently tolerances were tight...it would barely hit but enough to damage the paint/finish.

I could of course have put more air in the shock but the spacer method allowed me to run the shock at a pressure good for riding and not damage prevention

What frame's that then?

[quote=Simon ]What frame's that then?
Hemlock

Heretic.

Cos lots of people reckon they know more about bike set up, suspension & how it should work on a certain bike in a certain situation than a multi-million pound bike company, or maybe not.

Or, people ride different terrains in different styles, and want to tune their bikes appropriately. We have adjustments for lots of things, why would spring rate not be one of them?

My shock has a knob for adjusting spring rate anyway.

steve_b77 - Member

Cos lots of people reckon they know more about bike set up, suspension & how it should work on a certain bike in a certain situation than a multi-million pound bike company, or maybe not. You decide

OK, you are a Santa Cruz Heckler owner. Santa Cruz definitely got the shock volume exactly right. Even though they fitted a bunch of different shock bodies down the years, seemingly at random, they were all perfect and unimprovable. Course, a punter fitting a smaller air can or an aircan spacer must be wrong.

Your bike was not designed to suit you. It was designed to suit everyone.

Thought it was mainly because Fox designed a load of crap shocks with no compression in the mid stroke?

Fox designed a load of crap shocks with no compression in the mid stroke

Northwind - Member

OK, you are a Santa Cruz Heckler owner.

Couldn't be further away if you tried, I've ridden a couple (heckler and superlight) briefly, but never owned one.

I've had a three FS bikes and am currently riding an Anthem 29er

Whilst typing?

steve_b77 - Member

Couldn't be further away if you tried,

That wasn't to be taken literally 😆

Because like most things you only hear about those people who want to change it, nobody ever took the time to post how they are happy with their bike and ask about upgrading nothing. Same as all diesel cars blow up due to particulate filters etc.

Manufactures will try and hit 2 things - feels good in the shop and fits most people. You can't accommodate everyone with that. Same as most don't offer you the coil springs for your fork that you need just the ones inside.

I'd be interested to see some good fun tests where people got their shocks swapped round and were asked to decide which had the mods and which didn't - see how much emperors new clothes is going on.

JCL - Member
Northwind is bang on. People like wallowing around in the travel vortex. That's why Santa Cruz's are so popular.

1. Because we all fatties who like endless travel but want bikes stiff enough to climb with.

I blow through the travel on my Meta sx unless it's at 200psi.

Because we need them,mountain biking is a need/fasion thing like every other facet of modern life,and you have the skillz

Did the syndicate turn you down or something

Yep it was Greg or me. Huge mistake on their part.

I should add that there's nowt wrong with their single pivots but I could go on all day about counter rotating links!

It's OK you do... personally the straight single pivot relying on the shock is much more of a weakness. I guess it's personal preference rather than black and white fact.

you'd be amazed how many 2014 bikes have volume reducers fitted to them by the manufacturers.
the fox 34's on my 527ei spicy will be for sale as soon as zocchi 350cr's become available. fox stuff has been overpriced shite for a number of years now.

Rorschach - Member
Whilst typing?

Why yes, of course. I was also whipping up a smoked salmon soufflé and hand pressing a vile of super extra Virgin olive oil.

Sick edit or it didn't happen.

Whatever happened to AVA shocks? Wife has one on her rad bike but at 8 1/2 stone she doesn't really notice any difference between different sleeve settings/volumes.

[i]pressing a [s]vile[/s] vial of super extra Virgin olive oil. [/i]

ftfy.

Posting whilst riding is no excuse 😉

Because it makes some shocks work better on certain frames? It certainly made my DHX Air feel better on my SX Trail but made my CCDBa on the Rune feel horrible.