Push Industries - Double the suspension for double the price?

When you ask mountain bikers about Push Industries you pretty quickly realize that Push is at the forefront of high end suspension. Since the start of their journey in 2015, they have proven expert tuning, shown incredible aesthetics and gained widespread praise. But with peoples’ wallets getting stretched thinner, is suspension that is double the price worth it? 

Although that's a very personal question, here are our top 3 pros and cons (and ways to demo) Push Industries suspension. 

Suspension tuning is complicated and takes time to understand the nuances that are associated with it. As a bike industry pro it took me years of aimlessly turning dials and making mistakes to start to grasp the concept… This is where so much of the value of Push is seen. Darren and the team at push have a heightened understanding of what riders want out of their shocks as well having ultimate understanding of damping.

Pros: 

Custom Built and Tailored (ElevenSix / NineOne):

Starting with baseline questions they build every shock custom tailored to each rider and the bike it will be specced on. This includes questions about riding style and preferences. In essence this allows riders to have very little knowledge of what they may be wanting to see out of the suspension, to get a fork or shock that is perfect right out of the box. And installation is a breeze with them going a step further and including pre-installed shock hardware. Immediately you'll feel traction is better as well as comfort and or speed now being higher as well. And if you feel like the suspension needs adjustment then Push has some of the best aftermarket support in the industry. 

It's a Coil:

Much of this comes down to suspension being coil and Push having expert tuning knowledge to pair with it. Being that there isn't a break away force for the shock to start moving when compared to an air shock, the coil suspension benefits from having incredible small bump sensitivity. This is translated to riders as better and more consistent traction. At the end of the day traction is what we all strive to have, whether you are pushing the limits and going to the fastest time, or simply trying to make sure you stay right side up, you’ll never be disappointed with more. 

Attention to detail and Master Craftsmanship:

From what we gather Push won’t ever be at the forefront of XC suspension, and that's ok. They have their expertise and that is part of the reason they have the reputation they do. Having out right knowledge of tuning, some of the most stunning aesthetics, and the quality control they do solidifies their place in the cycling industry. Inside story for those reading… we got a media fork and it was stated it was a “blem fork” that was “unfit for sale”. We looked the fork over, and looked at it again, and asked another person to look, and eventually Darren (the owner of Push) pointed to an area of the fork making it “unfit for sale”. A blemish no bigger than 0.5mm on a portion of the fork out of sight for customers, but again going to prove the absolute attention to detail they have. 

Sneaky 4th Pro…

It’s made entirely in the USA. Dedicated to an uncompromising approach to building top-quality suspension they found a way to make production all happen under one roof in Colorado. 

Cons:

Price: 

Ripping the bandaid off on this one, there's no doubting that Push products are expensive. There are reasons for that as previously discussed, but there is still no denying a price tag higher than almost any other suspension component on the market.

People Notice: 

With beautiful looks and price tags to match, people will notice and they will ask. Having had many Push shocks on bikes over the years I cannot tell you how many times ive had people ask me about the shock and what I like and don't like. It's something I love doing, however for some people who just want to be out there and ride this may be a con… you can always just tell them pro Bike Supply got you taken care of ;) 

Weight:

Coils are not air, which makes them heavier than air. Until we are able to create some new elements, then it seems set the coil shocks will always have a weight penalty when compared to airshocks. If you are wanting to build a bike prioritizing weight, then Push products likely aren't for you. But, if you want the best traction you've felt then it may be worth the weight penalty to you. It is for us. 

Push knows their place in the market and will continue to product some of the best suspension in the industry. But for those wanting ease of set up, the best performance, and a little bling, it's tough to consider many other options than Push suspension.

Ultimately when considering spending 2-3k on suspension you want confidence that money is well spent. We can tell you all about what we like, but at the end of the day we urge you to try different products. It’s the exact reason we've added a few Push NineOne forks to our demo fleet. Cost to demo is $250 and this gets you installation, setup, and a week's worth of riding to see why Push has the reputation they do. Money spent on demos can be applied towards the purchase of a fork, shock, or bike. 

Click this link to schedule a demo on the Push NineOne Fork:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSerYkQ463reOIHdwugRr3AXb_rJWfFwzFCH9UNPjXBOX1PLFw/viewform?usp=sharing

Or email matty@probikesupply.com