Rear Shock Recommendation
04-13-21, 11:47 AM
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Rear Shock Recommendation
Good morning,
I'm usually here looking for advice on wheels but I have a suspension question today. I work at a LBS and have a customer who had a blown out Giant branded rear shock on his mountain bike, not sure the exact year but it's most likely around 2014 and the model is a Giant Trance. We replaced the shock with a RockShox Monarch RL but even with the pressure pumped all the way up, the customer is still bottoming out the shock on moderate trails. There is either something wrong with the shock or he's simply bottoming out because of his weight. He's around 225 pounds and we figured the Monarch RL was up to the job but seems like I need something much stiffer or something that allows for more "adjustment" given the rider weight. Should it be changed to a coil shock if possible? Should it be fitted with something that could take more air pressure? The mounting specifications are 184mmx44mm. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you!
I'm usually here looking for advice on wheels but I have a suspension question today. I work at a LBS and have a customer who had a blown out Giant branded rear shock on his mountain bike, not sure the exact year but it's most likely around 2014 and the model is a Giant Trance. We replaced the shock with a RockShox Monarch RL but even with the pressure pumped all the way up, the customer is still bottoming out the shock on moderate trails. There is either something wrong with the shock or he's simply bottoming out because of his weight. He's around 225 pounds and we figured the Monarch RL was up to the job but seems like I need something much stiffer or something that allows for more "adjustment" given the rider weight. Should it be changed to a coil shock if possible? Should it be fitted with something that could take more air pressure? The mounting specifications are 184mmx44mm. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you!
04-13-21, 07:57 PM
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Clark W. Griswold
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Did you install the shock correctly and set the sag right? Is the customer using a shock pump and is your shock pump have a gauge that is correct or close enough. This seems odd. 225 shouldn't be bottoming out a properly inflated shock. Maybe double check with RockShox that you have it installed correctly I haven't bottomed out a properly inflated shock and I am much heavier. When I did the Specialized Demo Day years ago I rode a lovely S-Works Camber and they set up the shocks for me and I had zero issues with that bike (aside from me being a crap rider but I hadn't mountain biked since I was a kid at that point so it was all on me, road and gravel is my favored riding) I was a few pounds lighter but I have ridden other bikes more recently and still no issues like that even on some cheaper stuff.
04-14-21, 07:40 AM
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Did you try adding more volume spacers in the air can to make it more progressive? Also if it comes to it Sram might be willing to help you out to b change the damper tune — a retail shock probably is set up for medium damping, they also shim them firm oem for large size bikes.
