[?????]

5 years ago, 5th element shocks were all the rage... now everyone seems to hate them. When did they go wrong and why do people not like the 5th shocks anymore?

I'm tempted to believe that 5th haters are the ones who just want to jump on a bike and ride it right off the dealer floor and not spend the time to dial it in.

The first few months that I had my Uzzi SLX w/ 5th element, it was AWFUL. It didn't bob... at all, but it was also very harsh on small bumps and bottomed hard on big hits. But then I went to a NORBA national race and got the Intense team mechanics to replace the spring and set all of the adjustments for me until it was spot on. It's very supple on the small hits, never bottoms harshly (I use all of the travel, but I can never feel it bottom), and it doesn't bob at all. It actually bob's less than my Tracer w/ RP3 rear shock w/ the propedal set. Much less bob than my old Ellsworth Truth w/ float rc, and my dad's Titus motolite and way less bob than any faux bar (single pivot) pogo stick.

I've had the Uzzi SLX and 5th element for 5 years now and it still feels better than any other suspension that I've tried.

Enough with my testimony, what is it about the 5th element shocks that people don't like? I can't imagine a rear shock performing any better. I have a Socom on order w/ a Fox DHX 5.0 since there weren't any Revox shocks available. Hopefully I won't be disappointed with it.

 

[02sedona]

My 5th is perfect for me. I have trie others too. Fact of the matter is most people want the latest models for style points. 5ths have a few too many adjustments for most people to figure out, come on who reads instructions nowadays?

 

[GumbaFish]

Yeah I think that a lot of people might find them hard to dial in, it seems pretty much everybody loves it or hates it.

 

[MtnbikeMike]

I think the release of the DHX is the reason many people hate the 5th.

 

[Frorider1]

5 years ago, 5th element shocks were all the rage... now everyone seems to hate them. When did they go wrong and why do people not like the 5th shocks anymore?

I'm tempted to believe that 5th haters are the ones who just want to jump on a bike and ride it right off the dealer floor and not spend the time to dial it in.

The first few months that I had my Uzzi SLX w/ 5th element, it was AWFUL. It didn't bob... at all, but it was also very harsh on small bumps and bottomed hard on big hits. But then I went to a NORBA national race and got the Intense team mechanics to replace the spring and set all of the adjustments for me until it was spot on. It's very supple on the small hits, never bottoms harshly (I use all of the travel, but I can never feel it bottom), and it doesn't bob at all. It actually bob's less than my Tracer w/ RP3 rear shock w/ the propedal set. Much less bob than my old Ellsworth Truth w/ float rc, and my dad's Titus motolite and way less bob than any faux bar (single pivot) pogo stick.

I've had the Uzzi SLX and 5th element for 5 years now and it still feels better than any other suspension that I've tried.

Enough with my testimony, what is it about the 5th element shocks that people don't like? I can't imagine a rear shock performing any better. I have a Socom on order w/ a Fox DHX 5.0 since there weren't any Revox shocks available. Hopefully I won't be disappointed with it.

You made the point, you need to be a pro mechanic to get them dialed in right. It takes 20 minutes to get a DHX dialed in, fast and easy. Everyone loved 5th back in the day becuase Tyler Klassen and a bunch of other huckers had them, and they looked cool and sounded exotic. It was a fad, theres always fads in MTB'ing, you just got to know which are good and which are bad.

 

[BikeMike]

Uh, actually the 5th was originally popularized in racing and trail riding because it made pedaling better with many designs. It did a great job soaking up energy, giving it a "dead" feeling that required a bit of adaptation, which some people were unwilling to make. However, the racers who adapted did well with them.

I too am surprised that they have fallen so far out of favor. I think that lackluster customer service and some poor QC did them in (along with Manitou trying to use the platform technology for everything and not making a good show of it).

 

[nh dude]

i think they were also one of the first platform shocks out there
another reason is the progressive is not servicing them anymore
but qbp is servicing them and has progressive's old stock of small little parts so when your **** break hit up qbp
2002 was all m1s with shivers and 5th

 

[OGRipper]

Yeah the 5th was one of the first (if not the first) widely available, relatively inexpensive platform style shock, which is why it was so popular when it first arrived. In the quest to minimize "bob," however, it was a bit over-damped. Some people thought they felt "dead" while others liked the more controlled feeling. And as noted above the adjustments were not that easy for everyone to understand. I really liked the ones I owned but I've since moved on, I prefer the more lively feel of the DHX.

 

[ATOMICFIREBALL]

Nothing wrong with the 5th Element shocks-- imo.
I'm suprised they stopped selling them ! I think some places still rebuild them..!?
They are simple to adjust,just set it up by the recommended settings.

 

[Internal14]

i think they were also one of the first platform shocks out there
another reason is the progressive is not servicing them anymore
but qbp is servicing them and has progressive's old stock of small little parts so when your **** break hit up qbp
2002 was all m1s with shivers and 5th

How long ago did you know that QBP had small parts? I was just on thier dealer site and checking stock and Progressive doesn't even show up in a search.

I'm looking for a shaft seal, that's all.:huh:

 

[Horror Business]

I run a 5th element and I love it. I think they fell out of favor for a number of reasons. The Fox DHX came out and started to get more spec'd on more new bikes/frames, the 5th had some questionable reliability, and then Progressive backed out of the MTB market to focus on their other products. I also think at least 50% of the haters are just trendy and consider the 5ths to be old school (in the bad way).

 

[Konabumm]

what I love that movie

 

[Kornphlake]

I liked my 5th for about 2 weeks, then it blew, got it rebuilt and it was okay for about a year, not like it was new, but okay. Then it blew and was rebuilt, rebuilt, rebuilt but it was never the same as it was new. It was almost comical I'd open up the box from UPS, put the shock on the bike, bounce once, turn the rebound dial all the way, bounce again, take the shock off, call progressive, put the box in the mail, get it back, put it on the bike, bounce once... Finally after the 3rd or 4th rebuild it was marginal at least so I just accepted it was as good as it was going to get. Although progressive claimed the shock was in perfect condition and all worn parts were replaced I think all they did was change the oil, if they'd have taken a closer look they would have noticed that I had a scarred bore in the piggyback reservoir so air was pushing past the IFP into the oil. I didn't find that out until it was too late, Progressive had bailed out of the MTB market.

When my shock was brand new I loved it, after it had been ridden a couple times I hated it, I think I spent as much shipping the shock back to progressive as it would have cost to buy a Vanilla RL from one of the dealers who couldn't give them away after the 5th took over.

 

[01yz125]

I think the release of the DHX is the reason many people hate the 5th.

hahaha word