The RC3 moniker comes from the three settings available in a little lever that cuts off the port to the piggyback reservoir (referred to here earlier as the ding dong). Like the RP23, there are three additional compression damping settings intended to be used in various riding conditions. Unique to the RC3 is that this system is separate from the normal compression tune so it should behave the same across all available tuning scenarios (assuming RS uses the same weight oil between them). The lever blocks oil transfer to the ding dong to various degrees and has an override when you hit things, to allow the suspension to compress. The two settings above open not only work, they work very smoothly. It’s really not very apparent that there’s any sort of threshold being breached, it really does feel like more well-tuned, low-speed compression damping being applied. It’s a much more refined feeling that any of the probably dozen RP variety shocks I’ve had from Fox.
I didn’t do a whole lot of descending in setting 3, but setting 2 was so subtle that I think it would be a legit “set and forget” option for a lot of frames that suffer from a little bounce when climbing or stand-up mashing. I did, however, prefer the full open setup, and most of my riding was done there. Like I said, a lot of things shocks come with, as far as settings, are more geared toward frames that don’t work as well as some of the better designed quad-link bikes.
Two aspects of the shock have stuck out as issues. The first one is that the thing leaked air. Every ride I was having to refill the main air spring chamber. After some soapy water spray, I found the leak at the Schrader valve. This isn’t that big of a deal, I just pulled the core (with a cheap tool available at any auto parts store), wrapped the threads with teflon tape, and reinstalled. It still leaks a little, and there may be something breached elsewhere, but fixing the valve helped.
The second is that with the low-compression damping tune…I got the low-rebound damping tune. I’ve had the rebound damper knob maxed out since I’ve had the shock. It’s just about right. But if I were any heavier or if the leverage ratio on my bike were a little higher, I wouldn’t have ridden it. It’s just barely enough to keep the rebound stroke on the suspension in check. I wouldn’t mind having a few more available clicks.
There’s actually a third personal issue that bears mentioning here. RockShox has come up with a design that has an extremely fine-tunable air spring, and, if you poke around a little on their website, an almost infinitely tunable damping configuration. The issue is that they don’t advertise this. That’s absolutely crazy to me. The rubber bands should be listed on their site as an additional level of adjustability. The fact that they don’t do this just astounds me. I didn’t even know about them until hearing about them secondhand from someone not associated with RockShox in any way.
I appreciate that the review followed a process of learning in. Nice one.
Turner has specced a lower compression tune (and a low volume cannister) in their more recent offerings due to the issues you described. Which would point to the shock spec rather than the specific model. Also, the air spring rate and the INTERNAL damper tune of the shock must match the characteristics of the frame linkage design and the rider’s intention for a shock to sing. IME, off the shelf shock swaps are rarely a bolt-up-and-your-done situation as the article outlines so well. A Push or other custom tuner is the ticket.
Can you tell I’ve played off-the-shelf shock roulette?
The Monarch does have a larger piston than a Fox Float for more oil control.
A few side notes:
– Fox’s air chamber spacers allow you to tune both large volume and small volume air chamber
– I wonder if the single wall air canister will have more effect on temperature than a piggy back, the double wall large chamber acts as an insulator as would the rubber bands. I’ve had my body fatigue before my damping broke down due to heat on an inline single wall shock, but we are all different.
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Wow. This is a great review and very interesting to hear about going through the complex series of tuning a shock to a frame. I have one of the RT3s on my 29er with a 4 bar linkage and it runs great! I set it on firm for climbing(sometimes on medium) and open it wide up for descending. Most of the time I don’t realize it’s working. I mean this in a good way. It just flows with the bike.
I have a Yeti AS-R with an RP23 on it. Granted, it’s a different linkage system but it feels like the shock is always bobbing around. I’m considering either getting an RT3 with a medium compression or getting the RP23 Pushed. I really would love to get an RT3 or even this RC3(though a 4″ travel bike hardly merits one) instead of having it Pushed. I’m just not a fan of Fox much anymore. They seem overly complex and near impossible to tune how one wants it. Plus, it would give me the same servicing when I service the shocks.
Interesting to hear about the rubber bands. I’d never heard that mentioned before. Thanks!
Great write up, after reading this i put an order in for a 2014 RC3 PLUS for my 5 spot. I had my RP23 PUSH’ed about 6 months ago and it took all the small bump harshness out of it and for a couple of months i was happy. But when i got into the mountains i found the shock lacked something i just couldn’t put my finger on initially. But after a bit more riding i found it was just getting harsher and harsher on long sustained descents. Great shock for trail riding but if you are looking at pushing yourself and the bike more and more then i felt i needed something a bit better.
Im still waiting for it and it is getting tuned for me from a specialist company here in the UK so when i get my mitts on it ill hopefully have the final piece in my bike jigsaw :-)