Top Fox Shock also for use on road?

poulan9

First post for me here. I have a road bike which I 'upgraded' the rear shock to a Fox Float RP23 Boostvalve from about 2012 or so with a M tuning. I'm average size and weight. In reality it ended up being a downgrade as it didn't seen to have good low/medium bump absorption no matter how I set it up. It is quite stiff in the open position for the types of roads around here which have pot holes, especially on the sides of the road.

So I was considering getting one of the new Fox Float Factory Kashima DPS and see if the 5 or so years of advances translate into better low/medium bump absorption but I thought I would come to to more knowledgeable and impartial people than a salesperson and ask here if people think it will enhance the firm ride. What I'm ideally looking for is sensitive low/medium bump absorption and as close to the magic carpet ride as possible as I do not do high impact downhill. I know the Kashima coating is supposed to help with low bump absorption due to it's lower friction but not to what degree is makes a difference. Any thoughts would be appreciated from those who know a bit about shocks.

JBA

A road bike with rear shock?

Do you mean you have a mountain bike you use on the road?

poulan9

Actually it's a folding bike which has rear suspension and 20" wheels.

cooldad

As damping is probably unimportant for a few potholes just buy a cheap coil shock.

I doubt spending a shedload on Kashima is going to make a huge difference.

poulan9

Coil will look horrible so my other option is a Manitou Mcleod.

cooldad

It's a 20" folding bike, how much more horrible could it be?

And if you are going for looks over use, I'm out. Coils shocks can look great anyway.

poulan9

What a charmless human being.

cooldad

Thank you, I prefer honest.

I doubt a manitou will be any better than a Fox Float, which is a very decent shock.

But they are generally tuned to a specific frame type, so maybe that's your problem.

poulan9

I'm comparing my current Fox RP23 (which is useless) to two new options: Fox Float Kashima or Maitou Mcleod. Just don't know what to expect between either of these and my current RP23 for the use case I mentioned. Any help here is welcome.

cooldad

But the Float RP23 isn't useless, it's an excellent shock.

If you are expecting a Rolls Royce ride on a bicycle, it's just not happening.

JBA

What bike is it?

poulan9

Except I had a X-Fusion which I really liked but sold it so yes, the type of feel I'm looking for is out there. Just cannot find that shock and believe it is a cheap one anyway so willing to try something else.

Bike is a Dahon Jetstream.

robertpb

20" wheels and 30mm of suspension is not going to give a smooth ride, my bike would give you a pretty smooth ride, 26" wheels and 150mm suspension with 2.4 tyres inflated to 20-25psi. Then I'd still get out of the saddle for the big hits.

cooldad

According to the site, the shock was tuned for the bike, which is why it felt better.

Assuming you have the right sized shock and it's been serviced, it's still unlikely to feel the same.

So I would look for an original shock, in the right state of tune.

Have you contacted Dahon?

poulan9

Yes, specific tuning could hold the answer, thank you for that. I am not going to contact Dahon because it's a discontinued model.

I would also like to hear some wider breadth of views from others on this message board regarding the various shocks I've mentioned to bring their knowledge to the fore because and help to answer my specific question regarding the different shocks I have mentioned in case they have experience with them and see if there is a consensus that forms.

haydenm

poulan9 wrote:

Yes, specific tuning could hold the answer, thank you for that. I am not going to contact Dahon because it's a discontinued model.

I would also like to hear some wider breadth of views from others on this message board regarding the various shocks I've mentioned to bring their knowledge to the fore because and help to answer my specific question regarding the different shocks I have mentioned in case they have experience with them and see if there is a consensus that forms.

Dahon should still help you, it's likely they will use the same tune on other models and keep information on past models for you. Unfortunately I doubt many people on here would have any experience of the type of bike you have, and if they have experience of the shocks you are looking at it almost certainly won't be on that sort of bike. Mountain bike shocks are made to withstand mountain biking, and react in certain ways to the trail, small bump sensitivity is a small part of it. I'm not sure my experiences with top of the range air shocks on Scottish enduro trails is going to bare much relevance to you, maybe try the commuting section of the forum?

JBA

I'd suggest an RP23 is a waste of time on a Dahon. Why have a 3-position shock on a bike that only gets ridden on the road?
A simpler shock such as a Rockshox Monarch R or a Suntour Raidon R would be better suited IF you can find one the correct length (150mm i-2-i).

It's probably worth contacting Dahon as they may hold old stock of the original X-Fusion shock.