I managed to get a couple of good rides on the ROCO this last weekend. I had a 5th on before so I ordered the shock without a spring and hardware (Thanks Go-Ride!). No fit or hardware problems but I did have a little trouble getting the spring on.
Set-up:
The 550 lb spring that came with my 5th seemed to give the right amount of sag so I just stuck with it. I set the air pressure in the middle of the recommened range at 200 psi. Rebound was set at about a 3/4 to 1 turn out from full in and compression was set at 3 clicks out from full in. One of the few things I didn't like about the shock was the rebound adjuster. It spins too easy, is somewhat vague in its influence on the rebound, and is difficult to reach in this frame. I'm not saying the rebound doesn't work but it seems to have less range than the 5th. The compression seems to work mostly on mid to end stroke.
The Ride:
I was looking for a shock that had better bump absorption, more boost off of jumps, and good bottom out resistance. The ROCO performs excellent in all these areas. The shock is very smooth and very plush. It levels out rough terrain nicely. Jumping requires less effort and take offs are more predictable. The bike seems easier to manipulate in the air based on the predictability off the ramp. Bottom out resistance is excellent. The rebound speed slows down considerably for bigger landings but stays quick in the beginning stroke to accommodate chop. Corners are smooth and uneventful. Pedaling efficiency isn't bad for a non-platform shock. I really only notice the bob on flat ground when mashing but I don't feel like the bike is slower. Actually I feel the bike may be faster, certainly over rough terrain, but mainly because the shock feels comfortable. The activeness never feels out of control and the change in bike feel is very easy to adjust to (from the 5th). In all the shock performs great and is a great match for the frame. The vpp design retains enough influence over the shock to make pedaling acceptable. The shock feels very well matched to my Shiver as well.
For dedicated DH I think this shock would be hard to beat. I'm not sure it would be my choice for lots of pedaling but it performs great for what I use it for. So two thumbs-up for the ROCO and v10.
SJ
Set-up:
The 550 lb spring that came with my 5th seemed to give the right amount of sag so I just stuck with it. I set the air pressure in the middle of the recommened range at 200 psi. Rebound was set at about a 3/4 to 1 turn out from full in and compression was set at 3 clicks out from full in. One of the few things I didn't like about the shock was the rebound adjuster. It spins too easy, is somewhat vague in its influence on the rebound, and is difficult to reach in this frame. I'm not saying the rebound doesn't work but it seems to have less range than the 5th. The compression seems to work mostly on mid to end stroke.
The Ride:
I was looking for a shock that had better bump absorption, more boost off of jumps, and good bottom out resistance. The ROCO performs excellent in all these areas. The shock is very smooth and very plush. It levels out rough terrain nicely. Jumping requires less effort and take offs are more predictable. The bike seems easier to manipulate in the air based on the predictability off the ramp. Bottom out resistance is excellent. The rebound speed slows down considerably for bigger landings but stays quick in the beginning stroke to accommodate chop. Corners are smooth and uneventful. Pedaling efficiency isn't bad for a non-platform shock. I really only notice the bob on flat ground when mashing but I don't feel like the bike is slower. Actually I feel the bike may be faster, certainly over rough terrain, but mainly because the shock feels comfortable. The activeness never feels out of control and the change in bike feel is very easy to adjust to (from the 5th). In all the shock performs great and is a great match for the frame. The vpp design retains enough influence over the shock to make pedaling acceptable. The shock feels very well matched to my Shiver as well.
For dedicated DH I think this shock would be hard to beat. I'm not sure it would be my choice for lots of pedaling but it performs great for what I use it for. So two thumbs-up for the ROCO and v10.
SJ
