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Suspension

OHLINS TTX 22 REAR SHOCK

Ohlins have made good headway into the mountainbike suspension market in the last year. This Swedish brand, with a huge pedigree in specialist suspension products has brought us both the RFX 34 and 36 forks. It’s also brought us more time on the TTX damper.

Along with the EXT Storia, the TTX takes a place in this year’s Dirt 100 as one of our rear shocks of choice. The big news is that this TTX shock is now available to suit a much broader range of frames, not just the Specialized frames (such as the Demo) as with the original design.

There is an unpolluted difference with the Ohlins TTX rear shock. We’re not just talking hygiene here, although Ohlins are unashamedly obsessed with cleanliness, something that was hammered home when we visited the Stockholm R&D facility recently. For a company that deals primarily in oil and washers, there’s not much of the former to be seen.

‘A very muscular unit that hides some incredibly articulate oil and shim combinations”

And when it comes to Ohlins, and the TTX shock in particular, the brew is a strong one. Maybe this is where the difference lies, the purity and strength. For example, whilst Bos has a calculated hold on matters it is nevertheless carried out in rather more delicate chassis structure to Ohlins. Here we have a very muscular unit that hides some incredibly articulate oil and shim combinations.

It’s very difficult to characterise Ohlins damping simply because much of the time it actually feels like noting much is happening. But there’s business going on here that puts it in a higher place than any other damper. Not massively but enough for there to be a difference when charging into beaten up terrain, a shock that has that edge in body and balance, a very fine edge. But that’s all it needs right?

This latest version of the TTX differs visually, with a revised piggyback design – but the performance remains.

They are masters of their trade in many disciplines, primarily MOTO GP where a huge percentage of the teams actually pay to use their wares. The TTX shock is available after market now but we first experienced it on the mighty Demo. This bike comes with the TTX as stock and the S-Works versions of the Enduro are spec’d with the air sprung STX rear shock. With the Specialized Gravity team running Ohlins forks and dampers for the 2017 season we’re sure there will be plenty of exciting developments in mountainbike suspension from this brand. Watch this space.

PRICE: From £599.99 (Without spring)

ohlins.com

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Selected for Dirt 100 2017

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