Tested: SR Suntour TriAir Shock

Suspension brand loyalty and setups, like most bits on a mountain bike are highly subjective. A few years back Rockshox and Fox seemed to be the heavy hitters and appeared almost exclusively on most high end mountain bikes. Recently however, brands like DVO, Ohlins, Cane Creek, and EXT (to name a few) are gaining traction among weekend warriors and elites. While SR Suntour may often be associated with entry level and mid-range products, they have quietly been working their way into the high-end market and have aligned with heavy hitting XCO and DH teams, world-class freeriders, and EWS racers to continue with product development. SR Suntour actually produces close to 10,000,000 suspension products in a calendar year and if the TriAir rear shock performs as advertised, they might be producing a few more. The TriAir is intended as a heavy hitting unit capable of world class performance, in a simpler, more durable package.

Strengths

Excellent small bump compliance

Easily adjustable IFP pressure

Easily adjustable volume spacers that can be added without removing shock from bike

Three-position compression adjustment for straightforward tuning

Excellent quality internals

Easily serviceable

Weaknesses

Some riders may prefer additional tuning options

Initial shock tuning can be more challenging due to IFP and volume spacer interaction

Compression adjustment lever may interfere with some water bottle mounts in firmest position

Difficult to detect detents on rebound adjustment knob

TriAir Shock Highlights

Intended Use: Trail, all-mountain and enduro riding

Spring: Air; volume reducers can be used in both the positive and negative spring

Damper unit: Internal floating piston with PCS Cartridge

IFP is adjustable between 180-240psi and affects initial stroke support

External Compression: 3CR three position platform adjustment – Open, Mid-Firm and Firm

Rebound: Ten clicks of adjustment

Teflon bushings

Trelborg seals

Standard, Metric and Trunnion mounting options

Weight: 410 grams

MSRP: $425 USD

Internal Floating Piston vs DVO’s Bladder

A little while back we had the opportunity to test the DVO Topaz, and we’ve decided that a comparison between the two is worthwhile as they have some similarities. While DVO chose to go the route of an adjustable bladder in the piggyback, SR Suntour chose to keep the TriAir shock a little more traditional with their Internal Floating Piston, which much like the Topaz can also be adjusted using a shock pump. According to SR Suntour’s North American Marketing and Technical Service guru JP Gendron “using an IFP results in much better long term consistency and reliability, as well as ease of service and manufacturing”. Simplicity, durability, and ease of maintenance are all SR Suntour priorities, so it isn’t too much of a stretch to see why SR Suntour stuck with the more commonly utilized IFP for the TriAir.

Tuning Tips & Observations

For the purpose of this test we paired the 205x65mm TriAir with the Norco Range 29. Our bike originally came equipped with the Fox Float X2 unit – arguably one of the most tunable and high performing rear shocks available, so the TriAir had big shoes to fill. Replacing the X2 with a seemingly less complicated product had us both excited and anxious. We have come to enjoy the flexibility that comes with the highly adjustable Float X2, however with the amount of time on the road and mileage that this bike sees we were keen to see if there was any loss of performance aboard a shock that we could maintain more easily while away from home.

Our initial expectation when swapping to the TriAir was that we would need to utilize a fair number of volume spacers in both the positive and negative chambers to maintain our platform on the Range: a fairly supportive initial stroke with plenty of bottom out resistance for the many g-outs found around Squamish. The ability to add and remove volume spacers while the shock remains in the frame makes this process straightforward as it only takes a few minutes to make adjustments to the TriAir – something that we noted would be even more beneficial at events where practice time is limited. We chose to begin with the recommended 30% sag, even though we had been riding around 24% with the Float X2. We also started with the IFP at the recommended 220psi. Our initial tuning focus was the volume spacers, the 3CR compression adjustment, and rebound speed, with the understanding that IFP pressure could remain in our back pocket for micro adjustments down the line.

Although the 3CR compression adjustment may appear to limit options, we found that the lack of external compression tuning options wasn’t a drawback. The negative and positive spring adjustability on the TriAir offers ample tuning options, and felt quite linear compared to other air shocks without spacers, meaning that it might also be a great fit for progressive suspension layouts. On the other end of the spectrum, when volume spacers were maxed out the TriAir felt more than progressive enough to deal with the largest of impacts. The addition of volume spacers in either chamber modified shock behavior noticeably, which also meant that testing was a straightforward process. With no spacers in the negative spring, the shock is very sensitive off the top and provided tons of grip, but we found it wallowed when we were riding aggressively and even during technical climbs. For the Range 29, we found that a single negative spring spacer was ideal for daily driving in Squamish as a second spacer made things too harsh for our liking (editor’s note: we were riding flats at the time, and might have preferred a second spacer were we running clips). Our final settings on the negative side was a single spacer with the IFP pressure raised to 240psi which provided slightly more support than our original setting of 220psi. Our experience was that the IFP pressure could almost act as a half step between spacers in the negative chamber. Positive spring adjustability was more straightforward with the TriAir, with three spacers being our sweet spot. Once we had the spacers set to our liking we found the best way to make small adjustments was to leave the number of spacers alone and use the IFP to make subtle changes to our suspension. When speeds were higher or for days in the bike park, we maxed out the IFP at 240psi and we plan on dropping the IFP pressure once the rains come and traction becomes the main priority.

On The Trail

While the TriAir may not receive as much fanfare as some of the other shocks on the market we immediately noted how supple and smooth the shock felt off the top. SR Suntour’s piston compensator system – PCS for short – is a cartridge unit found within many of their high end suspension units that is meant to improve the separation between air and oil, reduce cavitation, and ultimately improve performance. The TriAir performed very well in all situations and we had no surprises or oddities during the test period. Not only does the PCS unit provide excellent performance, SR Suntour’s Quick Service Product philosophy means that more time can be spent on the trails and less in the stand, and the cartridge is capable of more than 200,000 damping cycles with very little maintenance.

With the settings mentioned above (1 negative spacer, 3 positive spacers, IFP at 240psi) and around 25% sag, we found that our test shock performed extremely well in most situations. While trail riding, the TriAir provided a ton of traction and the rear wheel stuck to the ground very well, but was progressive enough that we still had a lively ride. The incremental external compression and rebound adjustments of the Float X2 that it replaced were missed when it came to riding trail one day and bike park the next, but the 3CR adjustment on the TriAir worked well with the Open setting being ideal for more technical and lower speed trails and the Mid-Firm 50% compression setting feeling better on smoother flow trails with rollers and jumps like those we gravitate towards in the bike park. The firmest 3CR setting utilizes 80% compression, so it doesn’t lock the suspension entirely and we found it most useful on smooth climbs. The compression adjustment lever is quite large so it is easily accessible on the trail, but depending on bottle, cage, and frame it could also get in the way.

We are still tinkering with our TriAir setup to achieve an optimal balance between supple and supportive, but we’ve been more than happy in most situations, including long descents in the Whistler Bike Park where some shocks struggle to maintain their performance or overheat on sustained descents. We haven’t had any chilly fall mornings yet, but it remains to be seen how cold weather affects the TriAir’s performance.

Long Term Durability

SR Suntour hasn’t been shy about promoting the durability and long service intervals of their products. The phrase “Quick Service Product” has been coined to highlight exactly this, and in our experience the TriAir is no exception. The TriAir is easily serviceable and maintenance is hassle free. SR Suntour recommends that the TriAir receive nothing more than a little grease for the dust seals every 125 miles or so, and a full service through one of their North American offices or an approved partner annually. It is also worth noting that maintenance and service documents can be found on SR Suntour’s website for those who prefer to rebuild their own shock.

During three months of use, the TriAir was completely free of reliability hiccups. Once we had the tuning to our liking we rode without any issues or surprises. Shock hardware remained smooth, we experienced very little air loss, and the internals feel every bit as smooth as day one. Even after time in Whistler Bike Park, arguably the best place on Earth to destroy bikes, we’ve come away with nothing to give us any indication that the TriAir is susceptible to premature wear or long term issues.

Things That Could Be Improved

We got along well with the SR Suntour TriAir for the duration of the test, but we would have liked a little more freedom to adjust rebound as we found the shock to perform best at the highest rebound speed and would have liked to try a few more clicks.

What's The Bottom Line?

“Refined simplicity” is one of SR Suntour’s primary marketing slogans. While countless tuning options and clickers may seem all the rage on new products, the TriAir goes in the opposite direction by doing the basics extremely well. We found the adjustability within the shock is more than adequate and enough to keep any tinkerer busy, but we feel that riders who tend to simply check air pressure and go will really appreciate the TriAir. The ease of service and reliability of the TriAir also ensured that little time was wasted on the stand, and excellent customer support from SR Suntour North America and Werx Service Center partners gives us confidence knowing that any issues with be sorted quickly. The SR Suntour TriAir shock is proof that world class performance doesn’t need to be too complicated.

Visit www.srsuntour-cycling.com for more details.

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About The Reviewer

Joel Harwood – Age: 35 // Years Riding MTB: 20+ // Height: 5’11” (1.80m) // Weight: 185-pounds (83.9kg)

Joel’s unique coaching background and willingness to tinker with products bring an objective perspective to testing. He dabbles in all types of racing, but is happiest simply exploring the limitless trail networks surrounding his home of Squamish, BC. Attention to detail, time in the saddle, and an aggressive riding style make Joel a rider that demands the most from his products while exposing any shortcomings.