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Wanting to try air on the Slayer... i'm struggling to find anyone who's tried it though to see/know if it'll work well or badly. Some of the reviews etc state it should work, but i'm just curious if it'll make it a bit more poppy.
Shock is a 230x65 with standard mountings both ends, so simple enough. But i'm slightly torn as to what shock to try/buy.
It may be i try it, don't like it much and sell it straight back... So want something that's fairly re-sellable. (is that a real word? lol).
Options do really range throughout the full range, but thought i'd get some thoughts from people.
My lad absolutely LOVES his FloatX2 on the Fury... he rekons it's found him speed all on it's own. But there's lots of reports of them blowing/cavitating, so it's potentially a rebuild waiting to happen.
He's got a FloatX on the Privateer which is nice, but not quite as nice.
I've always liked a nice DPX2, but don't know how much i should really pay, there's a nice one on Ebay i could get for £200.
The Rockshox Super Deluxe maybe....
Or do i just go cheapo for a tester, you can get an older non piggback Rockshox deluxe for £50-80 easily enough.
New super deluxe for me - know a few people with them and think they’re excellent. Just you probably don’t know what time you need for the Slayer so whatever you buy might need some custom tuning.
I'm not convinced i'm at the level that the tune would matter.
This is a more basic super deluxe which may do a job for 'just see' type testing at not crazy money.
it's a Linear Tune according to the serial number.
Above FloatX2 is LOVELY... but with the worry from yourself and others on WWW that it's seconds from exploding lol.
Fwiw, here's my thoughts :
Non-piggyback deluxes - maybe. I could never get an ultimate to feel sensitive off the top and supportive at the same time. Yet trying a different bike with the basic deluxe was good. Depends on the bike.
I have demoed bikes with superdeluxes and they were easy enough to get right. But obviously they had the right tune etc.
Cane creek dB air inline - this is really good and easy to dial in for your bike. Run the app settings to start then tweak the 4-way damping to suit. I would imagine the piggyback ones are even better.
Dvo Topaz - this was my wildcard 2ndhand purchase. This just works really well. I settled on a 180psi charge in the piggyback and it hits the spot of sensitivity and support. You can tune both air chambers too so it should work on most bikes.
Cane creek dB air inline – this is really good and easy to dial in for your bike. Run the app settings to start then tweak the 4-way damping to suit. I would imagine the piggyback ones are even better.
Dvo Topaz – this was my wildcard 2ndhand purchase. This just works really well. I settled on a 180psi charge in the piggyback and it hits the spot of sensitivity and support. You can tune both air chambers too so it should work on most bikes.
Both a lot harder/impossible to find used in the right sizes....
Yeah probably. I would likely go for a superdeluxe in the right tune as that's got a better chance of being available.
Shock is a 230×65 with standard mountings both ends, so simple enough.
I found looking for a shock in 230x65 not so simple - but I did want inline for fitting a bigger water bottle purposes. I sold my 230x65 super deluxe on ebay for under 50 quid, so I imagine you can find one pretty cheap. I get the feeling that 230-x65 isn't that common of a size?
I've got 2 float x2 ,one from 2018 and one from 2020 and they're both working fine still and is probably the best air shock I've used.
I also have a rockshox super deluxe ultimate rc2t (ie the very latest one), which is also good,but not as good as the float X2.
Everyone on the internet reckons the float X2 will break , my two haven't ,but who knows whether that's just good fortune.
I’m not convinced i’m at the level that the tune would matter.
It's definitely worth checking what tune is recommended for your frame
I like the dpx2, for me having LSC really helps get setup right
If you can borrow a shockwiz they make set-up easier, especially if you have a funky leverage curve
I'm with you on the DPX2, always liked them and they're doing better money than most in terms of value
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404262469249?hash=item5e1febbe81:g:SZkAAOSwzT1kSV15&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwGoztYF75aTB%2FOawlDAsBaf5DtqNo3hp31n4UukceQ5qi01m1ijsHbBC%2FnBmpdXhjI1OUu6KH0oU%2Bq8N1LFHdHsFHBKAJpuwYiBCpvTy9gz5Kc6Egu%2F49ajwtCLkV3hT1PROxzvQMiF9AJfypLcQZbLVaaTGv4hM5rspJnnZvfS1s53smcwcQHFUxKeLFLmtDz6aYlUdXMz24TuGAKySk6BNbT31YyVxLodKiC6H6ECi2iExSlYIOSmlv0xceQdo2w%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR7bugJf4YQ
I offered him £170 as a cheeky bid last night but he declined. But i'm not against throwing in £200 to get it done.
Cane creek dB air inline
I love these, but I believe he'd need a Kitsuma for this bike.
Is't the kitsuma just the same as the CCDB air IL (which I have, BTW - great shock) just with externally adjustable dials...?
(which is ironic, as CC touted there's no need to adjust a shock on the fly, hence the hex keys on older models!)
DrP
how would one find out what tune is required? Seeing as the Slayer was never sold with an air shock?
I found my X2 to be the most 'coil like' air shock, ergo linear and not that poppy, but I am on the lighter side so maybe the rebound was a little slow (73kg in riding gear).
For me RS Super Deluxe probably the easiest to source and maybe a bit easier to tune to the way you want it.
how would one find out what tune is required? Seeing as the Slayer was never sold with an air shock?
There's a question... I asked on MTBR.com if anyone had tried an air... but the thread is silent.
Maybe i'm trying to both fix a problem that doesn't exist and re-engineer something that isn't viable either..
Is’t the kitsuma just the same as the CCDB air IL (which I have, BTW – great shock) just with externally adjustable dials…?
Bigger air volume and oil reservoir.
I've only ridden the old DBair, but I guess that feels roughly similar. It's more cushioned and coil-like than the inline.
But what I mainly meant is that I don't think the DB IL will be available in 230x65. Happy to be corrected though.
Is’t the kitsuma just the same as the CCDB air IL (which I have, BTW – great shock) just with externally adjustable dials…?
Kitsuma has a piggyback reservoir, or at least mine does, as well as the big knobs. CCDB Air IL is just that - in line.
Great shock but you'd be hard pressed to find a 2nd hand one in the right size.
Have you checked that the Slayer is ok with an air shock before buying one? Some bikes are meant to be air or coil, not both
@zerocool not really 😀 well, not really means not at all 😀
I've got a FloatX off the KSL sat here doing nothing if you want to borrow it. 230x62.5 but AIUI, that's just a removable internal travel limiter. What fittings does the Slayer need?
I’ve got a FloatX off the KSL sat here doing nothing if you want to borrow it. 230×62.5 but AIUI, that’s just a removable internal travel limiter. What fittings does the Slayer need?
@doomanic that would be brilliant mate... don't worry about fittings i've got all that under control as long as it's not bearing type eyelet.
The Slayer runs either a 40mm standard fitting M8 kit on the bottom and a 25mm M8 on the top. Other option is they have a sleeved insert bearing kit but that's a standard eyelet.
Really appreciate the offer and will PM you 🙂
the Slayer Document does stated "approved shocks"
Fox
• DHX2
• DPX2
• Float X2
RockShox
• Super Deluxe Coil
• Super Deluxe AirCane Creek
• DBcoil
• DBair
Float x travel adjustment is easy - take off the air can and there are spacers screwed in to the body of the shock. Think they’re in 2.5mm sizes - I added a few to my float x (trunnion) to decrease the stroke.
Just a thought - is the Suntour Tri-air available in the size you want? It’s very similar to the DVO topaz but with an ifp instead of a bladder in the damper I think.
I’m not convinced i’m at the level that the tune would matter.
IIRC the newest rockshock shocks overlap, but the older ones don't.
So if your usual rebound setting is in the middle of the middle tune, then buying the slower rebound tune will be like running it fully closed and then some, and the faster tune will be like running it at the faster end and then some. The new ones overlap, so nearly fully closed on a faster shock is middle to open on a slower shock. There's now so many factory-set variables in the shocks that unless you know want something different it's probably best to just wait for a shock from a different model of that bike. No point spending money to see if it makes it more 'poppy' if it's got a 'boggier' tune than what you already have.
Cane Creek sidestep the issue on most of their shocks by just having 4 damping adjusters and a massive range of adjustment, other brands I've no idea.
TBH with rear suspension I can tell wrong and right, but single clicks I'm not sensitive to. So I'm happy enough with the basic Delux as it came from the factory on my bike. Whereas the Fox Float on my previous one just wasn't right for me/the bike/my riding without going off for a custom tune and different air can as the overly progressive standard size made the rebound too quick deeper in the stroke so it would throw you forwards on fast jumps. Forks on the other hand I like to tinker with given the opportunity.
Kitsuma has a piggyback reservoir,
Ah yeah...
Ta
DrP
Thanks to @doomanic i'll have one to test next week. 🙂
I'd probably just message J'Mel on Instagram for his thoughts and I bet he'll have a reply to you in a day.
Slayer Float X2
Slayer
It's an idea.... but TBH not the sort of thing i'd do.. I do believe me and him ride in a completely different context...I'd love to share a beer somewhere and discuss it... but i'm a bit too shy to do that online 🙂
He may be like "oh are you racing EWS"
me... "nah, i'm coming 2nd last in Southern Enduro over 50s"
"oh... bye"
😀 😀
Slightly interesting (to me anyway) is that the bike seems slacker with the air shock on it. I'm not sure if that's because i've been riding the wifes Ebike lately. Measuring the sag in attack/riding position i'm seeing 20-21mm of travel which is 30% roughly, so about where i'd expect. But it seems surprisingly slack.
my main advice is to get one with compression adjustment. its massive.
cheapo air shocks without an adjustable compression damping are mainly terrible.
as a serial buyer of cheap bikes i`ve ridden alot of crap shocks and when i upgrade to a more adjustable one its actually game changing.
the air shock has a progressive spring (air doesnt compress in a linear manner) so will be always be less supportive mid stroke so you will sit deeper on the bike. it will be noticeable if you have been using a coil up to now. you need more air and potentially less tokens - basically run less sag. i run much less than 30% sag in attack position.