REVIEW

Fox Gonzo Air Valve

Full suspension mountain bikes come in all shapes and sizes. Look through any current magazine and you’ll see a plethora of rear suspension designs with linkage and pivot geometries that vary wildly from brand to brand. Each of those suspension designs can conceivably be matched with a rear shock from a number of shock manufacturers. With all of these potential combinations, it is easy to see that fitting a particular shock to a particular frame may be subject to the luck of the draw. Air shocks are especially prone to fit issues because of the need to have easy access for the air valve. If the shock has any knobs or external adjusters for the damping or lockout, then the issue gets even more complicated.

We have an affinity for Fox rear shocks. The Float series and the DHX series are big favorites. We almost always offer them as upgrades to the suspension frames that we sell even if the stock spec on the bike calls for something different. One issue that we’ve dealt with is the occasional interference of the air valve on the Float series shocks with the rocker linkage on some of the bikes that we carry. Some frames from Ventana and Ellsworth necessitate the rear shock to be mounted upside down to be able to access both the rebound and/or Propedal knobs, and the air valve for preload adjustments. We feel like riders should be able to access both features without removing the rear shock from the rocker linkage. We also prefer to run the rear shocks with the air canister on top. This eliminates any chance dirt and grit will settle on the wiper seal and cause more rapid wear of the shock stanchion. We also like the air can on top because that means that the rebound and/or Propedal adjustments are on top. They will be more accessible from the saddle if the rider prefers to make adjustments on the fly.

This is an optimized installation, one that gains maximum adjustment capability on the fly. From a maintenance standpoint it also makes sense. The only problem is that it is impossible with a Fox Float series rear shock on a Ventana for instance. The solution is to get a Fox Gonzo Air Valve -- we're sure it's named for it's likeness to the shnozz of the Muppet Show character. The Gonzo is an elbow shaped replacement valve. It allows the shock to be installed air can up and with the rebound and ProPedal controls forward and easy to access. The Gonzo is easy to retrofit to the shock and can be mounted in a variety of ways. It uses a banjo style fitting, similar to brake line banjo fittings. The Fox Gonzo can be removed from the bolt and reinstalled backwards to point the air valve up. This is the way we prefer to install it on our demo bikes. It works perfectly and we have experienced zero problems or negative issues. The Gonzo is a perfect solution to a slightly imperfect situation. It optimizes rider access to critical shock features.