Coil and Air sprung- Whats The Difference?

BeenMtb
BeenMtb Posts: 42
edited June 2012 in MTB beginners
I'm reasonably new to Mtbing. I am curious to what is better Coil or Air Sprung Forks? What advantages/disadvantages do they have? Also what maintenance is needed with hydraulic breaks? Any help is appreciated.

Thanks
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Comments

  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Neither are better. Air is easier to adjust and generally lighter.
    Brakes need minimal maintenence, much less than some people seem to think. New pads now and again, Fresh fluid once in a blue moon.
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  • BeenMtb
    BeenMtb Posts: 42
    Thankyou Very Much!
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  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    Coil heavier but some say it has a smoother action (never rode a good coil setup myself so couldn't pass judgement). Coils also don't heat up on long descents where an air shock would, making it firmer and firmer and resulting in the spring being too firm to do its job properly. This only happens on long alpine descents though so isn't an issue in this country.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Given the choice, I would go with air.
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  • 1mancity2
    1mancity2 Posts: 2,355
    cooldad wrote:
    Given the choice, I would go with air.

    Im opposite, defo coil both end, forks are more responsive for jumps, drops and rear coil is in a class of its own when you hit the rough stuff, jumps etc

    But they are very heavy compared to the equivalent air products.
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  • omegas
    omegas Posts: 970
    Depends on where you intend riding , if mainly xc or trail centers air would be my choice for lightness and a better set up for your weight.
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  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    The OP says he is new to MTBing. So I would put weight and ease of use over big jumps and drops.
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  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    I'd use air for everything - however, after having destroyed forks in the past on alpine DH runs, I'd probably chicken out and fit coils for full on DH riding.
    I've wrecked both coil and air systems, but at least when you blow a coil fork/shock, you still have a spring medium, just no damping - so you can usually ride back to base at least.
    Blow up a AIR fork/shock and you'll be sitting on the bottom-out stops, which is less than ideal.
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  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,593
    Depends completely on what riding you do,

    AS the guy said, coil really is in my experience a better spring medium but its heavy so you trade off for weight if the machine is for more pedaling.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    See, I don't agree that coil is better (these days), it's just incredibly unlikely to fail.
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  • 1mancity2
    1mancity2 Posts: 2,355
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    See, I don't agree that coil is better (these days), it's just incredibly unlikely to fail.

    The DHX RC2 is far better than the RP2 it replaced, but I have no idea how it would compare to say an RP23 or CC DB air.
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  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,593
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    See, I don't agree that coil is better (these days), it's just incredibly unlikely to fail.

    Fair enough having ridden a few different coil and air shocks though obviously frame is a factor, every coil shock has been a much better bump eater.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    I bet if you rode my two wolf ridges, one with a DHX5 coil, the other with a bog standard Float R, you wouldn't claim the coil shock was plusher ;)
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  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,593
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    I bet if you rode my two wolf ridges, one with a DHX5 coil, the other with a bog standard Float R, you wouldn't claim the coil shock was plusher ;)

    Bet I would :) air cans still have alot of sticktion issues due to the nature of requiring tight air seals, it's always gonna be a negative.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Gimme a shout when you're oop north next, and put your money where your mouth is. The frame design in this instance has a huge impact on suspension performance.
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  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,593
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    Gimme a shout when you're oop north next, and put your money where your mouth is. The frame design in this instance has a huge impact on suspension performance.

    Will do, be interesting to compare to be fair. But in my experience coil has rocked. especially when it comes to front forks so much more sensative.
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    I've always preferred the more direct feel of an air shock, even if they aren't always as plush. Feels more like it should to me.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    I agree with Yeehaa, if tested blindfold I doubt you'd know which is which.
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  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,593
    Certainly can tell comparing a rock shok Domain against my Talas, small bump work is so far in advance its staggering and thats witha spring setting for a guy weighing 2stone more tha me :s.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Two different forks though. Drop an air spring on the Domain then compare!
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  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,593
    Seems like a pointless thing to debate then,

    Very few forks that have both medium, and if they do the internals are totally different so by your thoughts you couldn't compare anyway as there completely different.

    For a simple thought prevoke though, go look at all the Marzocchi reveiws for their Ti forks with air adjustment for fine tuning, and all reveiws i can find state add air remove the amazing small bump performance.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Thewaylander wrote:
    Very few forks that have both medium,
    I'm sure most RS trail forks can be swapped between air and coil.
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  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Lots of forks do have both though, so may be relevant - Float/Vanilla, Sektors, Recons, Boxxers - though many are phasing coils out, Fox only have the one Van now.

    And as above, RS are retrofittable with coils.
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  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    There certainly are forks that are more responsive as a coil fork than air.
    However, (I think) my point is that a bike's plushness comes down to a lot more than spring medium. Like I said, I have one coil-sprung bike, and one air-sprung, and the air is more plush.
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  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,593
    supersonic wrote:
    Lots of forks do have both though, so may be relevant - Float/Vanilla, Sektors, Recons, Boxxers - though many are phasing coils out, Fox only have the one Van now.

    And as above, RS are retrofittable with coils.

    I was more saying that change the spring it all different and you canna compare, though i guess you say that on most the damper cartridge is the same, so could try.

    But i still think Spring will be ultimately a smoother ride, with better small bump compliance. be fun to test though. i mean if air was truly as good all the DH boys would be on it.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Thewaylander wrote:
    i mean if air was truly as good all the DH boys would be on it.
    People never flock en-masse to anything that's better. Even professionals.
    Besides, I think the main issue with DH racers using air shocks is that people still remember when air shocks really weren't very good, and varied a lot in characteristics form the start of the run to the end.
    What people overlook is that the dampers in coil shocks used to do the same.
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  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,593
    To be honest i think DHers are looking to all things to save a bit of weight with full pro DH machines weighing in at 32-33pounds, losing a coil spring would be a great advantage if it offered the performance of coil for keeping the back on the ground and in great contact.

    If they were as good as coil i honestly think you'd find them there, I mean carbon is everywhere now its proving its strength in comparison to earlier carbon bikes, DH is fairly progressive on the up take of proven materials to get all advantages possible.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Thewaylander wrote:
    I mean carbon is everywhere now
    Not really. Carbon has been tough enough for years, but was very slow on the uptake.
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  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,593
    Carbon was suffering from impact damage from rocks, I saw a good few splintered frames for a while it was never truly its (think its torsional) strength that was an issue. This is what i believed was keeping out of DH. Now they have plenty of plastic moulding on it and so on to stop that.

    So I still think DH would be adopting especially with Pro Pedal settings swappable from the bar for pedally bits and so on...

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