# Shock Pump recommendations



## Sleevem1 (Aug 23, 2012)

Hi folks, i need to purchase a shock pump. Is the Fox shock HP or Top peak pocket shock any good?


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## SpyderPride (Jul 22, 2008)

Sleevem1 said:


> Hi folks, i need to purchase a shock pump. Is the Fox shock HP or Top peak pocket shock any good?


Just get a cheap one. They all work fine.

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2


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## jws21 (May 28, 2012)

http://forums.mtbr.com/shocks-suspension/what-you-using-pump-your-air-shock-812430.html


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## osokolo (Jan 19, 2004)

*i wouldn't cheap out on the shock pump...*

cheap ones may damage the shock.

i would stick with Fox - i have tried a few others but always returned to Fox.



Sleevem1 said:


> Hi folks, i need to purchase a shock pump. Is the Fox shock HP or Top peak pocket shock any good?


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## SpyderPride (Jul 22, 2008)

osokolo said:


> cheap ones may damage the shock.


lol what? Seriously, how? The ones that sometimes come boxed up with your fork are probably just about the lowest quality pumps out there. As long as the threads are clean and the gauge works, it will be fine.

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2


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## osokolo (Jan 19, 2004)

*sorry, should have included more detail...*

the ones that come with Fox forks are top notch shock pumps. absolutely not the lowest quality out there. if you have experience with other OEM shock pumps - please share.

somehow for about a month last year, i was left with only one cheap pump that i was having problems threading properly onto the valve of the shock. i stopped using it out of fear that it may bust the threads. also, even when tightened to the shock, it would leak air...

damage i was referring to was potentially to the shock valve threads...

for the difference in price, not worth the savings in my opinion

hope this helps...



SpyderPride said:


> lol what? Seriously, how? The ones that sometimes come boxed up with your fork are probably just about the lowest quality pumps out there. As long as the threads are clean and the gauge works, it will be fine.
> 
> Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2


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## SpyderPride (Jul 22, 2008)

Ok, sorry. I have a rockshox pump that came with my Reba and the build quality seems worse than a wrench force pump I bought for cheap separately. They both work fine.

In the manufacturing world, sometimes internal threads don't come out perfect and get missed in inspection. It is highly possible that was the case for you. Also, sometimes we get in a hurry and can cross-thead things. Sometimes a grain of sand can find its way into the threads.

Gauge accuracy is another thing, and truthfully these are are all cheap gauges. Consistently accurate gauges are big, heavy and expensive.



osokolo said:


> the ones that come with Fox forks are top notch shock pumps. absolutely not the lowest quality out there. if you have experience with other OEM shock pumps - please share.
> 
> somehow for about a month last year, i was left with only one cheap pump that i was having problems threading properly onto the valve of the shock. i stopped using it out of fear that it may bust the threads. also, even when tightened to the shock, it would leak air...
> 
> ...


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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

Sleevem1 said:


> Hi folks, i need to purchase a shock pump. Is the Fox shock HP or Top peak pocket shock any good?


I have had about 8 different pumps over the years that came with shocks and forks. Fox, Manitou, Progressive, RS, and some no-name one (maybe that was the no-name one, I can't remember). Some seemed better built than others, but they all worked fine.


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## cobba (Apr 5, 2007)

Fox, Magura, Manitou, Rockshox, Marzocchi, DT Swiss, Buzzy's, Giant, Eleven81, Drag Specialties, Axiom, Mart, EKO Sport, Ultra Cycle, Cutter Transition, Cane Creek, DNM, Cannondale, One23, BikeSmart, Scott, Progressive Suspension, Polaris, Bike Hut, Acor, Cube, Wrench Force, DRC, X-Tech, Ryder and some other 'brands' do not make shock pumps, the pumps that are sold with these 'brand' names on them are made by a company called Giyo in Taiwan.

http://www.giyo.com.tw/index.htm

Some of the 'brand' name pumps are slightly different to the stock Giyo pumps, I guess that if you order several thousand pumps they'll make them to your specs.



> "we developed a suspicion that all of our test subjects were manufactured by the same folks off in some mega, shock pump factory somewhere"


from: http://www.competitivecyclist.com/review-pumps-co2-inflators/shock-pump-shootout_620.html


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## Ken in KC (Jan 12, 2004)

*^^This^^*



SpyderPride said:


> Just get a cheap one. They all work fine.
> 
> Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2


Cheap or expensive, they all work the same and you're only going to use it 1-2 times in any given year.


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## eb1888 (Jan 27, 2012)

If you want to tune use one that has a two stage connector to minimize air loose like a Topeak Pocket DXG--$30.


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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

eb1888 said:


> If you want to tune use one that has a two stage connector to minimize air loose like a Topeak Pocket DXG--$30.


You don't need that to tune. Any pump leaves the shock exactly where you pump it up to.


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## beanbag (Nov 20, 2005)

I keep mentioning this, but shock pumps vary in the distance between their sealing gasket and the schraeder valve center nub pushing thing. Some shock and pump combinations work better than others.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

kapusta said:


> You don't need that to tune. Any pump leaves the shock exactly where you pump it up to.


Not true as mentioned one post above. I had a cheap crane creek one for a while. Not sure where I got it, but it always leaked air when I unscrewed it.

I had to add a little more air than I wanted, so what was actually left in a shock or fork was always a guess. Bought a Fox pump this time, and would spend that money again if needed.


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## Trees138 (Mar 4, 2012)

I got the cutter one off of chainlove a while back, it is starting to leak around the gauge as indicated in some of the reviews.... but ... I have numerous rolls of teflon tape and it's not going to be a hard fix.

Unless the body yields to the force to remove/rethread the gauge it'll still be a good buy. The thing hangs out in my riding bag and other than the leaky connection, seems to be of an acceptable build quality.

A shock pump is little more that a low volume air pump, not too terribly technical.


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## Ken in KC (Jan 12, 2004)

*Leaking air...*



TwoTone said:


> Not true as mentioned one post above. I had a cheap crane creek one for a while. Not sure where I got it, but it always leaked air when I unscrewed it.
> 
> I had to add a little more air than I wanted, so what was actually left in a shock or fork was always a guess. Bought a Fox pump this time, and would spend that money again if needed.


The leaking air is usually the air in the pump decompressing, not air in the fork. Just like a regular pump, a shock pump hisses when it releases air.

I've been using shock pumps for around a decade. I've never cared what brand it was. They all put air in the shock.


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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

beanbag said:


> I keep mentioning this, but shock pumps vary in the distance between their sealing gasket and the schraeder valve center nub pushing thing. Some shock and pump combinations work better than others.


True, but the combos that don't are unusable. The pretty much either work or they don't.

In practice it is VERY rare these days for a combo not to work.

Remember, the air you hear hissing out when you disconnect is from the pump.


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## eb1888 (Jan 27, 2012)

You can tune with any good pump. If you are buying one and don't already have one make it easy on yourself. and go two stage connector. It helps for checking pressure readings multiple times not just pumping it up.


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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

eb1888 said:


> You can tune with any good pump. If you are buying one and don't already have one make it easy on yourself. and go two stage connector. It helps for checking pressure readings multiple times not just pumping it up.


Unless the pressure inside the shock pump is already the same as inside the shock, it will change the pressure in the shock when you hook it up.


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## SpyderPride (Jul 22, 2008)

kapusta said:


> Unless the pressure inside the shock pump is already the same as inside the shock, it will change the pressure in the shock when you hook it up.


True, but this is remedied by remembering your pressure(s) or taking notes.

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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

SpyderPride said:


> True, but this is remedied by remembering your pressure(s) or taking notes.
> 
> Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2


What exactly does that remedy?

Sorry, but I am not seeing the benefit of the two stage connector, here. With or without it, you know what the pressure is in your shock when you disconnect the pump.

EDIT: Just to be clear, I was talking about 2-stage connectors (though the same is true of regular shock pumps).


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## Ken in KC (Jan 12, 2004)

*Right...*



SpyderPride said:


> True, but this is remedied by remembering your pressure(s) or taking notes.
> 
> Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2


Which means that it's not really a requirement and not that much of a benefit. Certainly not worth paying extra money for.

I'm not really that cheap when it comes to bikes, components and tools. But really folks, there's no need to spend a bunch of money or time researching a shock pump. Any pump that puts air in your shock and provides some sort of semi-consistent gauge reading will be good enough.

As SpyderPride mentioned above, there's no shock pump that is really high quality. High quality pressure gauges are measured with fluid, not a cheap, mechanical spring that will change tension over time.


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## SpyderPride (Jul 22, 2008)

kapusta said:


> What exactly does that remedy?


I figured you were talking about a pump that doesn't cause a pressure drop inside the fork when you connect it, so you can adjust the pressure without any record keeping or memory. Just bump it up or down. I thought that all proper shock pumps have a two-stage fitting, otherwise you really have no idea what the pressure is when you disconnect.

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## David C (May 25, 2011)

I bought the Giyo GS-41 that is a high volume shock pump suitable for emergency tire inflation (unless you try to air up a tubeless setup). Has a flexible hose with leak-free valve, bleed-port and removable gauge. On mine the gauge was right on (guess I got lucky) and so far I'm happy with it and also be able to air up a 26x2.4 MTB tire at 50psi in about 5 minutes of continuous pumping. Of course doesn't replace a good tire pump, but comes handy when you have air suspension and don't want to carry 2 pumps at the same time.

Plus I used it to fill up the IFP on my air shock using a needle into a presta fitting. And you can always buy a second gauge in the range you need.

$40

Regarding the "air leak" issue, its not hard to understand. When you connect your pump to the shock, in order to get a reading on your gauge, the pressure from the shock travels in the hose all the way to the gauge and since the same pressure into more volume equal less overall pressure, you get a lower psi reading. When you disconnect, it's the air in the hose that leak free, not the shock. An easy way to check how much air is lost when you connect the pump is to connect, pump to a certain pressure, disconnect and reconnect and see how much pressure there is now. Then pump it back up. I know that on my rear shock, the small chamber loose 50psi and the large one only 10psi, so when I connect to make changes, I know that I need to add that much pressure to my reading to know how much it was at first. Easy peasy.


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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

SpyderPride said:


> I figured you were talking about a pump that doesn't cause a pressure drop inside the fork when you connect it, so you can adjust the pressure without any record keeping or memory. Just bump it up or down. I thought that all proper shock pumps have a two-stage fitting, otherwise you really have no idea what the pressure is when you disconnect.
> 
> Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2


We might be using the term "2-stage" differently.

Any properly working shock pump will let the schrader valve on the shock/fork close before the seal between the pump and schrader valve is broken (which is when you hear the air in the pump escaping). This sequence happens as you unscrew the pump from the schrader valve. Is that what you mean by a 2 stage valve? In this case, the pressure does drop in the shock when you re-connect the pump (because the pressurized air in the shock flows into the unpressurized pump). However, it does NOT drop when you disconnect, so what you read on the gauge before you disconnect is what the pressure is.

My understanding of the term "2 stage" is a connector that lets the schrader valve close, but seals off the pump so that the pressure inside of it is not released as you disconnect the shock. Thus you hear no air escaping when you unscrew it. Also, if you leave the pump chamber pressurized, when you re-connect the pump the pressure with not drop in the shock because it is the same as the pressure in the pump.


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## SpyderPride (Jul 22, 2008)

I think we are describing the same thing in different ways.

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## mattnmtns (Sep 16, 2010)

eb1888 said:


> If you want to tune use one that has a two stage connector to minimize air loose like a Topeak Pocket DXG--$30.


I got one of these recently. Much better than the RockShox I used before. The two stage connector works great. I also have to agree that there is loss of air from pumps like the RockShox. I taught by the owner of one the areas LBS to give to give it 3 extra pumps above the pressure you want to account for pressure leaking when you remove it.

Anyways I'd highly recommend this pump.


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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

mattnmtns said:


> I also have to agree that there is loss of air from pumps like the RockShox. .


Only when you hook it back up. Until then, it is right where you left it.

Look, if the schrader valve on the shock did not fully close before the seal between the shock and pump broke, you would lose almost all the air from the shock when you disconnected.


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## SpyderPride (Jul 22, 2008)

kapusta said:


> Only when you hook it back up. Until then, it is right where you left it.
> 
> Look, if the schrader valve on the shock did not fully close before the seal between the shock and pump broke, you would lose almost all the air from the shock when you disconnected.


Yep, exactly. People need to realize that hiss of air as they unscrew is from the pump, not the shock. The shock valve has already closed at this point. And when you reconnect the pump, you lose air from the shock into the pump. A significant amount, especially for the small negative chamber.

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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

SpyderPride said:


> Yep, exactly. People need to realize that hiss of air as they unscrew is from the pump, not the shock. The shock valve has already closed at this point. And when you reconnect the pump, you lose air from the shock into the pump. A significant amount, especially for the small negative chamber.
> 
> Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2


I think this point needs to be a sticky in the suspension section.


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## deadkenny (Jun 9, 2011)

osokolo said:


> i was left with only one cheap pump that i was having problems threading properly onto the valve of the shock. i stopped using it out of fear that it may bust the threads. also, even when tightened to the shock, it would leak air...
> 
> damage i was referring to was potentially to the shock valve threads...


I'm getting issues with the Specialized dual regular and shock pump that I've got and concerned I'm damaging or already have damaged the thread on the rear shock.

It's been getting worse but it doesn't thread well and keeps leaking with small movements in the hose. It won't thread tight either, it just pops loose and have to tighten again, and nudge the fitting a fraction and it will leak (usually fast with a 'pop' in pressure loss, though seems to be the pump that's lost pressure, less so the shock). Struggling to get it up to pressure now as it does it more the higher the pressure.

Not sure if it's the pump hose thread and/or seal in the hose (which I hope it is) or the thread on the shock (which I really hope it isn't!).

Thing is though, I can see the cause. Short hose length to the shock valve. The action of pumping is flexing that hose a lot and bending the connector on the valve threads which are shallow anyway. Looking at alternate pumps, most seem to have a short hose length with potentially the same problem, cheap or expensive. That said, many have said the Specialized one is a bit rubbish. Certainly has always been rubbish as a regular pump, but okay until now for the shock, but do I have a bust pump or a bust shock valve? !

edit: Actually reviews on this seem pretty good, not just for the "can't hear a hiss when detaching" factor but more importantly it looks like it would prevent the pump from flexing the valve thread. And cheaper than buying a new pump - Topeak® Cycling Accessories


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## Ken in KC (Jan 12, 2004)

deadkenny said:


> I'm getting issues with the Specialized dual regular and shock pump that I've got and concerned I'm damaging or already have damaged the thread on the rear shock.
> 
> It's been getting worse but it doesn't thread well and keeps leaking with small movements in the hose. It won't thread tight either, it just pops loose and have to tighten again, and nudge the fitting a fraction and it will leak (usually fast with a 'pop' in pressure loss, though seems to be the pump that's lost pressure, less so the shock). Struggling to get it up to pressure now as it does it more the higher the pressure.
> 
> ...


Specific pumps for specific purposes. Get a shock specific pump and be done w it. If you're moving the hose enough to lose pressure, you're having to work far to hard to add air to your shock.

Sent from my rotary phone and compiled with a telegraph machine.


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