Ultimate - RC2T - Rebound, LSC, HSC, Threshold, Ultimate DH - RC2 - Ultimate minus the lock-out option, Select+ - RT - Rebound & Threshold adjustment. As to whats possible if you did want more support. Typically for RockShox it doesnt overly punish a simple setup either so you dont have to be an expert fettler to get the best from it. As with air shocks, I wonder how many folks are running their coil-equipped bikes oversprung as a way of managing end stroke behaviour. This opens up the tuning possibilities for those of you interested in diving head first into your shock and dialing in your set up. If you have an older Super Deluxe, or buy a MY23 with a lower end fitment, and would like the full adjustment range of the RC2T, then that's something your RockShox service center can quote you on in addition to your next routine yearly service. Hopefully this has been insightful. For those trying to decide what to buy based on current units, the Progressive system is very similar to the current MegNeg cans and SRAM describes it as "more playful and dynamic" than the Linear version. Along with the HBO system the least harshness at full travel is the design goal. Those five clicks can turn a bike from feeling clean, bright and lifted to properly sucked down and grippy. Both shocks are designed around the brand new RC2T Damper, which has really impressed us with its ease of set without compromising on adjustability. Got questions? Think Push ELEVEN SIX or EXT Storia. Great forks are one thing, but if you want your bikes suspension performance to feel properly balanced front to rear, the rear shocks need performance to match. Way Better Than The Old One, Size-Specific Water Bottle & Accessory Mounting Points. I've been testing the Super Deluxe Ultimate shock and while the resulting control is undeniably awesome however you like to ride there are some aspects of adjustment that might not suit everyone. With all the adjusters clustered around the top of the shock, the new Super Deluxe gives easy access to all the dials and the crisp clicks give a reassuring, quality feel to each adjustment. A sized DU bushing and u-cup seal in the seal head of the coil shocks provide support for the shaft and keep crap out. Very nice write-up and we'll documented! Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, He loves riding and also loves sharing his experiences with others. I'm not a suspension tech, or a suspension engineer.
RockShox,
Weve started spending time on some of the lineup, and will be logging a lot more miles on more of the different versions soon, so stay tuned for full reviews to come. The more modest update means that the new Charger 3 damper and DebonAir+ spring can be retrofitted to earlier model-year ZEBs, unlike the Pike and Lyrik. First, for those that would prefer an air shock over coil, the Super Deluxe air shocks can come equipped with a fixed version of the adjustable HBO on the Super Deluxe Ultimates. Heres why you can trust us. Weve got all the same high and low speed compression and low speed rebound adjustments as on the air shock, as well one extra knob to play with your bottom out control.
This allows the shock to cushion hard bottom out moments without the rider having to sacrifice their optimum setup when it comes to traction and support through the rest of the stroke as well as in less harsh full travel moments. The emphasis on every click making a difference is key. RockShox unveiled a massive overhaul of their suspension lineup today, including all-new versions of their Pike, Lyrik, and ZEB forks, and Deluxe and Super Deluxe rear shocks. Thanks for the reply. There's also a bottom out bumper to protect the shock and keep things smooth when a rider is hitting the end. I've seen some incredible shock wear, within a year of use, on Trunnion bikes and in particular when they have seized Trunnion bearings. As someone with chronic left wrist/hand issues, the buttercups are the most intriguing part of this launch, but aren't enough to make me switch. We have loved it for its reasonable price, ease of setup, wide range of fitment options, and reliable performance. It will be interesting to see how shock spec changes with the advent of the hydraulic bottom out system, assuming most brands choose to spec it at every level of Super Deluxe. Photo: RockShox, For the coil shocks, the HBO has five clicks of adjustment and affects the last 20% of the stroke. That said, the seal only creates stiction when it first gets moving, and Rockshox uses their CounterMeasure spring to ease it into motion, kind of like a negative spring for the IFP. For an example, many owners of the Transition Patrol remove a spacer to increase shock stroke from 60mm to 65mm, which bumps the rear travel from 160mm to 170mm.
Any thoughts on that? NY 10036. For air and coil, the focus on eliminating harsh bottom outs through the HBO and rubber bottom out bumpers should also lead to an easier life for the shocks, the bicycles they're installed on, and the riders pedaling them. The big bottom out bumper is designed to be progressive as well. If your shock is HBO-equipped there's no more just swapping in and out grey travel spacers to change stroke. There is a degree of upgradeability with the Super Deluxe rear shocks, thanks to the fact that you can swap damper head units, but it is not possible to add HBO after the fact. This is not available as an aftermarket add-on, but it is possible to bolt the Ultimate level RC2T controller onto other Super Deluxe shocks with the same chassis. Subcribe to our newsletter and always be the first to hear about what is happening. Much better than the typical marketing fluff the others have. As with the MY23 suspension forks, RockShox has introduced a significant amount of specificity to the new shocks along with HBO. Photo: Andrew Major, Here's the HBO assembly including the valve and shims. Guy Kesteven is Bike Perfect and Cyclingnews contributing tech editor. But, I always feel a tinge of imposter syndrome when I'm writing about the guts of rear shocks. A secondary goal was to make the damper quiet slurping noises on rebound are pretty common in a lot of forks and shocks, and RockShox made a point of eliminating those to keep the bike quiet and avoid distractions to the rider. For the coil shocks we add the 5 clicks of adjustable hydraulic bottom out. Your SRAM service center can custom tune a generic aftermarket shock for your frame. The word back from RockShox is that the stock range will work for everyone. It happens even on the stiffest of suspension linkages (@Banshee+Cane Creek pre-seal head revision). All three new forks get chassis updates that well describe in more detail in their respective sections below, but the core technology chiefly, an entirely new damper and air spring is shared across the range.
Itll also link to product and service manuals for your equipment. Cheers, I didnt see the separate components to say if its a quad seal, x-ring, or o-ring between the bushings myself - so I probably should have just said rubber ring.. We consider ourselves "The World's Local Bike Shop" with crazy good customer service which helps riders all around the Earth. We seriously love what we do, and seriously love bikes. The Super Deluxe is RockShoxs line of external-reservoir shocks for longer-travel Trail through DH bikes, and the new versions get a new damper with a lot of the same features as the Charger 3 one in the new fork lineup. On the coil shock my understanding is there is one factory HBO tune (where there are many compression and rebound tunes) and the adjustment range is very broad with every click making a difference. Hatched in Yorkshire he's been hardened by riding round it in all weathers since he was a kid. Hydraulic Bottom Out Especially as the lock out lever is hard to operate and hard in terms of its effect too. BikeRumor may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Hey Markus, the bearing eyelet option is still available. This creates significantly more support for the shaft through increased bushing overlap. So, designing a fork is more ~straightforward~? I think adjust-ability has a limit for a lot of riders, and feeling the change with each click would be more productive to many, in my opinion. This may be a negative for owners of bikes designed around multiple stroke settings who want to experiment with difference setups. This bottom out control tunes the final 20% of travel with 5 clicks of adjustment. For those ultra progressive bikes, then you wont feel as much of a need to run as much bottom out resistance to avoid that dreaded harsh bottom out. It's the little details. There is a lot to talk about with the new 2023 RockShox Super Deluxe rear shocks, but I want to begin with the feature that I think will make the biggest difference for the most riders - an adjustable hydraulic bottom out (HBO) system.
This shock will be offered in all metric sizes with an MSRP of $599 for the air version and $529 for the coil version. I think its awesome, air or coil. Namely, a large quantity of oil flows through the high speed circuit first and then a much smaller quantity of oil flows through the low speed circuit. It's probably important to note that adding hydraulic bottom out doesn't change spring rate, it's ramping up the compression damping significantly in the last 20% of the stroke, but for some riders on some bicycles it will let them think about optimizing traction and support separately from how their bike performs when dropping to flat. Support us! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I'm not saying there aren't other reasons they couldn't justify a small-batch shock, but I think there's an element of min-maxing that can't be ignored when the addition of HBO was the most notable feature of a 1,600 CAD rear shock package and the most expensive Super Deluxe Ultimate air or coil shock is less that half that amount in the after market. About Me: Hailing from the sunny landscape of California, Tor headed north and landed here in the cloudy town of Bellingham, WA. The big updates for the 2023 Rockshox rear shocks are: Across the range, most of the best new tech sits on the top models, which are also the only ones you can buy as aftermarket upgrades, so well focus on those. This is a big day for RockShox who are launching all new forks (Zeb, Lyrik, and Pike) and Super Deluxe air and coil shocks for the 2023 model year. I'm not sensitive or tuned in enough to know which of the features between my current and old Fox setup is making the most difference, since obviously there are many differences between the two, but I'd be hard-pressed to go "back" to forks or shock without HBO. We are not a warehouse store. But because you need the back pressure to prevent cavitation, and shocks see much higher pressure than forks (thanks to leverage ratios), you need that tight seal. He has been writing about the latest bikes, components, and cycling technology for 14 years. Its important to note, this only affects the compression damping rate, and not the spring curve, however they work in concert as a tuning tool. No special tools, and HBO, I'll be keeping my eye out for a takeoff or a "needs rebuild" of one of these in the future.
All the Super Deluxe shock features are arranged like this (same for air or coil): A lot of riders will derive value from being able to tune their LSC and HSC separately, so in the future I'll hopefully be able to revisit this piece, with pricing, to talk about converting the Select and Select+ shocks to the Ultimate spec. The spring side has gotten a major overhaul, too. This shock has been a staple of RockShoxs lineup for a number of years now, and has been one of the most popular shocks for hard-charging mountain bikers ever since it was released. Apart from what I've already covered the most important thing to note with the Super Deluxe air shocks is that they use entirely new volume spacers which are not backwards compatible. Its hard to tell where the balance is between the more sophisticated, back pressure quietened damping circuits, smoother bushings and fluid, and better overlap in terms of influencing the feel, but the overall result is delicious. Posted in: document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Click To Stay Up On Our Weekly Gear Giveaways. Its a shimmed system so its more a matter of if you can increase the HBO stack without it negatively affecting the seamless performance of the damper. Adding or removing the HBO system would require a full damper overhaul and swapping a number of parts, so its not going to be an easy DIY, or probably all that cost-effective rather, some OE-spec shocks may skip the option if the frame manufacturer decides that its not suitable for the frame in question but its essentially baked into the shock (or not) from the factory. Hydraulic bottom out systems are becoming increasingly common at the premium end of rear shocks. The flagship Ultimate versions (both air and coil) get a high-speed compression adjuster that was absent from the prior-generation shocks, and the new RC2 shock damper features the same decoupling of the two compression adjusters as the Charger 3. The compression adjustments are approached a little differently to before, and rely heavily on the base tune set up by the manufacturer. As a much larger then average rider I suspect the rampup provided by the HBO wont be as significant with the high spring rates. I think internal noise-cancelling products like ButterCups are going to be the next front in the competition between suspension companies and also for aftermarket add-ons. The two different air cans let you choose (or, more likely, let your bikes manufacturer choose) the best air volume to augment each frames particular kinematics. If the seal head is anodized purple then the carrier for the Counter Measures lattice spring and the volume spacers will be purple as well. RockShox has also added pressure-relief valves, similar to what Fox has offered for a while now, onto all three of the new forks. There's a secondary compression assembly inside the shock with its own piston and valve, as well as a couple of shims, and it's position sensitive for the last 20% of the shock's stroke for coil shocks and the last 25% of the stroke for air shocks. The new DebonAir+ spring is conceptually similar to DebonAir springs of old its still a conventional single-positive-air-chamber design with a self-equalizing negative spring chamber via a dimple in the stanchion but many of the finer details have been reworked. RockShox has given the core of their suspension lineup a major overhaul, and a lot of the updates seem awfully promising on paper. Notably absent in the new fork releases are updates to the Boxxer. Photo: RockShox. Excellent write up but I do have one question that mayor may not be answerable at the moment. Super Deluxe, The climb/lock switch is also very stiff, so its not the easiest thing to move on the fly unless your thumbs are strong enough to pry on DH tires without levers. I dont have an answer for that. The updates largely mirror those added to the fork line revised dampers and air springs as well as chassis updates plus some new features and additional adjustability. Photo: Andrew Major, For the new MY23 air shocks equipped with HBO, the hydraulic bottom out is preset and affects the last 25% of the stoke. At the time I'm writing this there isn't pricing available for the lower-end Select+ and Select shocks but for riders I've talked to who think HBO would make a massive difference to their bikes' performance - like everyone I know who's recently ridden a long travel Santa Cruz with an air or coil setup - I think it's sweet there will be an option to experiment with the feature at a significantly lower price point. Since then hes written several million words about several thousand test bikes and a ridiculous amount of riding gear. Dial in more HBO damping for more bottom-out resistance as needed. Get the latest industry news direct to your inbox. Also in keeping with the new Charger 3 damper, each click of the the adjusters on a Super Deluxe shock will deliver a perceptible and equivalent difference from the last. These two adjustments function completely independently from each other, allowing for very tangible differences between each click. Theres a lot to cover here, so lets dive straight in. Bike Perfect is supported by its audience. It will be positive in terms of performance and, as with the new 2023 RockShox forks, for some riders the increased level of specificity is going to be frustrating.
Well see, but if Im FRS Ill be touting a longer (5mm), bright pink, version called Fox Gloves in the Factory forks next year. Rock Shox has had two bushings separated by a "rubber thing" in the seal head for years, nothing new there.The fact that Fox now has the same design in the Float X is new however. ;). I know some frames are so bad theyre going to eat shocks regardless but its nice to see companies (DVO is on it too, CaneCreek has made changes to their seal head over the years) putting in an effort to protect their shocks from premature wear (or at least protect themselves from some of the ridiculous warranty claims) caused by design and alignment issues. If youre not the guy writing down your settings in a book every time you turn a dial, then this will make tuning your shock way less intimidating and allow you to get to that dialed setup with minimal hassle. If your shock is due for a service anyway, there's a minimal extra cost in parts and labour to have it re-valved. We got our hands on some of the new stuff in advance and have got a series of articles for you. I can only imagine that HBO will change a lot of aggressive riders' setups and I wonder how it will affect base compression tunes as well. Nice. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. And like the Charger 3, the compression adjusters are indexed to the middle of the range to simplify tuning (go read the section on the Charger 3, above, if you skipped past that bit earlier). The Pike is available for both 27.5 and 29 wheels and with 120, 130, or 140 mm travel. I can appreciate that SRAM felt they had to reinvent dampers and air systems to make a performance leap, but I can also lament the lack of backwards compatibility. Like the updated forks, the main aim of the changes are to separate cross talk between low and high speed compression adjustment for a fully independent feel. There are big changes internally too as RockShox introduce the RC2T damper. Another new feature on some of the Super Deluxe Ultimate shocks is a hydraulic bottom out bumper, which provides a set amount of bottom our resistance in the final 25% of stroke. They're half the size of the previous units for better fine tuning and they're colour coordinated to easily identify the units that work with your shock. Likewise, I cannot comment on how the performance of the new damper compares to past versions of the Super Deluxe air and coil shocks I've ridden.
In addition to all the new features that we talked about up top, the new Pike also gets a new bolt-on fender (similar to the one thats been available on the ZEB for a few years now). The new DebonAir+ spring is found throughout the 2023 Pike, Lyrik, and ZEB lineup. The HBO stud is a nice piece of machined stainless steel, and this is the same at all levels of the HBO-equipped Super Deluxe shocks. 2023 RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T Coil Rear Shock - 205 x 57.5mm LinearReb/Low Comp, Adj-Hyd B/O, 320lb L/O Force, Trunnion / Std, B1, 2023 RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T Coil Rear Shock - 205 x 62.5mm LinearReb/Low Comp, Adj-Hyd B/O, 320lb L/O Force, Trunnion / Std, B1, 2023 RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T Coil Rear Shock - 230 x 57.5mm LinearReb/Low Comp, Adj-Hyd B/O, 320lb L/O Force, Standard, B1, 2023 RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T Coil Rear Shock - 205 x 60mm LinearReb/Low Comp, Adj-Hyd B/O, 320lb L/O Force, Trunnion / Std, B1, 2023 RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T Coil Rear Shock - 205 x 65mm LinearReb/Low Comp, Adj-Hyd B/O, 320lb L/O Force, Trunnion / Std, B1, 2023 RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T Coil Rear Shock - 210 x 50mm LinearReb/Low Comp, Adj-Hyd B/O, 320lb L/O Force, Standard, B1, 2023 RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T Coil Rear Shock - 210 x 52.5mm LinearReb/Low Comp, Adj-Hyd B/O, 320lb L/O Force, Standard, B1, 2023 RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T Coil Rear Shock - 210 x 55mm LinearReb/Low Comp, Adj-Hyd B/O, 320lb L/O Force, Standard, B1, 2023 RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T Coil Rear Shock - 185 x 55mm LinearReb/Low Comp, Adj-Hyd B/O, 320lb L/O Force, Trunnion / Std, B1, 2023 RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T Coil Rear Shock - 230 x 65mm LinearReb/Low Comp, Adj-Hyd B/O, 320lb L/O Force, Standard, B1, 2023 RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T Coil Rear Shock - 230 x 60mm LinearReb/Low Comp, Adj-Hyd B/O, 320lb L/O Force, Standard, B1, 2023 RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T Coil Rear Shock - 230 x 62.5mm LinearReb/Low Comp, Adj-Hyd B/O, 320lb L/O Force, Standard, B1. While the new forks use a coil-backed IFP, the shocks stick with a nitrogen-backed IFP. Bike Perfect is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. As with the MY23 suspension forks, the key design goal for the new Super Deluxe shocks is complete independence of the various settings in the new RCT2 damper - HSC, LSC, and Rebound. That does make sense though, if the fork designs are intended for more specific use cases the damper and airspring can be appropriately designed without a lot of adjustment.