RockShox MegNeg Air Can Upgrade Kit [Rider Review]

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Most front or rear suspension setups that come with current mountain bikes are pretty dialed as far as performance goes. On the other hand if you need more mid stroke support for your Rock Shox Deluxe or Super Deluxe rear shocks. Our friend Colin gives us the rundown on the RockShox MegNeg Air Can Upgrade Kit. Check it out!

Overview

The MegNeg Air Can Upgrade Kit, or how to make a good product better. I purchased a 2019 GT Force Carbon Expert for my son that came with a Rock Shock Delux RL. He's a hard charger but at only 120 lbs. suspension set up on this bike was always a trade off when it came to the rear shock. If you set the sag correctly it would bottom on the big hucks and if you aired it up to stop the bottoming it was "like riding a hardtail Dad". Even after adding different amounts of volume spacers and trying different levels of sag the ride was either ok plush off the top and bottoming out or the most expensive hardtail I have ever paid for.

The problem is that this upgrade made my son a bit faster and willing to take on even bigger gaps and drops. Not a bad thing for him but I was just keeping up before, now.....let's say I try harder.

I debated spending the money for a different shock which seemed wrong as the bike was still new and shinny but then I watched the Liam Woods review of the Rock Shox MegNeg on the Worldwide Cyclery video and blog channel. The article was in depth and sounded like it was just the fix we needed. It even mentioned how well it would work for lighter weight riders like my son. Being a fan of Worldwide Cyclery as a place to shop due to the cool vibe, excellent customer service and competitive pricing, I placed my order and threw the credit card down with the greatest of expectations.

Even being a special order item it showed up in a couple of days. Boom, MegNeg Air Can to the rescue. After playing around with the different adjustments of negative air spring bands and air volume spacers in the shock we were able to tune in a sag that provided some plush on the top without the bottoming we struggled with before. Son is happy. Dad is happy, kinda.

Final Thoughts

For anyone considering this upgrade I would highly recommend it especially if you are on the lighter side of the weight scale. Be prepared to spend some time dialing it in. The differences that you can make by adding or subtracting the negative air spring bands and different air volume spacers make a noticeable difference but once you get them dialed in you will be stoked with the finished product. And don't worry about actually changing out the bands and tokens. It is a pretty straight forward operation. Tools required, strap wrench or manly man grip. This is easily a two beer job, well one if you actually stick to it but why hurry, wrenching is fun and therapeutic. Get your MegNeg and send it.