First Look & First Ride: 2014 Cane Creek DBair 'Climb Switch' Shock

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First Look & First Ride: 2014 Cane Creek DBair 'Climb Switch' Shock
By davetrumpore
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<b>Introducing the Cane Creek DBair CS shock. It features independent low-speed and high-speed rebound, low-speed and high-speed compression, along with a new custom tuned climbing mode at the flick of the Climb Switch.</b>
<b>What sets the DBair CS apart from the competition is the quick and easy way of adjusting both low-speed compression <u>and</u> low-speed rebound damping for climbs.</b>
<b>Cane Creek's unique system mitigates unwanted chassis motion while climbing without compromising traction or control. We met up with them at the Keystone Bike Park to try out the new shock. Our weapon of choice for the day? The Norco Range Killer-B.</b>
<b>Meet Frank, aka the Frankenshock. This is where it all began with more levers and knobs than any shock should ever have. This was used for proof of concept and would evolve through multiple versions into the final production shock you see today.</b>
<b>With proof of concept in hand, the team developed additional prototypes while fine tuning the climbing settings for specific bikes, lever size, position, orientation and throw, as well as longevity, sealing, tool interface and manufacturability.</b>
<b>From start to finish: Frankenshock on top and the final polished Cane Creek DBair CS on the bottom. A total of three prototype versions were made before reaching the finished product.</b>
<b>These are the high-speed compression and high-speed rebound adjusters. The compression adjuster is custom tuned for each specific frame. Cane Creek works closely with manufacturers and product managers to really dial in the proper tune.</b>
<b>VP of Engineering and product development, Josh Coaplen, rips on a trail bike, so you know real world testing and feedback translates back into all of Cane Creek's shocks. Here his bike is tracking smooth enough for a 1/13th pan.</b>
<b>This is the "stock" setting for our Norco Range test bike, and to be honest if we had never changed from this we would have been perfectly happy.</b>
<b>Dave Trumpore hammering up the 1,000 foot climb to the top of the trails in Keystone. This is also a DH trail littered with braking bumps and loose dirt, so it was an ideal way to start our test session.</b>
<b>We continued to test the shock alongside Josh Coaplen and the rest of the Cane Creek crew throughout the day, dialing in our settings and getting a feel for the ride.</b>
<b>Jason Nixon tried his best to overpower the low-speed rebound and compression control, but even a big gear effort out of the saddle was no match... Dave weighs in on his ride impressions in the audio.</b>
<b>At the top of the climb we flipped the CS lever off and began our decent through the Keystone Bike Park. Braaap!</b>
<b>These are the changes we made from the base setting. Notice they aren't far off the mark, and it is unlikely anyone would need to go more than a few clicks or a turn to dial in their own setup.</b>
<b>Rocks, roots, ruts and switchbacks through the aspen trees. As impressive as this shock was going up, it didn't disappoint coming down. The bike stayed stable and was very well controlled both up and down the trail thanks to the Cane Creek DBair CS. Bottom line? We're truly impressed. For more details, visit <u><a href="http://www.canecreek.com" target="_blank">www.canecreek.com</a></u>.</b>
FIRSTLOOK-INTRO-ONELINE
For years we've been pleased with Cane Creek's Double Barrel Air shock, save one thing - climbing. With no quick way to adjust low-speed compression some bikes suffered on the way up. Well, the new Climb Switch (CS) model not only addresses our previous complaint, but also opens our eyes to a whole new world of control while mashing on the pedals. This isn't your conventional pedal-platform... The DBair CS allows the rider to retain the advantages of a fully-suspended bike while climbing, without unwanted suspension motion.



After you catch our first look feature and initial ride impressions in the slideshow, above, join Cane Creek for a ride and listen in as they discuss the new shock in this video:





Expected availability is August 1 with an MSRP of $695. Oh, and many of you may be wondering if this technology can be applied to a coil shock? The answer is yes. There's a good chance you'll also see a coil version soon. Will there be a remote option? As of right now, no, but it's a possibility in the future.





Photos by Dave Trumpore and Derek DiLuzio - www.canecreek.com
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