MARZOCCHI BOMBER CR SHOCK
100% ARMEGA GOGGLES
£395.95
SPECIFICATION Weight: 824g (200x50mm with coil) • Options: Standard: 7.5x2.0in, 7.875x2.0in, 7.875x2.25in, 8.5x2.5in, 8.75x2.75in / Metric: 210x50mm, 210x55mm, 230x60mm, 230x65mm, 250x75mm / Trunnion: 185x52.5mm, 185x55mm, 205x60mm, 205, 65mm, 225x75mm • Contact: silverfish-uk.com
Coil shocks are enjoying something of a resurgence at the moment as riders look for extra grip and damping performance on more challenging terrain – be that steeper or rougher. While it’s mostly enduro bikes and e-bikes that are seeing aftermarket upgrades by performance-hungry riders, some progressive trail bikes are starting to get in on the act too, now that brands are starting to design models with kinematics that work with the characteristics of a coil spring.
So now the barrier is less about compatibility and more about cost – both in terms of weight and price. A new Öhlins TTX shock will set you back £795 for example, and the EXT Storia is over £1,000. So Marzocchi’s Bomber CR is relatively affordable at £345
(add a further £46.95 for the spring), and this means it will be of interest to anyone looking to upgrade or replace their original shock. Marzocchi certainly
an O-ring – push it up the shaft to the damper, sit on the bike, then measure the distance between the damper and the bumper to get your sag.
With the shock installed on my
Cotic Flaremax and the sag set the difference was simply amazing. OK, so there’s definitely less pop and the bike doesn’t feel quite as responsive to rider inputs, but when the traction is this good… who cares? Not really. Pop and responsiveness are both important. What I did find surprising however was that post-sag (mid-stroke) support was significantly better on the Bomber CR compared to air shocks. This goes a long way to offset the lack of insta-pop when exiting corners or on lips of jumps. Coil is amazing when the conditions and/or the terrain suits. I can see myself opting to run an air shock in summer/autumn and switching to coil in winter/spring just as I do with specific tyre treads. Or maybe I won’t; the sheer comfort from a coil is a real unspoken win too. I’m less fatigued after rides on coil, despite them being heavier and more supple. I think this is especially true for flat pedal users. And that mid-stroke feel is similarly addictive. What else? The price is great. The relative lack of servicing is nice. Niggles? The low-speed compression dial is hard to turn. The rebound dial ‘lost’ its detents after a few filthy rides.
The long and the short of it is, then, that if you’re willing to sacrifice a bit of weight, spend time getting the right spring rate and your frame’s linkage will suit the linear spring curve, then the Marzocchi Bomber CR is a fantastic upgrade. It will deliver more grip, more traction and more comfort at a fraction of the price of super-high end competitors.
As a gateway to the addictive performance of a coil spring, it’s a great option.
£89.99–£129.99
SPECIFICATION Weight: 211g • 11 colours • Contact: silverfish-uk.com
The Armega is 100% 's all-singing, all-dancing goggle. It’s designed for motocross, but is also a favourite of full-face wearing MTB DH and enduro racers.
It packs a 2mm thick ‘ULTRA HD’ lens inside a frame specially shaped to extract sweat away from the face. There’s also a wide stable strap, detachable roost guard around the nose and triple layers of foam.
The closest material to the skin uses a soft dotted fabric that is very comfy, and there’s also a thin foam layer over the main top and bottom vents in the frame to stop dust and debris getting inside the viewing ‘window’. And, with everything going on – including extra side vents/flaps to promote air flow onto the lens to decrease the chance of fogging – it is a bit of a window too. The big and bulky Armega sits further away from the face than other goggles, so there’s more of a sense of looking through a narrow slot or letterbox as a result.
The Armega is noticeably heavier and wider than more minimal eyewear, so it doesn’t play nicely with every enduro or convertible full-face lid on the market, particularly if there’s a smaller eye opening. When worn with an open face lid, there’s a tendency to bounce about a little unless strapped down really tight.
I also wasn’t totally sold on the clarity of 100%’s lens, despite its bold claims – the lens here isn’t as sharp and contrasty in murky light as my favourite models from Smith and POC, and, with foam over the frame vents, it also fogs up more easily at slower speeds.
The Armega might well be great for looking further ahead during motocross races, but it feels overblown for mountain biking and has a steep asking price for a piece of kit that inevitably gets damaged and scuffed up easily in regular use.
Mick Kirkman