billyk
Guru
After getting really tired of the constant squeaking put out by the original spring shock on my Quest-2 (more than 5000 often-rainy miles on it), and seeing that there was no way to lubricate it, I got an air shock.
This did 3 things:
1) Perfectly quiet operation
2) Dramatic improvement in the ride. Bumps and potholes on my regular commute that used to be jarring are now barely noticeable. This is a serious upgrade. (I wanted to write that in all-caps; it's a BIG difference).
3) Speed increase. The bike feels more solid, and I notice that I am going uphill in typically 1 gear higher than previously, without seeming to work harder. It's about a 5% speed increase climbing.
Now, it's not easy to find an air shock short enough for the Quest (5 inches). Most such shocks for sale here are considerably longer. I got the Kind Shock RR1-A5 125mm (photo). It cost $96, including shipping.
The manufacturer's site with description is:
http://www.kindshock.com.cn/en/product.asp?id=103&show_list=1
but these apparently can only be bought from Chinese multi-seller sites, and I was a little nervous about sending my credit card out on the Chinese web, but in the event the seller proved to be honest and the product right. I picked one who took Amex that gives me some protection. It arrived 3 weeks after ordering (no fast shipping option, this is Chinese and US regular mail).
The seller site was dhgate.com, and the particular seller was "toneyjaa". Reviews say to avoid another such site (aliexpress.com) that tends to dominate the google searches for this shock.
Some reading shows that a good air shock has a "negative spring" as this one does (link below). The same shock without the negative spring is cheaper.
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Tech-Tuesday-negative-spring-air-shocks-2012.html
A few details:
* The air shock is far lighter than the spring shock
* The Kind shock is 1/2 to 1/3 the price of comparable shocks available in the US or on US sites, even if you could find one short enough
* You need a shock pump before using it. Typically these things need pumping-up every few months, so you can usually get pumped up at any LBS, but:
* The shock has 2 inlets (one for the negative chamber), and there is no way to mount it on the Quest without the frame blocking one of them (see photo). This means the shock must be removed from the bike to pump it up.
I recall being dubious when the Quest 3 omitted the front shock, as the rough ride on our bumpy streets here made me want more damping, not less, but in fact my experience with a better rear shock shows that the front shock is much less important. John T said this in one of these forums, and he was right (again).
I need more experience to see how durable it is. The cheap price raises suspicions, but it hasn't lost any pressure in about 100 miles of riding. I'll report back after a few more months.
This did 3 things:
1) Perfectly quiet operation
2) Dramatic improvement in the ride. Bumps and potholes on my regular commute that used to be jarring are now barely noticeable. This is a serious upgrade. (I wanted to write that in all-caps; it's a BIG difference).
3) Speed increase. The bike feels more solid, and I notice that I am going uphill in typically 1 gear higher than previously, without seeming to work harder. It's about a 5% speed increase climbing.
Now, it's not easy to find an air shock short enough for the Quest (5 inches). Most such shocks for sale here are considerably longer. I got the Kind Shock RR1-A5 125mm (photo). It cost $96, including shipping.
The manufacturer's site with description is:
http://www.kindshock.com.cn/en/product.asp?id=103&show_list=1
but these apparently can only be bought from Chinese multi-seller sites, and I was a little nervous about sending my credit card out on the Chinese web, but in the event the seller proved to be honest and the product right. I picked one who took Amex that gives me some protection. It arrived 3 weeks after ordering (no fast shipping option, this is Chinese and US regular mail).
The seller site was dhgate.com, and the particular seller was "toneyjaa". Reviews say to avoid another such site (aliexpress.com) that tends to dominate the google searches for this shock.
Some reading shows that a good air shock has a "negative spring" as this one does (link below). The same shock without the negative spring is cheaper.
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Tech-Tuesday-negative-spring-air-shocks-2012.html
A few details:
* The air shock is far lighter than the spring shock
* The Kind shock is 1/2 to 1/3 the price of comparable shocks available in the US or on US sites, even if you could find one short enough
* You need a shock pump before using it. Typically these things need pumping-up every few months, so you can usually get pumped up at any LBS, but:
* The shock has 2 inlets (one for the negative chamber), and there is no way to mount it on the Quest without the frame blocking one of them (see photo). This means the shock must be removed from the bike to pump it up.
I recall being dubious when the Quest 3 omitted the front shock, as the rough ride on our bumpy streets here made me want more damping, not less, but in fact my experience with a better rear shock shows that the front shock is much less important. John T said this in one of these forums, and he was right (again).
I need more experience to see how durable it is. The cheap price raises suspicions, but it hasn't lost any pressure in about 100 miles of riding. I'll report back after a few more months.
