I’m trying to get some idea of how well this works. My wife tried a new Epic 29er Carbon with the Brain shock recently and found that it didn’t feel as though the back end was really moving even though we tried altering the ‘Brain Fade’ setting.

We were looking at a S-Works Stumpjumper Carbon (2008 or 2010) and wanted to get some idea on how well the system works there. It’s got 20mm more travel than the Epic and a couple of degrees slacker head angle.
Does it stay locked out too much?
Does it give a softer ride over rocks – downhill and uphill?
Is the Brain adjustable enough?

Thanks.

I have one on my stumpy 2011. i think its great. i probably adjust that on the fly more than i mess with the shock. It does seem like its locked out and stiff when on the flat but its just doing its job.
i find if i’m doing singletrack xc stuff i just turn it a couple notches firm and if doing uplift set it soft and forget about it.
Generally i just set it in the middle and forget about it. It does really help with the climbs though and get hardly any bob on the pedal stroke.
There were apparantly some reliability issues with the earlier ones.
When i change my bike this will probably be the thing i miss the most. Although the newer rear shocks seem to be better at coping with this sort of thing.

Thanks. How much travel does your Stumpy have? Is it 120mm or 140mm? How well does it handle things like trail centres and rough downhill?

Kevin has a 2011 140mm S Works carbon Stumpy. He took it to the Alps [Verbier] this year instead of his Enduro. Ive never seen him climb as well or go as fast downhill before. Shock does what its supposed to do

I have a 2011 Stumpy with a brain shock.
It works very well, but does err on the less active side in my opinion, although there is a very pronounced difference between on and off.
I’ve had problems with the adjuster sticking if you leave it fully screwed down, but that’s easily resolved.
I do also find it annoying that you have to get off the bike to adjust it too – it’s not exactly on the fly (not sure if that’s different on more recent models).

Thanks for all the responses. Still trying to decide..

Brakes yours is the same brain as mine. I meant if im out and about not moving, as that would be very hard. Also for the travel of the bike, How light is it! mates cant believe the weight.

OP mines the 140 ive done afan, cymcarn, aston hills, 7 staines blah blah. Always the black runs and DH runs. Taking it to the alps next year. Then when recently did the LTB off road, set it on full firm and it was like a hardtail. But this has been my only MTB so havent really got anything to compare with. But i just know i climb better than all my mates and that just cant be superior fitness. It does stick when fully locked out if you leave it there.

I’ve got a 2007 Stumpy with the brain and 140mm Talas up front.

To answer your questions….

Does it stay locked out too much?
If I wind the dial most of the way round to ‘firm’ the suspension is very hard although there is still enough travel to comfortably handle chatter associated with uphill or flat ground.

Does it give a softer ride over rocks – downhill and uphill?
I tend to switch settings at the top of a ride if I remember. Generally I ride with mine about 5 or 6 clicks from the full settings uphill and, if I remember, wind it round to full soft downhill. It feels supple enough to handle the hits downhill whilst not being too soft uphill. I have a limited frame of reference though and can’t compare to the more modern Pro-Pedal/CTD systems which are out there.

There’s relatively little pedal bob when sat down but it’s a bit bouncy if you stand up and mash the pedals. I weigh just over 11st so your wife should have a similar experience unless, well… uhm… you get the picture.

Is the Brain adjustable enough?
It seems to be, although I think you’ll find one setting and either stick with it or use the settings within a few clicks of that + full firm.

In terms of trail centre/downhill use, I’ve not found anything to complain about. I’ve ridden lots of reds and blacks in Wales and never had cause to complain about the bike. The biggest challenge i’ve probably given the bike is hammering it round penmachno (through the droppy rock garden bits) and I had nothing to complain about. It also handled the jumpy/swoopy black at Llandegla without any problems.

Climbing is easier with the fork locked down to 100mm but at 140mm the bike still climbs well – you just need to get your weight over the nose of the saddle and drop your elbows to keep the front planted.

I’ve stuck a shorter stem and wider bars on mine and enjoy the more planted feeling it gives over the standard long stem and narrower bars.

I’ve also stuck a 2.4 on the front and run a 2.3 on the back although I spent the summer running a 2.0 on the back (in case you’re wondering how much rubber you can get between the fork or stays.

Off to Bike Park Wales this weekend so I’ll let you know how it feels at a more downhill orientated centre when I get back.