The NEW RockShox ZEB Explained
Vložit
- čas přidán 25. 07. 2024
- The RockShox ZEB has been a favorite fork of enduro and freeride mountain bikers since its release, but RockShox has somehow made it even better for the 2023 model. The standout update is the NEW Charger 3 damper with more adjustability, better performance, and it's completely silent. There's also increased bushings for lower friction, bleeder valves and a new Debonair+ air spring to keep progressing sensitivity.
In this video, we’ll be going over all of the new features and what sets it apart from the previous generation. We're very excited for this new fork, and we think you will be, too 🤘😎
💥 SHOP Forks at The Lost Co : thelostco.com/collections/forks
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Lost Co.
Bellingham, WA
360-306-8827
www.thelostco.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
0:00 - Intro
0:27 - Overview
1:30 - Bleed Valves and Hub Adapters
2:16 - Charger 3 Damper
4:19 - Debonair Plus
4:48 - Buttercups
6:12 - Revised Bushings and Lube
7:30 - Trail Ride Impressions
10:01 - Post-Ride Impressions
17:50 - Bye Bye! We Love You! - Sport
*_What's your favorite new feature of the new & improved ZEB?_* Ours is the silent damper
Too Expensive to own one
The only con I can think of is that I can't afford it.
still pissed that I bought a 2022 zeb 3 weeks ago then this came out lol
Sounds like an awesome fork! Looking forward to trying it out! Is there a 3.0 damper upgrade available for a 21 Lyrik Select + ?
Thank you for the awesome videos!
I like hearing my fork😐.
Cool. I just bought the “old and obsolete” version of the Zeb Ultimate 2 weeks ago.
LMAO
you can still upgrade the damper but honestly i dont think its worth it and you would most likely not notice a big enough differece, unless you got the select or select+ version
did u get is 200cad less bc my LBS now has it listed from 1500 cad to 1300cad
@@athishmarutharaj6001 sadly, no. I see the price has come down but when I bought mine I paid $1019.
Just wait till you read Casho S' comment then
Gotta love Sram releasing new 2023 fork middle of the year. Sell it go Fox 38 man you'll never look back. Sram is always 2 steps way behind.
Did my first ride with mine! I am no expert at detecting slight suspension changes, but I realized I hadn't thought about the forks throughout the whole ride. I only tend to be aware of things that are not working too well during my rides. So the new Zeb is an added peace of mind for me.
Stoked to get the 2023 Zeb. Nice talking with you on today on the phone too. My Zeb which I ordered from you arrives soon. Sick!
I'm loving this fork. There are so many features so I'm still dialing it in but it felt incredible on my first ride. Definitely worth the money and I'm not missing anything from FOX. Thanks Rockshox! Thanks Lost Co for the great video
cool, I'll upgrade next time I get my forks in for a service
I’ve always loved the zeb since I first got one. Now I’m super curious about this new setup. Great video mike and tore. This is why I love the lost co. Always breaking it down so everyone can understand. Thanks guys. 🤘🤘🤘
You are very very welcome! Happy to help.
Yall just sold me the old zeb for 600 dollars idgaf abt all this, im hyped
Looking forward for a comparison with the new lyric and the fox rc2. looking to upgrade!
Love my lyrik ultimate just got it 22 see how people like new stuff the stuff I am riding so easy too set up along with the super deluxe ultimate
The intro electronic synth riff is by far the best tune ever on any YT channel!
Haha good to know we've got a winner of a song!
I would be interested in watching a video about the plush lube upgrade on older RockShox.
When are you expecting a 130mm Pike Ultimate 29 to be available for purchase?
how did your psi and settings compare to the older Zeb? (I've just switched and trying to figure out set-up)
do you know if the air spring damper and buttercups are cross compatible
Missed your videos Mike
I need a pair of prescription riding glasses that don't give me weird distortions. Any recommendations?
I have a pair of Oakley Flak 2.0 and even with my "mild" -1.25, it makes things look closer than they are, affecting distance judgment. Great for commuting or chill riding but not for when riding black diamonds and above in PNW.
I wish I had a recommendation! This is my first pair of glasses ever, and just like you, my very light prescription does throw off my distance judgment just enough to make me ride a little more skittish.
-Mike
Hi Jeff! Do you recall the setting you landed on for the ZEB? PSI, Token, Rebound, etc? Thanks Lost Co is awesome Jeff!
I too would love to know how Jeff runs it. I'm struggling a bit with mine.
Man I miss riding in WA, I don’t miss the wet.
Estou falando do Brasil, e posso dizer que a suspensão é incrivel, melhorou consideralvamente o trail e a segurança ao curvar em comparação a minha antiga pike ultimate 150mm/offset 51mm. Minha Zeb ultimate 170mm na primeira trilha com ela feita hoje mudou todo comportamento da bike, eu estava há 1 mes sem fazer trilhas, ganhei estabilidade e melhor controle com ela, mesmo sem ter encontrado ajuste perfeito. Nas proximas trilhas irei ajustar perfeitamente.
2:46 ifp - internal floating piston
TBH I'm more excited about all the changes to the Lyrik, as it by far had the "oldest" chassis vs the Zeb. This should be a much improved fork for nearly everyone if it is indeed 20% stiffer! I'm a F38 Grip 2 owner and I'm almost certainly moving to a Lyrik Ultimate for my next frame. These changes represent a holistic evolution more so than an incremental change as they've done the past couple years, imo.
These changes do absolutely nothing to remedy the absolute worst issue that plagues both fox and rockshox which is the creak.
The damper moves to be in line with the grip 2 capabilities which means that for the charger 3 you are going to have a year or so of warranties because of defects. Thats just the way Sram operates.
Personally, I'll be sticking to my Fox stuff and maybe look at the ext solution to the creaking with their pressfit having a greater surface area contact point.
Either way, buying this fork while already having a grip 2 is literally throwing money away and mindlessly consuming. Just how the mtb industry loves it.
@@Locks9907 thanks for the insight. I've never ran Rockshox stuff prior, so this is all good food for thought. I do like my 38 Factory, really nothing wrong with it. Just looking to move on to something different with the new frame, going from Megatower V1 -> Bronson V4. For what it's worth the 38 hasn't created yet in just over a year of service. My prior 36 creaked with two different CSU's.
I love my Lyrik. It has been absolutely bulletproof, and a lot cheaper, compared to the equivalent Fox, but I've heard the performance is marginally worse. If this new generation of RS forks can get to the same level in terms of performance, it will be a no brainer I think.
If you’re having issues with creak maybe it’s time for a dual crown. Majority of riders don’t see this issue
Looking at the trek slash 9.8 and the trek slash 9.9xtr, the forks are zeb select+ and ultimate respectively. in the specs on trek it says they both have the charger 3 rc2 damper, does this mean the only difference between them are the materials they are made from?
The bushing and the buttercups that’s it. I really like the new Zeb butttt after 2months of hard riding, Irs still not as supple and buttery as the 36 or 38 on my other bikes😢🎉
Can we compare this to the Ohlins rxf38.M2? This would be such a good comparison damper wise and adjustments.
That's a great idea! We just got one of those forks in and are going to start putting some time on it! -Tor
Can't wait for a comparison with the 38.
I really like the new Zeb butttt after 2months of hard riding, Irs still not as supple and buttery as the 36 or 38 on my other bikes😢🎉
Hi there and thanks for the review! I suspect that you willl answer something like "It depends on the adjustment" but I just have to ask - which is the fork with plushest ride? Which does absorb small bumps and chatter best? Thanks!
That new Zeb is my favorite fork I've ridden in just about all scenarios! I had the 38 Performance Elite before and was never able to get it to feel plush off the top while being supportive enough in the midstroke but the Zeb answered all my prayers right out of the box. I'm sure I could have gotten to a good setup after some more tweaking but the Zeb is way more straightforward to get to a dialed in setup. -Tor
@@TheLostCo Thank you, Tor! I will surely consider the Zeb. By any chance - do you have any impressions about Marzocchi Z1 Coil? I am hearing some very positive reviews about it.
do you prefer the zeb 2023 or the fox 38? which would be smoother on loose rock and fast descents without big jumps?
Fox 38
Are you selling the charger 3 damper on its own yet? Cant find it on your site.
Unfortunately, we don't have any of the new stuff yet. We are hoping to see the Charger3 Upgrade kit in mid-June. I would highly recommend signing up for the back in stock notifications on that product page. We will notify you as soon as they are in stock via email!
Hi, I've got a A1 Zeb with the 1.8" tapered steer tube and the Charger RC damper. I'm stoked I can upgrade to the Charger3! I'm also wondering of Domain owners wil be able to Put the Charger3 in their forks as well? I'm looking to get another "affordable" bike and they tend to have the Domain or Yari on them.
I think it’s about £50 cheaper?
Oop soz wrong comment!
Finally a review that includes a reference to Half Baked 😂
5:00 I love buttered stuff! 😂
i have a question for all riders with glasses that ride with full face helmet: what mask you use? arent you afraid that if you crash the glass will shatter in your eyes? i personally can't stand riding with my helmet that shakes the glasses and make me lose concentration
What is the select +?
nice, now im gonna buy the old one
nah the domain actually
Haha we do have the OG ZEB's on sale right now! Oh and we got the Domainzzzzz too 😎
yeah im a fan of the zeb too! it's a DH ready single crown 190mm tank barspinner
Are you sure you can put that damper in older forks? I watched 6 other vids and I thought they said you couldn't fit the damper or air chamber in anything but 2023 models
On the zeb you should be able to. The Lyrik and Pike you can not retro fit.
any head to head recommendations about the RS ZEB RC3 VS FOX 38? which one performs better??
Very similar in our testing so far. It's been extremely wet and squishy here lately, so we'll have to wait until it dries out to really be able to honestly compare them.
I’m interested in this, plus no one ever mentions if they run torque caps on the zeb when comparing them, I’ll be interested to see if you think on if the 2023 zeb can beat the 38 that’s had little change
Is it possible to just throw the new airspring with buttercups into my older zeb ultimate?
Yes it is! You can also put the Charger 3 damper in there to complete the transformation
-Tor
But can you put the charger 3 in an older zeb or domain chassis?
You can put the Charger3 in the ZEB's made thus far, however we can not confirm if the Charger3 can go in the Domain yet as we have not yet tried it ourselves.
@@TheLostCo good deal just ordered a zeb select to replace my lyrik 🤣
Get the older zeb for a discount, buy vorsprung smashpot + avalanche
Is there a possibility to reduce the travel from 170 to 160mm?
Yes! You can install a different airspring to adjust the travel. You can change it to be anything from 150 to 190! -Tor
Should i get a 170mm new zeb or keep my fox 36 factory fit4
That depends on what you ride and how hard you ride! If you feel like the 36 isn't as stiff as you'd like or you want to be able to adjust your high speed compression then the Zeb would be a great upgrade! You could also look at the new 2023 Lyrik which would feel similar to your 36 in terms of stiffness but also offer more adjustments just like the new Zeb. -Tor
I am not really worried about the stifness because i weigh only 110pounds but the fox 36 is feeling kinda sticky but i just got a full service on it so i was thinking does it make a big difference if i use muc off silicon shine and low friction seals and what are the best low friction seals possible to get
Since it has an IFP, does it require nitrogen? And what's the service interval?
It is spring loaded so, no nitrogen needed
Literally just bought the old version a few hours ago
Ooof, probably better throw it away or unload it for cheap. It wont work much longer.
Tyson is right, the software expires soon and the fork will lock up 😆
Luckily, the Charger 3 will install right into the OG ZEB which is the biggest upgrade on the new forks! Just gotta wait until they're available which could be 2 weeks or 6 months from now... who knows!
@@TheLostCo Will the updated airspring work on the older Zeb's?
Same 🥹
No mention of the know issues with the Zebs then?.
Can I upgrade my damper and air spring on my "old" RockShox Zeb?
no, its not compatible backwards
Yes you can! The new Charger3 and DebonAir+ with ButterCups will fit on ZEB's made thus far. The new internals are NOT backward compatible with the previous Pike's and Lyrik's, however.
@@tomasstraka5244 Lost Co is saying that it is in the other comments.
@@TheLostCo oh, than I understood other video wrong, thanks for clearing that out!
How does it compare to the e18 linkage fork?
What's the different between 44mm and 38mm fork offset..,?
6mm :)
@@86309 lol 😆
Nice haircut!
THANKS!!
I have 2022 model on my eride Ransom and after 2h rebound stop working...? There is also knocking noise. Looks like China quality.
Is the new damper system backwards compatible?
yep, basically its the same CSU
The Charger 3 is only backwards compatible for the ZEB. Unfortunately, the Charger 3 is not backwards compatible with the Pike or Lyrik.
@@TheLostCo that’s good for me. Both forks are zeb ultimates!
How much would the ultimate cost?
That new-new ZEB is $1,159 worth of gold doubloons.
Very interested in the ultimate plus. One question can you decrease the travel while climbing and then flip the switch to get maximum travel while going downhill? If so what's that function called? what can you go from 160MM to 180MM
no
My dad's Pike does is this something the went away with... lookin to order one who do I talk to
Any idea why only the 2023 ZEB is offered with a 51mm offset? I would like to put a 2023 Pike on a new Revel Rascal build, but may have to roll with a Fox 34 Grip 2 instead. Any chance RockShox might offer the new Pike and/or Lyrik in a 51mm offset in the near future? Thanks!
The hair!!!! Where’d it go 🥲
Chop chop!
IFP is not “independent floating piston”
It stands for “Internal Floating Piston”
Technically correct, have seen brands use it synonymously.
@@Adam-vm8kpDo some?
@@fast93accord1 fox “Inspired from moto, the GRIP damper uses our FIT sealed cartridge technology combined with a coil-sprung, independent floating piston.”
@@Adam-vm8kp interesting. I’m gonna talk with one of the engineers and ask him… lol
@@fast93accord1 I wouldn’t worry
What the Stem and Bars?
I'm running the Cascade Racing Designs Vagrant stem and Stooge bars:
thelostco.com/products/crd-vagrant-stem?_pos=13&_sid=a4f7aeb97&_ss=r
thelostco.com/products/crd-stooge-813-handlebar?_pos=4&_sid=7d1290cea&_ss=r
'These will definitely ship for free'. I'm dying :))
Hahahaha
Is the zeb ultimate more expensive than the fox 38 grip 2 ?
I think is £50-£70 cheaper?
@@carrotman2871 its like half a grand cheaper
@@WilliamCronin the rockshox is £1,071 and the fox is £1,009-£1,195?
So generally it is about £50-£75 more
@@carrotman2871 im my country zeb is 1953 nzd and fox is 2470
Which one is more comfortable, 2023 Zeb due to butter cups (but stiffer) vs 2021 Lyric Ultimate (less stiff but no buttercups). Concern is hand/arm fatigue.
It's difficult to compare those forks directly. Shoot us an email or call us and we'll be happy to offer some advice!
sales@thelostco.com / (360) 306-8827
We will name him noddy from this day forth.
woohooo!
What helmet is this?
Hey Owen, I'm wearing the Fox Speedframe Pro - thelostco.com/products/fox-speedframe-pro-helmet
-Mike
What about Fox?
Fox is great! However, this video is about the new RockShox suspension.
Rip to everyone who just got a zen abt 2 weeks ago
I buy one month ago new rockshox ultimate and now rockshox present new charger 3 and bleeders. I wanna die. I hope its new zeb feels fery simular to old one.
Hey no worries! The OG ZEB is amazing and this new fork just has some incremental improvements. Also, the Charger 3 will install into your fork, and in our eyes it's the single biggest update!
Niccce
New Zeb vs. Grip 2 38?
Very similar in our testing so far. It's been extremely wet and squishy here lately, so we'll have to wait until it dries out to really be able to honestly compare them.
38 already had the IFP and bleed port.
Air spring is still a lot different.
@@andresamson8859 Kinda how I felt this upgrade. Made the Zeb more of a close competitor.
Sounds like u mite have shares in the company
I hope they dont get sued by the engineers of mezzer pro. They're basically the same thing.
What do you mean "dont"?
Many suspension components carry similarities between brands, however, each is different and offers pros/cons in their own way.
Compression blow-off pressure. My 2017 Sektor Silver Boost has a terribly low compression damping blow-off pressure point that if I ride a berm too hard, it blows off and bottoms out suddenly. Is this a limitation of entry level forks?
I don't trust the compression damping in this fork that I increase the pressure, sacrificing all small bump compliance.
I think thats is not gonna be a thing with expensive forks. But also not a common thing for inexpensive forks.
@@hannes6114 I did remove the travel spacer to make it 150mm. I wonder if the extra air in the damper side is making it more prone to cavitation after bumpy sections.
The fork you're using is built strictly to be a budget-friendly fork. Forks like the Pike, Lyrik, Yari, Domain, ZEB, etcetera are going to be more oriented towards offering more performance which is why they cost more. The things you're feeling are characteristics of entry-level forks below $300ish.
Very basic emulsion damper, not made for any hard riding.
I LOVE BUTTERNUTS! CUPS! STUFF! CUPS!
Hence why all the Zebs are on clearance on your site... apparently you guys knew weeks in advance and we the suckers bought them up!
Everyone knew weeks ago that the new forks were coming. That's why they were on sale everywhere
Low speed snd high speed compression cannot be isolated, just some marketing ********** from rockshox
Marketing really?
RockShox quality is very bad. Metal filings sticking out of the new shock xD you need to do full service before 1st ride otherwise you may end like my friend with the same fork: be got big and deep scratches on the fork and it looks terrible. Rock shox vivid - same. Dirt inside like in zeb…
People are bothered by fork sounds ? Like really ?
Nah rather stay with Ohlins....
They have added all of these upgrades because there are major faults with the original release👎🏽Check the net and find feedback from all of the disappointed riders, there are customers that have sent their Zeb forks back for warranty 3 and 4 times. Some of them were sent back with no sag indicators on the stanchions🤷🏾♂️
Being completely honest, I can't say I've heard anything about something like this. We sell a ton of RockShox suspension, and we really don't see much of any warranty claims come through. At the moment, more than half of the staff here ride the ZEB, and only one has had any issues with a creaky CSU (but they're riding the fork extremely, extremely hard).
The ZEB and other RockShox forks are very mass-produced and are common on complete bikes. So when there's 20,000 ZEB's on trails, but only 1,000 of a competitor's fork, then warranties and complaints tend to be disproportional simply due to the vastly different amounts of those forks on rider's bikes.
-Mike
Pick any product and there will be warranties. How many creaking csu’s have fox had to deal with in the last couple of years.
The new zeb comes without Sag Scala. And WHO tf needs this Shit even? U gonna adjust Ur sag every Ride or what?? I dont get IT
I have 2022 model on my eride Ransom and after 2h rebound stop working...? There is also knocking noise. Looks like China quality.