Radon Owners Thread!

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Radon Owners Thread!
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flag miniator
Posted: Jul 16, 2018 at 6:23 Quote
ratboy158 wrote:
The Swoop 170 doesn't have any down tube protection, which concerned me slightly. So after a bit of a hunt, I found this on the Rose website, and it fits perfectly! Big Grin
https://www.rosebikes.co.uk/rose-downtube-protection-2652384

I heli taped in front of the BB first (Bike Shield seems to stick best to the anodized finish) and then stuck the protector to that.
It looks more grey in the photos than it actually is (the bits of Velcro are to stop the bike rack rubbing!)

o now thats a good job, well found!

ive a dent in my down tube too!
flag StevieJB
Posted: Jul 30, 2018 at 1:35 Quote
What do people think is the best rear shock for the swoop? It’s been awhile so hoping people have done swaps. Mine came with Vivid Air and I had put a Monarch RC3 Plus on it as I was having to do a lot of riding up hill and wanted a pedal switch, that shock was a MM tune and rebound had to be max fastest but was good. Last weekend I put the vivid back on as doing a bit of DH and it decided to loose half its travel, seems to be ok after deflating it and whacking a load higher pressure in. I’m now wondering on getting the tune changed in the Monarch so I have a useable rebound dial and sticking with that or going for something different live DVO. Fox short service intervals puts me off, but should they?
flag miniator
Posted: Jul 30, 2018 at 2:08 Quote
It all comes down to what you're doing with the bike.

Ive had my Vivid re-tuned by an former world cup mechanic and it is sublime now (i also got him to do the same with my lyriks)
As per my invoice, full seal service and a stage 3 internals tune. Custom tuned mid valve & rebound circuits and new transfer ports.

The initial sensitivity is coil like now (it was already pretty good), whilst the mid stroke support is improved as well. I still run the 8 volume spacers.
Ive lowered my sag to around 33% now as well.



imo the only benefit of using the monarch is for a climbing switch and tbh, if you're asking for one of those youve bought the wrong bike. The monarch will be a compromise in every other area.
flag Vulhelm
Posted: Jul 30, 2018 at 7:08 Quote
I bought a Monarch Plus Debonair RC3 too. Also an MM tune, also with rebound wound all the way out which is just about fast enough!

I use the Monarch most of the time and think it’s a great all round shock and really plush, but for pure DH I will use the Vivid. I used it a couple of weeks ago in Portes Du Soleil and it was faultless, it just seems to be able to cope with repeated big hits much better than the Monarch and has much better mid travel support. Sent mine to TFTuned for a custom tune but to be honest it doesn’t feel much different, and I still have a slight knock on top-out which is more annoying because I know it’s there than the actual feel on the trail.

In my opinion you might as well just keep them and swap them out when required, they’re both good

miniator wrote:
imo the only benefit of using the monarch is for a climbing switch and tbh, if you're asking for one of those youve bought the wrong bike. The monarch will be a compromise in every other area.

I don’t agree with that at all.

Firstly, the ‘climb switch’ makes a pretty big difference. Means I’m much more efficient climbing up stuff as I normally run rear shocks pretty soft with 1/3 sag.

Secondly, r.e. the ‘wrong bike’ comment: The ability to have a bike that can do everything pretty well is the whole reason I bought this bike. I can’t afford to have a bike for each type of riding and like the familiarity that comes with riding one bike for everything. I can easily do a 50km XC loop on this bike, and can take it to the Alps for a week and actually be faster than the boys on DH rigs I went with. The only thing I need to change are tyres and rear shock.
flag Vulhelm
Posted: Jul 30, 2018 at 7:08 Quote
Shit that was a long post!
flag ratboy158
Posted: Jul 30, 2018 at 7:44 Quote
StevieJB wrote:
What do people think is the best rear shock for the swoop? It’s been awhile so hoping people have done swaps. Mine came with Vivid Air and I had put a Monarch RC3 Plus on it as I was having to do a lot of riding up hill and wanted a pedal switch, that shock was a MM tune and rebound had to be max fastest but was good. Last weekend I put the vivid back on as doing a bit of DH and it decided to loose half its travel, seems to be ok after deflating it and whacking a load higher pressure in. I’m now wondering on getting the tune changed in the Monarch so I have a useable rebound dial and sticking with that or going for something different live DVO. Fox short service intervals puts me off, but should they?

The Fox X2 on my new Swoop is phenominal! It's as good as my previous Cane Creek DB Coil in it's sensitivity.
All to do the increased negative air volume apparently.
Compared to the Monarch Plus Debonair RC3 I had on my previous Reign...well, there is no comparison!!

Like miniator's Vivid, I have plenty of volume spacers in it (4 out of max 5), to run it at around 30% sag and ramp up nicely at the end of the stroke (had to take the Fox 'do not remove' spacer out, but that is supposed to be ok to do).
No climb switch though, but it really doesn't need it if you pedal smoothly on fire roads, and on technical climbs (not that I do many) it means the grip is superb.
You do get high and low speed rebound and compression adjustment though.

I did think the Swoop 170 10 was coming with the X2 with climb switch, but I contacted Radon after it arrived and they said that, despite some of the pre-production pictures, neither they, nor Fox, recommended the use of that shock as, if you descended with the climb switch on (we've all done it!) the kinematics of the suspension would cause damage to the internals of the shock. In short they said that it would blow the shock up. I took that as a fair reason!
They also don't recommend the aftermarket fitting of the climb switch to the X2.
The cost between the two versions is minimal, so I also doubt that was the reason behind their decision.

My riding is pretty gravity orientated, with fire road grinds back to the top, and for that the X2 is superb.

Not sure about the service intervals...the X2 is every 125 hours or yearly.
A quick look at Rockshox suggests every 100 hours for an air can and damper service...

Cheapest/best result option...probably a quality retune of your Vivid.
flag ratboy158
Posted: Jul 30, 2018 at 7:48 Quote
@Vulhelm Not as long as mine!! lol
flag bushwacked
Posted: Jul 30, 2018 at 10:47 Quote
Got a float x on mine and it’s awesome. Climb up anything on it. Did have some attention to it from Sprung Suspension to get the most out of it for the frame.
flag StevieJB
Posted: Jul 30, 2018 at 12:37 Quote
I think I will send the Vivid to Sprung, right in thinking its about £140 for service with tune? I know it needs volume spacers as to get it working in every other scenario as well as the Monarch (with 3 spacers) I bottom it out on big compressions so know its lacking ramp up.
flag bushwacked
Posted: Jul 30, 2018 at 14:17 Quote
Jake at Sprung knows a fair bit about the radon swoop suspension. Might be worth giving him a call beforehand and chatting.
flag miniator
Posted: Jul 31, 2018 at 1:59 Quote
Vulhelm wrote:
I bought a Monarch Plus Debonair RC3 too. Also an MM tune, also with rebound wound all the way out which is just about fast enough!

I use the Monarch most of the time and think it’s a great all round shock and really plush, but for pure DH I will use the Vivid. I used it a couple of weeks ago in Portes Du Soleil and it was faultless, it just seems to be able to cope with repeated big hits much better than the Monarch and has much better mid travel support. Sent mine to TFTuned for a custom tune but to be honest it doesn’t feel much different, and I still have a slight knock on top-out which is more annoying because I know it’s there than the actual feel on the trail.

In my opinion you might as well just keep them and swap them out when required, they’re both good

miniator wrote:
imo the only benefit of using the monarch is for a climbing switch and tbh, if you're asking for one of those youve bought the wrong bike. The monarch will be a compromise in every other area.

I don’t agree with that at all.

Firstly, the ‘climb switch’ makes a pretty big difference. Means I’m much more efficient climbing up stuff as I normally run rear shocks pretty soft with 1/3 sag.

Secondly, r.e. the ‘wrong bike’ comment: The ability to have a bike that can do everything pretty well is the whole reason I bought this bike. I can’t afford to have a bike for each type of riding and like the familiarity that comes with riding one bike for everything. I can easily do a 50km XC loop on this bike, and can take it to the Alps for a week and actually be faster than the boys on DH rigs I went with. The only thing I need to change are tyres and rear shock.

the wonder of the internet eh, everyone's got an opinion Smile

The swoop is my main bike too along side a steel hardtail. I make the sacrifice on an "xc" ride with the vivid because i know this bike is not designed for it.....she goes downhill fast and imo you need a DH spec shock to maximise the frame.
flag miniator
Posted: Jul 31, 2018 at 2:00 Quote
StevieJB wrote:
I think I will send the Vivid to Sprung, right in thinking its about £140 for service with tune? I know it needs volume spacers as to get it working in every other scenario as well as the Monarch (with 3 spacers) I bottom it out on big compressions so know its lacking ramp up.

I have 8 bands in mine mate, 150psi/75kg rider. Adding them makes a huge difference to the shock - the double air can in the vivid is very linear, as is the swoops ratio
flag Kanicula
Posted: Aug 5, 2018 at 9:13 Quote
Hello

I just purchased a Swoop 200 9.0 to replace my old Specialized demo 7. It's a beast of a downhill bike. Long reach and short chainstay makes it very stable, but it keeps nervous and gives some pop.

Radon Swoop 200 9.0
  Radon Swoop 200 9.0
flag ratboy158
Posted: Aug 6, 2018 at 9:31 Quote
Sweeeeeet!!!
Love the colours! Big Grin
flag Vulhelm
Posted: Aug 7, 2018 at 9:50 Quote
Nice. I was looking at these myself recently (dreaming). Amazing value for money.

 


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