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Intense Tracer air shock > coil shock?

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
16,627
12,918
Cackalacka du Nord
i've run coil shocks exclusively for over a decade. i ran one on my uzzi, which i believe has the same vpp platform as your tracer. a coil should make the suspension feel more linear, a bit more supple early on and more support at the mid-stroke. it'll be a bit heavier though.
 

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,261
8,767
Crawlorado
How much do you weigh all geared up to ride @johnbryanpeters?

I believe the benefits of coil shocks tend to make themselves more apparent the heavier one is, and the more uninterrupted DH one rides.

I've ridden coil and air shocks on my trail bike, and tend to prefer the air shock. Just never found that the plusses of the coil shock were enough to sway me.
 
How much do you weigh all geared up to ride @johnbryanpeters?

I believe the benefits of coil shocks tend to make themselves more apparent the heavier one is, and the more uninterrupted DH one rides.

I've ridden coil and air shocks on my trail bike, and tend to prefer the air shock. Just never found that the plusses of the coil shock were enough to sway me.
Myself and gear is probably 160#. My first two suspension bikes, a Raleigh M8000 and an Ellsworth Joker, had coil shocks, which were OK, my Heckler had air, and was better, the tracer's better than that.

This post is mostly to listen the coil boys; there are a number for whom it seems to be an issue approaching the religious.
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
16,627
12,918
Cackalacka du Nord
fwiw i weigh maybe 5#-10# more than jbp. to be honest i've not ridden a "modern" air shock, which i'm sure is much better than the basic float that came on my heckler in 2006.
 

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,504
In hell. Welcome!
Not sure if the Tracer's LR curve is any good for a coil shock. My Lowtower is borderline OK, only thanks to overshocking and longer travel. Other than than, coil shocks FTW.
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,855
9,560
AK
@Nick @Jm_ I believe you subscribe to the coily religion.
I do, but I hesitate to recommend it to someone that doesn’t think their air suspension is harsh. It still usually is, but using a coil “ruins” them and they remember how supple bikes used to be.
 

iRider

Turbo Monkey
Apr 5, 2008
5,648
3,089
I do, but I hesitate to recommend it to someone that doesn’t think their air suspension is harsh. It still usually is, but using a coil “ruins” them and they remember how supple bikes used to be.
Not arguing that a coil is more supple, but riding both it depends for me on what I want out of the bike on a specific trail. For example, when there is traction aplenty the air seems to help more with a poppy riding style. In low traction situations the coil wins (also in cold weather).
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,855
9,560
AK
Not arguing that a coil is more supple, but riding both it depends for me on what I want out of the bike on a specific trail. For example, when there is traction aplenty the air seems to help more with a poppy riding style. In low traction situations the coil wins (also in cold weather).
I get that, there are times that the air is nice on the "flow trails" because they are smoother and you don't need the sharp-edged bump sensitivity, but IME the trade-off isn't worth it, in mixed riding, as soon as you go on the gnarly trail, you are wishing for the coil. It does make pedaling a little soggier, but IME you forget about that fairly quickly. Decent shock tunes, like a Bomber CR+avy tune can help a lot with this, giving good low-speed stability that doesn't blow through the travel and is fairly firm, for a coil shock. I did a race an endurpo race two years ago that was 3-4 down segments and only one of those was the gnarly trail, but being used to my coil traction I tried bombing an off-camber root section and stalled out/crashed, just didn't have the traction, and you lose a lot more time that way (crashing) IME. For the all-day enjoyment on a big ride, coil every day...unless that is some sort of manicured-trail-park that you are riding "all day".

I just think we have gotten away from coils for all the wrong reasons. There are definitely decent air-shock applications.
 

iRider

Turbo Monkey
Apr 5, 2008
5,648
3,089
I get that, there are times that the air is nice on the "flow trails" because they are smoother and you don't need the sharp-edged bump sensitivity, but IME the trade-off isn't worth it, in mixed riding, as soon as you go on the gnarly trail, you are wishing for the coil.
Even on some of the rougher trails an air shock can be good. I ride one trail that has tons of roots on it and it is clear that the air shock is not following the ground as good as the coil. However, if the roots are dry the bike with the air shock seems to skip over them better (not sure how to describe it) while the coil feels like hanging up. As soon as the roots are wet the traction is not there anymore, so the coil wins hands down.
 

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,261
8,767
Crawlorado
Its been a few years since I've trail ridden a coil; I'm going to have to take a spin on your bike next time we ride, get a back to back coil/air comparison, if you dont mind of course.

Moving to the DPX2 restored the small bump compliance that my DPS was missing, and it feels more coil-esque in that department. Now I'm just traction limited by the Butcher rear tire. :D
 

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,504
In hell. Welcome!
Its been a few years since I've trail ridden a coil; I'm going to have to take a spin on your bike next time we ride, get a back to back coil/air comparison, if you dont mind of course.

Moving to the DPX2 restored the small bump compliance that my DPS was missing, and it feels more coil-esque in that department. Now I'm just traction limited by the Butcher rear tire. :D
What's the shock size on your noble steed? I may have a few spare shocks around, too, if you want to get spoiled. :D
 

iRider

Turbo Monkey
Apr 5, 2008
5,648
3,089
150/160, I think.
All spec sheets I can find say 140/160: