What is the difference between bottom of the range suspension and more expensive suspension?

[Randolph]

I have a aluminum Spez Camber with Rockshox suspension. Thinking about upgrading the suspension but not sure if a weekend warrior like me will notice the difference? I do mostly trail riding around Stellenbosch. 

Edited November 5, 2022 by Randolph

[MORNE]

@droo I summon thee.

to add something of questionable value : what RS fork is on there? But yes…it is one of the better upgrades you can make to have a better and properly set up fork on a bike. Hell, I had a float X2 rear shock in for its 100h rebuild this week and it feels like i upgraded my whole bike now that its working the way it should again.

 

 

Edited November 5, 2022 by MORNE

[michaelbiker]

It depends.
 

How much travel do you have / want? Are you referring front or rear or both? I’ve found on rear, short travel - geo and linkage design is more important than the shock itself. Front makes a difference with regard to weight and damper performance between low-end and high-end. 

[Dappere]

17 minutes ago, Randolph said:

I have a aluminum Spez Camber with Rockshox suspension. Thinking about upgrading the suspension but not sure if a weekend warrior like me will notice the difference? I do mostly trail riding around Stellenbosch. 

This might help: https://ridersrundown.com/are-expensive-mtb-forks-worth-it/

 

[DieselnDust]

31 minutes ago, Dappere said:

This might help: https://ridersrundown.com/are-expensive-mtb-forks-worth-it/

 

Nothing further to add ^^ covers it

[Randolph]

1 hour ago, MORNE said:

@droo I summon thee.

to add something of questionable value : what RS fork is on there? But yes…it is one of the better upgrades you can make to have a better and properly set up fork on a bike. Hell, I had a float X2 rear shock in for its 100h rebuild this week and it feels like i upgraded my whole bike now that its working the way it should again.

 

 

It is a 120mm RS Recon Silver - it does feel very bouncy on rocky/bouldery tracks

[Randolph]

1 hour ago, michaelbiker said:

It depends.
 

How much travel do you have / want? Are you referring front or rear or both? I’ve found on rear, short travel - geo and linkage design is more important than the shock itself. Front makes a difference with regard to weight and damper performance between low-end and high-end. 

120mm - might be easier to replace the front. The rear is a custom shock which limits my choices

[BaGearA]

5 minutes ago, Randolph said:

120mm - might be easier to replace the front. The rear is a custom shock which limits my choices

DM me A pic of it(the rear) , I have A Fox dps spez strut mount which I'll give you for A steal 

[DieselnDust]

The recon is a budget fork so upgrading it to a revelation or Lyrik might be good option.

There are other optiosn to consider inclu Fox 34 and DVO

Key isssues with the Recon is its heavy for analogue bke and the Motion Control damping is a little too soft, especially the rebound. RS forks tend to be tuned for faster riders and the Recon being e-bike ready is clearly tuned for that market too. You can try a higher viscosity oil in the damper to help give you a couple of extra useful clicks of rebound adjustment

 

You don't mention the bike size and your weight. Mos forks are tuned for a male rider in the 18-21 BMI range while e-bike forks are tuned for heavier riders and bikes

[RobertWhitehead]

My opinion: Rockshox is more bouncy and definite in their workings when compared to Fox. Fox offers a more plush ride quality. 

To answer the question: yes it will. You'll most likely shave a bit of weight and you will have a more enjoyable and confident riding experience 

[dasilvarsa]

4 hours ago, Randolph said:

I have a aluminum Spez Camber with Rockshox suspension. Thinking about upgrading the suspension but not sure if a weekend warrior like me will notice the difference? I do mostly trail riding around Stellenbosch. 

Sell the Bike and buy a Higher Spec Bike Complete.

eg "A Scott 970 Remains a Scott 970 even if you upgrade some bits,"

[Hairy]

3 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

The recon is a budget fork so upgrading it to a revelation or Lyrik might be good option.

There are other optiosn to consider inclu Fox 34 and DVO

Key isssues with the Recon is its heavy for analogue bke and the Motion Control damping is a little too soft, especially the rebound. RS forks tend to be tuned for faster riders and the Recon being e-bike ready is clearly tuned for that market too. You can try a higher viscosity oil in the damper to help give you a couple of extra useful clicks of rebound adjustment

 

You don't mention the bike size and your weight. Mos forks are tuned for a male rider in the 18-21 BMI range while e-bike forks are tuned for heavier riders and bikes

#DVO for the Win

[droo]

On a 120/110mm travel bike, the biggest differences you'll notice will be the weight, stiffness and sensitivity of the fork. On longer travel bikes the damping becomes increasingly important, but you're not in that category. 

That Recon Silver is a heavy thing, so whatever you put on there will save you a few hundred grams for a start.

Then there's the improved small bump compliance from more slippery anodised aluminum stanchions and better bushings, as well as better control over compression and rebound damping (depending on what you go for). Most new forks will also allow for adjustment of the progression of the stroke with volume spacers, which can also help with this if used correctly. 

Those Cambers also handle being over-forked quite well, but anything over 130mm is going to negatively affect climbing. 

The shock on there is most likely a Monarch RT, which basically just has on/off adjustment. Something like a DPS or RT3, which has actual (although limited)  compression adjustment, will be much better for anything that's not a smooth climb, allowing a bit of movement to help traction and comfort without the rear end bobbing too much while pedaling - something the FSR linkage is known for. 

All this said, it'll all come down to budget. Suspension is one of the most expensive bits of a MTB, so it's easy to overcapitalise. Though if you keep the old fork you can always take the new one over to your next bike if you do eventually upgrade. Shock - not likely, especially with that yoke mount. 

Edited November 5, 2022 by droo
Proofreading fail

[BaGearA]

1 minute ago, droo said:

On a 120/110mm travel bike, the biggest differences you'll notice will be the weight, stiffness and sensitivity of the fork. On longer travel bikes the damping becomes increasingly important, but you're not in that category. 

That Recon Silver is a heavy thing, so whatever you put on there will save you a few hundred grams for a start.

Then there's the improved small bump compliance from more slippery anodised aluminum stanchions and better bushings, as well as better control over compression and rebound damping (depending on what you go for). Most new forks will also allow for adjustment of the progression of the stroke with volume spacers, which can also help with this if used correctly. 

Those Cambers also handle being over-forked quite well, but anything over 130mm is going to negatively affect climbing. 

The shock on there is most likely a Monarch RT, which basically just has on/off adjustment. Something like a DPS or RT3, which has actual (altjough limited)  compression adjustment, will be much better for anything that's not a smooth climb, allowing a bit of movement to help traction and comfort without the rear end bobbing too much while pedaling - something the FSR linkage is known for. 

All this said, it'll all come down to budget. Suspension is one of the most expensive bits of a MTB, so it's easy to overcapitalise. Though if you keep the old fork you can always take the new one over to your next bike if you do eventually upgrade. Shock - not likely, especially with that yoke mount. 

he has an O2 

 

I'm going to sort im out with a 2019 dps performance