I think that just by looking at the specs you can't really tell how this bike is going to perform but from experience I know that this bike would be a rocking 7" dh bike even with the stock shock. I wouldn't waste the money on a cane creek shock until you have a chance to see how well this bike performs with the DHX. Right now I am running the fox 36 and the HA feels a little bit steep but I am getting used to it and am actually liking the responsiveness of this frame. As far as not having 7 full inches of travel, give me a break. If you are that dependent on that additional .3" you probably shouldn't be looking at this bike.