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With new chassis, dampers, air-springs and shocks, RockShox has completely overhauled its premium suspension line-up for late 2022 going into 2023. Here’s everything you need to know about the updated RockShox range.
If you’re buying a new full-suspension bike or e-bike or looking to upgrade your existing bike, you’ll want to know what to look for in the new RockShox fork and shock line-up. Here’s our expert guide to what’s changed.
Want to know how the updates actually feel? Read our first ride review of the RockShox Zeb Ultimate and Super Deluxe Ultimate suspension.
Need to know
- Comprehensive overhaul of RockShox Pike, Lyrik and Zeb forks as well as Deluxe and Super Deluxe shocks
- New Charger 3 damper with independent high-speed and low-speed compression adjustment
- ButterCups rubber bumpers reduce harshness from trail buzz
- New DebonAir+ air spring with metal construction
- Longer bushings for increased stiffness
- Pressure Relief Valves release air trapped in lowers
- New RC2T shock damper with independent high-speed and low-speed damping
- Newly introduced Hydraulic Bottom Out control
If you want to read more technical detail about the updates and our initial ride impressions, check out our first ride review.
MY23 RockShox forks
RockShox MY23 Pike Ultimate fork
RockShox Pike
- Prices: Ultimate £1,017, $1, 054, €1,139 / Select + (OEM only) / Select £763, $790, €855 / Pike (OEM only)
- Wheel sizes: 27.5in and 29in
- Travel: 120mm, 130mm, 140mm
- Offsets: 37mm, 44mm (29in only)
The Pike becomes increasingly focused as RockShox’s trail fork, available in a narrower band of travel from 120mm to 140mm (it was previously available with 150mm or 160mm travel).
It gets a new 35mm chassis with crisp edges to the crown and lower leg casting that increases torsional stiffness by a claimed 13/5%.
Additional features have also been incorporated into the design, most notably Pressure Relief Valves on the back of the lowers (for bleeding off excess air created by variations in temperature and altitude) and ButterCups. These are rubber bushings in the base of the lower legs that help isolate small high frequency bumps before they reach the rider.
Pressure Relief Valves and ButterCups can be found standard om the Pike Ultimate (£1,017) but can be retrofitted to all MY23 Pike models (but not My22 Pike).
ButterCups sit at the base of the lower legs and isolate the rider from trail buzz
Damping is now handled on the Ultimate and Select + models by the new Charger 3 damper with coil-sprung IFP (Internal Floating Piston). RockShox claims the new damper is more consistent and more controllable with less overlap between the high and low speed compression damping and adjusters that bring more tangible changes to performance on trail.
The old Charger 2.1 is no more, which means the end of the bladder cartridge design in the RockShox range from MY23 onwards.
Charger 3 offers independent high and low-speed compression control to the rider. Pike Select and Pike get the Charger RC and Rush RC dampers as standard but these can be upgraded to Charger 3.
All Pike models get a new air-spring assembly with an all-alloy construction, dubbed DebonAir+. This has upgraded seals for reduced friction and aims to provide the perfect balance between initial sensitivity and delivering the full range of travel.
RockShox MY23 Lyrik Ultimate fork gets a new Heavy Meadow green paintjob
RockShox Lyrik
- Prices: Ultimate £1,069, $1,107, €1,196 / Select + (OEM only) / Select £813, $843, €912 / Lyrik (OEM only)
- Wheel sizes: 27.5in and 29in
- Travel: 140mm, 150mm, 160mm
- Offsets: 37mm, 44mm (29in only)
Described as the ‘all-mountain workhorse’ the 35mm Lyrik covers long-travel trail applications with a reduced travel range from previous version of the fork.
New crown and lower leg castings increase torsional stiffness by a claimed 20% and accommodate the new Pressure Relief Valves and ButterCups in the lower legs to reduce chatter and harshness at the hands. Pressure Relief Valves are standard on Ultimate and Select + but only the top fork gets ButterCups out of the box, along with the new ‘Heavy Meadow’ green colourway.
ButterCups on the new MY23 Lyrik Ultimate
Internally everything is new, with a focus on reducing friction, improving sensitivity and bringing greater control over tuning. To this end, the air spring has been redesigned and reconfigured, to gain a soft initial touch without sacrificing usable travel. New lower leg bushings improve stiffness and help reduce binding.
On the Ultimate and Select + models you get the new Charger 3 IFP damper with independent high and low-speed damping control. Select and base Lyrik models get the simpler Charger RC and Rush RC dampers, but can be upgraded to Charger 3 at a later date.
New fork castings feature removable adaptors depending on whether or not you run Torque Cap end caps, and all models use specially developed Maxima lubrication.
RockShox MY23 Zeb Ultimate fork
RockShox Zeb
- Prices: Ultimate £1,119, $1,159, €1,253 / Select + (OEM only) / Select £864, $896, €968 / Zeb (OEM only)
- Wheel sizes: 27.5in and 29in
- Travel: 160mm, 170mm, 180mm, 190mm
- Offsets: 37mm, 44mm (29in only)
With its 38mm chassis, Zeb is the shire horse to Lyrik’s workhorse. Built for enduro riding and the extra demands of e-bikes, Zeb comes in a range of travel options from 160mm all the way up to 190mm.
As with the other forks, there’s a new chassis design with sharp edges and improved stiffness. ButterCups and Pressure Relief Valves are standard on the Ultimate model, but the latter also comes on the Select + model. Everything is upgradable, so it’s possible to upgrade a base level MY23 Zeb to the Ultimate spec by buying the parts aftermarket.
High and Low-Speed compression adjust on the My23 Zeb Ultimate
Charger 3 with LSC and HSC damping control comes on the Ultimate and Select + models, while Select and Zeb get the Charger RC and Rush RC dampers respectively. There have been upgrades to the air spring to bring greater sensitivity while preserving travel and this DebonAir+ system is found on all models.
MY23 RockShox Rear Shocks
RockShox Deluxe shock
- Prices: Ultimate £385, $399, €431 (no others available aftermarket)
The Deluxe shock uses an in-line damper and smaller oil volume to reduce weight. It’s available with a choice of two air cans, Linear or Progressive, both of which can be tuned by adding or subtracting tokens (spacers) to the positive and negative air chambers.
RockShox MY23 air cans
There are three levels of air shock, each with different control over damping. Ultimate gets low-speed rebound and low-speed compression control as well as a threshold (platform) to improve pedalling performance. Select + has low-speed rebound adjustment and the pedal threshold. Select just has rebound adjustment.
There’s also a coil-sprung option – Deluxe Coil Select – with rebound adjustment.
RockShox Super Deluxe shock
- Prices: Ultimate £578, $599, €648 (no others available aftermarket)
This is where the biggest changes are for MY23. Super Deluxe is a reservoir, or piggy-back, shock with additional oil volume to help consistency over long descents.
Inside there’s a completely new damping circuit with adjustable high and low-speed compression damping as well as low-speed rebound damping control. Two air cans are available labelled Linear and Progressive, with the facility to further tune the spring curves with volume spacers.
A new feature found across the Super Deluxe range is Hydraulic Bottom Out control, where a needle restricts oil flow as the shock enters the last 20% of the stroke.
Four models are available but only one will be sold aftermarket; the Super Deluxe Ultimate with HSC, LSC and LSR damping control as well as a threshold lever. Super Deluxe Ultimate DH is effectively the same shock but loses the threshold platform. Next is the Super Deluxe Select + with rebound control and the threshold platform. Finally there’s a Select option with only rebound control.
Super Deluxe coil shock
- Prices: Super Deluxe Coil Ultimate £530, $549, €594 / Super Deluxe Coil Ultimate DH £482
This is effectively the Super Deluxe with a coil spring instead of an air can, and the novel feature with Super Deluxe is the adjustable Hydraulic Bottom Out control. This lets you play with the end stroke characteristics depending on your bike, terrain or preference.
It’s standard issue on Ultimate, Select + and Select level Super Deluxe coil shocks. The main difference between the Ultimate and Ultimate DH is the addition of a threshold lever on the former.
New RockShox forks and shock availability
All these new forks and shocks should be filtering down to new models available from now onwards, but double-check the spec rather than taking this for granted.
Forks are easy to spot – just look for the angular castings and Pressure Relief Valves (or blank) on the lower legs. With shocks look for the updated air cans and new damping adjusters.