x fusion sweep vs pike experiences / opinions?

Just scored one of Cotics ex demo Long shot rockets!! Excited is an understatement. Its got a 160 x fusion sweep on it at the mo with the roughcut damper which is by all accounts a great fork

Thing is, i’ve got a 2016 RS pike at 160 that has the new upgraded debonair air spring and the rct3 damper sat in my shed.

Obvs a back to back test will be the go when I have time but wasn’t sure what the received wisdom was as to how the forks compare. Ultimately one of them needs to go to help fund the purchase!

opinions

No experience of either fork, but after numerous problems and warrenty claims with X-Fusion dropper seatposts (2 of which are now in the bin) I can reliably inform you that their customer service is absolutely apalling

Not exactly the same, but my 140mm McQueens (HLR version) perform as well as my 140mm 29er Pikes.

Try them back to back and see which you prefer. There’s no stand out winner imho. Demo’d bikes with both forks (cotic as it happens) and spec’d my Aeris with roughcut sweeps. Haven’t regretted that decision. More adjustment on the roughcut damper if you like to tinker and get the fork feeling just how you want.

Welcome to the Cotic fold;)

I was runnng an XFusion Trace Roughcut on my RocketMAX, but have swapped over to the Pike RCT from my old bike. Personally, I just couldn’t quite get the right balance of small bump compliance and support from the XFusion – I used a shockwhiz thing and all sorts. In the end I bought a new Debonair air shaft to adjust the travel on my old Pike, fitted another token and, bosh, it was sorted.

It’s not that the XFusion was miles away from the Pike in performance, but I think it comes down to whether you like having the option to fiddle with fork settings to tailor it to specific terrain – if you are, then the XFusion is great. However, if you’re more into ‘plug & play’, the the Pike seems the better option IMO.

Limited experience of the roughcut but it’s seemed a lot plusher than the pike but not as much support

Not the Roughcut but I replaced an RL with a Pike. The Pike was a bit better at coping with higher speed stuff and repeated big hits.

Not the Roughcut but I replaced an RL with a Pike. The Pike was a bit better at coping with higher speed stuff and repeated big hits.

I have not ridden a Pike, but have replaced a Sweep RL with a Sweep Roughcut which is head and shoulders better for my riding. So that, along with mattbee’s observation might help you make a decision.

edit – I would agree with andybrad on support, the Roughcut is not as supportive mid stroke as the RL. I may be able to iron that out with adjustments. It is, however, more comfortable at places like Cannock.

I liked my sweep with roughcut. I found it dived under braking but other than that it was great, very low maintenance too.

I’d love to try one with the MRP ramp control added.

I have both. HLR on my HT (but used to be on FS) and ’17 Pike with Luftkappe on FS.
The XFusion is a very good and smooth fork, but I’ve found that it lacks the more progressive feel of the pike. The pike with Luftkappe ramps up lovely and gives really good midstroke support, whereas the Xfusion can dive through the travel a little. I have remedied that slightly by adding some oil to the air side, effectively shrinking the air chamber like a token would do. Still not as good as the Pike. I also find my Pike has less stiction when pushing down on bars, not that I actually notice that on the trail.

With leegee on the MRP ramp control! I’m sure that would sort a lot of the midstroke performance

The only other issue is that support for spares etc will be much better for the Pike, should you get rid of the Xfusion. Simple stuff (relatively) like a set of damper seals just isn’t available in Europe, it appears, the only option being to send it off for an expensive service, get them out and measure them all, or pay a stack to get a set sent from the States.

Re the comments on mid stroke support, having read the reviews I’m considering getting a neopos token or two to try in my roughcut sweep. I think it could work quite well.

Isn’t Cotic able to source and supply spares ?

Isn’t Cotic able to source and supply spares ?

Wouldn’t have thought so. If it’s a warranty issue I’m sure they’d handle getting it to the right place, but pretty sure that otherwsie they would just refer you to the distributor to get hold of parts. I’ve spoken to the distributor, and they don’t sell anything more than a lowers kit, with the default situation seeming to be that they can’t just send you stuff out, you have to book a service.

You can buy one from the States, but it was about 50 quid once postage is taken into consideration.

Nice forks, but something to consider if you’re comparing with Rockshox.

Had an extended play with a set over the weekend (also on a Cotic demo bike, as it happened). I have 2 sets of much faffed around with Pikes.

Bit underwhelmed to be honest.

Harsh off the top, then very plush but soggy in the mid stroke. A shame as the damper seems to do exactly what it says it does and the adjustments make a noticeable difference and structurally they’re fine, but they desperately need better negative springing and some form of air volume control. In a straight line down a normal Peaks point’n’shoot descent – pretty plush, but once you got on the steep twisty stuff where a Longshot frame starts to come into it’s own, the fork turns into a soggy mess. Add more air/LSC to try and prop it up and it gets horrible on the rocks.

I’m not saying Pikes are actually any better – both my sets have -ve air volume mods (one is Luftkapped) and custom tuned dampers. Actually quite pissed off with my newer ones, as I bought them s/hand off here at a good price, but by the time I’d made them work right, I’d spent enough to match the mates rate price on Helms I was offered…

I’m a slightly difficult setup case I admit, as I have genetically crap wrists – family history of early onset arthritis – so am really picky about small bump, and am pretty light (64kg), but ride reasonably hard and like steep gnadgery technical terrain which is all about fork control.

I also have both (but not the rough cut Damper).
X fusion is noticeably plusher but Pike has way more support. Overall, I prefer the pike.

Upgrade are the importers for X fusion.

BUT also TF Tuned is an authorised service centre for X-Fusion Suspension. And they normally good with spares etc with the brands they service etc.

TF Tuned is an authorised service centre for X-Fusion Suspension. And they normally good with spares et

Upgrade were a firm ‘no’ when I asked.
I did give TFT a ring about it, and was told not possible. Might give it another go when I chat to them about a dropper post that needs a service.

Thanks for the replies!!

Sounds like im going to have to ride them both and see. seems like the pike is the slight fave?!

Bike should arrive tomorrow hopefully!

Interestingly I spoke to TFtuned to get their opinion. They were clear that the pike was the better fork, especially with the original charger bladder but the new debonair spring.

They said the charger 2 bladder (on the 2018 forks) is basically rubbish and is getting redsigned already!