Coil vs Air shocks- a real world comparison.

Did you know I post a new riding tutorial every month? These are ONLY posted to my Patreon page, so join now to see these rad videos! Here’s the full list of my riding tutorials posted through May 2022:

00:00 Shock and bike info!
00:54: test 1, steep, fast singletrack with AIR shock
02:34: test 1, steep, fast singletrack with COIL shock
04:54: test 2, fast, flowy jumps with COIL shock
07:45: test 2, fast, flowy jumps with AIR shock
11:53: test 3, tight, technical, bumpy with AIR shock
14:12: test 3, tight, technical, bumpy with COIL shock
15:12: jump trail and wheelies with COIL shock
16:02: jump trail and wheelies with AIR shock

[ilionatroya]

My mach 6 has a coil and my lower back has thanked me every day. I sometimes miss the chaos of an air shock but the coil is so consistently agreeable.

[th_js]

This is one of the only channels I'm still watching after 4 years.

[stoneenforcer]

Coil is faster when you want speed with loads more traction. Air is just inherently poppier/progressive. A push 11/6 would eat that x2 up. I like your fun lively riding style. I run a float x for poppy days and the 11-6 for steep fast chunk. Had the x2 for a while but dumped it.

[jensonusabicycles]

Great tutorial/overview! Like you, we tend to lean towards air shocks for their easy adjustments and "poppier" feel, but certain combinations of coil shocks on certain frames are like a match made in heaven.

[PeterVieth]

Switched from the X2 to the cheapest coil I could find... CR2. I actually found it easier to jump, feel like there's more pop for the same effort, but it's not as consistent so it's a bit frightening. The ride is much smoother. I think I'm going to throw the air shock back on after half a year to see what my impressions are.

I recently ordered a progressive spring for my MRP Hazard. Already love the shock, noticeable adjustments for each setting and great for the low grip riding I love around. As a bigger person I do find myself to deep in the travel sometimes and eating up my input on jumps and natural gaps. I’m looking forward to trying the progressive coil as I used to ride an air shock on this bike before.

[bicyclist]

I've ridden coil sprung bikes since 1995. This year I bought my very first air shock frame. It's very plush. I now have two air shock mountain bikes. This isn't the type of riding I do, as I live in the mid-west. So it's mostly flat. I don't have the budget to buy ether of these rear shocks. I'll have to wait until they're over 10 years old before I'll be able to afford it. This trail looks very beautiful. Thank you.

[pivotcyclesusa]

Awesome comparison video! We appreciate you putting in the time to make this video and try to answer the question, Air or Coil?

[bmaclaps]

For my style of riding in the mountains of North Carolina a coil is the way to go. There's so much chunky stuff in the majority of the trails and a coil just eats it up. I'm running a push 11 6 on an Evil Insurgent and it's a my favorite setup so far.

[SpencerBaum]

For me, the biggest difference is the durability. My bomber cr has been flawless for the past two years. On the other hand, my friends x2 blew up on him twice in one season, and needed a full rebuild from fox both times. Even without all the other positives of coil, their durability alone sells me on them

[hardtailparty]

Another excellent video Jeff! This has totally mirrored my experiences as well. I'm totally an air spring guy unless I'm trying to save energy or be lazy on a long day.

[roddas]

You make riding look so much fun. And you make it look super easy. Thanks for the great informative video.

[paulwatt]

I've had X2 and DHX2, and now on EXT Storia on RM Slayer 29. For me, surprisingly better than both. Poppy and ultra traction and stable. You're obviously at another level, but would be interesting to see your thoughts on the EXT.

[harveycasey]

I just bought a Fox 38 fork & the DHX 2 coil & I thought the best place to test them out should be in Bellingham. My previous shock before the coil was a super deluxe ultimate that I should've brought along to test them out side by side like you did, but my outcome while riding trails like double down, double black & brown pow was that the coil is a little bit on the plush side of life compared to the air shock. I like it a lot 👌🏿 I live in Central Oregon & just got back home last night & I wished that I had watched this video before leaving C O. But now that I'm back in Bend I'll do a side by side test of each shock out on my local trails just to get a better feel for both of them. Shout out to Mike from Chuckanut Shuttles for hauling my ass up & down Chuckanut Mt🤘🏿That was the best 36 buck I ever spent.

[freezer]

Awesome comparison video, and sweet riding Jeff! I switch between air and coil on my Firebird depending on the ride and my mood. Constant change keeps things interesting! 🙂

[mikeyp]

Great video as usual. Having both an air and coil shock for my V2 Ripmo has been great....at 1/10th the cost of a second bike within a few minutes in the parking lot I can change the ride feel based on my mood/trail conditions/trail type etc. Keep the great content coming!

[RedRidesMTB]

I just put a coil on my GT Force 29 Alloy and it works shockingly well with the coil. I was blowing through the travel with the DPX2 at 20% sag, but the coil at 20% uses it’s travel better and even though it has less pop the bike still jumps well.

[AZMTB]

Kinda what I expected, honestly. Coil is the way to go for chunky trails, air shock for flow/park/fast stuff.

[adamwysong]

Excellent video(s). Somehow I’m just finding your channel and it is excellent. I just bought a firebird today and can’t wait for it to show up at the house so I can get after it. It comes with the coil, which will be first time on one, all previous have been floats and I’ve loved them. I was a bit nervous about the coil setup, but your video really put my mind at ease. We have a ton of roots where I normally ride and they are traction robbing goblins. I’m hopeful the coil may get some of that back while hopefully not robbing too much in terms of pump/pop. Will be happy to share my findings after the weekend. Thanks again for your efforts!

[superawesomefuntimego]

I really like a coil shock when on bumpy trails full of roots, bumps and rocks, it makes riding less fatiguing and inspires more confidence. The X2 and other higher volume air shocks are a nice compromise, where they get more pop than a coil but are more supple and forgiving than a lower volume shock like the DPX2, which I personally have found to be a little harsh on the trails I ride and have never been able to tune it totally to my liking.