Grime TIME
Your questions answered
Spring into action
Q I’m an avid fan of the Enduro World Series and read everything I can about it. While I’ll never compete at the same level, I still get a huge kick out of riding my trail bike as quickly as I can. I’ve noticed more and more riders and racers switching to coil shocks. Is the jump in performance worth the investment? How simple is it to make the swap? Ultimately, will it make me faster than my mates?
Lee Emerson, via email
A Switching from an air-sprung shock to a coil-sprung version isn’t always straightforward. The springs behave differently when compressed (metal coils have a linear spring rate, while air springs are naturally progressive), so not every bike design will work well with a coil shock. A number of modern bikes have a leverage curve that will work with both – including our Orbea Rallon and Whyte G-170 long-termers – but simply bolting a coil shock onto a bike without doing your homework first could ruin the ride. Give the guys at TF Tuned, Fox UK or Sprung Suspension a shout before parting with any cash, as they’ll be able to let you know whether your bike will work with a coil shock.
As for whether a coil shock is better than an air shock, just like many things in life, both have their good and bad points. Air shocks are lighter and incredibly easy to set up and adjust. Being able to tune the progressiveness of the spring is a big plus, too. They can suffer from heat buildup on long runs, though, which affects performance. Coil shocks tend to be more sensitive at the start of the stroke (there are fewer seals needed and therefore less friction) and more consistent. They’re heavier, though, and you need to work out what spring weight you need before buying, because you can’t just add or remove some air.
These days, air shocks are incredibly good, so if your bike won’t accept a coil, don’t lose any sleep over it. EWS champ Sam Hill chooses to run the air-sprung version of the RockShox Super Deluxe on
his Nukeproof despite having the coil variant at his disposal.
Heads up
Q I’m in the market for a new trail helmet. Mine is rather tired now and, after five years of service, I think it’s time to retire it. My budget is £100. Will this get me a decent lid that I can use for the occasional enduro race? Mark Caldwell, via email
A It’s a good shout to replace your helmet after that many years of use, Mark. There are a number of lids that’ll fit your needs and budget. Because helmet fit is a personal thing, we’d recommend trying before buying, if you can. Specialized’s Ambush (£100) and Ambush Comp (£80) fit well, offer plenty of coverage and have good venting too. We’re also big fans of Bell’s 4Forty, which comes with the MIPS brain protection system for a seriously impressive £90. It’s one of the comfiest helmets we’ve tried and we use it regularly, which says a lot.
Internal hell
Q I do a lot of work on my bike (I fettle more than I ride!) and, since buying a new bike, have had nothing but trouble with the internal cable routing. Is there anything that’ll help with the frustrating task of threading the cables through?
Sam Smithson, via email
A Sam, we feel your pain! Dealing with internallyrouted cables can be one of the most annoying jobs out there. We’d suggest buying the Park Tool Internal Cable Routing Kit (IR-1.2). It’ll set you back around £50 but should be well worth it if you work on your bike a lot.