# suspension dilemma - avalanche vs. push



## ak pura vida (Dec 15, 2008)

ok, i know everyone has their own opinion but i'll ask anyway...

i am riding an 08 canfield diggle with an dhx-5.0 and am not satisfied with the performance of the 5. i thought i had decided to go with the push mx tune b/c it offers both high and low speed compression adjustments (along with everything else) over the avalanche option since it only offered a low speed compression adjustment (along with the rest of the tune). but after watching the website and talking with push directly the mx tune is not currently available and they don' t know when it will be available. after a second look at the avalanche site and then talking with them i am reconsidering. i was really impressed with how long avalanche (forgot the guys name already) spent on the phone with me explaining to me how their tune worked. after the phone conversation he had me convinced the avalanche tune was as good, if not better than the mx tune which isn't even available right now. as far as price goes for the same $200 the avalanche tune pretty much blows away the push tune, IMO. and for what is available right now the avalanche is an easy choice. but what would others do? wait for the mx tune, which has an unknown release date, or go with the avalanche tune that is available now and could be on my bike long before summer riding hits here? i guess i'm leaning towards the avalanche right now and am looking for opinions as to why i am wrong (or right). thanks

pv


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## Moosey (May 18, 2010)

i got my old 5th element on my M1 avalanched. It was awesome. Craig is a great guy, always replied quickly, was very nice and fast too. I would use them again just because of customer service. I have never had anything pushed though so I cant offer an opinion on that. But i can say that avalanche is amazing and made my shock feel 100x better.

Where's Bullcrew?


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## daisycutter (Sep 18, 2005)

Go with avy


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## man w/ one hand (Dec 29, 2003)

daisycutter said:


> Go with avy


+1 I have a PUSH'd DHX and while it is "better", it just feelz like itz lacking something. I say this after riding a CCDB coil for 2 yrs & I haven't ridden anything else thats close to it....CCDB Air "suppposed to be here today".....


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## dtc81 (Apr 7, 2008)

Both companies are great in my experiences, but I'll give the nod to Avalanche. I had my Fox RL fork on my XC bike serviced by Push, and when I got the fork back it rode great for a few rides then seemed to get "sticky." I called Push and they got me on the phone with the tech who did my rebuild and he said throw it back in the box and ship it back and they'll resize the bushings and do whatever it needs. The tech did it the same day he received it (literally at 7pm) and had it back to me overnighted free of charge. It felt better than factory from then on out. Their customer service is awesome, and whenever someone wants a rebuild on a stock unit I recommend Push. Avy is in the same boat with customer service. Craig is easy to get on the phone and is always more than happy to explain what, why, and when they're doing things to your shock/fork. I had my Sunday's 5th Element rebuilt with Avy internals, and all I can say is holy crap what an amazing little shock. I could go on about how responsive it is etc but in the end, it was worth every penny and I think you should go that route. If I had the extra dough I'd have their cartridge in my Boxxer. I've ridden their DHS shock and DHF-8 fork on a friend's bike and the performance is awesome. Their work and customer service is second to none. Straight rebuild, not looking for any real "extra" tuning options? Push. High end, custom valving, little extra rider "input" throughout the rebuild process, gold standard work? Avy. Hope it helps


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## rc777 (Aug 30, 2010)

I have no experience with Push, so I can´t comment on them.

I did send my old DHX 5.0 to Avalanche for the SSD upgrade, and am very happy with the results so far. Definately an improvement over the the old DHX.
Before that I got the Avy cartridge for my 888, and was also thrilled with the results.

I would definately recommend Avalanche.


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## _rich_ (Jan 22, 2004)

i'd go with AVY too 
I've been riding nothing but Avalanche suspension for years and Craigs work is second to NONE !!!!!
I also have a friend who just had their DHX5 done by Craig and is EXTREMELY happy with it 

I've heard great things about push, so i'm not knocking their work...It's just that I've used Craigs work and can honestly tell you it's amazing


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## saturnine (Mar 28, 2007)

go with the better priced option.


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## ak pura vida (Dec 15, 2008)

thanks for the replies and opinions. right now it is a no brainer to go with the ava since the push mx tune isn't available. just trying to decide if the mx tune will be worth the wait and extra cash. right now it doesn't sound like it. in fact craig told me push's original mx tune was using his high/low adjuster and then they decided to make their own. don't know what that means, it is what it is. but craig also said he doesn't offer the high speed adjustment anymore b/c there is fitment issues with some frames and the focus should really be in setting up the correct shim stack internally. the clicker provides adjustment but is more of a band aid b/c of putting pressure on the outside of the shim stack... and at that point his tech talk went over my head unfortunately.

pv


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## genemk (Sep 15, 2009)

CCDB if you can swing it. Everyone that rides one loves it.


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## ak pura vida (Dec 15, 2008)

don't want to spend that much. its either the ava or push upgrade.

pv


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## beefmagic (Sep 17, 2005)

All great companies with somewhat different tuning philosphies. I've had shocks pushed and also have had an avy chubie on two different bikes (currently own a ccdbair, too just to try it out). 

It all depends on your preferences and what you ask for since they tune it specifically for you. I would give the nod to AVY in terms of pure performance, but other things can factor into your decision.


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## dbabuser (Jan 5, 2004)

genemk said:


> CCDB if you can swing it. Everyone that rides one loves it.


Dunno why you'd spend so much to get a heavier shock that's not tuned for you and your bike. Sure it's super adjustable, but that just means it will take you longer to get it dialed and still might not be ideal for your bike/ weight/ riding style.

I've had two shocks pushed and my dh bike is avy internals front/ rear, and I'd say you can't go wrong with either, unless one is a lot more money or not currently available. :thumbsup:


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## ak pura vida (Dec 15, 2008)

that's pretty much exactly what i was thinking. i think i've pretty much decided to give avy a try. i'm actually surprised how many votes for avy there is over push. (and that is without even bullcrew posting... (no offense intended) ) expected more people voting for push. they do nice work but i think avy offers more of what i am looking for. now the question becomes do i also go for the avy upgrade cartridge for the 40...

pv


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## bullcrew (Jan 2, 2005)

ak pura vida said:


> that's pretty much exactly what i was thinking. i think i've pretty much decided to give avy a try. i'm actually surprised how many votes for avy there is over push. (and that is without even bullcrew posting... (no offense intended) ) expected more people voting for push. they do nice work but i think avy offers more of what i am looking for. now the question becomes do i also go for the avy upgrade cartridge for the 40...
> 
> pv


None taken lol......:thumbsup:


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## man w/ one hand (Dec 29, 2003)

dbabuser said:


> Dunno why you'd spend so much to get a heavier shock that's not tuned for you and your bike. Sure it's super adjustable, but that just means it will take you longer to get it dialed and still might not be ideal for your bike/ weight/ riding style.
> 
> I've had two shocks pushed and my dh bike is avy internals front/ rear, and I'd say you can't go wrong with either, unless one is a lot more money or not currently available. :thumbsup:


After havin' a coupl'a yrs ridin time on a CCDB coil & have ridden a DHX (stock & the same shock PUSH'd) I can easily say the DHX no matter what tune/rebuild, doesn't feel no where near as good as the CCDB coil. The CCDB coil is basically an oil-bath shock that is buttery smooth for me & the Nomad & VP Free I have ridden it on. Heavy - yep, takes awhile to dial in - yep, but it does exactly what I want it to - *ride without any shock concerns & enjoy every minute of it.* :thumbsup:


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## genemk (Sep 15, 2009)

I went with CCDB because it's not tied to a certain frame and certain riding style. It is super plush, feels great AND allows you to customize it however you want it so you can experiment with different options. Also, I don't know where all this fear of tuning is coming from. If you know the basics of suspension tuning it shouldn't be hard at all. I spent probably a couple days messing with it a bit every couple runs and haven't touched it since. I used to mess with my fork way more than that because I couldn't get it set up to where it felt great. All the adjustments on the CCDB are independent of each other so a few clicks this way or that on each knob and I was done.

I'm sure the Avy tune will be great too so not knocking on that. Have fun!


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## dbabuser (Jan 5, 2004)

man w/ one hand said:


> After havin' a coupl'a yrs ridin time on a CCDB coil & have ridden a DHX (stock & the same shock PUSH'd) I can easily say the DHX no matter what tune/rebuild, doesn't feel no where near as good as the CCDB coil. The CCDB coil is basically an oil-bath shock that is buttery smooth for me & the Nomad & VP Free I have ridden it on. Heavy - yep, takes awhile to dial in - yep, but it does exactly what I want it to - *ride without any shock concerns & enjoy every minute of it.* :thumbsup:


I've never had a DHX pushed, so no idea how they compare. But how many different Push tunes did you try? That's the great thing about Push or Avy, you're not buying a shock, you're buying a service, and they'll keep working with you until you're happy. Now, if you want to spend the extra money and don't mind the extra weight (without the wait), then maybe a CCDB is the better option for you.


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## ak pura vida (Dec 15, 2008)

that is what i was wondering, which push tune did you go with. although i'm sure it would be an improvement over stock, from what they describe, i don't see anything besides maybe the mx tune, which is not currently available, making a very significant difference. better but not huge. i am now on my way to go back and re-read (in more detail this time) the thread where bullcrew and the push guy debated/discussed the differences between the avy and push tunes.

pv


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## man w/ one hand (Dec 29, 2003)

ak pura vida said:


> that is what i was wondering, which push tune did you go with. although i'm sure it would be an improvement over stock, from what they describe, i don't see anything besides maybe the mx tune, which is not currently available, making a very significant difference. better but not huge. i am now on my way to go back and re-read (in more detail this time) the thread where bullcrew and the push guy debated/discussed the differences between the avy and push tunes.
> 
> pv


My PUSH'd was th mx tune, (just after it was 1st offered).


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## ak pura vida (Dec 15, 2008)

man w/ one hand said:


> My PUSH'd was th mx tune, (just after it was 1st offered).


thanks, that's good to know. makes it a lot more comparable. i have heard nothing but great things about the ccdb, just not willing to spend that much right now/on this bike. maybe on my next frame....???

pv


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## bullcrew (Jan 2, 2005)

dbabuser said:


> I've never had a DHX pushed, so no idea how they compare. But how many different Push tunes did you try? That's the great thing about Push or Avy, you're not buying a shock, you're buying a service, and they'll keep working with you until you're happy. Now, if you want to spend the extra money and don't mind the extra weight (without the wait), then maybe a CCDB is the better option for you.


Its more than a service they are both re-engineering and replacing stuff inside and changing the shock as a whole and not too far off a ccdb, its speed sensative so are these they are great shocks I've had em but the new dhx mod is more than a service and its on par with top tier shocks.
Ccdb is a impressive shock for sure loved mine more than a crop of different stuff I was riding and trying but not tons over the modded dhx the shock is a totally different beast when done.
Plus with added reservoir lengths and internal shims the avalanche tune dials it in and gets oil volume issues taken care of for different linkaged bikes.

And for the record on the fox 40....very nice and smooth.


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## ak pura vida (Dec 15, 2008)

yeah, after talking with craig i'm really considering the 40 upgrade too. i'll start with the shock and go from there. so bullcrew, when you upgrade to a new jedi, you going to sell me your current one??  (actually i'm kinda serious...)

pv


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## ak pura vida (Dec 15, 2008)

so someone pm'ed me and asked me to link to the previous discussion talking about avy and push. great info so i thought i'd link to it here.

http://forums.mtbr.com/downhill-freeride/fox-dhx-4-0-5-0-ssd-custom-mod-tuning-avalanche-757423.html

the only thing i would add is that after talking to push earlier in the week they still don't know when the mx tune is going to be available unfortunately.

pv


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## ak pura vida (Dec 15, 2008)

so my "last" question is how much of a difference does having a high speed external adjustment make? how important is that adjustment? from my admittedly limited knowledge/understanding about the details of how a shock works, but i would think that having a high speed adjustment would be preferred over low speed? i say this b/c when i'm riding a techy trail i can turn down the high speed for more small bump compliance. then when i switch over to a-line/jump line then i can crank it up for the bigger hits. how am i thinking wrong? thanks

pv


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## ak pura vida (Dec 15, 2008)

ak pura vida said:


> yeah, after talking with craig i'm really considering the 40 upgrade too. i'll start with the shock and go from there. so bullcrew, when you upgrade to a new jedi, you going to sell me your current one??  (actually i'm kinda serious...)
> 
> pv


or are you on a sunday now?


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## bullcrew (Jan 2, 2005)

ak pura vida said:


> or are you on a sunday now?


Yeah I've been beating on a Sunday for almost a year love it, great bike. I'll be on the new CANFIELD one and Jedi soon. Also going to slap a leg over the KHS dh300 and another bike to get a feel for em this season.


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## ak pura vida (Dec 15, 2008)

right on. buddy rides a sunday, nice bike. would really like to upgrade my diggle to a jedi but can't justify the cost right now. back to topic now...

pv


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## evasive (Feb 18, 2005)

Do you know or can you say why the MX tunes are out of stock? When they were out a couple years ago it was when they were moving from getting the parts from Avalanche to machining in house, which made sense. But once they got the machines up and running, I was surprised to see that go off the menu again. I haven't seen any chatter in the suspension forum about it, like I did in 2010.

I ask b/c I have a DHX-3 sitting in a parts bin, and a MX tune seems like a pretty good way of making a silk purse out of a sow's ear.


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## ak pura vida (Dec 15, 2008)

they didn't get into specifics but said something about the cnc machine busy with other parts. but i get the sense it might be something else or something more. in the thread i linked to early a post from push dated in mid december said it would be a couple weeks. when i called them the first time some point in january they said it would be a couple/few weeks. when i talked to them last week they didn't give a time frame but only said this year. and i believe the mx tune has been out of stock for over a year now? not positive on this though.

pv


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## ak pura vida (Dec 15, 2008)

any thoughts/comments/opinions on my high/low adjustment comments above?

pv


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## mullen119 (Aug 30, 2009)

ak pura vida said:


> any thoughts/comments/opinions on my high/low adjustment comments above?
> 
> pv


I have been waiting on getting my shock pushed to get the MX tune. To me, the external HSC adjustment and lighter bridge are worth the extra money. I feel like I would use the HSC adjustment more then the LSC. That said, the MX tune being out of stock for so long is getting annoying. Im not in a huge hurry, but the date keeps getting pushed back. Riding season is almost here and I wont send it in and miss riding time.


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## lalocotequinta (Mar 28, 2007)

Have a pushed Roco TST on it's 3rd year and love it, night and day from stock. With that been said, I would not hesitate to send my shocks to Avy, why? just because Craig treated me right when I sent a Roco WC to him and although I ended up no having him work on it (needed a new shaft which brought the price out of budget), he was very cool about it.
On the other hand, just as a lot of dudes praise the super expensive CCDB, I can't but highly recommend the Elka 5 stage, it is a superb shock and their CS is excellent.


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## bullcrew (Jan 2, 2005)

mullen119 said:


> I have been waiting on getting my shock pushed to get the MX tune. To me, the external HSC adjustment and lighter bridge are worth the extra money. I feel like I would use the HSC adjustment more then the LSC. That said, the MX tune being out of stock for so long is getting annoying. Im not in a huge hurry, but the date keeps getting pushed back. Riding season is almost here and I wont send it in and miss riding time.


Once your set as far as valving its a pretty open range and easy to get in the ball park, low speed is for fine tuning and spring rate/preload are other factors that a good custom tune has taken into account for as riding style and bikes leverage all of which avalanche accounts for and tunes .
30+ years in 2 wheeled suspension design, engineering and tuning he has a pretty solid grasp on it as well as explains whys and hows very well to the average guy.

Just so we have a better grasp of riding and experience here what type of riding/racing do you do?

Free ride gaps, DJ, slopstyle, rocky terrain racing etc... I just think it helps out knowing what desciple of riding we are looking at from experience and help.:thumbsup:


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## mullen119 (Aug 30, 2009)

When did Push do work on Marzochhi products?


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## mullen119 (Aug 30, 2009)

bullcrew said:


> Once your set as far as valving its a pretty open range and easy to get in the ball park, low speed is for fine tuning and spring rate/preload are other factors that a good custom tune has taken into account for as riding style and bikes leverage all of which avalanche accounts for and tunes .
> 30+ years in 2 wheeled suspension design, engineering and tuning he has a pretty solid grasp on it as well as explains whys and hows very well to the average guy.
> 
> Just so we have a better grasp of riding and experience here what type of riding/racing do you do?
> ...


I do every everything from lift access DH riding to local XC trails and everything in between, All on the same bike. I have a pretty decent amount of knowledge on suspension and do most of my suspension work myself. But there is only so much you can do with simple shim stack changes and thats why my shock will make its way to Push or Avalanche eventually. I am not in a huge hurry at this point.


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## bullcrew (Jan 2, 2005)

mullen119 said:


> I do every everything from lift access DH riding to local XC trails and everything in between, All on the same bike. I have a pretty decent amount of knowledge on suspension and do most of my suspension work myself. But there is only so much you can do with simple shim stack changes and thats why my shock will make its way to Push or Avalanche eventually. I am not in a huge hurry at this point.


Cool yeah not calling you out I'm not one to be negative or aggressive my point is that I had a buddy who did xc set up a fork for me a few years ago when I started out and i whaded up off a drop front was so far from being close I was done. Started in on doing my stuff and having craig do it, I've spent more time at bilstein valving my race truck shocks and prerunners and with mx, crawlers and bmwcca cars I know more than i want but i do know although they share similar needs they vary with each category.

(See I felt like I asked you blunt vs. Worded correctly so you know )


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## mullen119 (Aug 30, 2009)

bullcrew said:


> Cool yeah not calling you out I'm not one to be negative or aggressive my point is that I had a buddy who did xc set up a fork for me a few years ago when I started out and i whaded up off a drop front was so far from being close I was done. Started in on doing my stuff and having craig do it, I've spent more time at bilstein valving my race truck shocks and prerunners and with mx, crawlers and bmwcca cars I know more than i want but i do know although they share similar needs they vary with each category.
> 
> (See I felt like I asked you blunt vs. Worded correctly so you know )


Its cool. I see both sides to the Avalanche vs. Push debate. IMO, Push factory tune is good,, but if your going to spend 200 bucks, the Avalanche kit gives you more for the money. The Push MX tune takes it a step farther, but depending on what you are looking for/need, it may not be worth the extra 100 bucks. In my case, the riding I do varies so much, I think I would benefit from the extra external adjustment of the Push MX tune(and I wouldnt mind loosing a little bit of weight for XC riding, 38.5# bikes and XC dont get along very well)


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## lalocotequinta (Mar 28, 2007)

mullen119 said:


> When did Push do work on Marzochhi products?


Up until 3 years ago, was told they were having problems with Marz being able to provide parts (that's when they were transitioning ownership), that affecting turn around time. In fact that was the reason I decided to go for the Elka. Zocchi not only wanted too much for a crappy/week shaft, but they didn't had them in stock and didn't even know when would they have them.


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## ifouiripilay (Nov 11, 2005)

I have a pushed mx tune generation 2 as well as the Avy ssd mod on too different applications so I can't really compare. But both provide custom valving and an impressive improvement over the stock dhx.

The mx tune is on a 5 spot and the Avy ssd on a highline. Like yourself I was holding out for the new mx tune but after countless eta date changes and Avy finally making the ssd option available, I decided to try the ssd. No regrets so far on the Avy.

You won't regret either upgrade. But I wouldn't bother waiting for push. Their lost not making the product available for those who want it.


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## ak pura vida (Dec 15, 2008)

yeah, i have pretty much decided i'm not going to wait for push. i don't want to miss out on any riding. if you were asking, for me, the only lift access i have available locally is much more techie than jumpy or flowy, unfortunately. but during our yearly trip to whistler we pretty much spend our entire time on blue velvet, dirt merchant, aline, etc.

so, to ask another way, if it is a choice between one or the other, why do suspension tuners choose to offer low speed adjustment over high speed adjustment?

pv


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## rc777 (Aug 30, 2010)

FWIW, from my experience with the SSD upgrade I can say that I do not miss the high speed adjuster. 

I found that Craigs settings were pretty much spot on. Keep in mind that you are ordering a customized shock tuned for your linkage, weight and riding style so there won´t be a need to constantly fiddle with adjusters.
Just make sure you provide Craig with the necessary backround info for your tuning.


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## ak pura vida (Dec 15, 2008)

i will definitely give him all the info when i send it in and from the comments i'm sure i will notice a significant improvement. going to call him one more time before i ship it out but it should be going out shortly. my question (latest one anyway) was more of a theory question or at least to help me better understand the theory/logic.

pv


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## ak pura vida (Dec 15, 2008)

talked to craig again today. he explained why with his kit the low speed adjustment is offered rather than the high speed. the low speed is a needle, where high speed is a spring on a shim stack. beyond that, my explanation would just be wrong. if you want more details call him and he will answer all the questions you have. very impressed with his customer service so far. hard to find that in any industry anymore. my shock will be headed his way this week and i look forward to riding this summer.

pv


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## SV11 (Jan 2, 2011)

dbabuser said:


> Dunno why you'd spend so much to get a heavier shock that's not tuned for you and your bike. Sure it's super adjustable, but that just means it will take you longer to get it dialed and still might not be ideal for your bike/ weight/ riding style.


No shock you buy off the shelf is tuned for your bike, but Cane Creek (and elka) goes one step further. When you buy a ccdb, they require the following information:

1. Frame make*
2. Frame model*
3. Frame size
4. Current shock model
5. Current coil travel & spring rate (ex 600x2.25 printed on the spring)
6. Your riding weight
7. Your riding style & normal terrain
*Mandatory


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## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

Resurrecting an old thread to ask a couple of questions.

Getting ready to do something with the DHX5.0 and the SSD mod from Avalanche is at the top of the list.

How did you end up liking your shock after this mod, aka pura vida?

Did you get the bottom out bumper or the extended resevoir can?

Do I need them? How do I decide if I need them?

What is the turn around time on his work/service?

I see they also offer the same kit for the DHX 5.0 Air now. Has anyone tried this? How is it? Does it solve the mid-stroke wallow problem the DHX-Air is famous for?

Thanks.


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## evasive (Feb 18, 2005)

KRob said:


> I see they also offer the same kit for the DHX 5.0 Air now. Has anyone tried this? How is it? Does it solve the mid-stroke wallow problem the DHX-Air is famous for?
> 
> Thanks.


Also curious. A friend just replaced his this week, and I have one lying in a parts bin. Their only current value is as placeholders in case we sell our frames, but I'd be curious to hear reports on the Avy mod.


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## griffinsurfboard (Jul 14, 2004)

In my bike the CCDB is enabling 
It replaced a pushed MX Rocco

Very easy to dial to what you want .


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## ak pura vida (Dec 15, 2008)

KRob said:


> Resurrecting an old thread to ask a couple of questions.
> 
> Getting ready to do something with the DHX5.0 and the SSD mod from Avalanche is at the top of the list.
> 
> ...


so for i am liking it. unfortunately this summer has been crazy and i have only been able to ride 3 times so i'm not sure if i can give an honest opinion yet. but i realized after the first couple of rides i didn't notice the back end of the bike as much as i did before. which to me means it isn't moving around as much as it used to and is now tracking better and smooth. that seems to bee what i was looking for.... plus i can definitely say it seems to be handling the bigger hits quite well. take the above for what it's worth...

yes on the bumper, no on the extended reservoir. when you call and talk to craig he will make the recommendations he sees necessary . from what i could tell he normally recommends the bumper but the extended reservoir necessity is based on your bike's specific suspension.

turn around time was pretty short. don't remember exactly what now but it was under two weeks. of course when i had it done i wasn't close to riding season so i wasn't that worried about it. a buddy had his done during the season and craig was able to get it back to him really fast. his customer service is out standing.

i can't speak to the dhk air. i'd call and talk to craig directly.

cory


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## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

ak pura vida said:


> so for i am liking it. unfortunately this summer has been crazy and i have only been able to ride 3 times so i'm not sure if i can give an honest opinion yet. but i realized after the first couple of rides i didn't notice the back end of the bike as much as i did before. which to me means it isn't moving around as much as it used to and is now tracking better and smooth. that seems to bee what i was looking for.... plus i can definitely say it seems to be handling the bigger hits quite well. take the above for what it's worth...
> 
> yes on the bumper, no on the extended reservoir. when you call and talk to craig he will make the recommendations he sees necessary . from what i could tell he normally recommends the bumper but the extended reservoir necessity is based on your bike's specific suspension.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the review Cory. Sounds like a worthy upgrade.... especially since my DHX is due for a rebuild anyway. Gonna get it boxed up and sent Monday. I'll call and talk to Craig. Sounds like he's very helpful and knows his stuff.


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## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

evasive said:


> Also curious. A friend just replaced his this week, and I have one lying in a parts bin. Their only current value is as placeholders in case we sell our frames, but I'd be curious to hear reports on the Avy mod.


I liked my DHX Air better than that on my Delirium T.... but with current perceptions of the shock, you're exactly right.... Not much value on resale. Just sitting in the parts bin as a spare now.

OTOH if Craig could make it work like a Vivd Air or CCDB air and I could lose a pound from my porky bike, it'd be worth looking into.

Maybe I'll talk to Craig before I decide which one to send in.


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## bullcrew (Jan 2, 2005)

Mines going in to be revalved and serviced for the news ride and the ccdb is coming off ass soon as it gets back. 

My 2 biggest points are 
1- it is custom tuned and works amazing
2- its such a light chasis to work with its a great weight savings for performance...

I know he has done several on a regular basis I haven't talked to anyone bike related for over 2 months (life happened unfortunately)! 
I actually had a buddy riding mine for the last month, he's sending his in because I took mine back...He was ccdb coil and was looking at air but bang for the buck is going he mod/tune.
I've got a ccdb on the new ride so I will side by side it, the tuning of the ccdb is more and extensive with the adjustments but its also a bit much anymore I'd rather set and forget maybe a fine tune her or there and just rip....


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## mykel (Jul 31, 2006)

I have a CCDB on my Delirium. Love it. Took a bit to get it tuned - probably about 2 weeks in total, but only playing a bit at a time and taking awhile to get to know the changes. Since then I don't touch it, and really don't notice the back of the bike. It just works.

Now the Avy tune for the DHX-A is interesting, as I too, have one in the parts bin. It only got used for 2 weeks last year, when I sent my 07 CCDB into CC for a service and upgrading of the poppet valves.... Would be very nice to have something that is a bit more than a paper-weight.

michael


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## bullcrew (Jan 2, 2005)

mykel said:


> Would be very nice to have something that is a bit more than a paper-weight.
> 
> michael


Lol I got mine for free originally from a buddy....was brand new sitting in is tool box.
I have 2 other friends recently running them now point is they were sitting in their junk boxxes....

:thumbsup:


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## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

Ok. So I talked to Craig yesterday and he certainly downplayed any improvements the DHX-Air mod would deliver (_Edit: For MY bike_). When I asked him which I should mod (the DHX 5.0 coil or DHX Air) he said, "Do the DHX coil, hands down".

Maybe he likes to undersell so people don't have unrealistic expectations but he didn't sound too impressed with the DHX-Air mod (_Edit: at least for my 4x4 linkage Knolly_). Sounds like he's already had to deal with some disappointed customers who were expecting the modified DHX-Air to feel like a CCDB coil.

_Edit: I should add (after a clarifying pm from Craig) that he also told me that for a bike with a regressive/falling rate rear linkage that's designed for air shocks like the MojoHD or Firebird, the DHX-Air mod is just as effective.
_
Having said that.... I'm starting to wonder (again) if there was something wrong with my DHX coil. I put the old DHX-Air on last night so I could keep riding while the coil was off getting revalved and it felt quite a bit better than my DHX coil. Lately the DHX (coil) has felt really harsh just past midstroke.... almost like it was a 4" travel bike instead of a 6.3"

Hopefully the shaft wasn't bent or something and the mod/revalve/rebuild won't discover any worse problems.


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## bustanutley (Feb 23, 2008)

KRob said:


> Ok. So I talked to Craig yesterday and he certainly downplayed any improvements the DHX-Air mod would deliver. When I asked him which I should mod (the DHX 5.0 coil or DHX Air) he said, "Do the DHX, hands down".
> 
> Maybe he likes to undersell so people don't have unrealistic expectations but he didn't sound too impressed with the DHX-Air mod. Sounds like he's already had to deal with some disappointed customers who were expecting the modified DHX-Air to feel like a CCDB coil.
> 
> ...


That's a lot of ambiguous DHX!


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## crseekins (Oct 7, 2008)

KRob said:


> Ok. So I talked to Craig yesterday and he certainly downplayed any improvements the DHX-Air mod would deliver. When I asked him which I should mod (the DHX 5.0 coil or DHX Air) he said, "Do the DHX, hands down".
> 
> Maybe he likes to undersell so people don't have unrealistic expectations but he didn't sound too impressed with the DHX-Air mod. Sounds like he's already had to deal with some disappointed customers who were expecting the modified DHX-Air to feel like a CCDB coil.
> 
> ...


I think you misunderstood me, for your Knolly frame a coil will work better, since you have a choice of shocks the coil is a better option. For (regressive) frames designed for air shocks the DHX air mods will work as amazing as the DHX coil mods work for rising rate frames. I think people will get the wrong impression, the internal SSD damper mods are the same for both shocks except for valving shim differences.


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## COLIN M (Mar 26, 2009)

Craig is the Man and his forks and shocks are amazing. I have been riding on his stuff for years and cannot say enough good things about how well the stuff works!! Thank You Craig..


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## ak pura vida (Dec 15, 2008)

craig

since you seem to be monitoring the threads when you can, and i have been too busy to call, what pressure should i be running in the air chamber on my avy dhx-5? i checked it when i got it back before i was thinking and realized that effected the actual pressure. i think now it is a little over 100lbs. is that good? bad? dependent on rider and riding style? thanks. and so far i'm loving the shock, unfortunately my riding has been rather limited due to work this summer but i definitely seems to be a significant step up from stock!

pv (cory)


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