DebonAir Air Spring Upgrade Kit [Rider Review]

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Suspension turns into a very personal setting, and RockShox likes to make sure their riders are happy. They offer the DebonAir upgrade kit to allow more air in the negative chamber to allow suppleness off the top but still allowing mid-stroke support. Our friend David has been trying it, see what they think. 

Overview

Over the course of several months of riding and adjusting, I grew to appreciate the stiff chassis of the Rockshox Pike. I also love how well it handles bigger hits. What I also found was that the initial stiction was way too high when riding anywhere near the 25-30% sag mark. This meant that the fork was hardly moving much over smaller chatter or features -- even with the low speed compression wide open. This resulted in some jarring rides, since the trail builders near me love the low speed rocky tech! (OK, I do too) It would be a totally different story at higher speeds.

My options were:
Run the sag way too high with even more volume spacers (Blow through the first 2/3 of my travel, then hit a brick wall on the last 1/3)
Shell out some serious cash for a different fork
Spend $46ish on the DebonAir spring upgrade

So after trying option 1 and hating it, I tried option 3!

The difference was immediately obvious.

I barely had to press the handlebars down at all by hand to get the fork moving. At the sag point, there's no more massive barrier to getting the fork to compress. This is all thanks to the larger negative air volume. Granted, I still have great support in the middle of the travel for when I need to stand and pedal. There's no wallowing through the travel. Overall, it feels like a more linear progression. Now when riding over chatter, rocks, and roots, I can see and hear the fork working more and my arms absorbing less. Less discomfort means longer rides!

Final Thoughts

For me, this minor and inexpensive upgrade was a very welcomed change. My Pike now feels much smoother now in the first half of the travel. If you're still rocking the SoloAir spring, I would give the DebonAir a try.