Market: The right suspension setup on a mountain bike is a decisive factor between pleasure and frustration on the trail. So far, finding the right settings has required a lot of experience and a certain amount of technical know-how. With the Quarq ShockWiz, there is now a helper that analyzes your own driving profile in relation to the chassis and gives recommendations for the right tuning via app.
In the summer of 2015, the Kickstarter campaign of a small tuning company for mountain bike chassis in Australia caused a stir in the scene. Dusty Dynamics, as the company is called, was looking for supporters for a small device that is mounted on the suspension fork or damper and diligently collects data while riding via a connection to the air chamber. The data is then read out via the app and the driver receives recommendations for setting and tuning the chassis. The Australian inventors called this small device ShockWiz.
It didn't take long for the big suspension fork and damper manufacturers to take notice. In the summer of 2016, the message came: SRAM had agreed on a price with Dusty Dynamics and bought the ShockWiz. After that it became quiet about the little miracle box for the suspension fork - until today. It has now been officially announced that the ShockWiz will be available under the name of SRAM subsidiary Quarq - including all technical information and prices.
Many may now ask themselves why such an additional tool is needed at all. The background for the development was to give mountain bikers an effective tool to help them find the right settings for the chassis. Because a modern air suspension element has numerous adjustment options: starting with the air pressure, through rebound, high-speed compression, floodgate, air chamber volume and much more. Very few have the time and desire to deal with all the details - understandably. However, driving pleasure also depends not least on the right chassis setup; many would probably not believe how much untapped potential lies dormant in their own bike.
"But that's what the dealer is for!" one or the other might think. While that is correct in principle, the suspension setup also depends not least on your own riding style, the demands on the trail and many other factors that the dealer is not aware of and which most riders probably do not give a thought to.
This is where the Quarq ShockWiz comes into play: The inconspicuous, black box is connected to the air valve of the suspension fork or damper with the hose provided. After a mandatory calibration, which the free app supports with step-by-step instructions, the ShockWiz is attached to the fork or shock with cable ties and it can go on the trail. The device now registers changes in air pressure and clever algorithms evaluate them, recognizing patterns and problems.
After the ride, you can access the ShockWiz via smartphone and Bluetooth and the collected data can be viewed in the app - beautifully prepared. Much more interesting, however, are the numerous recommendations that the app gives based on the data collected. From adjusting the air pressure to adjusting the compression level to reducing the volume of the air chamber for more progression - here are valuable, detailed tips for a better functioning chassis: Individually, adapted to your own riding style, your own bike and your own route profile. In the app you can also choose from four predefined tunings: Efficient, Balanced, Playful and Aggressive.
Anyone who has not yet dealt with this topic in detail will be helped by the beautifully designed app, which explains the technical terms used in a comprehensible manner and thus makes tuning possible for beginners and laypeople. Due to the functional principle, the Quarq ShockWiz is only compatible with air spring elements. With a few exceptions, however, it works with all manufacturers and almost all models.
The Quarq ShockWiz should be available in stores in the near future. At €419, the small chassis brain is quite expensive, but it should still be a worthwhile investment for many ambitious bikers. In any case, we are already testing one device and will tell you in the next few days whether the ShockWiz keeps what it promises.
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