Extreme Shox was born from the knowledge acquired in the automotive world, then also transferred to the bicycle world. Years and years of experience, given that the mastermind of all this is Franco Fratton, former Fox technician in 1978 following the MX world championship. Palmares? We list only the most important worldwide: 8-time World Rally Championship, Formula 1 World Championship, WTCC Championship, Le Mans, GT and Superstar.
Given the high technology and small dimensions of automotive projects, it is a short step from the motorized world to the Mountain Bike world. In fact, it is extraordinary to note how the current Storia (model for enduro mtb use) is, in terms of dimensions, almost identical to a Formula 1 suspension, precisely to a Williams from the 90s with which we were able to make a "live" comparison. Many solutions, such as the use of carbon graphite bands instead of Teflon, derive from this world.
THE DEBUT IN MTB
The 1st prototype was born in 2014 and "marketed" in 2015, so to speak, because there was no commercial network, and it was born thanks to a development work with Stendec, which no longer exists. The idea of creating a specific shock absorber for the bike world is also the result of the meeting between Fratton and Garland, former mechanic of Danny Hart and technical chief of the Giant Factory Off Road Team, and the project was inspired by the shock absorber created for an LMP (Le Mans Prototype), where very contained suspension with piggy back was created.
Since then, this shock absorber used a particular technology in the compression valve (spool): no reed or gasket but the use of "windows", which lead to a faster and more instantaneous oil drop, greatly reducing the common problems associated with in the world suspensions such as, for example, cavitation or hysteresis. The typical noise of the EXTs is due precisely to this particular "suction" motion and to a sphere that is used for low and high speeds: but what is it about? Many users who use EXT notice this sound at first and think it's a malfunction because the noise is that of a ball moving inside the shock absorber (certainly not annoying but it's a sound we're not used to). In fact it is nothing more than a sphere that moves according to the force of the impact: if the blow is strong, it is sucked in and closes a circuit while if the blows are 'low speed', it remains below and closes another circuit. The world of motors was of great help but the work then was a lot to make everything competitive also in the bike world, given that the frequencies developed in downhill they are often superior even to the world of rallying (ext engineers' word). So the 2 worlds are complementary to each other to improve each other and continue development. Another aspect of the EXT shock absorbers is the operation at low pressure with the presence of little air in the external tank: the less air there is, the fewer problems there are.
EXT, innovation and exclusive patents
1986 - first introduced high and low speed valves in the racing world
1994 - first Hydraulic Bump Stop control introduced
1996 - first to introduce triple tube technology and overhang in 2004
2000s - regressive blow off damping, linear bearing McPherson suspension, roller shock absorbers and many other proprietary designs. 2012 - official technical partner of the HONDA CIVIC WTCC project
2014 - EXT enters the MTB world
2015 - HYUNDAI MOTORSPORT official technical partner with i20 WRC
2016 - ABARTH and FCA AUTOMOBILES partner for rally programs with the new 124 RALLY R-GT.
HYSTERESIS AND CAVITATION
Before we talked about hysteresis and avitation. The first is a delay that occurs between the change of direction between rebound and compression. Cavitation, on the other hand, is the phenomenon that occurs when the pressure value, in the low pressure chamber, falls below zero, thus creating a vacuum that causes the shock absorber to malfunction.
Frank Fratton
Franco is the person from whom EXT (Extreme Shox) was born, in all employees you can see the respect and admiration towards him. A person of substance, with decades of experience in the sector and a lot of inventiveness. Mechanical engineer, at the beginning of his career he worked for Fox: at just 22 he was already inside the company tinkering with the suspensions that equip the best riders and teams. With his projects (Dynamic Suspension) they raced single-seaters such as Ferrari, Lotus and Williams while in the world rally he worked with champions of the caliber of Sebastian Loeb, Carlos Sainz and Didier Auriol. Franco Fratton is certainly a character in the world of suspension, always looking for the best performances.
LET'S MOVE TO PRACTICE
All this preamble to make you understand how EXT works and the professionalism that you breathe once you enter the company. We have decided to follow the process that each customer makes and to mount an EXT Storia (Enduro model) on our Cannondale Jekyll (in the next issues there will be in-depth tests on EXT). As soon as we contact EXT, a form to be filled in with the characteristics of the bike, our weight and our guide is sent by email: the technicians want to understand what kind of rider we are in order to adjust the suspension ad hoc. Daniele Addamo, Extreme Marketing employee, explained to us how the use of flat and SPD changes the position in the saddle: those who use flat pedals prefer a lighter spring and tend to drive more towards the rear, so load the ammo more. . Those who use SPDs stay more centered and try to use a higher rake spring for a more correct sag. The use of a 29 "and 27,5" also affects the setting: on a 29 ", EXT uses a more sustained setting to make it travel harder because the 29" wheel dampens the impact more and develops a lower frequency. compared to a 27,5 ".
Whatever type of rider we are, we have official rider treatment and this doesn't happen often. We know that the shock absorbers available on the market have limitations because they come as standard on bikes without knowing what type of rider will use them: "we work with quality and customize the product 100% so the result is guaranteed. If we buy a bike, we find a shock absorber that knows nothing about us and it is difficult to find that perfect alchemy with the suspension”, reports Franco Fratton. Once the form has been sent, the Extreme Shox staff evaluates it and begins the production of the shock absorber with a specific calibration for us based on the compression curve of the bike: each model, as you well know, has a specific compression curve (which is more progressive in initial part, some regressive in the first part etc) and all we do is calibrate it based on the properties of the shock-absorbing scheme (given by the company or already stored in memory by the EXT technicians).
In our case, a visit to the company was needed to see if the shock absorber physically fit, as the Jekyll is a new model and not present in their archive. The shock absorber comes with 2 proprietary EXT springs in 2 different weights, so you can also have a choice based on routes, terrain... or Christmas holidays! The EXT springs are extremely light thanks to a mix of alloys and can equal the weight of titanium. EXT Storia with 475lb spring weighs 635g, a weight that is actually slightly higher than air downhill products! Usually with EXT springs with lower weight are used but the Jekyll has a shock absorbing scheme that pushes a lot and therefore, with a weight of 74kg, we ended up using a 475lb spring.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The first impressions are excellent and what surprised us most is the pedalability of the vehicle: on the Jekyll, at first impression, the spring gave me a better feeling both when pedaling and when descending. I really think it will be difficult, after using a product with such quality, to go back! Another very important aspect is that any upgrades are also included in the shock absorber service (recommended at least every season). So it means that if in the meantime a new hydraulic system comes out, a new improvement, it is replaced free of charge: "The product is constantly evolving, in EXT you don't just buy that specific model but our shock absorber", reports Daniele Addamo. Chapeau! Lots of substance. Stay connected to the next issues for the actual test.
