Mountain biking is a sport that involves riding over rough terrain off-road. It includes free riding, downhill riding and dirt jumping. This kind of hard riding places significant pressure on a mountain bike's shock absorbers. When buying a rear-coil shock, you need to understand what the numbers on the shock mean.
Shock Numbers
The body of a mountain bike shock is described in inches, and there are two significant numbers you will notice. The first number may be 9.5. This tells you the shock is 9.5 inches from the front eyelet to the back. The second number may be 3.5. This tells you the shock will compress a maximum of 3.5 inches when doing a jump or hard run.
Mounting Hardware
The shock is attached to the mountain bike with mounting hardware, and this hardware will wear out much sooner than the shocks themselves. The mounting hardware presses into both eyelets on the shock. The individual part of the mounting hardware that wears out the fastest is the DU bushing. According to the SickLines website, Marzocchi, FOX, Progressive rear shocks take a 12.6-by-15.2-by-12.75-millimeter DU bushing. Manitou rear shocks take a 12-by-14-by-12-millimeter bushing. Look for these numbers in a DU bushing.
Spring
The shock absorber spring is the component that allows a mountain bike's suspension to move when you hit a bump or take a jump. Mountain bike springs are identified by two numbers. The first may be 500. This tells you the spring rate, or rigidity of the spring, in pounds per square inch. The second number may be 2.8, which tells you the maximum distance the spring can travel in inches.
Test Ride
No matter how long you have been riding, you should check the model of shocks you are considering buying before you buy them. This is largely so you can find out the response of the shocks. For example, you may have been using a 8.75-by-2.75 shock. That may have been good for you two years ago. However, your riding habits may have changed and you may need a different shock.
Posted in: Biking