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As the title says really, noticed they are on sale and in the size I need on TF tuned.
Any horror stories? The reviews seem favourable but it's always good to hear from real people, I've read and heard enough stories about the fox X2's reliability issues to put me off one of them.
Fwiw it will be replacing a Fox float X performance that came as standard on my '22 Transition sentinel
Thanks!
Only had mine a couple of months so can't comment on reliability. Coming from a RS Monarch Plus and before that a Fox RP23 it seemed much easier to get a setup that I'm happy with. Potentially too much temptation if you're a chronic trailside faffer but I just adjusted according to Sagly app for my weight and riding and what I was feeling and left it at that. So far I'm very impressed.
I've got an earlier version, the DBair IL on my Cotic.
It's been brilliant - 4.5 years old and done +5000 miles & +1 million feet of descending. It had a service after 3 years, and really due another but not because there's any issues, just ought to be done.
Can’t advise on the CC air, but you’re doing the right thing avoiding an X2: great shock… when it’s not squelching! Swapped from an X2 to a CC IL Coil and seriously impressed with it. If their air shocks are as good as their coils, then aye.
The x2 seem to be dying in numbers on the sentinel with the trunnion mount somdefo swerve those.
I’ve got a 22 alloy sentinel and put on a Kitsuma coil rather than the air. I’ve also added a cascade link at the same time though to get more ramp up as it goes through the stroke.
Tempting. I wonder if a kitsuma air would be an overall improvement to the rear end of my following swapping out a dB IL coil.
I just can't get it feeling anything other than stiff.
Had a couple of the older DBAir shocks (had the IL as well but not so comparable).
The Kitsuma would definitely be my air shock of choice (unless someone wanted to buy me the new EXT one).
Lovely ride quality, really well-damped and adjustable - easily the most coil-like air shock I've owned (the X2 was good but always felt like a pale imitation).
Tempting. I wonder if a kitsuma air would be an overall improvement to the rear end of my following swapping out a dB IL coil.
I just can’t get it feeling anything other than stiff.
Why would your coil be so stiff - have you got the right weight spring in there?
Looking online I can’t find the progression curve of the following but with 120mm travel and lots of comments about pop and ramp up on the evil website (as well as comment it’s fine for a coil) I’m assuming you should be able to get away with a relatively soft spring without bottoming out. For me I find 30% progression about right on a coil - it’s what my Bird Aether had and what my sentinel now has with a cascade link. Prior to that it was 24% and I had to run a relatively stiff spring to avoid bottoming out - it’s much better with the Cascade link so far.
I've a DB Air IL, and love it...
I've little to add, other than it did make me laugh when the kitsuma came out as the 'advantage' spouted about the DB Air IL was that you SHOULDN'T need to constantly adjust the shock, hence why it used a 3mm allen key on teh dials...
Then the Kitsuma came out, with the ADVANTAGE of being able to dial it up on the fly!!
I guess even our favourite products have marketing speil to abide by!
DrP
No idea why I typed following. I haven't had one for years. Meant to type HIGHLANDER!
Appreciate the replies, quick call to TF confirmed all of the above, a much better option than the X2.
The x2 seem to be dying in numbers on the sentinel with the trunnion mount somdefo swerve those.
I’ve got a 22 alloy sentinel and put on a Kitsuma coil rather than the air. I’ve also added a cascade link at the same time though to get more ramp up as it goes through the stroke.
I know Transition had a few bad batches of sentinels and spires with the lower shock mount fitted wonky, one of the reasons they demolish the X2's.
Just need to let the credit card cool down now.
Why would your coil be so stiff – have you got the right weight spring in there?
More detail needed, but they might have meant it was over damped. If you're light and riding the correct spring but too much damping you get the opposite of the cheap suspension pogo effect as the back end neither gives enough on impact, or recovers fast enough so it packs down and feels harsh.
As opposed to a heavy guy who with the correct spring might never feel like it's stiff enough because the shock is reacting too quickly to everything.
2 riders, different weight and different (correct) springs, for force required from the damper is still much higher on the heavier rider for a given shaft speed (which is ultimately what you're after)
I have a Kitsuma on my Cotic Jeht. I've just used the recommended Cotic settings and left it alone. It's been a truly wondrous thing. The best thing i can say about it is that i don't really feel it moving. I clatter down rocky Peak trails and get full travel without ever feeling like i've hit anything. it just smoothes everything out perfectly.
100% recommended.
Correct. The rear end on my highlander 150 feels vastly overdamped with the DB IL Coil pretty much run full wide open. I'm not fantastically light (75kg), but I am mostly riding reasonably chunky stuff in the lakes (if it's any easier I usually take a different bike).
The only other thought I had is that it needs a service and maybe I could get someone like TF to put lighter damping oil in.
But a new DB kitsuma sounds cooler :D.
@continuity - that’s interesting on the DBcoil. The Kitsuma definitely doesn’t feel overdamped - and with a lighter spring than my current one I could have done with some more hsc adjustment. Now I’m on the spring I’m on it’s about right just starting at the middle of all the damping settings. Next few rides I’m going to make an adjustment at a time and see where I end up.