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Fork and shock upgrade in pairs or separately fine?


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Note to self: Don't ride nicer bikes than your own.

My bike currently has a "low" grade Rockshox fork and shock and after riding a friend's nicely spec'd bike I had the urge to upgrade my setup. I got a pretty decent deal on a 2019 Fox 36 float factory, but going to wait until next month to order a DPX2 shock. Wondering if it's better to wait and install both at the same time or is there no downside to installing the fork first? 

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I always upgrade piecemeal when I have money / time. I would not think twice about installing the fork this month and the shock next month.

This question is a different version of "upgrade my existing bike or replace my existing bike"? Do what ever works for you!

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I don't really see a downside to installing the fork now.  I mean, sure, you won't get the full picture in terms of how your bike is going to feel and handle until both jobs are done, but installing the fork now will give you time to start getting to know the new fork and (hopefully) dialing it in.  Also, if you are paying someone to install it, getting the fork done now would spread out the cost a bit.

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6 minutes ago, mack_turtle said:

what fork do you have now? do you "need" an upgrade, or could you get more out of it with a rebuild and tune?

I currently have a RockShox Revelation RC Solo Air. I definitely don't "need" an upgrade, but one could also ask if the average rider needs to spend more than $3k on a new full suspension bike? I've been riding my base spec 2018 Transition Scout on all the Brushy trails for 2 years without any changes and just feel that urge to do a few upgrades as I do love this bike, but also want to enjoy riding with some new shiny bits. 😆 

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In addition to buying new parts, get the most out of your purchase by spending some time getting a feel for what each adjustment does and how you can sense the changes made.

Over the long run, if the shock/fork have adjustments the most benefit will come to the rider from learning all you can about setting up things like preload, rebound, and any other knobs. Dedication to the time-consuming task of tuning any suspension to get the most out of it provides a payback that lasts forever. Once any rider is familiar with the process and comfortable with setup, any suspension component can likely be made to work better.

I've heard that BSS offers a suspension tuning service that several have said nice things about and which helps the rider understand how to test for small changes.

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1 hour ago, radiantm3 said:

I currently have a RockShox Revelation RC Solo Air. I definitely don't "need" an upgrade, but one could also ask if the average rider needs to spend more than $3k on a new full suspension bike? I've been riding my base spec 2018 Transition Scout on all the Brushy trails for 2 years without any changes and just feel that urge to do a few upgrades as I do love this bike, but also want to enjoy riding with some new shiny bits. 😆 

I went from a Rockshox Pike to a Fox 36 and could feel a significant difference.  First off it is a lot stiffer, not that the 35mm stanchion Rockshox forks aren't. You will get more range of adjustments and the fork will be better at taking successive hits since it will have a better damper (not sure which Fox one you're getting) than the Rockshox RC (Motion Control or Charger RC).  Put the fork on, the 36 is awesome!  You will probably notice the fork outperforming the rear shock but that will just make you upgrade faster.

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1 hour ago, radiantm3 said:

I currently have a RockShox Revelation RC Solo Air. 

That's a nice fork. When did you do a full service on it last? I take my Reba apart every 6 months or so.

There are always nice parts in the market, but a Rev should do ya fine if you take care of it. Look into basic maintenance, of course, but also bottomless Tokens and aftermarket dampers.

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5 hours ago, radiantm3 said:

I currently have a RockShox Revelation RC Solo Air. I definitely don't "need" an upgrade, but one could also ask if the average rider needs to spend more than $3k on a new full suspension bike? I've been riding my base spec 2018 Transition Scout on all the Brushy trails for 2 years without any changes and just feel that urge to do a few upgrades as I do love this bike, but also want to enjoy riding with some new shiny bits. 😆 

That fork is actually a decent platform to build off of.  Have you considered a charger 2 RC2 and MRP ramp control or luftkappe upgrade?

Edited by ATXZJ
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On 6/13/2019 at 4:22 PM, ATXZJ said:

That fork is actually a decent platform to build off of.  Have you considered a charger 2 RC2 and MRP ramp control or luftkappe upgrade?

This is exactly what I was going to say.

If you're just upgrading for variety, check this out: https://mrpbike.com/products/ramp-control-cartridge-for-rock-shox/?variant=12922378518570

Ramp control is awesome.  You can learn a ton about suspension behavior by having progressiveness easily available to adjust.  I change mine all the time for the type of riding I'm doing.

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22 minutes ago, Kyle said:

This is exactly what I was going to say.

If you're just upgrading for variety, check this out: https://mrpbike.com/products/ramp-control-cartridge-for-rock-shox/?variant=12922378518570

Ramp control is awesome.  You can learn a ton about suspension behavior by having progressiveness easily available to adjust.  I change mine all the time for the type of riding I'm doing.

I actually already have the mrp ramp controller and it’s been great. But the 36 factory was just on another level completely. 

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What bike is your friends that you rode? Is it a Scout like yours with better suspension components or is it a different bike? A different bike with a different suspension curve will have a completely different feel than yours does. Like previously posted play with your suspension settings to see what feels good and what doesn't many times just taking some time to tune your suspension will give you bigger benefits than you would think.

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I already ordered the fork before I made this post. So time will tell if I wasted money like some of you are implying or not. It's definitely an interesting take though. I've been riding for 4-5 years now, but never really tinkered with my bikes as far as changing out components. Improving the rider has always been my primary goal. But I'm starting to feel the difference between budget components and the better stuff between riding friend's bikes and just upgrading components out of frustration with current components. 

I've also always been the type of person that has to learn from my own mistakes, while taking into account research and advice. Everyone seems to have different opinions so it's best for me to just give it a shot and have personal experience. I'll definitely report back on this thread how the new fork feels compared to my current. 🙂 

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6 hours ago, radiantm3 said:

I already ordered the fork before I made this post. So time will tell if I wasted money like some of you are implying or not. It's definitely an interesting take though. I've been riding for 4-5 years now, but never really tinkered with my bikes as far as changing out components. Improving the rider has always been my primary goal. But I'm starting to feel the difference between budget components and the better stuff between riding friend's bikes and just upgrading components out of frustration with current components. 

I've also always been the type of person that has to learn from my own mistakes, while taking into account research and advice. Everyone seems to have different opinions so it's best for me to just give it a shot and have personal experience. I'll definitely report back on this thread how the new fork feels compared to my current. 🙂 

 

6 hours ago, Kyle said:

You're not going wrong with a Fox 36.  Riding 4+ years definitely puts you in the window of being able to appreciate it too.

X2 on this. Not going wrong upgrading to a factory 36. 

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22 hours ago, radiantm3 said:

I already ordered the fork before I made this post. So time will tell if I wasted money like some of you are implying or not. It's definitely an interesting take though. I've been riding for 4-5 years now, but never really tinkered with my bikes as far as changing out components. Improving the rider has always been my primary goal. But I'm starting to feel the difference between budget components and the better stuff between riding friend's bikes and just upgrading components out of frustration with current components. 

I've also always been the type of person that has to learn from my own mistakes, while taking into account research and advice. Everyone seems to have different opinions so it's best for me to just give it a shot and have personal experience. I'll definitely report back on this thread how the new fork feels compared to my current. 🙂 

Upgradeitis is very common among people who have been riding for some time. Absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to upgrade your bike. One thing to keep in mind when upgrading an older bike is to try and purchase upgrades that can swapped over to a newer bike should you get a case of new bikeitis😁  

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey guys. So I finally got that new fork installed and while I'm not sure if re-valving my Rockshox Solo Air would have provided the same results, I am completely excited about how my bike feels with this upgrade.

I did a quick 1 hour ride at Brushy yesterday. I ran double down to test out the rougher stuff and then Picnic for some of the faster corners and medium-sized drops. My bike's front end just had so much more grip because of the steady contact with the ground. Right away I realized my old fork wasn't fast enough to keep contact with the ground quite as well when things got a little bumpy. The low speed compression is just so much better. When I went off the drops on Picnic, I could quickly feel that my rear shock feels more harsh compared to my front fork. The landing is very plush with the new fork. It makes me more anxious to upgrade my rear shock now. 

One final improvement I noticed after my ride is how my hands and arms didn't feel sore at all. This fork just softens everything so I can ride longer without as much fatigue in my arms and hands. 

IMG_0656.jpg

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50 minutes ago, radiantm3 said:

Hey guys. So I finally got that new fork installed and while I'm not sure if re-valving my Rockshox Solo Air would have provided the same results, I am completely excited about how my bike feels with this upgrade.

I did a quick 1 hour ride at Brushy yesterday. I ran double down to test out the rougher stuff and then Picnic for some of the faster corners and medium-sized drops. My bike's front end just had so much more grip because of the steady contact with the ground. Right away I realized my old fork wasn't fast enough to keep contact with the ground quite as well when things got a little bumpy. The low speed compression is just so much better. When I went off the drops on Picnic, I could quickly feel that my rear shock feels more harsh compared to my front fork. The landing is very plush with the new fork. It makes me more anxious to upgrade my rear shock now. 

One final improvement I noticed after my ride is how my hands and arms didn't feel sore at all. This fork just softens everything so I can ride longer without as much fatigue in my arms and hands. 

IMG_0656.jpg

glad to hear about the improvements. I see a lot of people that seem to run their suspension too stiff which also contributes to harsh riding, loss of grip, and soreness. 

 

rock on!

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1 minute ago, mack_turtle said:

What are you going to do with that old fork? Boost?

It's a boost and I have an MRP ramp controller (which I'm actually getting replaced for a new one since I think this one is leaking air a bit somehow). It's also been setup for the OneUp EDC tool system which includes the top cap for it. Just needs the tool (since I'm using that on my new fork). I'd be willing to sell it all as a set for a good (for you, but somewhat fair for me) price.

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1 hour ago, radiantm3 said:

Hey guys. So I finally got that new fork installed and while I'm not sure if re-valving my Rockshox Solo Air would have provided the same results, I am completely excited about how my bike feels with this upgrade.

I did a quick 1 hour ride at Brushy yesterday. I ran double down to test out the rougher stuff and then Picnic for some of the faster corners and medium-sized drops. My bike's front end just had so much more grip because of the steady contact with the ground. Right away I realized my old fork wasn't fast enough to keep contact with the ground quite as well when things got a little bumpy. The low speed compression is just so much better. When I went off the drops on Picnic, I could quickly feel that my rear shock feels more harsh compared to my front fork. The landing is very plush with the new fork. It makes me more anxious to upgrade my rear shock now. 

One final improvement I noticed after my ride is how my hands and arms didn't feel sore at all. This fork just softens everything so I can ride longer without as much fatigue in my arms and hands. 

IMG_0656.jpg

Fork looks great with your frame!  The damper in the 36 is just really good.  Enjoy! The rear shock is going to be a bigger difference methinks!

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