[Closed] enduro 2008

Can you describe in more detail why you were struggling?

Cramped
Heavy
Draggy
Front wheel wiggling about
Feeling like falling off the back
Rear suspension movement when seated pedalling
ditto - but when standing pedalling

If you're new to riding and out with people who are used to it the problem may just be you not being 'bike fit' rather than anythign wrong with the bike itself.

Enduro's never going to fly up hills, though. Have you weighed it at all?

Well it's certainly not an XC bike or a hardtail, so will never be the fastest up hills, but with the right build it should cope ok.

Is yours a DHX air or coil? Air will be better than coil, but neither are renowned for their efficient pedalling. Specialized's FSR design is quite active and can often benefit from a shock with a good pedalling platform, or a lockout, both of which would probably help you out.

As for tyres, narrower and lighter will help, as could varying the pressure, changing to a different tread pattern or rubber compound.

I've got a Pitch which is the same basic frame, just heavier and ride it on long all day rides with plenty of hills.

Plenty to get wrong though. IME my pitch is really sensitive to shock setup, rangeing from unresponsive to sloggy in just a few psi. Add to that everything from getting the saddle/bars/seatpost/stem not quite the right palces, tyre choice, to you've bought the wrong size.

I'd stick with it, I'm mediochrely fit and if I miss a few evening rides I feel slow on the next one. If you've just started it'll probably take at least a couple of months regular riding (at least 4 hours a week) to get upto the sort of average fitness of a group ride IME, untill then you'll keep up but it'll feel hard work.

That and just gettign fitter will make you faster than any ammount of upgrades and costs less.

I have been riding this shape enduro since it was new, it's built with a coil shock, Lyriks, wide bars, and tyres, clearly it's no xc whippet, but I have ridden it up really steep trails on big all day rides in the peaks, lakes etc. I think the slight uphill slog is worth it for the really active suspension on the way back down, perhaps just ride it more?

Thanks for replys its the dhx5.0 rear shock and just found it or me was really struggling to get up hills and mates were flying up. saying that on the flat muddy grass i found it hatd aswell so maybe its more of a tyre issue.
Seriously thinking of changing to a lockout shock tho.
Any reccomendations out there please

swap bikes with a mate and see how you both get on 🙂

The DHX isn't a particularly great shock for climbing so that wont help but its probably not the only issue. Do you have a pic so we can help diagnose what could be wrong?

There is a whole list of possible problems which, if you don't know the inns and outs, could really confuse you. Try and put a pic up with some basic info like tyre model/size and air pressure in them, the pressure in the shock or weight of the coil spring in it will have some bearing too. Basically give us as much info as you can and people will be able to point you in the right direction.

thinking of changing to a lockout shock tho

Don't. It won't really help. Start by checking the air pressure etc assuming it's not a coil. Turn up the propedal to max.

If this is the 2008 (ie the SL with the E150 fork) it should have the Spesh model shock on it. This did go wrong and was frequently replaced. Mine was OK, though.

It may be that you had a bad day, made worse by rubbish tyres. Stick a pic up and let's have a look.

Will try and work out how to put pics on.
Its the enduro fsr tyres are 2.6s
dhx shock i had on full pro pedal and ehen i sat on bike went down a third with 200psi in it.
What lockout shock eould be s straight swap?
Im 5 9 and frsme is medium
thanks guys

The 2.6 tyres won't help, and could well be pretty heavy dual ply downhill tyres. You'll probably be better off on something around 2.2/2.3 and a bit lighter.

For the shock anything in a 200mm x 57mm size should fit. Fox Float RP23 and Rockshox Monarch RT3 are more xc orientated shocks and have better pro-pedal type settings, while the Fox Float RL and Rockshox Monarch RL both have lockout. Its probably best to get used to the bike a bit first, and maybe make a few other changes first, since a new shock is quite an expensive change to make so soon, and won't help that much if you've got lots of other issues.

Don't go spending money on it yet!
You could always up the air pressure if you want to see how it would feel with lockout but I suspect you're to the wrong conclusion with this!

What sort of terain do you and your mates ride?
What sort of bikes are you trying to keep up with?

As a new rider, you're quite possibly mashing the pedals up and down, wasting loads of energy. If so, just learning to pedal smoothly will make a big difference.

"on full pro pedal and ehen i sat on bike went down a third with 200psi"
pro-pedal shouldn't affect a 'sag' (the gone down a third bit), all it should do is limit the choppyness of the suspension when riding/pedalling
Still for setting the sag the pro-pedal should be in the off position I think, as it ought to make it easier to get a better reading. If it sags a third with just you sat on it (ie no more bumps to make it sink more) then I'd be putting more air in. Try to get it to 'go down a quarter/25%'
I used to run my specialized shock (on a stumpjumper) upto about 220psi
Most shocks are good upto 300psi

One had a boardman one a giant xc and one an old raleigh hard tail tho he is nails and flys up anything.
Wanna ride cannock chase, ladybower and some peak district runs mainly.
Will try tyres and pumping shock up a bit its just got that many nobs its hard to know whats right to set it on. that is why i was toying with a lockout shock.
Mine is as new so should get a bit on the bay for it or even do a swap maybe

As per all the other replies...

2.6 tyres will make a massive difference. They probably weigh 1 kilo or more each. 2.3's would liven it up quite a bit and probably save a kilo off the pair of 2.6's. And get the right pressure in them.

1/3 sag is at the limit of what you'd want, so I'd add air so that its 25%. It should be set with pro-pedal off, because it does tend to prop the shock up when you're trying to get the correct sag.

Plus if you're riding with regulars and you're out of practice, you will likely struggle comparatively.

The shock is a pig to setup I really disliked mine however there are things you can do with it.

Try the shock at about 225psi and check the sag as above. There is a blue dial on the piggyback with an airvalve in the middle of it, unscrew this dial and put 125psi into that valve and screw the dial most of the way back in. Have a test and it should be better now.

Have a look at this, it might help you with the settings.

http://www.foxracingshox.com/fox_tech_center/owners_manuals/07/eng/rear_shocks/dhx_air_50.htm

Unless you've changed the forks, 2.6" tyres simply will not fit. Hmmm.......

Either way, an Enduro was never designed to fly up the hills. More winch along at a merry speed up anything, safe in the knowledge that you can have fun on the other side. I love mine, especially with pimp-internals on the E150 fork, wide bars and a Reverb. No, it's no mountain goat on the ups, but great fun going down. A great trail centre skill compensator!

I suspect that if the previous owner changed the shock the forks have probably been changed to 36s.

As others have said, 2.6" tyres are probably the reason why you're struggling. That model Enduro was supposed to be quite pedallable and brisk up hills.

FWIW at this time of year you'd be fine with a pair of Spesh Storms, or even a Storm up front and a Captain at the back. At 2" wide they won't slow you down either.

dhx shock I had on full pro pedal and when I sat on bike went down a third with 200psi in it. What lockout shock would be a straight swap?

Depends on how much you want to spend. That model Enduro is approaching five years old and you're getting close to the secondhand value of the frame alone if you throw in £350plus for a new shock. I believe the shock size is 200x57 and there are plenty out there...Fox RP2 is a good bet for budget and performance. Your DHX could probably well do with a service, which would be far cheaper and you could get it set up to your tastes. Maybe give LoCo tuning a call for best, no-bull advice here.

33% sag is very much at the AM end of the range, so your bike may well feel a little wallowy and unresponsive. Try it with 25% sag and see how you get on.

All in all, you're looking at circa £200 to get the bike into top nick, assuming that you opt for a fork and shock service to go with two new tyres, which isn't bad. Far better than splashing £400 on a new rear shock.

My mistake tyres are 2.5s
will try and adjust pressures tommorow guys thanks for info

leefoz - Member
Thanks for replys its the dhx5.0

Lots of air pressure comments going on here, not so handy when it's a coil shock

My mistake tyres are 2.5s

Still, have you changed the fork? I run 2.4s on mine and that's a beast of a tyre. I get chain rub on the tyre when I drop to the granny gear when I wimp out on a climb!

My mistake tyres are 2.5s

It'll still be like you're dragging an anchor behind you!

legend - Member
leefoz - Member
Lots of air pressure comments going on here, not so handy when it's a coil shock

He also said that there is 200psi in it so no its not a coil. That is unless you know the bike and he has put that much air in the piggyback he will have well and truely screwed it up.

Assume DHX5 Air which is well known as being a bit pants. Alternative would probably be something like the RP23 with Big Air Can.
Try some different pressures. Unless your DH ing get shot of the big tyres 2.35 maxxis single ply 60a is normaly good enough for most of the UK.

For setup sometimes it's best to consult a professional 🙂 If you have a LBS who you know pop in and see them. If they have someone who knows what they are on about you should get somewhere. Especially if you get your new tyres from there.

If it's the DHX5 Coil then maybe look at something else.

So "there's 200psi in the shock" and "I'm going to try pumping up the shock". Turns into "Lots of air pressure comments going on here, not so handy when it's a coil shock".

You are not helping us to help you. Some specific questions:

What IS the shock? What is the fork? What are the tyres (size, brand, model)? What tyre pressures? Is your seat set at the right height? Can we have a pic of you on the bike? Simply buying a lockout shock is unlikely to help much.

He also said that there is 200psi in it so no its not a coil. That is unless you know the bike and he has put that much air in the piggyback he will have well and truely screwed it up.

200 psi in the boost valve is within limits (just).

leefoz, is it a DHX 5.0 or a DHX 5.0 Air?

Depends on the year, in my link the max is 125psi. Yes I know its an 07 link but a) I'm on my phone and b) its not unreasonable to think the shock might used when it was put on the bike.

From the '07 and '08 air and coil manuals "Never ride your bike with more than 200 PSI or less than 75 PSI in the reservoir air chamber. Doing so can damage your shock and require repairs that are NOT covered under warranty."

http://www.ridefox.com/fox_tech_center/owners_manuals/08/eng/2008_om_eng.htm

http://www.ridefox.com/fox_tech_center/owners_manuals/07/eng/2007_om_eng.htm

Its definately a dhx 5.0 air
didnt know there was 2 places to pump it up just done the main one on the side. it also has pro pedal and anoyher dial on it underneath.

Sorry my mistake, as I said I was on my phone so misread this "Bottom-out should be adjusted with a maximum of 125 psi in the Boost Valve" as this "maximum of 125 psi in the Boost Valve"

Turns out I was right anyway.

Is the propedal a dial or a lever?

Hi its a dial.
Boost valve?? Is that the cylinder on the top the small one

The boost valve is inside the small cylinder, the cylinder is called a piggyback. The piggyback is a way of adding extra oil and room for more adjustments than a normal inline shock can handle. The more pressure (up to 200psi) you have in the boost valve the firmer the propedal will feel.

Well ive not put any air in there and will see whats in it when im home.
Im thinking a trip to bike shop buy some tyres and get them to set it properly for me

You say you ride at the chase, I can recommend Swinnertons as a great shop. Its the one at the start of the Dog, go there and they will sort you out.

Where abouts do you live?

I can only find one valve to pump up?
I have pumped this ip to 230 with 20% sag with pro pedal off 14 clicks anti clockwise.
cant find anywhere to put air in small cylinder on top!!

It should be on the end. Look at these pics you can see the air valve in the middle of the bottom out adjuster on the end of the piggyback.

[img] ?w=400&h=266[/img]

[url= http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5258/5394798927_b4bdc1c06b_b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5258/5394798927_b4bdc1c06b_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/29930426@N04/5394798927/ ]DSC_00251 (2)[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/29930426@N04/ ]i_ache[/url], on Flickr

Ah...don't some DHX airs come with factory-set boost valve?

I think it was just the ones on 05/06 Enduros due to the fact they wouldn't fit as you can clearly see in the second pic. 😉

The 2008 takes a different size shock so it wont be a used one from an older Enduro.

Maybe mine is an 06 model then as it looks exactly like the 2nd picture. how do you fit a pump on as its too close to the frame. thanks

Well that might explain things a little. If its an 06 the shock will not have the air valve on the piggyback. These arn't true DHX 5.0s they are often referred to as a DHX 4.5. In my opinion the shocks are rubbish and dont work with the suspension layout at all. I tried everything on mine to get it to work well including fitting the air valve like in the above photo. Everything I did improved the shock but it was still rubbish and ruined the bike. I wouldn't bother spending another penny on that shock.

The best thing I did was fit a Rock Shox Monarch Plus RC3. The bike is fantastic now.

Just for your reference here is a (my) 2006 Enduro.

[url= http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5172/5528882158_0df4d8894b_b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5172/5528882158_0df4d8894b_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/29930426@N04/5528882158/ ]DSC_0076[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/29930426@N04/ ]i_ache[/url], on Flickr

And here is a 2008 Enduro
[img] ?1311428295[/img]

Ok thanks i will look on ebay for one. Bike is a medium what size will i need and is it easy to fit?

I take it yours is an 06 then?

You would need a 222 x 66mm (8.75x2.6") with a medium tune, and no not particularly easy to fit. Possibly the hardest shock to fit on any bike ever! If you have a decent LBS/live close to somebody who knows how its done they should be able to help you out, the LBS will obviously charge for that tho.

Right ive pumped it up with pro pedal off until 20% sag.
When i turn pro pedal on full its the same sag.
Called in at bike sjop and all they said is its squeaking a litgle so needs a service (120 squid)
Tho i know its not losing pressure from main cylinder.
Is this shock in need of service and is it worth spending 120 on it.
The guy in the shop said it wad a great shock.
Im confused lol

Go out for a ride and see how it feels.

Yes it probably does need a service but IMHO I don't think its worth spending money on that shock.

Just wondered if sag is the same with pro pedal off and on when just sat on the bike.

I've got a 2005 enduro (basically the same frame as your if its 2006), and I have the 2006 dhx air shock on it.

I wouldnt say the shock is terrible, but its certainly not the best.

You should be able to get it performing good enough. I think if you can verify that the shock is working correctly, ie when you adjust the rebound to fully slow , when you bounce the shock it should rebound quite slowly, versus setting the rebound to fully fast, the shock should rebound quite quickly, and there should be a lot of difference between these two points. if this adjustment is working fine then I wouldnt bother with a service at this point in time - because you might end up binning the shock.

Set the sag at 20-25% for now - you'll probably want to increase the sag to 30% once you get to a good starting point, but for now you just want it to pedal ok.

Set the propedal to somewhere in the middle. set the rebound to somewhere around one third to one half in from minimal reound damping.

IF after all the above it still feels terrible, then its probably the 2.5 tyres you are using that are causing it to feel terrible. Put some 2.2 or 2.3 middle of the road tyres on it (eg maxxis high roller, but not the super tacky variant etc), and ensure they have a decent amount of air in them, say 35 psi. Just double check that the inner tubes you're using are not downhill tubes. Downhill tubes will be very thick and heavy, and will make the bike feel like it pedals terribly in my experience.

If it still feels terrible after putting the shock into the above 'safe' configuration, and changing the tyres and tubes for known reasonable ones and not downhill stuff, then it may be that you're expecting too much from the bike/are not fit enough.

note the above shock settings/tyre pressure/choices are not going to be 100% bang on correct for you, but I reckon they'll be a fair enough starting point that are going to remove the shock from the question of why you think the bike pedals badly.

PS - have you asked a mate who has more experience to ride it and see what he thinks?

(eg maxxis high roller, but not the super tacky variant etc), and ensure they have a decent amount of air in them, say 35 psi

Good tyres, but they take a bit of comitment to get them to bite, not sure Id recomend them for someone new, they really need leaning over before they grip in the corners. And 35psi? Round Cannock that'd be like riding on ice! Unless you're 15stone, start at 25-27psi and you'll have more chance of getting round a corner smoothly.

ok, no more comments from me on this.

All I'm trying to do is remove the variables that could lead to poor pedalling , I'm not trying to recommend the perfect setup, once the pedalling has been corrected then he can start to make adjustments to more suit him personally.

Hence my 'disclaimer at the end:-

"note the above shock settings/tyre pressure/choices are not going to be 100% bang on correct for you, but I reckon they'll be a fair enough starting point that are going to remove the shock from the question of why you think the bike pedals badly."

If the bike still doesnt pedal well after doing the above, then either the rider has an unrealistic expectation of the bike (ie doesnt suit its style) or is too unfit.

Unless you're 15stone

Judging by the pressure he has in the shock he cant be far off that.

Ok thanks guys i will try.
Apparently my tyres were 2.5 super tacky so this is prob mote why i was struggling

Apparently my tyres were 2.5 super tacky so this is prob mote why i was struggling

And I bet they have downhill tubes in as well, some narrower more trail friendly tyres, plus regular tubes should make a massive massive difference compared 2.5 super tacky and downhill tubes

With the sag thingy if pro pedal is on or off will sag be the same to just sit on the bike.
I thought pro pedal stiffened the shock?

With the sag thingy if pro pedal is on or off will sag be the same to just sit on the bike.
I thought pro pedal stiffened the shock?

yeah, sag will be more or less the same with propedal on or off. If you were going for absolute perfection in terms of setting sag then you'd want it switched off, but on the whole it'll make no difference.

Ok thanks so how does the pro pedal work then? Im confused...why did they not build with just a lockout mode?

I thin The pedalling platform in propedal only really starts to coem into effect after a certain amount of travel, ie is position sensitive damping

a full lockout wouldnt give any movement so traction when climbing over rough ground wouldnt be as good as one that had some movement.

Full lockout is more efficient for pedalling and better if tge path is smooth,pro pedal tries to give the best of both worlds

The propedal is a form of damping and is as such totally separate from the spring, this is the same if the spring is air or coil and is why it ultimately doesn't effect sag. It is wise to turn off the propedal when setting sag because the propedal slows down the compression of the shock so when on the shock will take a little longer to reach the real sag height. Simplisticly all the propedal does is reduce the speed that the shock compresses, by controlling the speed oil moves around inside the shock, this makes the shock feel firmer.

The reason why it doesn't have a lockout lever is that it was designed as a DH/big mountain shock and lockout has no place on a DH shock. Later versions have a 2 position lever where the propedal is either on or off. This option makes the shock better for trail riding.

So if the slight squelching sound is oil in the shock a service may help with the propedal then. as now it feels the same with it on or off

If you've got a 2006 Enduro then you're one lucky so and so, they're amazing machines. They're not however, the most agile up hill of the breed, but the payoff is a bike that's hugely capable downhill and will cope with everything the UK could throw at it (indeed, a 2006 Enduro won rounds of the national DH championships).

We have had 3 of them. Great bikes not had a problem with setting up the shocks. My frame is on the garage wall waiting for me to get round to selling it.

Katie still has hers and loves every minute on it

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

Is it the right size shock

So if the slight squelching sound is oil in the shock a service may help with the propedal then. as now it feels the same with it on or off

Quite probably, it should be (almost) silent. A service will be arround £100 from a company like MOJO. It's not something LBS's can do themselves, although I did once have a debate in one after they offered to service mine for £50 but didn't admit this was little more than an air can service, new bushes and a sticker rather than actualy taking the damper appart and serviceign that. Typicaly they need a service every year, although I'm sure somewhere on the Fox website it says 100 hours which is nearer 4 months for most people!

2.5 super tacky

Gulp. That is at least half your problem! Get some Maxxpro 2.35 Minions, or a 2.35 Minion up front and a 2.2 Ardent out back. Or similar.

It sounds like the oil has cavitated (mixed with the air) so will need a proper service to get it working as designed. TF Tuned wont touch them, I'm not sure about Loco but Mojo will definitely do it.

Put some 2.2s on and made a massive difference. im thi
thanks guysnking about getting shock serviced or buying a lockout shock.....not decided yet

I love a story with a happy ending. You can never have too many Spesh Enduro threads either - I have a 2004 frame, which is sat on my mantelpiece as I type.

Decided that this shock is not worth spending the money on.too many bad threads on it so im gonna change it.
The bike is 2006 enduro fsr. medium frame.
Does anyone definately know what size shock i need as had too different sizes posted and also seen a thread about wrong size quoted in the manual.
Also any reccomendations as to what shock

Short answer is 8.75x2.5 I will give you a long answer tomorrow morning as that size is very hard to find.

Marzocchi roco rc world cup any good?
Found one over half price 222 x 70
Do these have lockout or pro pedal