Up to 550 euros for a new rear shock - you could almost buy a new bike for that. And yet there have recently been good reasons for the expensive part. Two years ago, the American suspension manufacturer Progressive Suspension launched the "5th Element" damper on the market - heralding a new suspension era: the platform damper. Other manufacturers followed suit and the damper market now offers a considerable number of platform systems for every area of application. But what can these dampers do better than their conventional predecessors? Simply put, platform dampers are designed to absorb unevenness in the ground as sensitively as possible. On the other hand, they should ensure a stable pedal platform - i.e. not be activated by the rider's pedalling movements. This largely eliminates suspension bob and the famous lockout can be dispensed with. But which system works best?
For this test, we fitted eight platform shocks to a Scott "Octane" from the first series (2001 model year) and chased the bike around a test course using data recording equipment. Different obstacles and an uphill section roughly reflect the real-life situation on the trail - but under precisely defined and identical conditions for each shock. In the second part of the test, we measured the spring characteristics and damping performance of the test suspension on our test benches. For comparison, we also ran the three-year-old original shock absorber, naturally without the platform system.
You can find these models in the test:
CC Race: DT Swiss SSD 210 L, Fox Float RP 3, Manitou Swinger Air 3-Way, Progr. suspension 5th Element Air
Tour/Freeride: Fox DHX 5.0, Fox Vanilla RC, Manitou Swinger Coil 3-Way, Progressive Suspension 5th Element,
