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So GT's New DH machine has a DHX Air

PB Forum :: Downhill
So GT's New DH machine has a DHX Air
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flag huckoveraduck
Posted: Jan 30, 2009 at 8:05 Quote
Air suspension is waaaaay behind coil & oil on every level.

Plushness: If anyone can honestly say that their DHX5 air shock feels as smooth as a spring DHX5 then your obviously lying.

Reliability: Spring and oil waaaaay more reliable. Air suspension packs up and needs £200 repairs and services after riding for a week in france. The cartridges in air forks just collapse in those conditions too. Just can't take the hammering of rough tracks everyday.

Sure - I'd ride an air suspension setup for dirt jumps and stuff because they don't really need to be as supple and don't get as much of a constant beating.

However for downhill I'll stick with my coil.

Wow you can save a whole 1 pound with air, but it'll cost you in the longrun.
flag lilwalters
O+
Posted: Jan 30, 2009 at 8:08 Quote
you're forgetting...

these are WC riders who have mechanics working on their bikes 10 hours a day... i think extra maintenance is of little concern to these guys if they can save that extra pound, not to mention that their bikes are tuned to a friggin tee... air suspension does have it's place in the mountain biking world...

on that note, i rode a boxxer WC last season and had not one problem with it... i didn't even race, but i abused the shit out of it...
flag mr-wilson
Posted: Jan 30, 2009 at 8:14 Quote
This is going to spurn a whole debate that has no relation to the GT other than the fact is shares the Air can rear. While I agree with you about the plushness (hate that term more than slopestyle) I can't disagree more with reliability. Starting with 2008 the Fox series of air shocks have improved dramatically. So much so that I haven't touched mine with the exception of making sure it's filled with appropriate levels of air. This doesn't even touch on the Manitou Evolver series (yes Manitou, you heard right) which is the better if not best air shock.

That said the DHX I find only works in longer travel applications where the shock body and stroke are quite long. If you can run an RP go for it, longer the DHX.

While I enjoy the weight loss, something uncondusive to what an air shock is used for, is that, I'm well over 200 pounds. I don't need small bump compliance because my weight can make up for it and being able to adjust the shock per run is great. It's survived the local hills and even the ones in Quebec. Tech takes time to develop. They are getting better.

Edit: Hahaha and shondo differs...
flag shondo
Posted: Jan 30, 2009 at 8:15 Quote
dowst wrote:
Not going to hold up, eh? Go on, argue with the facts and make yourself look silly. You very obviously have no real world knowledge or experiance with the inner workings of either damper. Maybe when you pull an air and coil apart, compare the shim stack and damping circuits to one another side by side your input will be useful. Until then, do yourself a favor and shut up.

Damper fade my ass, why don't you go ahead a re-read what I wrote?

You know, you have an opinion that differs from his ....that's fine. BUT.....

The way you communicate your opinions in this thread and others is another matter all together.

So I'm gonna tell you straight, at 16 years of age, you haven't lived enough to beak anybody off like that. You don't know it all, so get off your podium and be respectful. Rant over.

I've got real world experience with that shock(DHX Air), I've had 2 of them, and for a lot of applications they do not measure up, They are way too easy to bottom, and they don't tune well on certain suspension designs.

Also, as an aside about the picture of the Fury inserted into this thread thusfar, I find it amusing that they've paired an air shock carbon frame with MTX hoops. Must be for the great weight savings.Facepalm
flag lilwalters
O+
Posted: Jan 30, 2009 at 8:17 Quote
shondo wrote:
Also, as an aside about the picture of the Fury inserted into this thread thusfar, I find it amusing that they've paired an air shock carbon frame with MTX hoops. Must be for the great weight savings.Facepalm

+1
flag bike347
O+
Posted: Jan 30, 2009 at 8:35 Quote
RM396 wrote:
lilwalters wrote:
kylemalachi wrote:
....Who ever put the specs in for that bike on the GT site failed epically. Apparently the rims are nevegals and the forks and rear shock are reversed

apparently you fail epically, nevegals are tires, not rims.
You fail.
read what he said properly , he saidthat whoever put the spec on the website said that the rims were nevegal, he didn't say that
flag RM396
Posted: Jan 30, 2009 at 8:37 Quote
bike347 wrote:
RM396 wrote:
lilwalters wrote:


apparently you fail epically, nevegals are tires, not rims.
You fail.
read what he said properly , he saidthat whoever put the spec on the website said that the rims were nevegal, he didn't say that
That makes absolutely no sense...
flag bike347
O+
Posted: Jan 30, 2009 at 8:43 Quote
RM396 wrote:
bike347 wrote:
RM396 wrote:

You fail.
read what he said properly , he saidthat whoever put the spec on the website said that the rims were nevegal, he didn't say that
That makes absolutely no sense...
what do you not get he said that the website was messed up cause the specs were wrong
flag RM396
Posted: Jan 30, 2009 at 8:53 Quote
bike347 wrote:
RM396 wrote:
bike347 wrote:
read what he said properly , he saidthat whoever put the spec on the website said that the rims were nevegal, he didn't say that
That makes absolutely no sense...
what do you not get he said that the website was messed up cause the specs were wrong
Nevermind...
flag gregrobertson
Posted: Jan 30, 2009 at 9:25 Quote
freerider1057 wrote:
well GT said they used carbon fibre and built the bike to be strong not light but i am not really sure about GT anymore thier key riders are all gone lopes, atkinson, and kitner
they'v got marc beaumont now instead of atkinson, which seems like a good move, seeing as beaumont has been well above atkinson at least for the past two years...atkinson doesnt really seem to be much of a loss to be honest.2 cents
flag odin333
Posted: Jan 30, 2009 at 9:31 Quote
gregrobertson wrote:
freerider1057 wrote:
well GT said they used carbon fibre and built the bike to be strong not light but i am not really sure about GT anymore thier key riders are all gone lopes, atkinson, and kitner
they'v got marc beaumont now instead of atkinson, which seems like a good move, seeing as beaumont has been well above atkinson at least for the past two years...atkinson doesnt really seem to be much of a loss to be honest.2 cents

agreed he sucked ass. he crashed like 3 times during his world cup run and if there was ever a reason why i would never touch a GT bike its because of him. They should be embarrassed for sponsoring him, he made there company look bad.
flag stryke
Posted: Jan 30, 2009 at 9:46 Quote
odin333 wrote:
gregrobertson wrote:
freerider1057 wrote:
well GT said they used carbon fibre and built the bike to be strong not light but i am not really sure about GT anymore thier key riders are all gone lopes, atkinson, and kitner
they'v got marc beaumont now instead of atkinson, which seems like a good move, seeing as beaumont has been well above atkinson at least for the past two years...atkinson doesnt really seem to be much of a loss to be honest.2 cents

agreed he sucked ass. he crashed like 3 times during his world cup run and if there was ever a reason why i would never touch a GT bike its because of him. They should be embarrassed for sponsoring him, he made there company look bad.

what the hell you wouldnt buy a gt because he crashed? you must have a really limited range of bikes if you dont buy bikes because a team rider crashes
flag rstwosix
Posted: Jan 30, 2009 at 23:10 Quote
huckoveraduck wrote:
Air suspension is waaaaay behind coil & oil on every level.

Plushness: If anyone can honestly say that their DHX5 air shock feels as smooth as a spring DHX5 then your obviously lying.

Reliability: Spring and oil waaaaay more reliable. Air suspension packs up and needs £200 repairs and services after riding for a week in france. The cartridges in air forks just collapse in those conditions too. Just can't take the hammering of rough tracks everyday.

Sure - I'd ride an air suspension setup for dirt jumps and stuff because they don't really need to be as supple and don't get as much of a constant beating.

However for downhill I'll stick with my coil.

Wow you can save a whole 1 pound with air, but it'll cost you in the longrun.
Thankyou - after the abuse I copped on the previous page from Mr dowst & willsoffe I'm glad to get some support re air vs coil.
flag rstwosix
Posted: Jan 30, 2009 at 23:15 Quote
shondo wrote:
dowst wrote:
Not going to hold up, eh? Go on, argue with the facts and make yourself look silly. You very obviously have no real world knowledge or experiance with the inner workings of either damper. Maybe when you pull an air and coil apart, compare the shim stack and damping circuits to one another side by side your input will be useful. Until then, do yourself a favor and shut up.

Damper fade my ass, why don't you go ahead a re-read what I wrote?

You know, you have an opinion that differs from his ....that's fine. BUT.....

The way you communicate your opinions in this thread and others is another matter all together.

So I'm gonna tell you straight, at 16 years of age, you haven't lived enough to beak anybody off like that. You don't know it all, so get off your podium and be respectful. Rant over.

I've got real world experience with that shock(DHX Air), I've had 2 of them, and for a lot of applications they do not measure up, They are way too easy to bottom, and they don't tune well on certain suspension designs.

Also, as an aside about the picture of the Fury inserted into this thread thusfar, I find it amusing that they've paired an air shock carbon frame with MTX hoops. Must be for the great weight savings.Facepalm
Thankyou - after the abuse I copped on the previous page from Mr dowst & willsoffe it's great to get some support re air vs coil.
flag ManDan
Posted: Jan 30, 2009 at 23:50 Quote
take a look at these they have a few riders riding them and yes they are sponsored
http://www.vorb.org.nz/rez_display.php?c=1&mode=video
they are the round three at levin and round two at rotorua

 


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