# 387lb rider NEEDS rear shock for 2016 enduro comp 29



## RacingBull (Oct 11, 2010)

Hey... Sorry to post about a rear shock again but I haven't found an answer for my size .by searching.. I'm Reaching out for some help on a 2016 specIalized enduro comp 29. I'm no pro but I like to play....3-4' to flat max drops. The problem is I keep braking hard tails because here's the kicker...I'm 6'2" and about 385lb. 

I have custom beefy i9 wheels that will transfer. We have a plan for the pike on the front but the back side makes me nervous....

The enduro will be my new rig but I'm quite worried about the fox float. Per instructions, I will have to put about 430psi just to set sag. 

In my initial searches I haven't been able to find a rear air shock that "should" hold up or a coil strong enough. Any ideas on the best thing to try?

Huge thanks for ideas!


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## WA-CO (Nov 23, 2013)

Christ. Let's start with the obvious. Not trying to be mean, but you're way to heavy to be dropping off sh*t and not running the risk of destroying parts. As you've already learned, you're cremating hardtails. No fooking duh. The problem is, when you're in that space you can put the bike at risk. THAT, then puts YOU at risk. So don't be a total meathead, and take action to mitigate that risk!

A standard bike (I looked at your model, a good mid range bike) is gonna be able to handle a helluva lot of abuse, but again, you're in a completely different space than 99% of the riders out there, more average sized. And a full sussy will accommodate a bit of "give" given your size and weight, which was certainly a good choice. Product testing is pretty amazing now, but mitigate it a bit by using a bit of caution. So again, a mitigation is to take the time to CLOSELY INSPECT your bike *regularly*. Wheels, pivots, joints. Make sure its OK. Hell, I do that, and you got me by 200+ lbs.

I have a friend who was pretty big. Getting smaller every time I see him! Anyway, he's been a big guy all his life. Got tired of it and started riding. Bought a cheap bike, destroyed it, bought another bike, and eventually sheared the seat tube apart. He wasn't hurt at all, and it wasn't a catastrophic failure, but it did mean a new bike, so it does happen.

Secondly, spend some time with your local bike shop and see if they can suggest what you can do to accommodate your weight given your bike choice. There are smart people out here but go to a reputable shop. Perhaps a coil over model that has more capacity will work for your requirements. I suspect you'll bottom out that shock so much eventually the mounts and supporting structure will become suspect. So another mitigation strategy. Either learn to work on it, or take it to the shop regularly so you know it's performing at an optimum level.

Thirdly, consider (when you can afford it) going to Carbon with selected parts or even a frame. Yea, I can hear the asshats howling now. The honest truth is carbon is so much stronger compared to aluminum. In your case, I would source from companies that have a good reputation and clearly don't have published weight limits for their gear. Like ENVE or WHISKY. For example, go out and google the Santa Cruz frame failure video tests. Sure they are in the business to sell frames, but even though carbon will explode, it's gonna take an amazing amount more stress to get it there, something most real world riding conditions would never produce.

Fourth mitigation strategy, is be smart about your decisions, and be realistic and smart in the terrain you ride and the way you ride. Ride up the hill not just down. Chances are you'll never be a tiny dude but remember you're in this for the long haul...I'm a puny bastard compared to you, so I don't have to contend with the issues you do. However a bicycle is a fundamental avenue to a lifetime of fun and fitness...

Good Luck!


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## RacingBull (Oct 11, 2010)

WA-CO thank for the concern. That's why I ride. I will never be small... Heck I was still over 230 as a young college athlete at only 4% actual body fat. Ideal weight is just under 250 so yes I obviously have a ton to lose. I road ride and Mtb. To get it off. I BMXed as a kid and raced superbikes as an adult. I am Addicted to speed and FUN. The purpose of the post was to find a rear shock that would work???


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

You honestly think that you were 4% at 230lbs?

Guys racing the Tour rarely get under 6%, and they are far leaner than any 230lb college athlete could ever hope to be. You might have been 14%, but even that is a stretch. 

You need to lose a LOT weight to get to a point where an air shock is going to suffice and you won't be breaking **** left and right. Otherwise, a coil with a very heavy spring is your only realistic option. 

Sorry, but it had to be said.


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## RacingBull (Oct 11, 2010)

This is stupid but yes I know for a fact that I was at 4% around 230lbs as an Olympic trial qualifier back in 1995 as an elite level varsity athlete. There were several of us under 8% meassured monthly!!!. 6 actual Olympians on the team including world record holders. Please don't be rude. And yes I am a fat ass now but again the point... 

Does any have ideas on a rear shock?


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## mark! (Jun 1, 2012)

Nevermind...I thought about it, but I'm not gonna, 4% is ludicrous.

Get a stiff coil and run it. Most of the air stuff, you're gonna blow seals and kill them pretty quick.


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## RacingBull (Oct 11, 2010)

Thanks Mark and yes It was ridiculous unhealthy (literaly) low. Now I'm at the other extreme. 

Any ideas on where I can get a heavy spring? All the calculators I find say I need around a 900lb spring but can't find where that is "supported".


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## Singletrackd (May 3, 2015)

I used to be an Olympic level athlete with 3% body fat
Prove me wrong


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

What do you mean by "supported"? I've seen 1200lb metal springs, but that was a rare find. Normally should be able to get 800lb springs easily, and just give it an extra crank on the adjuster screw.

I'm more concerned with shock compatability with your frame. specialized normally has unique shock end connectors, and if the enduro comp has them, you will have a very difficult time getting a different shock to work on that frame.


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## RacingBull (Oct 11, 2010)

Thanks Watts... I found a cane creek coil that would fit but there spring calculator says "not supported" for size. I have reached out to them and ohlins but was looking for someplace that supply's bigger spring rates currently.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

MTBR search
http://forums.mtbr.com/shocks-suspension/spring-compatibility-cane-creek-double-barrel-670986.html

Should be able to find something on ebay in aftermarket stuff. Just need to identify the ID of the cane creek shock. Found a couple cane creek and manitou coils that go up into the 650# range. Any idea what weight you're looking for?


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## RacingBull (Oct 11, 2010)

Thanks for the heads up on manitou springs. The calculators say somewhere from 900-1000lb spring. 

Just heard Ohlins (they are local) is looking for a proper spring that would not bind at that rate and length. The Diameters getting too big for stroke length for typical. If they can get a custom at that rate and not bind at the max stroke we may be in business!


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## leeboh (Aug 5, 2011)

Contacted Specialized yet? I'm 235 lbs and really like my 29er enduro. Couple of thoughts. Push industries builds shocks in custom fashion for all types of riders. Try Lenz Sports and Zinn bikes, both make bikes for really big and really tall riders. They should steer you in the correct direction. The Fox shock will not go that high for pressure. And check out both of those builders for bikes as well. At 6'4" the XL just fits me. Height? Going with a downhill rig?


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## RacingBull (Oct 11, 2010)

Leeboh thanks for the ideas. Specialized and my local shop Motion Makers are really stepping up to help me out. Because of my weight and riding agression I have broken two stumpy HT's. Specialized is really going above and beyond to get me into the enduro but we all know that i will probably blow seals/valves/air spring right away if I put about 430psi to properly set sag for my weight as Fox float is "300psi max"
-Push says that if I were just over 300 they might be able to help but nothing that big.
-cane creek says no go above 350-375psi on air. Coils in the range of 900-1000lbs are out for them (based on theirs and fox's spring rate calculators.
- no response from SRAM (rock shox)
- TF suspension tuning says no- need a lower leverage ratio bike... Which I understand... But doesn't suite my situation
- ohlins has started hunting for a proper custom spring. Fingers crossed. I'm 6'2" with long torso an only 32 inseam so right at top of spechs L but I'm sure an xl would easy too


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

When you start getting into that big of a spring, probably need a slightly longer spring than stock because the diameter of rod making up the spring is larger. If the normal spring is a 2.5", might need to look at a 2.75" otherwise you will get the spring binding up like you mentioned earlier.


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## tehllama (Jul 18, 2013)

No matter what the precise body fat %age is, you're going to be a 250lb or larger rider for the lifetime of this bike, period. That is going to be destructive on the bearings, wheels, and a lot of things, but that doesn't mean it's unrideable. DO keep up on inspecting cockpit components, spoke tensions, headset tightness, and fork maintenance, but you'll be in decent shape if you realize you're going to have to be a bit accommodating of the bike - it just a 6# frame.

Coil-over is going to get you much closer - not sure how ludicrously overpriced the Ohlins coilover units are, but they do come in the right size.

Since coil-binding is going to be the limitation, probably stuck looking at customizing something existing (reducing the travel on a Kage or Vivid Coil), and having the same custom shop put in a moto/automotive specced spring that will fit there (I think they'll wind up putting something absurd in there like the bump damper spring off a Z07 race package 'vette in there, but a 625lb spring ought to be higher than you need). Tricky part might be that it would require some custom hardware so that it's got a couple of tighter coils in there (again, binding), but there's nothing there that even custom CNCed on a lathe should set you back more than $250 over the base hardware cost. PushIndustries is probably where I'd be looking, especially since they can source stuff direct from HyperCo. If you can find something off the shelf (maybe an old shock at a service interval somebody just replaced with a new thing) you can have a lot more budget to throw at it.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

I wonder if fox's motorcycle shocks would fit? Might be worth actually talking to a motorcycle shop or scooter shop if there are shocks that might fit the length and end connections.


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## leeboh (Aug 5, 2011)

Different but related subject. What front fork are you using?


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## RacingBull (Oct 11, 2010)

I had been on a stumpy comp 29HT Reba rlt. Bumped out to 120mm or so with heavier oil and a couple of tokens. Running about 250psi or so and little less negative spring to keep it firm but not harsh. The sag is high at over an inch but i don't hit a solid bottom because of the lowered volume either It's not awesome but it gets the job done. 

If I could run less sag and more negative it would be much better but concerned about psi blowing seals etc. 

I also tend to ride more flowy jump trails because it can be pretty harsh. The little guys at the shop can't even move the thing hardly. It's basically like riding a full rigid for them.


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## Tystevens (Nov 2, 2011)

tehllama said:


> No matter what the precise body fat %age is, you're going to be a 250lb or larger rider for the lifetime of this bike, period. That is going to be destructive on the bearings, wheels, and a lot of things, but that doesn't mean it's unrideable. DO keep up on inspecting cockpit components, spoke tensions, headset tightness, and fork maintenance, but you'll be in decent shape if you realize you're going to have to be a bit accommodating of the bike - it just a 6# frame.


I don't know, my '11 Enduro has held up pretty well for me; I've ranged from 230-260# during the last 5 seasons of riding it. Everything from bike parks and lift days, 6' drops and casing tables to 20 mile super rocky 6500 ft descents to long XC type rides. The fork conked out last month (damper blown out, apparently), but that is probably at least in part a lack of maintenance on my end. But that is the only 'major' part on my otherwise stock bike that I've broken.

The Push upgrade w/ custom valving has been a great addition. I've replaced most of the spokes on my wheels, but no problems w/ the stock rims or hubs. Cranks, bars, everything else is holding up just fine.

Now I'll grant that 240# is a lot different than 360# or whatever the OP is, but I just wanted to point out that a well equipped AM bike can hold up pretty well even under a heavier than normal rider.


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## jp08865 (Aug 12, 2014)

*RacingBull*, it may be a longshot, but try contacting *Atlantic Springs in Flemington, NJ.* They are a spring manufacturer. I know some friends that worked there and it's surprising whom they make springs for! Springs have many applications other than bicycle suspensions. They could possibly have something available that would work for your application. I know they could custom make a spring, but would more than likely be costly. Surely wouldn't hurt to give them a call, if you get the right person at the least will be very informative. Good Luck.


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## RacingBull (Oct 11, 2010)

Thanks!!!! I'll try them tomorrow!


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## tehllama (Jul 18, 2013)

Tystevens said:


> I don't know, my '11 Enduro has held up pretty well for me; I've ranged from 230-260# during the last 5 seasons of riding it. Everything from bike parks and lift days, 6' drops and casing tables to 20 mile super rocky 6500 ft descents to long XC type rides.
> ...
> Now I'll grant that 240# is a lot different than 360# or whatever the OP is, but I just wanted to point out that a well equipped AM bike can hold up pretty well even under a heavier than normal rider.


I exist at the lower end of your range, and ride some probably very similar sounding stuff (230-235lb, but ride with a lot of gear when I go anywhere), and all mountain rigs are surprisingly rugged - the physics of it just start to stack with higher order polynomials when getting anywhere north of 300lb, just a case where an overbuilt bike starts to become important. My all mountain bike is kitted up really similarly, and I totally agree that's the right approach.

Silly things like moving to Zee brakes w/ 203mm rotors, running Grid/Exo/SuperGravity casings and 32-35psi even on wider rims, and other details like that are really worth considering too (that's the setup I'd run in your situation RB - good brakes are always a performance enhancing thing, same with tires that actually stick) It's just generally been my experience that when I do get over my head on trails that margin from having 'too much' bike is the difference between having an interesting but mostly controlled off, or having to spend what would be a bike upgrade budget or working time recovering from a silly crash.

I'm partially trying to also sort out where that tradeoff between customized or outright bespoke suspension starts to kick in for cost/benefit. In RacingBull's case something custom is a must. At my better riding weight and because I've found a pretty usable tune for my RM Instinct with the very budget Fox CTD-Evo shock, I'm trying to sort out if I should work out upgrading the rear suspension next, or save towards wheels for me personally [I'm rather destructive on those anyway].

I'm not thinking the frame itself will be the limitation, but damper cartridges, seals, pivot hardware, bottom bracket bearings, chains, and spokes are all things that will have potentially shorter service lives. Abusing the helpfulness of blue loctite on bolts for the pivot hardware, stem, headset, and such is also something I've been happy has carried over from other activities for me (trying to singlespeed power-push using the handlebar as extra leverage usually means working the cheap stems I have in ways they were never intended to be). Just the realization that stuff is just going to break. My 145lb riding buddy has yet to destroy any hardware on either of his bikes - I was able to torque the crankset out of a $500 bike in under two hours, and I've managed to write off a surprising amount of other hardware through mechanicals, wear, or stress induced failure. I accept that, and I'm just extrapolating out to what another comparable increase in mass would be - plan accordingly and rock on.


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## TooTallUK (Jul 5, 2005)

tehllama said:


> My 145lb riding buddy has yet to destroy any hardware on either of his bikes - I was able to torque the crankset out of a $500 bike in under two hours, and I've managed to write off a surprising amount of other hardware through mechanicals, wear, or stress induced failure.


You missed 'riding technique' from your list of why you write things off. I'm slightly heavier than you, ride clumsy and haven't broken much in 20 years of riding. Then again, you may well be way more awesome than me!


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## jonshonda (Apr 21, 2011)

So I am going to switch it up a bit. Your best bet to have a bike that functions day in and day out is going to be a hardtail. I know you have broken a couple of them already, but you have to realize those bikes were not in-any-way-shape-or-form-what-so-ever designed for an aggressive rider your size. 

Imho a FS bike is going to be trouble. Yes, it will give you a bit of cushion, but I really don't feel the rear end is going to like playing at those levels for very long. 

Here is what I would do:

Contact a well know builder (Zinn or Waltworks?)
Tell them everything you want them to know about how you ride and your size.
Tell them you want them to do whatever it takes to make a bike that can handle your beef (regardless of $$).
Tell them you don't care about the weight of the frame (they should assume this)

Contact Avalanche Racing w/ regards to your fork options. That dude knows his sh!t, and can at least give you some better direction about what options are out there. 

Contact Lacemine29 for his wheel advice. This guy knows his sh!t.

Please don't limit yourself to what your lbs offers or their opinions. If they are a Specialized dealer, they probably really don't know much about what is out there apart from what Spesh wants them to know. I don't mean to be rude, but I view every Spesh dealer as a "big box" store honestly. Also, know that you will recieve really sh!tty advice from local shops, they just straight up don't know much about guys your size. 

You are going to spend some $$ on the frame, please be ready for a little sticker shock, but it will be worth every f#cking penny when the bike provides years of service. This is my what I think you will end up riding:

Custom Steel frame w/ 150mm rear dropouts
36h Rims w/ Chris King hubs (thru bolt front and rear) 
Maybe dual crown fork, maybe a Avalanche Tuned Pike
Shimano Saint Crank w/ 83mm BB Shell
Thomson Seatpost/Stem


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## jonshonda (Apr 21, 2011)

I might come off as pushy or a know-it-all in my post above, but I really have spent a lot of time unhappy with off the shelf bikes/components. I also spent a lot of time trying to figure out what worked for me (290lbs down to 235lbs). Do yourself a favor and get your weight down. Once you start getting into the sub 300lb area, you can start to think about a FS bike. Until then, tear it up on a customer hard tail.


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## RacingBull (Oct 11, 2010)

Yeah... Loosing some weight will be key to getting a really nice setup. My thing is just getting it to function at this weight right now. 

Here was my strudy hard tail build with all of its comprises. 2015 stumpy comp 29er HT
- best upgrade- i9 enduros with their thickest downhill spoke mated to salsa Gordo rims. VERY beefy, stiff wheels. Survived 2 frames, Pedal spindle snaps, and mountain bike parks etc. the wheels are three years old now and going on the enduro! Best investment as I taco'ed several sets in just a couple of months before the i9's. Also broke several free hubs before the upgrade.
- reba rlt front fork with heavier oil and a few tokens and stretched to 120mm. IT works but it isn't plush anymore. We got it not bottoming out but the sag is over an inch eating up a lot of the travel, psi at 250, about 200 in the negative spring. It is functional with a little easy give at first but as you get into the compression it Ramps steeply and gets harsh. 
- Thomason post,
- 203 front and 185 rear rotors. 
-Heavy duty chain as I have snapped a bunch as well as folded several chain rings. At my weight if I stand and pedal IT BREAKS. Haven't found a fix for this.
Also had to go to heavier rear grouped rings as the individuals were knifing into the body.
- bottom bracket is frequent rebuild 

That's the big stuff I think


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## Sasquatch1413 (Nov 6, 2008)

Have you contact Push or any other suspension tuning guys? They may have access to custom springs or at least know where to send you to. At your weight, nothing in the bike world will work for you, gotta find something custom. I'm 330 and ride a Niner RIP9 with 310 psi and its not ideal. I don't think an air shock will work for you. 

You can make some gains by switching to a frame that has a lower leverage ratio (rear travel divided by shock stroke). Lower the ratio, the less air pressure/spring force you will need. If I remember correctly the specialized bikes aren't that low. I think last I looked, the Banshee Prime had one of the lowest.


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## RacingBull (Oct 11, 2010)

Sasquatch... Yeah.... I have reached out with our luck to push, suspension experts, tf tuning, Avalanche, fox, cane creek, sram/rock shox. Best option so far is ohlins with a custom spring. 

Yeah lower leverage ratio will help. Cane creek and ohlins are close but about 50lbs off on rider weight. I am looking for a custom spring to fit the ohlins right now. So far NO ONE will attempt a air shock at my current weight but all like the idea of air as I loose weight.


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## JackJr (Sep 24, 2007)

I got springs from this company for my kid once - Coil Springs Manufacturer - Stock & Custom - MRO & OEM | Century Spring Corp.. The stock spring was way too firm. It was a coil shock so I measured all the relevant dimensions and found they had a couple of stock options that worked. You may need to pick a coil shock and start there or maybe contact a shop or Fax/RS/Manitou, find the dimensions of their coils and see what you can find aftermarket before buying a shock that fits your frame. I estimated the spring rate here Spring Calculator - TF Tuned

Good Luck!


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## fxrextreme (Mar 11, 2015)

I had a similar problem to the OP, I weigh 350lb. I needed a frame with as low a ratio as possible and bombproof. I was lucky enough to get a 2012 Foes FXR Extreme with a 2:1 ratio and an curnutt air shock.At the shocks max pressure of 125 psi I have about 40% sag.The tuneability of the pedal platform and bottom out means I've got it working perfectly for my weight.i would definitely recommend this frame.
Unfortunately the latest models use a fox shock and have a 2.3:1 ratio.
Good luck with your problem!


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## big Kat (Feb 19, 2004)

I know your pain as well. You should look into X-Fusion Stages or Vector rear shock. I'm 350lbs+, (bad year and put on some weight this year) I have a custom Stages rear shock. Damping was increase and air volume was decreased to increase ramp up and be held up higher in the shock travel. I currently run around 240 to 255 psi in the rear shock and i am getting full travel but i am able to run around 30% sag on 2014 Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt. it also help that this is a low leverage ratio frame. 2" stroke shock and 120mm travel frame. I used it a Blue Mountain in Ontario and it was fine for blue level runs. I currently also run a custom X-Fusion Slant/Trace. Fork was built with the 1 piece crown and stanchions from the Trace and 27.5 lowers and sweep. The crown was used because it is considerable stronger and stiffer then the 2 piece standard crown.


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## masonmoa (Jul 11, 2011)

I know you're stuck with Specialized, but from my experience with having a Stumpjumper a few years ago when I weighed around 340, their suspension design just doesn't work with someone over 300lbs. I even sent my shock in to Specialized for custom tuning and it was still awful. My advice would be to find another bike, but I realize that may not be possible. 

I have 2 Knollys and run CCDBA on both and when I weighed 335 (over 340 with gear on) I was able to get away with running max psi (250) on them and they worked just fine. If you found another bike (a burly AM frame) with a better leverage ratio you could most likely find a coil shock that would work with with a 800lb spring. Just my 2 cents.


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