Orange Bikes has leaked images of Formula's first ever coil shock
New bikes seen specced with a new coil unit
More News
Coil and air spring qualities in one package
New shock features tool free, easy to reach adjustments and plenty of them
The new shocks' thinner bodies should work better in tight frames
New shock gains coil sensitivity and air tuneability
Known for its range of brakes, suspension forks and wheelsets Formula has never delved into rear shocks, until now. Released as part of the limited edition Hazzard versions of the Orange Bikes Switch 6 and Alpine 6, the bike brand has slipped that these builds will come with a Formula coil shock to deal with the rear travel.
- Your complete guide to the RockShox fork range
- Your complete guide to the Fox Shox fork range
- Buyers guide to mountain bike tyres - get the best rubber for your MTB
Looking at the spec sheet on Oranges' website for the Switch 6 and Alpine 6 Hazzard editions, the brand has clearly stated that these bikes are equipped with a 'Formula Coil Shock', with that lovely purple coil spring.
While we don't know too much about this new shock, we do know that it'll come in two stroke lengths, as each bike offers different amounts of travel. We can see the Switch 6 with 150mm of rear travel uses a 210x55mm shock and that the burlier Alpine 6 featuring 165mm of rear travel will come with a 230x65mm shock.
Looking at the pictures, it looks likely that the shock will get adjustable rebound damping at the base, an adjustable compression dial - though we've no idea whether that'll be for the low or high-speed circuits - and a two or three-position lever that'll probably stiffen the shock up for pedalling. The construction looks to be of the conventional single-tube design rather than the twin-tube setup seen on Fox X2 and other units.
Rather interestingly, the coil appears to not be progressively wound, which would be a distinct drawback with the single-pivot Orange, which has a linear to falling leverage rate. It's possible that the shock has some sort of system to increase progression, which would be very neat for riders who want to put a coil on a bike designed for air.
The Orange Switch 6 and Alpine 6 Hazzard editions are available to purchase now so we can only hope that the shock can be purchased as standalone sooner rather than later.
You might also like:
Author block
