Manitou Mara Pro rear shock £499.99

THE INITIAL RESISTANCE GIVES THE RIDE A BAMBI-ON-ICE FEELING, ESPECIALLY OVER TERRAIN WHERE GRIP AND PREDICTABLE CONTROL ARE ESSENTIAL, SUCH AS BUMPY CAMBERS OR ROOTY SECTIONS

The air-sprung Mara Pro piggyback shock has externally adjustable high- and low-speed compression and low-speed rebound damping, plus a climb lever with two positions – ‘Party’ (open mode) and ‘Work’ (for climbing). Unusually, the negative air spring doesn’t auto-equalise as the shock compresses and can’t be adjusted with a shock pump. Instead, the negative chamber is pressurised when the air sleeve is fitted to the shock’s body.

There are three air can sizes available, but Manitou claim the mid-sized can that comes as standard covers 99 per cent of riders’ needs. You can fit volume spacers, though, to increase ramp-up towards the end of the stroke. Plus it has custom-tunable shim stacks and, according to Manitou, each stack works independently. A hybrid internal floating piston (IFP) is used to separate the nitrogen gas from the oil in the piggyback reservoir. This is made with a rubber membrane, which can flex without the entire piston moving.

Manitou claim that this helps improve small-bump sensitivity.

We installed the Mara Pro on an Orange Stage 6 enduro bike that’s usually fitted with a RockShox Monarch Plus shock. It required a higher than expected force to get the shock moving initially, but deeper into its travel it felt good, absorbing high-speed hits well without spiking; controlling low-speed undulations and compressions competently; and ramping up well towards the end of its travel. The initial resistance gives the ride a Bambion-ice feeling, though, especially on terrain where grip and predictable control are essential, such as bumpy cambers or rooty sections. This had us secondguessing where we were going to find grip.

We couldn’t tune in enough low-speed damping to keep the shock supportive in compressions while having a low enough spring rate to reduce the resistance at the beginning of the travel. Testing a second sample uncovered the same problem.

Despite the host of external adjustability and tunable and replaceable shim stacks, none of this could overcome the problem of having a negative air spring that doesn’t seem adequately pressurised or sized for the positive air spring.

The climb lever worked well, stopping almost all unwanted shock movement in Work mode, but with a blow-off valve that still allows it to absorb bigger hits. However, for climbing comfort we left the lever in the open position. Because of the shock’s initial resistance, pedal-induced bob wasn’t an issue. Alex www.hotlines-uk.com

The Mara works well deep into its stroke but is reluctant to get moving initially, which can hinder traction