Propain Sresh SL Shock Dilemma

[charleyc]

Hi everyone!
I demoed a Propain Sresh SL two days ago and absolutely loved it. I'm planning to order one for myself and am torn about which rear shock to spec. I am considering either the Ohlins TTX coil or the Rockshox Vivid Air Ultimate. I hear some mixed things about the Pro10 suspension design, with some people saying it "ramps into a wall" and others liking it a lot. On the one I demoed (with a Float X2) I liked the level of support in continuous rough sections but found it a little tricky to manage pop over small "kicky" obstacles without getting bucked.

I see a lot of people saying they like to take a Vivid or SDU and then add a bunch of volume spacers, implying adding even *more* progressivity on top of the current setup, but I've also seen coil proponents out there. Does anyone here have some experience with the Pro10 suspension with both "flavors" of setup and can comment on which they think works better?

 

[Yotaismygame]

So far I think my Pro10 bike is great. Its poppy, supportive and supple. Doesnt feel like a wall at all. And this is with a Vivid air ult with 4 volume spacers. I hit big features and weigh 200lbs. I need volume spacers in all my bikes. The Sresh is a cool bike but the weight savings arent worth it too me. I'd much rather have a full power bike if i'm doing the ebike thing.

 

[Str1fe]

Hi,

I've been riding a Sresh SL since April and absolutely love it.

I'm running a 170 mm Zeb Ultimate up front and a Vivid Ultimate in the rear. First of all, I think suspension balance is important, you want something that matches the fork and makes sense as a package.
As for air vs. coil, that's a pretty common discussion with Propain bikes.

The Sresh SL is basically a Tyee with a motor.
I've ridden a Tyee with a coil shock and now the Sresh SL with a Vivid. Personally, I prefer the Vivid, but you need to run quite a bit of air in it to get the best out of it... I'm at around 28% sag because at 30–35% I was bottoming out quite a lot.

The Vivid can be a bit tricky to dial in because, like you said, the PRO10 suspension can behave a little strangely at times. You get a lot of support (it's definitely not an ultra-plush bike), and then on a hard square-edge hit you can unexpectedly bottom out and get a bit of a kick.

In my experience, though, that barely happens anymore now that I've got the setup sorted. The bike has great support, but it really comes down to riding style, some people love that feel, others don't.

Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with either option.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!

 

[charleyc]

Thanks to both of you! I think I will go with the Vivid and add a couple of volume spacers; it seems like the better fit for the bike and it's more tuneable if I feel like it needs tweaking. Worst case, I can swap my TTX off of my other bike if I end up wishing I had a coil.

I'm planning to get the RXF38 fork in 170mm; I have that same fork on my other ebike and I think it's about as good as a single-crown fork can get for me.

I currently have a full power ebike (YT Decoy) and I massively preferred the Sresh SL both uphill and downhill. I demoed with a friend who also has a Decoy and he felt the exact opposite. I can see his point of view but at the end of the day it's a matter of taste.

 

[Yotaismygame]

Thanks to both of you! I think I will go with the Vivid and add a couple of volume spacers; it seems like the better fit for the bike and it's more tuneable if I feel like it needs tweaking. Worst case, I can swap my TTX off of my other bike if I end up wishing I had a coil.

I'm planning to get the RXF38 fork in 170mm; I have that same fork on my other ebike and I think it's about as good as a single-crown fork can get for me.

I currently have a full power ebike (YT Decoy) and I massively preferred the Sresh SL both uphill and downhill. I demoed with a friend who also has a Decoy and he felt the exact opposite. I can see his point of view but at the end of the day it's a matter of taste.

I ride with two guys on Mid power bikes. Are they lighter? Sure. Do they get you up the hill quicker? A little. At least with the big battery you'll have decent range but you could also be riding a bike that isnt much heavier that gives you the options to ride in low, mid, or high power. Look into the Transition Regulator. They weigh under 50lbs and get plenty of range. And if for some reason you decided to blast up the hill for one last lap you can do that. IMO mid or low power bikes are just stepping stones. Anyone I know who went with one either switched or plans to switch to full power bikes.

 

[charleyc]

I ride with two guys on Mid power bikes. Are they lighter? Sure. Do they get you up the hill quicker? A little. At least with the big battery you'll have decent range but you could also be riding a bike that isnt much heavier that gives you the options to ride in low, mid, or high power. Look into the Transition Regulator. They weigh under 50lbs and get plenty of range. And if for some reason you decided to blast up the hill for one last lap you can do that. IMO mid or low power bikes are just stepping stones. Anyone I know who went with one either switched or plans to switch to full power bikes.

I demoed the Regulator a few weeks ago, with the Bosch SX. It's a fine bike, but the motor was rattly as all hell and I don't like the unnatural climbing feel. The extra weight versus the Sresh SL was noticeable on the downhills and while it isn't as much of a pig as the Decoy, it was hard to forget that I was riding an ebike.

I've been climbing mountains on normal bikes for 30 years and I'm really just looking for something to make boring fire road climbs go by a bit faster. The Decoy makes them zoom by, but it ruins the downhill portion of the experience for me, which makes the whole thing a bit pointless. I felt like the Sresh SL struck a really nice balance.

 

[Str1fe]

I don’t think it’s really about the power.

For me, what makes the HPR60 so enjoyable is the way it rides. It feels incredibly natural and still has more than enough power if you’re in decent shape. It really comes down to personal preference. I know people who actually sold their full-power e-bikes to switch to a mid-power system, so it’s not as simple as “more power is better.”

The HPR60 was really, really praised when it came out, even compared to more powerful systems, and after riding it, I totally understand why.

And it has more power than people might think honestly.

 

[charleyc]

I don’t think it’s really about the power.

For me, what makes the HPR60 so enjoyable is the way it rides. It feels incredibly natural and still has more than enough power if you’re in decent shape. It really comes down to personal preference. I know people who actually sold their full-power e-bikes to switch to a mid-power system, so it’s not as simple as “more power is better.”

The HPR60 was really, really praised when it came out, even compared to more powerful systems, and after riding it, I totally understand why.

And it has more power than people might think honestly.

Yeah, I was extremely impressed with the motor. I really like how it feels on technical climbs in particular; it's very natural and feels much more like a normal MTB than the Shimano or Bosch systems do. It's also dead quiet which is something I really appreciate.

 

[Yotaismygame]

I demoed the Regulator a few weeks ago, with the Bosch SX. It's a fine bike, but the motor was rattly as all hell and I don't like the unnatural climbing feel. The extra weight versus the Sresh SL was noticeable on the downhills and while it isn't as much of a pig as the Decoy, it was hard to forget that I was riding an ebike.

I've been climbing mountains on normal bikes for 30 years and I'm really just looking for something to make boring fire road climbs go by a bit faster. The Decoy makes them zoom by, but it ruins the downhill portion of the experience for me, which makes the whole thing a bit pointless. I felt like the Sresh SL struck a really nice balance.

Not the SX. That's a terrible motor. The CX. Imo something like a M2s or CX5 can do anything the the TQ can and some. But to each their own. I've also been riding bikes for a long time.

 

[Str1fe]

Yeah, I was extremely impressed with the motor. I really like how it feels on technical climbs in particular; it's very natural and feels much more like a normal MTB than the Shimano or Bosch systems do. It's also dead quiet which is something I really appreciate.

Yeah, actually the HPR60 isn't that bad compared to full power motors on single tracks climbs, mainly because the power delivery is so smooth.

In general did you notice a massive difference in power compared to your YT?

 

[charleyc]

Yeah, actually the HPR60 isn't that bad compared to full power motors on single tracks climbs, mainly because the power delivery is so smooth.

In general did you notice a massive difference in power compared to your YT?

Yeah, there's a really big difference in general, especially on the fire roads. I average 12-15mph on fire roads on the YT depending on the grade, and I was going about half that speed (5-7mph) on the Propain. On singletrack the difference was much smaller, mostly because I don't blast up singletrack at full power on the YT.

I just ordered the Propain! Seems to be about a 2-month lead time, so should be picking it up at their HQ in late August.

 

[Emailsucks98]

I just ordered the Propain! Seems to be about a 2-month lead time, so should be picking it up at their HQ in late August.

What shock did you end up going with?

I have owned both a Tyee 5 & 6, have tried a DHX coil, X2, super deluxe ultimate and currently an EXT storia. I really like the Pro-10 suspension - it is unique. Efficient and poppy, can be plush too.

I wasn't originally happy with either air shock stock, but adding the linear XL air can and 2 spacers to the super deluxe ultimate was a game changer. mega-plush off the top. Too much so, it actually sagged/ slackened the seat tube when climbing. 1.5 spacers & 28% sag was goldilocks.
The EXT has been awesome. I think with the Pro10, either air or coil can work great, but air shocks take some fiddling. You'll want at least some spacers to get small bump compliance.

 

[charleyc]

What shock did you end up going with?

I have owned both a Tyee 5 & 6, have tried a DHX coil, X2, super deluxe ultimate and currently an EXT storia. I really like the Pro-10 suspension - it is unique. Efficient and poppy, can be plush too.

I wasn't originally happy with either air shock stock, but adding the linear XL air can and 2 spacers to the super deluxe ultimate was a game changer. mega-plush off the top. Too much so, it actually sagged/ slackened the seat tube when climbing. 1.5 spacers & 28% sag was goldilocks.
The EXT has been awesome. I think with the Pro10, either air or coil can work great, but air shocks take some fiddling. You'll want at least some spacers to get small bump compliance.

I went with the Vivid Air Ultimate and plan to add a couple of volume spacers. I already have a TTX coil at home, so I can swap that on if I decide I really can't get along with the Vivid, but it's so tweakable that that seems unlikely!