AIR SHOCKS: Lose AIR over USE and/or TIME?

AIR SHOCKS:

Q1. Do AIR SHOCKS lose AIR over USE and/or TIME?

NOTES: Apart from the cheapest Full Suspension MTB's or serious DH Full suspension MTB's, most XC Full Suspension MTB's are now AIRSHOCK, instead of the latter mentioned which are commonly COILSHOCK.

There is a few brands of AIRSHOCK manufacturers (And their model ranges), hence air leakage is likely to be different over:
~ USE (Large impacts, bottoming out & normal general use) and
~ TIME (In general use, etc OR unmoving)

MAKES:
~ ROCK SHOX
~ FOX
~ SR SUNTOUR

Obviously there is the more conventional:
~ COIL REAR SHOCK (Adjuster lock ring to change softness/hardness, that according to most doesn't vibrate lose easily).
~ COIL & ELASTOMER SPRING FRONT SUSPENSION (Top cap adjuster that according to most doesn't vibrate lose easily).

Q2. So coil & elastomer FRONT/REAR shocks according to most don't need regular adjustment, but do AIRSHOCKS need regular adjustment, how often?

Q3. OK pumping up your AIRSHOCK shouldn't be too onerous (i.e: Not ridiculously hard), Or is it?
Glancing at some AIRSHOCKS, they appear to be schrader type (Car type valve, which in my opinion is easier then presta, road bike type valve).

Well some tyres/innertubes can be frustrating to pump up!
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... 23#1175923

Given some AIRSHOCKs need pumping upto 300psi, my track pump only goes up to 180psi, so if you're AIRSHOCK loses pressure on rides, carry around your HIGH PRESSURE SHOCK PUMP? Just something else in your rucksack I suppose, still during competitive races, not something you want to happen!

Any AIRSHOCKS an inconvenience?

CHALLENGE: Can anybody name AIRSHOCKS that are an inconvenience, because they lose air often and need pumping up frequently?

My mag 21's loose air over a month. The shock in my fsr from memory is a fox. I pump that up before each ride. My reba sl fork has never needed air in 3 years .

In all instances it isn't difficult

My XC100's[1992] appear to have had air in them for at least 5 years so i dont think its a time issue.I think with use there will be some minor escapes :?

I've never pumped my Revs up, and I've been using them for two-hundred-and-fifty-years....

Stephen, Sometimes I wonder why you spend so much time writing so many questions (and making naïve statements) when so much of this information is easily available by either walking into a bike shop, doing an online search and reading a manufacturers’ manual or employing a simple bit of physics…

But to save you time:

Q1: air shocks/forks will lose air over both time and use but its all dependent on the seals. If you are overweight the seal has to do more to keep higher pressure in and so there is a finite pressure which they will hold under full compression. Similarly being rubber they degrade over time. Not by much but they do.

Q2: Air is just the spring media and as such they require no more “adjustment” than any other fork/shock. If your weight fluctuates badly (+/- 5kg) then you’ll need to adjust your fork/shock weather its air or coil etc

Q3: Yes air shock pumps have a higher maximum pressure but they are in a low volume in comparison to say a tyre. To get high pressure and fine adjustment you need a small volume pump thus a shock pump is the way it is. While a shock pump may go up to 300psi unless you are obese you won’t need anywhere that pressure. For example I run a fox fork at 70psi and fox shock at 150psi. rear shock pressure will be a function of linkage ratios as well as rider weight and riding style where the fork will be a function of weight and riding style.

That covers the basics, but my advice on all of this stuff would be do some searching, reading and riding before posting so many questions…

HARDTAIL better then RIGID, FULL SUS better then HARDTAIL

Guess FULL SUS MTB riders think this is criticism of their bikes, IT ISN'T.

I believe:
~ HARDTAIL better then RIGID
~ FULL SUS better then HARDTAIL

Well I won't go into the imaginary world of CUSTOM BIKE FULL SUSPENSION DESIGN, we'll just say MTB FULL SUS forte is the domain of MTB MANUFACTURERS:

But with well designed and great to ride uphill/downhill FULL SUSPENSION MTB's (Work as intended, for persons weight/riding!) the following can be concluded:

PROs (ADVANTAGES):
~ LESS VIBRATION/SHOCK
~ LESS FATIGUE (AS LESS SHOCK/VIBRATION GIVEN TO THE RIDER)
~ HIGHER TYRE PRESSURES (AS SHOCKS DOES THE ABSORBTION)
~ LESS PINCH PUNCTURES as HIGHER TYRE PRESSURES

CONs (DISADVANTAGES):
~ MORE FLEX/BOB then a HARDTAIL (PERHAPS SOME WASTED ENERGY excerted by the RIDER)
~ FULL SUS MTB maybe heavier then HARDTAIL MTB
~ QUALITY FULL SUS MTB's are EXPENSIVE (NO SUCH THING AS A BARGAIN QUALITY FULL SUS AS MOST £1000+, WHEREAS QUALITY HARDTAIL MTB's START £350+).