Suspension manufacturer RockShox has updated its Monarch and Monarch Plus rear shocks with higher volume air canisters intended to give them a more linear feel and improve small bump sensitivity.
RockShox engineers sought to bring the feel of the gravity-tuned Vivid air shock to the trail-oriented Monarch line. The idea being that the less progressive spring curve will result in a more supple feel through the first third of the travel, giving the rider better traction and increased control though successive hits.
Dubbed DebonAir, the new shocks have increased volume in both the positive and negative air chambers. The additional negative volume is housed in chambers in the redesigned air sleeve.
RockShox product manager Jed Douglas claims the DebonAir versions of the Monarch and Monarch Plus require 25 percent less initial force to move them through first 30 percent of their travel.
The Monarch line also gets the Fast Black anodizing treatment used on fork stanchions to reduce friction.
The more linear DebonAir shocks will be a better match for some suspension designs than others. They are intended to be used with 130-160mm trail bikes, rather than shorter travel cross-country bikes.
Chambers within the air sleeves increase the volume of the DebonAir shocksThe DebonAir Shocks will come as standard equipment on some 2015 model year bikes and will also be available aftermarket this May.
Pricing for the Monarch RT3 DebonAir will be $365-390 / €324-347 / £TBA.
Pricing for the Monarch Plus RC3 DebonAir will be $499 / €444 / £TBA.
RockShox will also be offering a DebonAir upgrade kits, which consists of a higher volume air sleeve, for model year 2014 Monarch and Monarch Plus shocks. The Kit will also work with model year 2013 Monarch RT3 shocks. The Monarch/Monarch Plus DebonAir update kit will retail for US$115.50 / €104.21 / £ TBA.
