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newbe rear shox advice


stevehoops's picture

By stevehoops - Posted on 22 July 2014

NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.

Hi I am in need of advice I have to replace my rear shock on my new Gt I-drive XCR5, the shox is losing pressure constantly, I therefore need to replace I wish to go for remote lockout but I'm not sure which to buy as I'm a newbe, the Shox is a Rockshox ario 2.1 pin top pin 195mm

Can someone help me and give some advice

Cheers

steve

Liberty555's picture

You can service rear air cans easily and the kits cost very little. Worst case take it to the LBS and have them do it. Cheaper than a new shock.

I know you said you want to go with a remote lockout but you can upgrade that too cheap as. There are videos on YouTube running through the service and the upgrades.

If its losing air, its probably just the air seals worn, not enough juice, or the main can o-ring is stuffed.

Just be aware that the shock on your bike will have a damper tune (compression and rebound) and a volume to match what GT thought was best. You'll stuff up the handling royally if you think you can just swap one out and have it work from the get go. If you have to get the damping reset with shims and so on you'll pay through the nose.

Service the can - worst case you can put it on ebay and recover the cost of the service!

Matt P's picture

I had problems with a shock leaking air on my old Mongoose Teocali.

And the reason it was leaking was the frame was cracked which caused the shock to experience lateral forces and thus broke the shock.

But as above, look into the seals.

fairy1's picture

New bike, warranty?

How old is it and did you buy it new?

Flynny's picture

If you are set on replacing, and it sounds like you are, you need to make sure you get something with both the same eye to eye measurement and same stroke length.

Unless it's the same brand you may have to get the mount adapters too. So you will also need to know the width of the brackets where it bolts in at either end

All easy to measure up. You need to be pretty accurate with the mount adapters and they usually come in 0.5 mm increments. The shock measurement will look something like 5.75 x 2

Where the 5.75 is the eye to eye distance in inches and the 2 is the stroke length also in inches

Flynny's picture

For what it's worth I don't think it's worth putting a lockout into an I drive bike they pedal great without it.

I had gt marathon for years, still got it as a play bike,

Raced it, hucked it. Did a fair bit of on road training with some reasonable hills. Never locked it out ever. Can't recall even switching the pro pedal on

stevehoops's picture

Thanks all for the advice guys I am not too fit and therefore wanted the lockout for max pedal power to the bike I also intend the bike to last me a while, I bought the frame from almost new and added gearing and discs brakes from a hard tail I had

I will probe add a set of lockout front forks at the same time

I can only find rear shocks at either 200mm or 190mm not 195mm which is my measurement at present I think it may be too hard to swap out for a lockout shock so may be relegated to non lockout

Flynny's picture

The max power output is a bit of a furphy. How often do you lock the suspension out on your car or motor bike? If it's set up properly the suspension will let you put the power down with less chance of breaking traction

Locked out you have all the disadvantage of the extra weight and non of the advantage of suspension.

With a good set out and efficient design like the I drive lockouts are not needed. Learning to pedal in smooth circles will be far more advantageous.

All that said just googled your model as I hadn't heard of it before. Looks like the standar rs shock they come with is a bit of a pig and a pain to set up for both small bump sensitivity and big hit plushness.

With the shock length you might get away with slightly shorter or longer but it will change geometry and you have to be careful it doesn't cause another part of the frame/tyre to bottom out.

295 should be the 7.5 inch I think

stevehoops's picture

I think you are right Flynny plus the amount of time I have yet to spend up Kalamunda it does seem a bit extreme to source and fit remote lockouts, so normal suspension it is then, so do I go longer or shorter my instant tells me shorter which should raise the centre crank thus lessening bottom out, what are your thoughts??

And what's furphy?? Lol

When I googled to find info out I did struggle to find much on the bike other than its from the uk

Thanks again

steve

jackthelad's picture

You cant change the eye to eye length of the rear shock, without the possibilty of damaging your frame, and voiding any warranty possibilities and changing the head and seat tube angles. change the fork leangth with an adjustable fork, but i wouldnt get a fork with longer travel than it was built for or sold with

fairy1's picture

A 5mm change in shock length will give you at least a 10mm increase or decrease in BB height. You will need to find stroke or compressed lengths for each shock, I'd go the shorter one 'coz slacker is always better.

If you don't like the change in pedaling or HA(~0.5deg)you could possibly try some offset bushings.

stevehoops's picture

I would get 195mm but I can't seem to find any on the net but thx for the input I will probably go with the shorter shocks then, now you are mentioning bushes I will have to do some research around what bushes are as I haven't a clue

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