Choosing the right coil shock can be a daunting task, and if you’re going to spend your hard earned cash on a fancy piece of mountain bike tech, you’re want to put your money in the right place. Today, we’ll be looking at three shocks; the RockShox Super Deluxe Coil Ultimate, Fox DHX2, and Marzocchi Bomber CR. All three of these shocks come in all modern sizes and will fit great on everything from a trail bike to a downhill bike. In this article, we’ll be going over what sets them apart from each other and why you might pick one over the other.

Whether you’re looking for the best price, most adjustability, easiest serviceability, or anything else, let’s check out the differences between these coil shocks.

The RockShox Super Deluxe Coil Ultimate has more features than marketing buzzwords in its name, which is an impressive feat! While the Super Deluxe has been a staple in the world of coil shocks, this latest generation was recently redesigned and is jam packed with some tech that we’re huge fans of here at The Lost Co. The RC2T damper features independent high and low speed compression adjustments, a low speed rebound adjustment, and the star of the show, the adjustable hydraulic bottom out (HBO) adjustment.

Those high and low speed compression adjustments are placed in such a way that eliminates “cross-talk” between them so they can operate entirely independently. Turning one knob won’t have any effect on the other, which is incredibly helpful when it comes to tuning the shock to your liking. And, with the tick marks on the outside of the shock, it couldn’t be any easier to see where you are in the compression circuits and make quick adjustments. Just to add some icing on the cake, the adjustable HBO softens the inevitable bottom out that’s a bit more common with coil shocks.

The Marzocchi Bomber CR is built for the “set it and forget it” crowd, because the only adjustments you’ll find are rebound and low speed compression. Paired with the low price tag of $309, this shock is a great option if you’re looking for an easy to setup and easy to purchase coil shock. While there are limited adjustments on this shock, that doesn’t mean you’ll be stuck with a shock that doesn’t operate how you’d like. With easy to access tooless dials, you can just reach down with your hand to adjust compression and rebound instead of breaking out the multitool.

Plus, this shock will help you get in touch with your freeride side. Marzocchi has deep roots in the freeride scene and all of their sponsored riders are using the Bomber CR. Will this shock make you the next Rampage contestant? Maybe not, but at least you’ll look the part and your rear shock won’t be holding you back.

The Fox DHX2 is the big brother of the Marzocchi Bomber CR, with more adjustability and performance than most other shocks on the market. You’ll find high and low speed compression and rebound, so there are almost limitless tuning options that will help you find a dialed setup on any bike you throw this shock on. All of the adjustments are going to require an allen wrench to tinker with, so anyone riding this shock should carry a multitool like the OneUp EDC or CrankBrothers Multi 19 for suspension adjustment and all around bike fixing purposes!

One cool feature of the DHX2 is the externally mounted stroke adjust spacers that make changing stroke a breeze. So when ordering this shock, all you need to worry about is getting the correct eye to eye measurement and then you can add or remove the little bolt on spacers at home without doing a complete teardown on your brand new shock.

All of these coil shocks will work great on any bike that uses at least 50mm of stroke and you’re looking for more traction than your current air shock! If you’re unsure about dipping into the world of coil shocks and want to ease the cost of the coil experiment, then the Marzocchi Bomber CR is going to be the easiest shock to take through the checkout procedure. Plus it’s the easiest to set up with just two adjustments, so you’ll spend less time twisting knobs and more time on the bike!

If you’re looking for maximum performance, then the choice between the Super Deluxe Coil and DHX2 is tricky because they’re both incredibly adjustable and will never hold you back. The difference between the Fox and RockShox options lie in the adjustments they offer, and you should purchase the shock with the adjustment that fits your needs. The HBO on the Super Deluxe Coil can make the linear coil shock more viable on less progressive frames, a game changer if your frame was designed specifically for air shocks. Or if you want to be able to tune your high speed rebound to help keep the rear end settled on big impacts, the Fox DHX2 will let you tinker to your hearts content.

Got questions? Feel free to shoot us an email or give us a call!

(360) 306-8827

sales@thelostco.com