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oil vs ai rshock


Mr-T

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Hi Guys and gals, please tell me what is the advantages of a air shock over a oil shock? I am considering an upgrade either buying a cannondal SL4 or a Merida 300, both more or les the same price but the cannondale has a air-shock, please help me.

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Hi Guys and gals, please tell me what is the advantages of a air shock over a oil shock? I am considering an upgrade either buying a cannondal SL4 or a Merida 300, both more or les the same price but the cannondale has a air-shock, please help me.

You mean Air vs Coil right?

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air is generally better and more adjustable. Also could have a better rebound.

How long is a piece of string? Why 'could' air have a better rebound? Care to explain your hypothesis?

 

What shock you choose should fit it's purpose. Feel-wise, coil is better. It's far more linear, and ramps up more linearly too. Air shock can also have a high volume can which means it can be run at a lower pressure, which will have a more coil like feel to it.

 

Oil is used in the damping systems, and there are various designs around this. I doubt this is what the OP meant.

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How long is a piece of string? Why 'could' air have a better rebound? Care to explain your hypothesis?

 

What shock you choose should fit it's purpose. Feel-wise, coil is better. It's far more linear, and ramps up more linearly too. Air shock can also have a high volume can which means it can be run at a lower pressure, which will have a more coil like feel to it.

 

Oil is used in the damping systems, and there are various designs around this. I doubt this is what the OP meant.

 

Most air shocks have many options that can be easily adjustable.

Air can also be pumped harder or softer depending on what you want.

But like almost everything in cycling it comes down to personal preference.

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Hi Guys and gals, please tell me what is the advantages of a air shock over a oil shock? I am considering an upgrade either buying a cannondal SL4 or a Merida 300, both more or les the same price but the cannondale has a air-shock, please help me.

 

Firstly chap, those are hardtail bikes. no?

 

So I am assuming that you are meaning Fork.

 

Air forks also contain oil, of varying weights. So I must assume you mean Coil.

 

An air fork will be lighter. You can adjust the compression/sag to suit your ride weight and style. Maintenance is key and necessary.

 

A coil fork, whilst heavier, will give you smoother 'feel' through the compression and return (rebound). Some coil forks come with a preload adjustment that allows you to 'tune' the coil to a fair degree. Those that don't generally have a spring inserted for 'average' rider weight (whatever that might be !?). if you are significantly under or over this 'average' then you are either going to be bouncing round like a kangaroo, or dragging your chin on the knobbly bits of the front wheel.

They are usually put on 1. Entry level bikes - 2. All mountain rigs, with decent travel 3. Downhill rigs.

Easier to maintain and run.

 

You need to decide on what kind of riding you are going to do.

 

If I had to make a choice, I would go with the SL4.

Edited by The Drongo
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How long is a piece of string? Why 'could' air have a better rebound? Care to explain your hypothesis?

 

What shock you choose should fit it's purpose. Feel-wise, coil is better. It's far more linear, and ramps up more linearly too. Air shock can also have a high volume can which means it can be run at a lower pressure, which will have a more coil like feel to it.

 

Oil is used in the damping systems, and there are various designs around this. I doubt this is what the OP meant.

 

The primary difference between the travel characteristics of air vs coil is that the coil doesn't ramp up. Manufacturers don't allow the coil to compress completey and thus if you do want to have progressive ramp on your coil fork, you have to add air to it.

 

As for high volume and low pressure. Pressure is directly related to sag and the pressure thus has to be what it has to be. The higher volume of some forks simply reduces the dramatic ramp-up towards the end of the travel. But high volume doesn't allow you to ride lower pressure per se - high volume will be a function of long-travel forks and vice versa. Since the stanchion size is a given, you cannot have a high-volume short-travel fork without some extra trickery. The converse is also true.

 

Should you want to do this, like Marzocchi does in their variable travel forks, you have to add some secondary pistons and chambers that kick in and activate after a certain amount of travel is used up. This works nicely, but adds to the complexity of the fork and of course, cost and reliability.

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The primary difference between the travel characteristics of air vs coil is that the coil doesn't ramp up. Manufacturers don't allow the coil to compress completey and thus if you do want to have progressive ramp on your coil fork, you have to add air to it.

 

As for high volume and low pressure. Pressure is directly related to sag and the pressure thus has to be what it has to be. The higher volume of some forks simply reduces the dramatic ramp-up towards the end of the travel. But high volume doesn't allow you to ride lower pressure per se - high volume will be a function of long-travel forks and vice versa. Since the stanchion size is a given, you cannot have a high-volume short-travel fork without some extra trickery. The converse is also true.

 

Should you want to do this, like Marzocchi does in their variable travel forks, you have to add some secondary pistons and chambers that kick in and activate after a certain amount of travel is used up. This works nicely, but adds to the complexity of the fork and of course, cost and reliability.

Thanks for taking the time to post this excellent reply. I see now that the OP actually was meaning forks.

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