Coil shocks making a comeback

Fox Coil Shocks
Coil shocks have now become an alternative to air, with 130-160mm bike (Image credit: Fox)

Coil or air. If you are a committed technical terrain rider, this has become a question of late, as coil suspension components have regained popularity.

During the first expansion of dual-suspension mountain bike frame design, in the 1990s, coil-sprung suspension was ubiquitous. As dual-suspension frame kinematics improved and air-sprung rear shocks gained improved reliability, during the 2000s, the coil was resigned to duty only in extreme applications.

For most of the last decade, coil shocks were the preserve of downhill racers and extreme freeriding mountain bikers. Innovation beyond the gravity-riding niche was triggered by enduro racing, which required bikes with pedalling ability, which could also cope with punishingly arduous descents, on highly technical trails.

Coil shocks don’t fade or suffer friction-induced heat degradation during a long descent, even after multiple terrain impacts. Performance remains constant and predictable: you might fatigue but your coil shock won’t. Coils also provide a delicate sensitivity that air-shocks, due to the friction present in their seals, cannot equal.

For enduro and e-MTB riders, who have the potential of clocking a lot more intense descending mileage than most trail or cross-country riders, a sacrifice in weight is worth the linearity in performance offered by a coil. 

The traditional advantage air shocks have above coils are mass and adjustability. A steel or titanium spring will never be lighter than compressed air in a chamber.

By the same token, an air chamber allows for generous pressure adjustment, to suit virtually any rider weight or terrain type. If you want your coil shock to behave differently, you need to swap out a new spring – which is both expensive and laborious.

If air shocks are lighter and offer superior adjustability, why are there now more enduro and trail riding coils on the market than ever before? The answer is that increased riding intensity from enduro riders, and the weight of e-MTBs, have mandated a requirement for coils that are not downhill sized in their suspension stroke.

Other aspects where coil shocks best air-suspension, regard robustness and maintenance. Without air-seals to replace or a stanchion surface that requires cleaning, especially in muddy conditions, the coil shock is very much a fit-and-forget mountain bike component.  

Lance Branquinho
Freelance writer

Lance Branquinho is a Namibian-born journalist who graduated to mountain biking after injuries curtailed his trail running. He has a weakness for British steel hardtails, especially those which only run a single gear. As well as Bike Perfect, Lance has written for MBR.com, Off-Road.cc and Cycling News.

Latest in
A mountain biker riding a cross-country mountain bike
Content funding on BikePerfect
Calibre Bossnut 2025 seen side on
Don't buy a budget hardtail! The full-sus Calibre Bossnut is the best-value MTB right now with a massive £500 price cut in this Black Friday MTB deal
Continental Race King XC tire side view
Continental’s Olympic and World Championship XC winning Race King Protection is the fastest rolling MTB tire I’ve ever ridden, but it’s not for the nervous
Schwalbe Rocket Ron
Schwalbe Rocket Ron XC tire review – our favorite all-condition race tire
Pinarello Dogma XC bike
Golden beginnings – How Pinarello’s Dogma XC HT rose to the top of cross-country mountain biking
GT Sensor ST Carbon Pro
Is GT's Sensor ST Carbon Pro full-suspension MTB cheap at half the price?
Latest in Features
A mountain biker riding a cross-country mountain bike
Content funding on BikePerfect
Pinarello Dogma XC bike
Golden beginnings – How Pinarello’s Dogma XC HT rose to the top of cross-country mountain biking
Guy Kesteven in horrible kit with a horrible bike
From trail centers to racing, UK mountain biking is in a real crisis right now. Should you care and what can you do about it?
A rider wearing the best gravel bike shorts while riding a dry gravel track
Best cargo bib shorts – gravel bike shorts for comfortable adventures
Shimano XTR and PD-M520 pedals sitting on rocks
Shimano XTR SPD pedal vs its M520 bargain sibling – just how close are they and does the 2024 Olympic winning model justify the huge price difference?
Roval Traverse HD rim being ridden
Do your MTB skills feel spot-on in theory but don't always translate to the trails? Here’s how to fix things...