At its launch of the Formula Mod shock back in September 2020, it was the best shock Pete had ridden to date, but how does it stack up against the new breed of shocks?
Pete swaps the Rockshox Deluxe air shock on his Merida One-Forty 6000 out for a Formula Mod coil shock to see how it helps and already fast bike.
Key features:
- Standard 210x 55, 52.5, 50, 47.5 – 230x 65, 62.5, 60, 57.5
- Trunnion 185x 55, 52.5, 50, 47.5 – 205x 65, 62.5, 60, 57.5
- Compression 17 Click Adjustment (Low Speed)
- Rebound 13 Click Adjustment (Low Speed)
- CTS – Gold, Orange and Green valves included
- 30mm internal piston
- Large volume bladder
- Moto-derived bottom-out bumper
- Compression Switch Two position – Open, Firm
- Weight 670g (210×55 with 300 coil spring)
- £779.99 RRP
- RideFormula.com
Five years ago I professed my love for the Formula Mod shock. Since then, I think it’s fair to say that a lot of shocks have caught up but does it still keep its nose in front of the competition? A lot of what attracted me to the shock in the first place was the large volume bladder, 30mm piston and CTS which gave the shock a suppleness that I hadn’t experienced to that point.
Add in low speed compression and rebound adjust, springs light enough for a small person, a two position compression switch for climbing and a moto-derived bottom out bumper and you have quite the shock. That purple spring is so Formula too. It really stands out amongst the crowd.
The Mod swapped out the otherwise solid Rockshox Deluxe Select air unit on my Merida One-Forty 6000. While the Rockshox unit was good, it was lacking in giving the Merida that outright mechanical grip that I was on the hunt for. The Formula unit immediately went to work in doing so without compromising the feel deeper into the stroke. Despite a lack of high speed adjustment, like the Rockshox damper, I felt that Formula had this bang on for my tastes.
With the softer ‘Gold’ CTS fitted and a 300lb spring, the Merida came to life. The back wheel tracked better on the chatter but would also allow the bike off the ground easier too. A lot of the feel of the bike is due to the linkage, and as a linkage driven single pivot, coils are always going to feel good, but this one took the biscuit.
You do lose some efficiency across the ground with all this plushness added into the mix, but if you’re a smooth pedaller, you’ll not be too bothered. That’s also why the compression switch is there, and you’ll be glad of the extra grip and tracking once you’re at the top of the hill.
Compared with the likes of the Fox DHX, which has similar adjustability (minus CTS or similar) it’s not a cheap shock, whilst the Rockshox Super Deluxe coil either comes in far cheaper for the same damping adjustment and still even with the adjustability that an Ultimate level shock would bring. Neither match the CTS tuning or the plushness in breakaway force though.
What do we think?
Linear air shocks and more recent coil shocks have caught up with the Mod, and I would like to see high speed adjustment too, but it’s still a fantastic shock that is the pick of the punch when it comes to coil shocks.
We love:
- Super plush
- Very adjustable
Could do better:
- Not cheap compared to the competition
