Is The Upgrade To Genie Worth It?

With the launch of the Stumpjumper 15, Specialized decided to come to the game with another addition to the realm of suspension… Genie. Now we are seeing the 3rd iteration of this tech in the new Rockshox Super deluxe (Available here).

With past suspension endeavors like their Brain System having mixed reviews and relatively poor reliability, does Genie stand up to its claims of providing better ride quality, and more importantly how has it stood up to the test of time? 

How:

First off, Genie came to the market claiming better traction to mimic the feel of a coil and then insane end stroke support for when you send it deep and need the bike to keep its composure. It does this with a larger air volume and a position sensitive airspring, much like you see in large off-road bypass truck shocks. And their claims on feel are very true. From the first ride on a bike that was poorly set up, to having spent months dialing the shock in since then, it has been great. 

First 70% of Travel (The Bump Zone): Two connected positive air chambers (inner and outer) work together. This large combined air volume creates a flat, linear spring rate that tracks small bumps easily and maximizes traction.

Final 30% of Travel (The Ramp-Up): A mechanical band or seal closes off the outer air chamber. This shrinks the active air volume quickly, creating a progressive ramp-up that stops the bike from harsh bottoming out on big hits.

Ride Feel:

From the get go, the small bump sensitivity on any bike equipped with Genie is as good as 90% coil shocks on the market and is lighter in many scenarios. Braking bumps, fast chattery sections, rock gardens, it all feels muted and controlled when on a Genie shock. This is done with a much larger initial air volume allowing for the very supple feel. 

Send her deep and then you feel the amazing progression in the rear end keeping you a little higher in the travel and providing control without sacrificing other areas of riding. The main piston moves by the bypass valves which immediately reduces air volume and creates much more support. It makes short(er) travel bikes like the Stumpjumper, able to easily handle big bike park lines, jumps, and drops without a need to change set up, add air pressure or feel like you need a DH bike. 

My Thoughts:

With Brain having mixed consumer feedback, especially in the reliability department, this was the first thing that had to be addressed before I fell in love with the system. Luckily after more than 18 months of hard riding on my Genie shock, and many, many. miles across our demo fleet, I can confirm thatches shocks holds up to many laps of abuse. 

The Fox Float, Float X, and Rockshox Super Deluxe are some of the best and most reliable shocks on the market. Working off of these platforms, Genie keeps what riders love, and improves on what they don't. A new main piston and outer air sleeve work harmoniously to achieve that coil like supple ride and trophy truck ending support. 

My ending consensus is that this is one of the best shocks to hit the market in a long time. It's simple and that's what makes it great. It works off of tried and true concepts to deliver really good ride quality. It may not have the boutique appeal that an EXT or a Push have, but it does have 95% of the small bump sensitivity, and a whole lot more in the end stroke support. And all of this at a much cheaper price of a Super Deluxe or Float X means that I think it's one of the best pieces of suspension tech to hit in the last 5 years.

Ride it and I know you'll be inclined to agree. Click here to demo

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