Fox Evol air can review

Bike shop mechanic and DH racer Will Soffe gives his opinion on the new Fox Evol air can upgrade for his Float X shock which he recently picked up from Mojo suspension

Turn up the volume

Fox have recently released the new Evol air can from their new DPS shock as an upgrade for existing Float shocks. I’ve been using the Float X for 6 months now so I was keen to try one.

The Evol can has a similar volume in the positive chamber to the existing Float air can. However the negative air spring chamber is much larger. In theory this allows for an equalisation of pressure between the two chambers as the shock reaches the top of the stroke, giving a silky suspended feeling and virtually no stiction.

Fitting was very simple (easier than an air can service). Just remove the shock from the bike and take out the mounting hardware. Unscrew the old can. The new can is supplied fully assembled with new seals so after just a light smear of Float fluid, just screw it on.  Inflate the shock and compress slowly to allow air to bleed into the negative chamber. Set the sag in the standard way, bearing in mind that you will need a higher pressure than before to reach the same percentage sag, due to the larger negative air spring – I went from 155psi to 180psi.

Also, the new design has a more progressive spring rate, so you will have to go down roughly two volume spacers to achieve the same feel. I stuck with the largest number 5 volume spacer as I like my suspension to ramp up extremely quickly.

 

The Ride

The first thing you notice with the new Evol air can is the incredible sensitivity off the top of the stroke. You simply can’t feel the shock top out; even the weight of the bike compresses the shock a few mil! The next thing you notice is the ramp up when you’re on the bike: In addition to incredible small-bump sensitivity the shock now provides great mid-stroke support and a bottomless feel.

On the trail, the grip is noticeably improved. The bike tracks better than before and the grip when the back end of the bike is unweighted (over crests and under heavy braking) is dramatically increased.

Chris Porter of Fox distributor Mojo says “this is one of the best upgrades Fox has ever released” and I have to agree. It’s excellent value, retailing at around £80 and noticeably improves the existing Float or Float X shock’s performance.

The Evol air can upgrade is just £58 for the black version and £91 for bling Kashima finish.  Contact shop@bikeparkwales.com to find out more