# CaneCreek DBAir on my SC V10c



## bighitboy (May 16, 2004)

Well it came!

This is the short initial review.
9.5x3.0 stroke
2011 V10c

Very tidy boxing and directions.

Instructions are good, but no air pressure recommendations which I was not too concerned over.
There are no directions on how to remove the air-sleeve...........more on that later.

Bolted up great, no hassle. 
Ensure to remove all air pressure and cycle to ensure no contact.
I would have jammed the air valve right into my V10 if i had not checked this.
Easy to rotate air can to provide clearance.

Air up to 60psi and cycle shock to set neg air spring.

I backed out all compression settings and set sag at 35% with a 145psi.

Right off I am impressed! I am getting the same static sag as my vivid coil! STATIC SAG WITH AN AIR-SHOCK!
A few bounces with the seat confirms this is no regular air shock!
Super plush, great mid-stroke feel! The V10 feels like it gained travel!
I can feel the lower weight. The front feels un-normally heavy.

The driveway tune adds a few clicks of low speed to firm up while i sped up low end rebound. This shock has blown me away as it feels butter smooth while it shows no "knotchy" feeling. All adjustments are just like the coil.

I thought for sure I was getting full travel from how it felt. Time to check!

I check o-ring, still not hitting last 10% of travel. Drop to 125psi through a few tweaks. I now have 50% sag, cannot bottom shock. This is way too much sag for me. I need more air pressure with less ramp up. 

How is it setup in default with air volume spacers? I need even more of a linear feel. I know this is a simple air-can volume adjustment, but I cannot figure out how to get that pupper off! Looks like i am the first fool to try this!

I couldn't leave my bro's hanging any longer and decided to report back w/ pics!

Once I increase the can volume I think this will be a sleeper shock! I am already blown away! 

Tons of riding this weekend, I will provide a ride report.

Also, if you know how to remove the air can to change volume let me know ASAP!


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## drastic. (Nov 22, 2010)

That's awesome you got the DBair, and I can't wait to hear a review after a few months of riding, as it's definately a shock i'm looking to get once I get a solid review on it from someone having some long-term experience with it.

I have to ask. Is this initial 'adjustments' and impressions based off your driveway test, or has it seen the trails yet? lol


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## Dwdrums00 (Jul 8, 2006)

Do you have a picture of the complete bike with the DBair?


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## jimarin (Mar 19, 2005)

It comes default with no volume spacers. Default is as linear as it going to get.


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## bighitboy (May 16, 2004)

This is driveway test only. I do live on a gravel road with a small jump you can hit.....all low speed stuff. It will be on the trail tomorrow. The track is pretty rough it will be pushed. If it comes default at full volume I will have to tune/ investigate more.


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## ustemuf (Oct 12, 2009)

i tried ordering one for my demo but they are not compatible at this time cause of the linkage 

lets us know how it feels!


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## mzorich (Mar 13, 2011)

ustemuf said:


> i tried ordering one for my demo but they are not compatible at this time cause of the linkage
> 
> lets us know how it feels!


i wanted one for my stumpy evo but the same out come. specialized is good at making you buy things that they endorse. its strange it doesnt fit though cuz the reg db fits


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## ustemuf (Oct 12, 2009)

mzorich said:


> i wanted one for my stumpy evo but the same out come. specialized is good at making you buy things that they endorse. its strange it doesnt fit though cuz the reg db fits


the problem with the current batch of CCDB air's is not because of the linkage so much as the internal diameter of the rear shock eyelet.

From Malcom @ CC

"Also the eyelet ID changes for us as well for the Demo's cam, since we are not a standard 15mm ID eyelet.

Overall size the shock fits the frame.

Hang in there we are trying to keep up as fast we can."

He said late spring/early summer...I'll be waiting!


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## mzorich (Mar 13, 2011)

ustemuf said:


> the problem with the current batch of CCDB air's is not because of the linkage so much as the internal diameter of the rear shock eyelet.
> 
> From Malcom @ CC
> 
> ...


thats good news cuz i want something a little more heavy duty for my stumpy evo


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## frango (Oct 10, 2004)

What the weight of the shock?
I heard same information from Malcolm, when I asked him about compatibility with Glory. Hope CC is aware of the fact that there are Giant and Spesh owners who want to get DBair and will make us happy soon


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## Krout (May 17, 2007)

Regarding your last 10% of travel. Could that be a internal bottom out bumper? Thought I saw the bumper in one of the cutaway demo's. Either way, kick a$$! :thumbsup:


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## bighitboy (May 16, 2004)

That's a good question. The ride today went well. Tomorrow will be the real test.

I will report tomorrow night, but so far everyone who has rode it is impressed!


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## bighitboy (May 16, 2004)

Well after a weekend of thrashing I have come away impressed.

I settled on a 130 psi which yielded 40% sag. Felt goofy on the flat but once pointed down it rocked.

Still fine tuning the compression side but i am loving it so far!

Rebound is dialed due to my monster whoop set!

biggest improvement is traction. I have gobs of it now even at mach 10.

as i ride it more i will report back.

Helps when you have your own private DH track!


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## aixelsyd (Apr 21, 2005)

Cane Creek DBAIR Suspension Base Tunes

Nothing up there for the V10 yet but I heard this page will be updated soon.


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

Good report, keep it coming......I'm on th edge & ready ta pull th trigger on one'o them CCDB air'z. I Have a CCDB coil on my VP Free & now I'm riding a 1st gen Nomad w/ a PUSH'd DHX coil that iz ok, but I reaaaallly miss my CCDB......


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## cdburch (Apr 25, 2007)

what shock were you running on your v10? i have the vivid air on mine and am trying to figure out if its worth the $450 ep to upgrade...


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## bighitboy (May 16, 2004)

I was running a vivid coil before.

I liked it.


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## SundayDriver (Sep 12, 2007)

How much do you weigh playa?


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## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

Bada$$$ brotha !! Love that bike and sweet that you got your own DH trail lol.. Perfect retirement plan !


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## bighitboy (May 16, 2004)

175 lbs


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## The Beater (Aug 17, 2008)

still missing the last 10% of travel>?


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## bullcrew (Jan 2, 2005)

Looks good... love the set up and if that's anything like its coil brethren its going to be sweet... 

Bike looks good.


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## Internal14 (Jan 21, 2004)

cdburch said:


> what shock were you running on your v10? i have the vivid air on mine and am trying to figure out if its worth the $450 ep to upgrade...


$450? Hook me up!


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## OneEyedHito (Jun 20, 2009)

Not to Hijack, but to add to your post.

I put the DBAir on my Session 9.9 yesterday and got a few laps in at my local DH training ground (training because its only @400' vert with a stooopid push up, so it is training me to take full advantage of the lift served stuff in the summer) and I have to 2nd all of BHB's comments so far. Very Impressed with the DBAir and aside from settings sag correctly and backing rebound of 3 clicks I left it stock and it was Good so far, it does really seem like it tracks better than the RC4 that came stock on the 9.9. I will get more tweaking in on Wednesday this week and I will add to this thread with any additional findings if that is cool. I am 185-190 in gear, running 150psi.
Joe


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## Mo(n)arch (Dec 21, 2009)

> it does really seem like it tracks better than the RC4 that came stock on the 9.9


Didn't everybody say, that the RC4 on the 9.9 is the holy grail of suspension technology...?


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## OneEyedHito (Jun 20, 2009)

Mo(n)arch said:


> Didn't everybody say, that the RC4 on the 9.9 is the holy grail of suspension technology...?


I will see your quote, and raise you with one of my own......

Everybody is a lot of people, and Holy Grail should be capitalized.....it is a standard RC4 with a Medium tune, that is on the rig stock.


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## bighitboy (May 16, 2004)

Dont mind the hi-jack at all!

I have 2 solid weekends of riding on the DB Air now. 

Reliability- This is with about 8 hours of actual riding time. There has been 0 issues with the shock. The seal protection is good, the finish is like new, there is no slop or clicks, or thumps, or knocks to report.

Performance:

Small hits w/ highspeed---For an airshock the DBA has changed what I expect from any air dampner. While not as sensitive as a coil, the DBA is right there. If I drop the air pressure down a touch it is as sensitive as any coil unit. All dampening ranges are very wide to suit any highspeed section

Big hits/Highspeed----The DBA feels better than my vivid or RC4 on the bighits at speed. Uses just enough travel to stay plush but does not wallow with my setup to all it to skip over the largest hits. The big bottom out holes/dips the shock ramps up nicely while maintaining tracetion. There is no weird kick or buck from the full compressions.

Low speed-----This feeling all depended on how much sag you run. I ended up with about 35-40% sag. In the 10" mode this created a stinkbug feeling until the bike got up to speed or pointed down the hill. In the 8" mode it created a pretty poppy bike that still tracked well. I compromise with my DH bike setup looking for total control at speed. The 40% sag works for me.

Major improvements noted: Traction- has gone way up. the bike corners even harder now. The rear wheel is stuck to the ground like glue!

Fade---no fade issues from this air shock. My RP23 on the trail bike will fade/feel different as it heats up. Even on my longest runs I cannot detect any fade or changing characteristics.

Customer Service----I gave CC a call over the sag issue and to determine what the default air sleeve settings are. They responded very quickly with good info. The shock is setup default with 0 air volume spaces. The shock will never bottom all the way, there will be about 7-8mm of shaft showing above the O-ring at full travel. They also suggested trying to run +40% sag as their engineering riders found the traction becomes even stronger if your bikes geometry stays level enough for you. Their website will soon be updated with base settings as well.

I ended up with 140psi, 4 clicks low speed, 1 click highspeed, 1.5 clicks highspeed rebound, 8 clicks low speed rebound (all settings from full open) SC V10c with 180lb rider agressive DH racing style.

Overall this shock is a winner. I may still PUSH my vivid later this year if it is int he budget. If so i will be able to compare.


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

bighitboy said:


> Dont mind the hi-jack at all!
> 
> I have 2 solid weekends of riding on the DB Air now.
> 
> ...


Nice review.....itchin to pull th trigger on one.....:madman:


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## AndyN (Jan 12, 2004)

bighitboy said:


> Overall this shock is a winner.


Appreciate the review.


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## Mo(n)arch (Dec 21, 2009)

OneEyedHito said:


> I will see your quote, and raise you with one of my own......
> 
> Everybody is a lot of people, and Holy Grail should be capitalized.....it is a standard RC4 with a Medium tune, that is on the rig stock.


For real? So what's going on with this check valve?
quote from pinkbike:


> In fact, the Session's custom tuned DHX RC4 is the first shock that we've felt has equalled the much heralded Cane Creek DoubleBarrel in terms of outright performance, with the Fox shock being much easier to wrap one's head around as well. The tailor made shock features custom valving, but also a new check valve on the main piston that allows for oil flow on rebound and blocks it on compression, helping to improve the bike's stability


Just interested to hear about that.


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## OneEyedHito (Jun 20, 2009)

err.....I should have caveated my quote with From outside appearances it is a stock rc4 with a medium tune....I also own a '12 remedy 9.9 with a DRCV front/rear fox suspension and there is a definite difference to those pieces....as for the valving the PB mentions, I haven't seen the Fox/Trek guy (Jose) specifically mention that piece that I can recall as much as the Fox 40 Hybrid fork being mentioned.....I will say that the stock 9.9 with my Dorado up front handled better than the '11 88 I was riding last season. There was less wallow in the corners for sure.....I will give that your original question was valid albeit the internet strikes again in making it sound dickish (you know the whole misreading of the whole verbiage based on assumptions to what the intended purspose of said statement was and so forth.....

I will get more riding in tomorrow ( 3-4 hours) at my local spot and will get into fine tuning as BHB has done and will post back the findings.....specifically where I noticed the difference (yes it could be only perceived due to hype, so more riding is required ;-) ) was on a long off camber rocky (12-24" rock drops) section where the bike stayed more 'glued' to the trail......or so it seems.


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## OneEyedHito (Jun 20, 2009)

*just as an update from the dark side of the moon....*

have been running the DB Air for a few months now and me like, ALOT.

Raced on it at Sea Otter and it was awesome for that place! Heading to Snowshoe for opening weekend in a couple of days so it will see some longer runs and I will be able to see how rebound holds up compared to the fox stuff.....but I am hopeful that if nothing more, I should be able to flip my mino link and CRUSH Powerline on this thing!


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## v-10dh (Apr 20, 2011)

bighit or hito, have either of you ridden with a vivid air? I am wondering how the dbair compares. Thanks


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## OneEyedHito (Jun 20, 2009)

I haven't ridden the vivid-a, sorry......only Fox rears and now the DBA.....


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## v-10dh (Apr 20, 2011)

Mine will be here in a week, cant wait!


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## mbikerguy (Jul 16, 2011)

Great Review!


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