[Closed] Coil "optimised' Enduro Bikes?

something with a very progressive LC

a Capra for instance

Commencal Clash and Meta. Nukeproof Mega also works well with a coil.

JP

I think Last say that their Glen frame works well with a coil, that's a 29er with 140mm travel and pretty sorted geo.

Ideally 29er with 140mm or more rear travel?

Evil The Offering with a Push Coil. Sorted.

I believe the Bird AM9 works well with a coil. Keep seeing new builds with great big coil shocks on. 150mm travel at both ends and it’s very on trend with huge reach, slack head angle, steep seat tube angle, low stand over height so you can run a long dropper, comes setup tubeless, metric shock and is boost spaced.

Most of what I have read suggests something with a progressive leverage curve but in reality I’m not 100% sure on what that exactly means!
My rocketmax works like a dream on coil. In my riding group there are Santa Cruz Hightower’s, mondraker foxys, Commencal meta, Specialized enduros and stumpjumpers all on coil.

A progressive curve is basically exactly as it sounds. It gets progressively harder the deeper you get into the travel.

Capra 29, Whyte S150, Ion G15, Raaw Madonna, Process 153, Instinct 29 all should work well with a coil.

Both my Spesh Stumpjumper and enduro work great with coil shocks. Not sure exactly what the leverage curve is on them, but the smile gradient is extreme.

Stanton Switch9er FS is designed with a progressive rear for coil shocks.

You can run a coil on a transition sentinel. I have one on my patrol

Nukeproof Mega also works well with a coil.

This is true, but my experience was that while coil solved the problems it had with air shocks, it was still a bit underwhelming and annoyingly inefficient.

If you're not in too much of a hurry, in late July/Early Aug I am planning some coil v air demo days where you can swap from one t'other for back to back comparisons. Even if you didn't want an AM9 it would probably be worth coming along. PM me if its of interest.

Have a coil on my Sentinel, if you dont mind not being in a rush to the top then it seems to work (to me) very well across and down. Caveat, have no idea of of how progressive the suspension is, just had a shock and could get it modified for the Sentinel FOC so did it.

I get a bit confused when someone says a coil works on a progressive linkage design then Starling race team look to run coils on a single pivot linear linkage, as do plenty of Cotic riders? Thoughts?

Coils tend to work better on progressive bikes, because the nature of a coil being linear means it relies on the suspension to help ramp up. Less of an issue with regards to air, which is naturally progressive when it's in a sealed air can 🙂

As to how bikes ride & coil Vs air. Having ridden a linear bike, they do tend to bottom out a bit much, there are a few things people do though, such as running a slightly heavier spring rate, bit more preload, maybe a few clicks extra HSC, etc. Maybe they feel the performance in the first 75% of the travel warrants a little bit of a harsher end stroke?

My experience of coil Vs air on a bigger bike (on one of the bikes mentioned above), the Raaw Madonna is I prefer the Air (DHX2 Vs Float X2). The coil shock makes the bike more dead and lifeless on the trail. No doubt fast, but also a bit of a challenge to set up as I was between spring rates.

I have found the Float X2 has brought back some of the liveliness back, it still has grip for days, and still feels super supple of the top (mostly due to the suspension design), and is a bit more easily adjustable with a pump. Worth trying both for sure if you can, Just because it's coil doesn't make it better. They both have their benefits 🙂

Both my Spesh Stumpjumper and enduro work great with coil shocks

Tell me more. My Spec'duro eats non coil shocks so I need to find something more sustainable for my imminent fourth shock in 18 months

I have used coil and air on an Orange Stage 6 as well as the Mega 290 referenced above.

I felt similar to Hob Nob re. air (X2) giving a more lively ride, especially on the single pivot. Orange told me their EWS racer prefers the X2 as well.

This is probably why the OP is asking for "coil-optimised" bikes of course.

My Spec’duro eats non coil shocks

Consider the BikeYoke linkage so you can use a non-yoke shock, which anecdotally are more reliable.

Otherwise, a pal had the Ohlins TTX on his Enduro and it was amazing.

@thegeneralist....

I have a CCDB coil on the Enduro EVO from 2016. It's not had any issues so far. With the right spring, I get an amazing plush and lively ride, with almost no discernible bottom out.

On the Stumpy, I have the Ohlins TTX, which is also great feeling, but only had this for about 6 months, so a little early to call on longevity.

With coils, ensuring the right initial sag is vital, so you don't have to use much in the way of compression damping to control the stroke. I try to run at least %25 sag with very little, or no preload.

Nukeproof Mega also works well with a coil.

This is true, but my experience was that while coil solved the problems it had with air shocks, it was still a bit underwhelming and annoyingly inefficient.

Weird - never found mine inefficient or underwhelming. Do you mean the older faux bar Mega or the newer metric Horst link one?

JP

I had a 2018 Mega 290 frame.

Found it OK for winch-and-plummet rides of up to a few hours but after I'd start to notice it was hard work to pedal after that. Very much on the "planted" end of the spectrum, just sapped energy on flatter sections too.

However, I did have the shock compression full open because I found the chassis a bit harsh anyway.

I know some others are quite happy with the bike and some reviews are positive, though I think the Bikeradar one by Seb Stott noted the suspension thing.

My Norco Range is great with a Cane Creek in-line coil - much better than the CCDB Air it replaced and almost exactly the same weight as well.

The Orbea Rallon comes with either a coil or air shock

I’ve always fancied putting a coil on my NP Mega TR275, mainly because they look super cool, but also because with only 130mm travel I wondered if it would help cope with the big stuff at BPW.

@jkomo what size shock does that mega take?

Geometron G13 works very well with a coil.
So much so I also swapped the X2 air on my G16 for a coil.

GKW- it’s a 190*50

it’s a 190*50

Sorry to stick my oar in, but drop me a line if you might fancy a cheap CCDB Air instead.

Ran it on my old Smuggler briefly and it was a huge improvement over the Monarch on rugged stuff. Arguably better than a CCDB coil inline.

I’ve a nice EXT Storia that’d do your job nicely @jkomo...

GKW, pmed

“I get a bit confused when someone says a coil works on a progressive linkage design then Starling race team look to run coils on a single pivot linear linkage, as do plenty of Cotic riders? Thoughts?”

Well the Starlings are linear (typical of pure single pivots) but the Cotics are progressive, that’s what the linkage does.

Coils solve the soggy midstroke that can plague some air shocks on linear bikes but modern air shocks are generally more linear and don’t go as soft in the middle before extreme ramp-up, as they did not so many years ago.