Air vs. Coil - MTB Rear Shocks (The Good, The Bad, and Everything in Between)

Should I run a Coil Shock on my mountain bike? They look cool. I wonder if it will make a difference in my riding? Why do some pros ride Coil shocks? What really is the difference between an Air and a Coil rear shock? These are commonly talked about subjects in the world of mountain bikes and it can be pretty complicated. Not to worry, we got Jeff in front of the camera to help shed some light on the whole Air vs Coil rear shock debate in hope of making sure you make the right decision when upgrading your bike. If we did not answer your question about Air vs Coil then make sure to leave a comment down below!

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#mtbrearshocks #mtbsuspension #airvscoilshocks

[WorldwideCyclery]

Air or Coil shock - Which do you prefer?

[hobbesthetiger]

Nice - Watching a entire rear shock vid while riding a hardtail forever
:D

[klstrucker]

Coil front+rear on downhill bike, air on enduro bike. And suntour XCM on my commuter, not sure what kind of sorcery is inside.

[santiagomedinas]

My coil shock sounds like an old bed from a cheap motel....

[thomasforte]

I like the adjustability of air shocks and I prefer them, but I don’t mind coil

[pnw_erik]

My '18 Enduro came with the RS Monarch that failed almost immediately. I was able to warranty it with a Debonair can. THAT chamber seal failed only a couple months later. I have swapped that out with an Öhlins TTX22M coil and couldn't be happier. I knew I would love it because I had the Fox DHX RC2 on my older Enduro. I'll never look back to any air shock. 👌

[memduherdogar]

I have been using cane creek dbcoil il last few weeks, I must say I’m delighted how it transformed my bike, it’s super planted on the trails, compared to monarch rt shock I previously had on the bike, I know monarch rt is probably the cheapest air shock but than again I have the cheapest coil shock. I have lost the poppy nature of my bike but I am really happy that I have a new personal best on most of my local trails now with the new shock. Great videos as always 👍

[MrSmoothasf]

Here's my biggest coil shock con. Getting the right spring... I have a dhx2. When you finally find the right steel coil for your weight and riding style (£40 each) you then decide to get the pretty sls spring as you now know your right oh no you don't because the sls spring is more linear due to the nature of its design so now you have to guess and go a little higher. (£150 A spring) I had a 400 steel spring so you'd imagine a 425 would be right. I ended up with a 475 sls before it was right as the steel springs are inaccurate and the 400 one could have infact been 450 or 350. Sounds long winded because it is and for the price of all those springs you can buy a top secondhand air shock. I love my coil shock though.

[mherke]

I've only tried air shocks, but based on your description of coil shock behavior on trails, it may be better for me. Thanks for your comparison review.

[jcarlson]

just got back into biking from a 10 year break but things keep going in circles... as usual. coil coil coil, then awww toooo heavy... k air then... air air air... nah I like the feel of coil etc.. last shock i had was a DHX5 coil with on the fly adjustable bottom out with air assist. kinda the best of both worlds.. coil feel with air support. And 10 years before that.... Stratos Helix pro on a Mountain Cycle - now I'm dating myself lol - but it's the same deal - coil with air assist - and it had lock out! 20 years ago! I mean.... air only is all good but even my old Marzocchi 66 with Ti spring was air assist and was a killer fork - felt great, at least at the time... anyways.. hard to beat a coil, don't think they are going anywhere. i feel like in the last 10 years, bike related things have kind of reached a plateau, wheel size and carbon stuff aside. Just get out there and ride.. you don't need a 6k bike to do it... 2-3k buys enough bike to have a great time on...

[noahsears]

Another sweet video! MRP Progressive Springs just started shipping yesterday! Worldwide will have one, with our Hazzard shock, in a few weeks!

[peaohvee]

If anyone is wondering, The Marin Hawk Hill can take a coil, and it takes it just fine! Bought the Canecreek DB Coil IL from Worldwide 2 months ago and it feels amazing

[FatGuyBiking]

I prefer coil being a bigger guy I just feel that the Coil is more reliable. I dont like to run Max pressure in my Monarch but thats the only way I get recommended sag and it basically negates any small bump feel. I like the weight savings with air though but to be honest I never ridden a high end air suspension setup compared to a coil so maybe I would like it.

[MM-rneo]

You can live without coil, you can live 2 maybe 3 minute's without air!

[gorman]

I had air on my Santa Cruz Superlight back in the day, then ran nothing but Marzocchi coil suspension for a solid decade. Now, I have a DVO Jade coil on my DH bike and DVO Topaz/Diamond on my trail bike. Never thought I would run air suspension until I tried the DVO Topaz and Diamond. The OTT adjustment on the Diamond really helps with small bump performance.

[thexardas]

I had both and like both. As long as shock is set correctly there is no big difference. Easy maintenance and longevity are 2 main coil pluses.
Weight I don't see as an issue. It is not like anyone slaps coil shock on XC bike. For DH or Enduro 150-200g more or less means very little as long as you are not exceeding certain weight limit.

[novideosnovideos]

Great and informative video as always. Plus I love they way you also make them funny and interesting to watch. Not too long and not to short. Awesome stuff!

[tom_kearley]

Did anyone notice Ned Flanders on the monitor in the background?

[ShreddingBliss]

Just converted over from air (shock) to the Cane Creek DB CS coil. Absolutely amazing. Yes it’s heavier on an already heavy bike (2018 Kona Process 153) but, man, my rear tyre was glued to the ground in super chunky terrain in Southern Spain. Some tweaking of the factory settings required and some understanding of stroke and spring rates but definitely a done deal for me. Climbing I feel is brilliant despite the weight. Can’t recommend enough!

[JoaquinAlcerro]

Do you have a video showing the pros and cons of vertical vs slanted rear shocks?