Cane Creek Helmet MKII Air 29 suspension fork

The most important facts in brief
The revised fork has a newly developed damping system. The oil flow has been changed and SKF seals are used, as well as a high-performance oil from Motorex. The air chamber has more volume and a completely redesigned piston. The suspension fork should therefore offer more support in the mid-stroke and work with less friction overall. The stroke can be adjusted with a few tools and spacers and ranges from 130 to 160 millimetres. You can change the end progression yourself in just a few simple steps, not as usual with plastic tokens, but by moving a component inside and thereby changing the volume of the air chamber. The rebound as well as the high and low-speed compression can be adjusted using external rotary knobs. The fork tested was ridden with 160 millimetres of travel and weighs 2050 grams.

First impression
The design of the fork is simple and appealing, all knobs turn easily and with clearly perceptible indexing. The basic setup takes a little longer than with other forks, as the first step is to balance the positive and negative air chambers. To do this, you first pump up to the specified air pressure, then screw on the equalizing screw at the lower end of the fork leg and press it inside. This equalizes the two chambers. Then compress the fork a few times and pump the air chamber until you reach the desired SAG of 20 to 25 percent - depending on your preference.

In use
The Helm has a slight but pleasant flex, which results in comfort and does not reduce steering precision. The fork is very responsive and absorbs small impacts and bumps without you noticing anything. It is advisable to increase the end progression on the inside: It stays in the mid-travel range for so long, hardens very late and doesn't bottom out hard.

There are often 20 to 25 millimetres of unused travel left. Not because it releases too little, but because it absorbs the energy efficiently. But if you accidentally jump into the opposite slope, even the last reserves are needed.

Recommendation
If you feel that the riding characteristics of the fork have changed, you can remedy this by rebalancing the negative and positive air chambers.

Price: CHF 999.00

Cane Creek DB Kitsuma Air shock

The most important facts in brief
Following the success of the double-barrel shocks, Cane Creek presents a new era with the Kitsuma series. It offers the same adjustment options, but with a larger adjustment range. The aim of the engineers was to create a suspension system that can be retrofitted and adapted to as many bikes as possible without any adjustments to the inner workings - and without the use of tools.

The high-speed and low-speed damping for compression and rebound are changed using rotary knobs, while the Climbswitch platform function with three levels is operated using a lever. The knobs are color-coded so that you can orientate yourself by their position and no longer have to count the clicks. The low-speed adjusters offer exactly one turn, those for high-speed a maximum of two.

First impression
The black and gold look of the Kitsuma Air is elegant and goes well with the helmet fork. The workmanship looks solid. The buttons and the platform switch are easy to reach, but the former require a lot of manual force to operate. In addition, they do not engage very precisely.

In use
The air shock was tested on an Arc8 Extra. The basic setup shows that the spring characteristic of the bike in combination with the Kitsuma Air and a rider weight of around 70 kilos is a challenge. The adjustment range reaches its limit here. At 30 percent SAG, all settings have to be turned to "maximum soft" and "very fast" so that the damping behavior fits. This results in a late final progression without bottoming out. The higher the speed, the firmer the bike sits on the ground. Even on very long descents without a break, there is only a slight build-up of heat and no loss of performance. In rough terrain where you ride at low speeds, the suspension is a little insensitive.

Conclusion
The Cane Creek DB Kitsuma Air impressed on fast and open trails with good grip and coped well with botched landings. For more moderate terrain, a softer setup would have been necessary, which unfortunately could not be achieved. Riders weighing 75 kilos or more will certainly have no problems, as they ride with more pressure on the system. The simple, tool-free adjustment via rotary knobs is generally pleasing. However, it is to be hoped that the Americans will revise this so that less operating force is required and the indexing is more noticeable.

Recommendation
If you weigh 70 kilos or less, you shouldn't buy the air shock blindly, but ask your specialist dealer or distributor for advice on whether the Kitsuma fits the suspension characteristics of your bike.

Price: CHF 699.00

Cane Creek DB Kitsuma coil shock with Valt progressive spring

The most important facts in brief
Although the steel spring version has a different design, the adjustment options are identical to the air version. Instead of a normal spring, the progressive Cane Creek Valt was tested. This offers the sensitivity of a traditional coil shock, but with a progression curve. The coil of the spring becomes narrower on one side and offers a progression similar to that of an air shock from around half of the stroke. The Valt is also lighter than other products thanks to the use of very high-quality steel, which requires less material.

First impression
The adjustment knobs on this version are also very tight. Ditto the preload of the spring, which requires a "bizeli" biceps. Unlike the Air, the Arc8 can be set up without going to the extremes of the settings, leaving a little reserve everywhere

In use
It takes a few descents to get the Kitsuma Coil set up correctly. Due to the unusual progression of the steel shock, you have to experiment a little. In the end, you have a suspension that combines the best of both worlds: the soft response of the spring and more counter pressure towards the end of the stroke. Once the right setting has been found, it is suitable for all terrains and all purposes. The rebound can be a little slower than usual, giving you even more grip. On jumps, you land noticeably softer with the Kitsuma Coil than with other steel shocks, which is where the Valt spring has a positive effect.

The Climbswitch has proven itself on long tours with rough singletrack climbs. The suspension is less "fluffy" and the bike climbs well over steps and ledges without sinking deep into the suspension travel.

Conclusion
Apart from the sluggish adjustment functions, the combination of the Cane Creek DB Kitsuma Coil and the Valt spring was completely convincing. Once the right setup has been achieved, it is just as suitable for alpine tours as it is for a trip to the bike park. The additional weight of 129 grams compared to the air version is negligible.

Recommendation
Because the basic setup takes a little more time, it makes sense to do it on a track with track support. This allows you to ride and test the setup on an identical course in quick succession. The Biel Trail with its changing terrain is ideal for this.

Manufacturer/distributor

www.canecreek.com / shop.tst-gpr.ch