If you take a couple steps back and look at the advancements in mountain bike technology that have happened in the last few years, you’ll see an astonishing amount of progress. Think about it: You don’t need many fingers to count the bike brands without carbon-fibre offerings; 1x drivetrains are the norm, not the exception; bikes without dropper posts are more or less limited to dedicated XC and DH racers; and your garden variety, solid-pedaling trail and enduro bikes are more capable descenders than full-blown downhill race bikes of the early 2000s. Yet despite the sport’s progression, frame and suspension manufacturers continued to hold on to modes of thinking that were, frankly, outdated.
So, when RockShox asked its engineers to significantly raise the level of performance and durability in its trail and enduro rear-shock offerings, it gave those engineers a clean sheet of paper from which to start.
Sure, the notion of starting from a “clean slate” has become a bit of a worn-out cliché in marketing parlance, but a clean sheet of paper — the removing of extraneous boundaries — can unleash an engineer to make magic happen.
The Metric System
To explain it as simply as possible, ever since mountain bike manufacturers started building full-suspension bicycles, the process has been to design the frame and linkage first, and let the shock company finish the equation — literally and figuratively. The system worked, obviously, as evidenced by the hundreds of incredible new bikes available each year for at least the past several model years. But that doesn’t mean that there couldn’t be a better way to do things.
RockShox engineers suggested a metric solution: rational sizing, with even, logical steps between eye-to-eye and stroke, a new relationship between eye-to-eye and stroke, and new mounting options. Implementing these suggestions meant that bike manufacturers would themselves have to question the system that had worked well enough for so many years, and agree that there could be a better way to approach suspension.
Luckily, many of the world’s biggest and most exciting mountain bike manufacturers came onboard with the idea, which is no small ask, considering the fact that existing bike designs would need to be reengineered to work with the new shock sizing.
If the story stopped right here, we’d have enough to celebrate. Simplifying the eye-to-eye to stroke relationship and paring down the insane amount of mounting hardware to a reasonable level is enough to make shop mechanics everywhere breathe a sigh of relief. But the point of changing the approach was really all about performance.
Fighting Friction
The new, metric-sized Deluxe and Super Deluxe benefit from greater bushing overlap on all moving elements of the shock. This is significant in the fact that it increases lateral stiffness, which, in turn, helps to decrease friction.
For sure, friction is a vague thing — not easily measurable when it comes to suspension. Everyone inherently understands that friction is the force that allows their mountain bike to go, stop and turn, but not everyone understands the negative effects it has on suspension — beyond, perhaps, friction-wear. The fact is that air springs and dampers are forced to compensate for friction in a rear-suspension system. Reducing friction in the system wherever possible allows both spring and damper to work more freely, which makes the bike’s rear-end more responsive — which increases traction and control.
While on the subject of friction reduction, the RockShox engineers examined the rotational friction at the shock mounts. Typical vertical- and horizontal-mount systems rotate 70-120 degrees at the link end. For some bike designs, the addition of a bearing-mount option increases suspension responsiveness dramatically, so the new Deluxe and Super Deluxe will be available in standard bushing-mount and bearing-mount models.
As a bonus, less friction also means greater durability. So, the engineers looked at ways to beef up durability elsewhere. The change in the eye-to-eye to stroke relationship allowed the use of a new, more robust scraper seal, which helps lower the amount of required maintenance, and helps improve performance across a greater temperature range.
Ride
But numbers, durability and talk of friction mean nothing if the ride quality is missing. RockShox added its Counter Measure spring to the two new metric shocks. Borrowed from gravity-focused siblings Vivid and Vivid Air, the spring works to drop the shock’s initial breakaway force, which adds to the supple feel on small bumps. Deluxe and Super Deluxe also feature dedicated DebonAir chassis — another check mark in the small-bump sensitivity column. And finally, these new shocks benefit from Bottomless Token air volume tuning.
Is it all worth it? Do we need change? RockShox employees are admittedly biased toward the new products, but there have been reports of smashed personal records — even in adverse weather conditions — and small trail debris simply disappearing. Believe that or not, if change means a shock that works better, longer and makes more sense, then the answer is yes.
A new approach in rear shock design
How did we get to the current stroke and eye to eye offerings?
As frame manufacturers pushed the limits of frame design new rear shock sizes were created without broad consultation within the industry, resulting in a complicated offering with many overlaps and performance compromises.
How did we get to the current hardware and mounting options?
Same process described previously. There are currently almost 90 varieties of rear shock hardware being used in the industry.
How are frame designers interfacing with rear shocks?
Bushings, bearings, proprietary mounting systems.
How much performance are we leaving on the table as a result of these compromises that have accumulated over the years?
A lot. This is why we adopted a new approach to rear shock design.
Goals
Starting from a blank slate allowed us to establish ambitious goals:
- Performance: How do we build the best possible rear shock?
- Integration: How do we improve the integration of rear shocks into frame designs?
Performance
Performance Achievement 1: Bushing overlap
Starting with a blank slate allowed us to extend bushing overlap between the moving elements of the shock. This greatly reduces system friction under load. Riders benefit from this with:
- better traction
- responsiveness
- increased durability
Air can bushing – 33% more overlap
Piston/sealhead bushing – 90% more overlap
Performance Achievement 2: Improved scraper
Seal consistency is critical for rear shock performance and longevity. The increase in eye-to-eye per stroke created through Metric Sizing allows Deluxe and Super Deluxe to feature an improved scraper seal resulting in the following benefits:
- less maintenance
- increased long term durability
- better performance in cold temperatures
Performance Achievement 3: Counter measure
Introduced in 2013 on Vivid and Vivid Air and highly acclaimed for its effects on shock performance at top-out, the Counter Measure spring works to oppose the effect of the IFP pressure, effectively lowering the initial breakaway force.
Performance Achievement 4: Rationalized Spring System
Introduced in 2014, the DebonAir air can option for Monarch and Monarch Plus was a stepping stone in improving the performance and feel of air shocks on all kinds of bikes. Deluxe and Super Deluxe take this to the next level by incorporating DebonAir in the air can design without any added weight or complexity.
The air volume tuning system on Deluxe and Super Deluxe capitalizes on RockShox’s Bottomless Tokens technology, adapting it to its rear shock platform in a clean and easy to use format.
Integration
Integration Achievement 1: Mounting System
“Typical” vertical mount:
- Higher rotation at shaft eyelet (70-120 degrees)
- Recommend use of Trunnion mount or shaft end bearing mount
- Shaft end bearing mount is recommended to reduce overall suspension friction
- Trunnion mount can reduce overall length by 25mm to allow for lower top tube height
“Typical” horizontal mount:
- Higher rotation at body eyelet (70-120 degrees)
- Recommended use of body end bearing mount to reduce overall suspension friction
The Trunnion mount allows for a shorter eye to eye length while maintaining a specific stroke size (25mm overall length reduction over standard or bearing mount). Benefits are significant for smaller frame sizes, women specific models and bikes that are designed for low standover height.
- Designed to be used in conjunction with frame mounted bearings at the mounting bolts.
- Bearings eliminate friction caused by pivot rotation.
- Smoother shock action resulting in better traction and responsiveness.
- Available at both body and shaft ends.
Integration Achievement 2: Metric Sizing
Is this a new rear shock standard? No. It’s a new set of sizes for rear shocks, developed and agreed upon by suspension and frame manufacturers, starting from a blank slate and with the sole purpose of allowing suspension manufacturers to create better rear shocks and frame designers to build better bikes.
New MY17 RockShox Super Deluxe and Deluxe
Super Deluxe
The directive was simple. Engineer a shock that does for rear-suspension performance what Pike did for forks. Simple? Don’t bet on it. A gamble? Absolutely. It required a complete change in the way we approach shock design. It meant focusing on performance first and leaving old constraints behind. And it gave us a clear path to develop the world’s lowest-friction shock — Super Deluxe. Metric sizing gives Super Deluxe significantly increased bushing overlap, which, together with a sophisticated new bushing profile, virtually eliminates friction in the shock. A new damper holds the shock high in its stroke and offers unparalleled traction. Unshackled from the old obstacles of shock design, Super Deluxe is free to tackle new ones — on the trail. This changes everything.
RockShox Super Deluxe RC3
RockShox Super Deluxe R
Things to remember:
- Metric sizing and a sophisticated new bushing design allows this to be the lowest-friction rear shock we have ever made.
- Super Deluxe has three independently tunable compression settings.
- Increased bushing overlap allows for better sealing and decreased friction.
- Mounting options: Trunnion mount, bearing mount, Standard DU.
Features and benefits:
- Features increased bushing overlap and new bushing design which decreases friction, also increasing on-trail performance and overall durability.
- New scraper seal technology increases durability, improves performance in colder temperatures and lengthens the intervals between required maintenance.
Technologies:
Solo Air™
Rapid Recovery™ System
Sag Gradients™
Metric Sizing™
Deluxe
RockShox Deluxe RT3
RockShox Deluxe RT
How do you improve on the success of a rear shock that has received critical acclaim for its stellar performance and supple feel? It’s Simple. You rewrite the rules, throw existing design constraints out the window and focus solely on the best possible performance solution. We took the proven damping performance of our popular Monarch series and introduced it to our new metric-sized chassis. The result is truly Deluxe. With the incredible feel of DebonAir as its standard-bearer and three new mounting options, our new Deluxe is ready to redefine your ride.
Things to remember:
- Metric sizing.
- Incorporates proven damping performance of Monarch.
- Mounting options: Trunnion mount, bearing mount, Standard DU.
RockShox Deluxe RL
RockShox Deluxe R
Features and benefits:
- Increased bushing overlap and sophisticated new bushing design decreases friction, which increases performance and durability.
- New scraper seal technology increases durability, improves performance in colder temperatures and lengthens the intervals between required maintenance.
Technologies:
Solo Air™
Rapid Recovery™ System
Sag Gradients™
Metric Sizing™
