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Submitted by
jSatch
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego
Date Reviewed: October 27, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Tunnels | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Swinger 3-way: Smooth, good SPV, no leaks after setting.
Best feature- set and forget | | Weaknesses: | SPV valve leaks when detaching pump. It leaks reliably 15psi, so I just over-inflate by 15 psi. Odd, not same issue when filling main chamber. Not really a weakness once you are aware of it.
Not quite a coil ride (but lighter). | | Similar Products Used: | Fox Float | | Bike Setup: | Santa Cruz Heckler | | Bottom Line: | I prefer this to the Fox. I like the set and forget. Too many times I've forgotten to switch out the lockout of the Fox until I'm going downhill. My bad. The Swinger SPV does a nice job when climbing, so no switch needed. One less thing to grab for, or think about, when riding.
I get the feeling that the Swinger is smoother, less bouncy than the Fox. Different bikes, so not sure. Still not a coil. I haven't tried the Fox RP23 model though.
Your milage may vary. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Sinkoski
a Cross Country Rider
from martinsville, IN
Date Reviewed: October 26, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | bcsp | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | adjustability, and serviceability | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | fox float | | Bike Setup: | 2000 specialized rockhopper a1 fsr | | Bottom Line: | this is for the 3 way spv air, shock is bottomless feeling with a platform that keeps all that supple travel from sapping your power. the rebound can be adjusted from none to dead slow and the air pressures are less than the same sag on a fox shock, anyone thinking of upgrading a older rig with a newer shock with spv wont be sorry. This shock transforms the suspension feel of my fsr that it feels like a new bike. I dont know if a rp23 is comparable but it seems that there is only 3 settings for the platform where the swinger is infinately adjustable. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
joker24
a Cross Country Rider
from Davis, Ca USA
Date Reviewed: October 6, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Rockville | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Super adjustable, doesn't leak, very smooth | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | Fox Vanilla R | | Bike Setup: | Ellsworth Joker, Fox Float RLC, Swinger 4-way Air, mavic wheels, Sram X.7 drivetrain, avid SD7s | | Bottom Line: | This shock is light, durable, and only needs to be set up once. Every aspect of the shock is adjustable, and the directions are very simple to follow. The SPV platform works well and really improves the efficiency of a single pivot frame like the Joker. If you have an older single pivot frame you love but are wishing for a more efficient ride, this is definitely a cheap way to get a lot more performance out of your ride. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
wisemonkey72
a Cross Country Rider
from everywhere, china currently
Date Reviewed: September 4, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | whites level, afan | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | online | | Strengths: | smooth performance, easy to set up, rebound adjust works pretty nice. spv valve is a nice feature. really nice xc shock. | | Weaknesses: | why oh why oh why does the airvalve screw into the shock body, this is a really lame design. i find it really fiddly inflating as the valve seems to come loose whenever i remove my pump. | | Similar Products Used: | all the fox ones,fox float, rp2,rp23 | | Bike Setup: | i drive, revalation u turns, xtr drivetrain 3 way swinger up back. | | Bottom Line: | i like the shock i really do, this bike has had alo of action this summer and the swinger laps up the downhills and climbs lovely, works really nicely with my u turns. but the airvalve is a real shame. my i drive is now in the hands of my girlfriend as i have a new machine now, and i have to say i will be sticking with fox shocks from now on. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
darrinw2001
a Weekend Warrior
from Valrico, Fl
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | North Creek | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1.00 | | Purchased At: | included on used Gar | | Strengths: | adjustability, SPV is great for no pedal bob | | Weaknesses: | none yet, I do have to pump a litle air in before every ride, but being over 260lbs, i expect that | | Similar Products Used: | coil over | | Bike Setup: | 2004 Garry Fisher Cake 2 stock | | Bottom Line: | So far so good for a larger "Clydesdale" rider. I needed air shocks due to my size and this has fit the bill so far. I got a great deal on this bike used on Craig's list, and so far my favorite thing about it is the shock and the Manitou Black Super Air forks! I hve put it to test on some pretty rough trails so far and have not bottomed out yet. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bryan Corbridge
a Cross Country Rider
from Goshen, In USA
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$110.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | This is for the 3 way swinger with SPV. Light weight, multiple adjustments and good customer service. | | Weaknesses: | None so far. | | Similar Products Used: | Fox Vanilla. | | Bike Setup: | 2005 Jamis Dakar with a Marzocchi Bomber XC 600 fork and a Manitou Swinger 3 way with SPV rear air shock. | | Bottom Line: | I recently purchased this shock on E-bay just rebuilt by Manitou. I was looking to replace my coil over shock for something with less pedal bob but with the smoothness I need. I researched every shock on the market extensively and found that the Manitou offered the features I was looking for. I was right. Love the adjustability. Seems to be almost endless possibilities. You can set it up as firm or soft as you like. I set it up to be plenty active to supply the smoothness but enough air in the SPV to offer the pedaling efficiency I needed. Set the rebound in the medium and I have a shock that is smooth and efficient. Love it!!! Granted I've only had the shock for a short period of time, but will submit another sometime down the road. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matthew
a Weekend Warrior
from Escondido
Date Reviewed: May 29, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Daley Ranch (closest) | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | E-Bay | | Strengths: | This review is for the 4-Way. The air valves are easy to get to. The platform works really well on single pivot bikes and exceptional on Faux Bar bikes. The bottom-out feature is nice for clydesdales. Rebound very responsive to adjustments | | Weaknesses: | It took me a while to learn how to set up the shock, but I was just learning. Small bump compliance is so so, but it is a platform shock. | | Similar Products Used: | Fox DHX Air, | | Bike Setup: | Jamis XLT, Fox Vanilla 32 RLC, Stylo Crank, XT shifters/deraillers, Hayes HFX-9, FSA Stem, Answer Pro-Taper bars, DT Swiss Wheels/ WTB Laserdisc Hubs | | Bottom Line: | This a great rear shock for do it all use. I originally put on my GF Cake and it provided a more plush ride with the ability to take bigger hits. Only experience a small amount of pedal bob in second and third chainrings while cranking. On the Jamis it is super smooth. I have been able to tune it to nearly bottom about 10% of the time leaving the remainder of the riding smooth. No pedal bob with minimal pressure in the SPV. I don't set sag because I blow through travel too quickly and at 210+ lbs the shock has held up really well. The Cake shock has over 500 miles on it and Jamis shock has 600 miles on it. I have thought about replacing it but for no good reason other trying something else. No complaints, no problems, 5 psi air changes in main chamber make a big difference. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
daryl stahler
a Cross Country Rider
from tucson, AZ
Date Reviewed: March 30, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Fantasy Island/50 year trail | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$60.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Completely eliminated pedal bob. | | Weaknesses: | No specific on-line manual support. Kind of a pain to set up on my bike. | | Similar Products Used: | Fox Float R | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale Jekyll, ELO Lefty, Spinergy Wheels, SRAM 9.0 shifter & rear der, XTR front der, XTR cranks, Easton Monkey lite bars, Easton EC-90 seat post. | | Bottom Line: | I purchased this on ebay for $60 NIP, so what did I have to loose? Not a lot of choices for the Jekyll. The Fox Float served well over the years, but needed the seals changed every 12 - 14 months. The Swinger is a 3-way, and I could not find specific details in the manual. So I read a few reviews, and tried setting it up. The sag adjustment is a real pain on my Jekyll, I need to remove the rear bolt and swing the shock down. Once I'll dialed it in I took it out for some urban assault. I'm in Luxembourg, so I headed up through the vineyards, and few forest roads, through some villages, down stairs, etc. Did I say, there is no pedal bob. I didn't realize how bad my Fox was!! Appears to suck up medium to big hits well, so well I stopped a few times thinking my tire was low or something!!
If you want to update that old full suspended bike without breaking the bank, this should do it!!
Oh, I weight in at a light 16 stones, 102 kg, or 225 lbs.
Two days and air pressure is still holding. I'll update the rating after some time! I only gave it 4 flamers for value since I got it off ebay. Overall - it's too early to tell. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Plug
a Cross Country Rider
from England
Date Reviewed: January 19, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Configurable, reliable. | | Weaknesses: | Lack of on-the-fly SPV control | | Bottom Line: | I'm running the original 2003 Swinger 4-Way here, now 2008, and it's still running really well considering. It doesn't noticably lose any air pressure over time. It still feels smooth and plush though it did benefit a lot from sucking a bit of oil into the main air chamber last year as it was getting a bit sticky. There's a bit of air in the damping circuit though nothing that appears to affect its operation.
I'd definately consider upgrading to the latest model if they're as good as this, particularly given the newer model's addition of the on-the-fly adjustable SPV which I think could be useful out on the trails. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark B.
a Weekend Warrior
from Ft Wayne, IN
Date Reviewed: December 8, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | the next one | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | JensonUSA.com | | Strengths: | easy to air up, SPV works, light weight, simple to disassemble | | Weaknesses: | MANUFACTURER SUPPORT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seals easy to replace, but HARD to get for replacement!! | | Similar Products Used: | QRL, coil-overs | | Bike Setup: | Jamis Dakar XLT 1.0, Nixon Comp, X.9, Avid BB7 (7/7), Race Face cockpit, Hutch Spiders | | Bottom Line: | While it worked, it worked great -- but the seals went, and it's been a chase-your-tail to get a seal kit. Since nobody wants to step up and do the right thing here, the only savior for the air shock industry is Fox, and I can't pop for a DHX right now! I'll likely go coil for the rest of my life (Fox Vans are reasonable, 5th E is GONE!, and Cane Creek is ridiculous) | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric B
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | anything dirty | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$99.00 | | Purchased At: | santa cruz website | | Strengths: | easy to set up if you don't try and overthink it | | Weaknesses: | too early to tell...will write more if it ends up sucking like most of the Manitou shocks! | | Similar Products Used: | fox float rc
tried the rp3 and rp23 on showroom bikes | | Bike Setup: | 2000 superlight, raceface deus, thompson, king, reba race, crossmax enduro | | Bottom Line: | this shock changed my whole bike and possibly saved me the money of buying a whole new frame. the old fox float rc was like riding a pogo stick. Not sure how I did it for so long. that said the new p/p technology is pretty darn good.
I just rode the swinger-i'm using the 3 way-last night for the first time. I ride 5 days a week and weigh 190 lbs. I try and brake the bike or myself everytime I ride and crank the biggest gears possible (I ride a 1x1 when I'm not on the superlight). however, I may ride the 1x1 less. because the swinger three has made the single pivot superlight climb like a hard tail...only better since it gives just enough that I don't spin the back wheel when I'm standing up on the bike. Otherwise the rear end is immobile until i hit something at which point it moves upward.
on descents it railed and was very plush. This canged the whole ride of the bike and enabled me to push harder and go faster since I could keep my body weight where I wanted it and not get bucked by the pogo-ing shock.
I am running at about 105 in the main chamber and 55 in the spv chamber. I guess the accepted rule is to ride it at 15 lbs below your body weight in the main but that is crazy. The shock didn't move when I did that. and I like a very firm rear-end! I set the rebound on the slow side of the middle of the range. I perhaps haven't found the "sweet spot" that everybody is looking for but it's sick and I probably won't fu*&k with it too much. Honestly, the bike rides way better than any of the blurs or yeti's that I've riden with a variety of shocks. All of the VPPs that I've riden have bounced after being "set-up" by the shop guys. If any body has studied physics or rides by feel as much as they think they do then you know that force or motion down and into the suspension saps your energy forward. riding a plush, sagged out overpriced frame is not for me. firm up your ride, gear up and ride faster. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bart Simpson
a Weekend Warrior
from UK
Date Reviewed: June 18, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Hassle free motoring. Does what it says on the tin | | Weaknesses: | Only one setting, ie you set the pressure in the main can and SPV chamber and get on with it. | | Similar Products Used: | RP23 | | Bike Setup: | Orange 5, swinger 4-way, Talas 130 forks. | | Bottom Line: | I have had this shock for three years, and it has been through regular mudfests, rock gardens, rain and sludge( ie a good day in the UK ). It is a bit of a faff to find the best combination of pressures for you and the type of riding that you do, but when you do( in my case about 140 psi in the main and 70-80 psi in the SPV chamber ), it is reliable and quite plush. It is also fantastic with regards to pedalling, and virtually eliminates bob, which is a good thing on my single pivot bike. All in all, it works, and works well. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Simon Jeffery
a Weekend Warrior
from Kuala Lumpur
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Rush Hour - Bukit Kiara | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Came with bike | | Strengths: | When it works, it seems OK | | Weaknesses: | Leaking seals and questionable assembly | | Similar Products Used: | SPV 3 way | | Bike Setup: | Intense 5.5. frame, Fox Float forks, usual stuff. | | Bottom Line: | I took delivery of a new 5.5 frame last December. I specified the SPV 4 way because I'd had a great expereince with a SPV 3 way supplied with a 2004 model Trek Liquid. (There were a few options of shocks you could specify with the Intense frame). On the first day of delivery, I went to pump up the shock, and all the air immediately leaked out. I found out that the little valve holder that you stick your pump onto wasn't screwed in tight. Well I screwed it up finger tight and the "O" ring split. This was not a big deal as I removed the valve holder, wrapped a bit of teflon tape around its thread, pumped it up and off I went. The local Malaysian bike store that supplied the shock got me a replacement "O" ring. (They are good guys here - called KSH Bicycles) No big deal. BUT - over the coming months I noticed it slowly but surely lost air. My old SPV never lost a single psi, so this annoyed me a bit. I sent an email to Answer products who responded with the same as they responded to the writer below on the 11th Oct 2005 - sort of saying nicely it is loosing air because it does this when I stick my pump on (duh). I suppose at least they responded to my email. Anyway I didn't want to have to send it all the way back to the States and not be able to ride so my LBS double checked the seals for me (and loaned me a spare SPV 3 Way they had - told you they were good guys). Well this helped, but still it slowly but surely leaked air.
Finally I thought I'd upgade it to another brand as I got sick of pumping it up. The LBS has checked Intense and worked out a fair price for me (the Intense guys are good as well). I took it off on the weekend, dumped the air out of it and "bingo", it sucked fully in on itself. At least I know where all the leaking air was going now - to the wrong side of the piston.
So in conclusion I'm a little unsure on Manitou shocks now. My first SPV 3 Way was extremely reliable. This second one leaves me puzzled, not so much with the seal issue, but also that from day one it had a small assembly problem. Also the shock has a SPV lockout/bypass(??) lever, but to this day I can not find a manaul on their website that notes how this lever is to be used. Perhaps I was just unlucky, as I'm sure they sell thousands of these shock every year. When they work, they are well priced and work well, but I'm a little disappointed at present. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Soki
a Weekend Warrior
from Ellensburg WA USA
Date Reviewed: May 23, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$105.00 | | Purchased At: | Good old Ebay | | Strengths: | Good adjustments for the cost. Easy to use and set up. | | Weaknesses: | Bottoms out a bit. | | Similar Products Used: | Rock Shock Deluxe Pro, Fox Float R | | Bike Setup: | Mongoose Tocali, SR SunTrour Duro E, SR SunTour Cranks, BigEarl bars, Race light stem, wiennman rims... | | Bottom Line: | Its a good air shock and the first one I have ever owned. So far so good, but Im a bit worried about the bottoming out on it. Odds are I haven't set it up 100% right yet. But it gets me to work and back so Im happy. Does well on smooth trails with smaller jumps and bumps. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Doug
a Cross Country Rider
from Greater Boston
Date Reviewed: April 30, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$170.00 | | Purchased At: | eBay | | Strengths: | SWINGER 3-WAY: Adjustablity, plushness, pedaling platform | | Weaknesses: | SWINGER 3-WAY: None so far. Might leak a little air, but nothing I've really noticed. | | Similar Products Used: | X-fusion RPV2 | | Bike Setup: | Specialized FSRxc, Rock Shox Revelation 426 dual air, Truvative Team bars, stem, seatpost, XT drivetrain, Hayes MX1 brakes, XT hubs/Mavic xc717 rims. | | Bottom Line: | SWINGER 3-WAY:
This is a trememdous upgrade from the stock X-fusion shock that came with my 05 Specialized. The pedaling platform negative air chamber adjustment works great..better than I thought. Once you hit a bump it becomes a really plush (but not squishy) ride. You can get up off the seat and hammer pretty well up hills depending on how high you set the air pressure. Rebound dampening works well. Holds air well, lightweight. Pick one up. Its well worth it. I had some trouble at the LBS getting a bushing set, but I called X-Fusion and they sent me the parts I needed and they fit nicely into the Swinger. Not sure this is entirely how things work, but I was able to make it work. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mtn rider
a
from cornvalley
Date Reviewed: February 15, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | goride | | Strengths: | SPV
durability
great feel through travel
Very tunable | | Weaknesses: | cost
out of the box spv air valve leaked when attached to pump | | Similar Products Used: | cloud nine
vanilla | | Bike Setup: | faux bar FS, minute 1 in front, swinger 4 way in back. | | Bottom Line: | Yes this shock was expensive, but it totally transformed the way my bike climbs and descends. I think it was worth every penny.
SPV if for real, works great, allows you to firm up the rear for efficient climbing, yet oh so plush on the descents.
Sure the spv air valve leaked straight out of the box, but a call to manitou CS and I had a replacement air valve in less than a week.
Since then its been ridden aggressively for over two years w/o service and I have had no problems.
No their products are not perfect (had some problems with the minute too), but manitou CS was great in helping me sort out the bugs and since its been all good.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Doug
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego
Date Reviewed: December 19, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Stock on my Giant Reign | | Strengths: | No real strengths to speak of | | Weaknesses: | SPV chamber leaks air constantly. In order to reduce BOB, air pressures have to be so high that small bump compliance suffers. At least on the Giant Reign, the SPV valve is nearly impossible to get to.
| | Similar Products Used: | Fox Float, Fox Vanilla coil | | Bike Setup: | Giant Reign | | Bottom Line: | This review is for the Swinger 3 Way:
This came stock on my Giant Reign and I am not very impressed. It was a pain to set-up initially. Not impossible by any means, but it took a lot of experimenting to find the sweet spot. I prefer the ease of the Fox Float as far as set-up goes.
The red capped SPV chamber leaks air constantly. I have to pump it up before every ride. Also, to eliminate BOB, small bump compliance suffers a great deal. On my other bike equipped with a Fox Float, I can have both. Not so with the Swinger. At least on the Giant Reign, the SPV valve is nearly impossible to get to. Not a negative for the shock itself, but something to think about if the fit is going to be tight.
Also, the Swinger seems to blow through its travel very quickly--at least on Giant's Maestro suspension. I don't feel like I even have 5", let alone the 6" I'm supposed to have.
Don't get me wrong. The shock works OK. It feels plush and pretty stable as far as BOB goes. If you don't mind checking the air pressure before every ride, ruining 2-3 rides while you figure out the set-up and loosing a bit of small bump compliance, then get this shock.
If you want an easy "set it and forget it" system that is efficient yet soaks up the small stuff--get a Fox Float. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
cameron ventura
a Downhiller
from melbourne
Date Reviewed: December 1, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1450.00 | | Purchased At: | came on my raceline | | Strengths: | Ummmm...... everything. the rebound is awesome, plenty of travel and does the job well | | Weaknesses: | hmmmm.... rebound dosent work when there is no air pumped into the air chamber, as it should (the suspension shouldnt be ridden without air in it, | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | 2005 raceline extreme pro, manitou swinger rear suspension, 2005 rock shoz boxxer race | | Bottom Line: | Awesome rear suspension | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Wallace
a Weekend Warrior
from Tucson
Date Reviewed: October 1, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Plush | | Weaknesses: | Sticks down. | | Similar Products Used: | Fox | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | The four way has an issue with them getting stuck down. I bought my son and I each a VT 1. The 4 way came stock. First ride out my shock got stuck in the down position. LBS gave me a loaner Manitou fixed original. A year later my son's bike had the same issue. I met another guy with a VT 1 and he said he had the same problem with his 4 way. This shock has issues it should be recalled!!! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Collin
a Cross Country Rider
from SC
Date Reviewed: September 7, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | No bobbing with a nice plush ride. Set up was a breeze thanks to Cannondale's set up guide | | Weaknesses: | Started leaking at about 1 1/2 years...Manitou service center say it needs to be rebuilt once a year because SPV valve gets contaminated | | Similar Products Used: | Fox vanilla and alps 4 | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale Prophet 1000 | | Bottom Line: | Lots of plush travel, bob-free. I would like it to be a little more maintenance free. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
RBeller
a Weekend Warrior
from Fort Collins
Date Reviewed: August 4, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Wathan | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Came with Bike | | Strengths: | Easy to set up; good instructions; great adjustability and shock absorption; no maintenance issues | | Weaknesses: | None yet. | | Bike Setup: | 2005 Cannondale Prophet 4-cross Team Replica with Marzocchi Z1 forks | | Bottom Line: | For all-mountain use, I have nothing to complain about. I followed the setup instructions exactly, and it's stable climbing hills, with no bob, supple on small bumps, and has never bottomed out on larger rocks and drops. By way of comparison, I wish my Marzocchi Z1 forks were nearly as good, because the only bumps I feel are in front. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SharkRider
a Cross Country Rider
from Fremont, CA
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | All trails that allow bikes | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$150.00 | | Purchased At: | eBay, but not really | | Strengths: | Highly customizable. Never bottoms out. Plush with bob-resistance. | | Weaknesses: | A little complicated at first to set up, but makes sense later. | | Similar Products Used: | Manitou 3-way | | Bike Setup: | Giant VT3 frame, Juicy 5, SRAM X.0/9 drivetrain (except for LX FD), WTB Laser Disc w/ Mavic XC717 | | Bottom Line: | I had the 3-way initially with the frame, but opted to get a 4-way, and topped it with Manitou's No Tools Volume Adjust.
I love the ride of the 3-way. At 170lbs., I set mine (like someone earlier) at 150 PSI in the main, and 90 PSI in the SPV, rebound a click or two on the fast side, and that gives me the platform AND the plush ride I love, without the pogo affect.
I "upgraded" to the 4-way to add additional adjustability, and complemented it with the No Tools, and man, it is such a blast! I flip between all 4 settings depending on the type of trails I am anticipating. Now I feel so much more in controle and stable in the real with the progressive travel coming off of jumps! The slight weight penalty is worth it!
Be patient and understand the relationship between the SPV and the air spring, as you will find an infinite number of options to dial in your ride.
The 3-way is recommended for the XC rider, while the 4-way is for the rider that wants some insurance against bottoming out from big hits, as well as a little progressive feel like custom springs on a car! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob
a Cross Country Rider
from Murrieta, CA
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | came with bike | | Strengths: | Smooth adjustable reliable durable holds air well | | Weaknesses: | weight, takes the room away for bottle cage | | Similar Products Used: | DHX AIR | | Bike Setup: | Intense 5.5 Fox float ID | | Bottom Line: | I have beaten this shock for a couple of years now with no Issues at all. I tried the DHX Air and did not like it much. The shock has been set it and forget it | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nathaniel Williams
a Weekend Warrior
from Lynnfield,mass,usa
Date Reviewed: March 3, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Any rocky,rooty, hard trail. (LYNN WOODS) | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | REI (came w/bike, paid $580) | | Strengths: | Spv does it's job. It is not like a Terrilogic fork but, it makes the shock controled so it does not feel like a po-go stick. Holds air.
I like it. | | Weaknesses: | Does not eliminate bobbing.
Does leak oil, drips from rebound adj. And oil marks on the air sleeve.
The $$$ for those who buy it aftermarket.
| | Similar Products Used: | RP3, save your hard earned money. Anything is better than that. | | Bike Setup: |
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