Fox Shox Float X2 Rear Shock: Rider Review

The amount of rear shock choices now is a lot better than just a few short years ago. Changing out your rear shock can make your bike feel completely different. The change between a Fox DPX2 vs a Fox X2 is pretty substantial. Our customer Dave Nawahine purchased the Fox Shox X2 and gives us the lowdown. Check it out! 

My 2018 Yeti SB6 came stock with a Fox DPX shock, which wasn't as plush as I'd like given the rooty, rocky terrain I ride. My issues with the DPX shock was the lack of adjustments, so I decided to swap it out for a Fox Shox X2.

DPX ADJUSTMENTS
Air spring, volume spacers, 3 position climb switch, rebound

X2 ADJUSTMENTS
Air spring, volume spacers, 2 position climb switch, high-speed compression, low-speed compression, high-speed rebound, low-speed rebound.

I was on the fence between switching to a coil spring shock or sticking with an air spring, I decided to stay with an air spring because I wanted the ability to easily fine-tune the curve with pressure and volume spacers.

Installation

The X2 was a breeze. Just remove the spacers and inserts from the DPX and install them on the X2 then bolt it in place.

Ride

The rear shock has been installed and it's ready to ride. I set the shock to the factory suggested settings with 30% sag and went for a ride. Right out of the box I noticed the ride was a lot plusher on the smaller roots and trail trash, yet supportive on bigger roots, drops, and hits. After several runs, I decided to make an adjustment so I soften the high-speed compression by 3 clicks and that put me in the sweet spot. A few runs later I did the same with the high-speed rebound and I'm very stoked with the setup. "Well that was easy."

With several ride days on the current Fox Shox X2 settings I'm hitting sections faster with each run, to the point I think I need to back it down because a crash at that speed would probably be a bone breaker. I started charging hard into this 6'' to 12'' root and rock section, the bike tracking straight through gobbling everything up. A few runs later I was lofting the front end, skipping through on the rear wheel. I'm getting a lot of confidence from my bike and suspension which is allowing me to push it maybe a little past my intermediate abilities. As long as I stay off the ground I'm stoked with it!

Climbing

I didn't notice a difference (for better or worse) between the X2 and DPX when it came to the pedal platform on steep climbs. The DPX has a 3 position climb switch (Open, Trail, and Lockout) whereas the X2 has a 2 position switch (Open and Trail). The trail mode on the X2 was adequate when needed, even out of the saddle it provided a fairly stiff platform with just enough movement to soak up small bumps.

Conclusion

Was it worth it?....I think that depends on how much you value your ride quality. For me "Yes"...without a doubt! The ability to adjust and tune the suspension to a setting I like inspires confidence and that equals speed.