Customer Review: Rockshox Monarch Plus RC3 Rear Shock

I bought the Monarch Plus RC3 shock as a replacement for the OEM Fox Float that came on my Stumpjumper FSR 29er. It was making a very disconcerting rattling sound and was not performing very well. Checking around on the web I decided I would upgrade to a better shock rather than fix the Float.

A quick check on the Worldwide Cyclery site revealed that they had exactly what I needed; the Monarch Plus RC3 with the monster size Debonair can. I ordered it and Worldwide Cyclery quickly shipped out the part.

The Monarch was a snap to install since the necessary kit was included in the box.

I needed to pump it to 310 PSI to get 40% sag which surprised me a bit however the max is 350 so I did not worry. I set the platform to OPEN and dialed the rebound to halfway.

I struck out and hit one of my regular trails. The shock felt a tad saggy so I added another 15PSI and continued my ride.

It then became quickly obvious that the Monarch was outperforming the OEM Fox. Small bump sensitivity was utterly amazing. Its ability to smooth out long stretches of root chatter is awesome. It also has noticeably more platform from the middle of the stroke and continues to behave that way as deep into its travel as I've taken it. It feels bottomless on bigger hits.

Since installation I've put several hours on it and I continue to be impressed.

It's a great upgrade and looks radical on my flat black Stumpy. My riding buddies are so envious.

I'm really happy with the Monarch upgrade and would highly recommend it to any Stumpy driver who wants to pump-up their ride.