Professional Tweaks, Tips & Reviews By "AJ" Picarello
I hope you find my Tweaks and Tips section helpful. If there is something you want to know about, send me an email and I will try to add that to one of my upcoming articles.
I’ve been happily testing a Push Industries tuned FOX Vanilla RC on my Orange 223. To prove to you that your shock has been tricked out, Push actually gives you back all the old Vanillas internals. For less than $200.00 Push Industries will trick out your old FOX and bring it up to speed with their “Race system”!
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The “Factory Tuned Race System” is custom tuned for your type of bike, rider weight and ride style. The only company I can think that does the same is Avalanche. The Push shock tested is proof that custom tuned suspension will improve your ride.
The Push Race Vanilla has a very “Pro race” feel. The shock is designed to keep you low to the ground and stable when pedaling. Performance is impressive and not similar in any way to the RC. I noticed it rides deeper into the travel compared to say a 5th Element or Avalanche. Because it rides deep, my cranks were always a bit lower and head angle was slacker. This type of geometry causes the front of the bike to lift while accelerating (power wheelie). I had to adjust to the wondering effect of the slacker head angle. Turning the handlebars to steer was not an option. I had to watch my cranks and lean the bike through the turns.
The Push shock rides similar to a DHX. It is responsive yet stable when pedaling. A bit noisy, the valves opening and closing are audible. The rebound, thankfully slower than the original RC, still gives the 223 a playful feel. Jumping was predicable and bottom out was not a problem. I tested the shock with a steel 450lb FOX coil spring. (Same spring rate as the Avalanche, I found the lighter 400lb worked best only with the 5th Element).
If you’re DH racing and are moving up in the ranks, you will benefit from the new Push Race internals. Experts on a budget, racing on the old RC’s should purchase this kit. The more expensive shocks do perform slightly better, but will cost you twice as much. Thank you Push for offering new shock technology at an affordable price!
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