RockShox

RockShox Inc.
Industry Bicycle Component Manufacturer
Founded 1989
Founder Paul Turner
Defunct 2002
Headquarters Colorado Springs, United States
Products Suspension forks, rear shocks
Parent SRAM Corporation
Website www.rockshox.com
2008 RockShox SID World Cup suspension fork for mountain bikes.

RockShox Inc. is an American company founded by Paul Turner in 1989, that develops and manufactures bicycle suspensions. The company led in the development of mountain bikes. It is now part of SRAM Corporation.

History

Start

RockShox was founded by Paul Turner in 1989 in Boulder, Colorado, USA. It moved to California four years later when Steve and Deborah Simons bought out Dia Compe.[1]

Turner raced motorcycles in his teens. In 1977, aged 18 he established a company that sold motorcycle components. He later worked for the Honda Motor Company as factory mechanic for their professional motocross team. This put him in contact with designers of suspension systems for motorcycles and other motocross industry people.

Simons is a former motocross rider in his teens and early twenties and entrepreneur. He developed heat sinks for Koni shock absorbers to lower oil temperatures and then in 1974 he designed a shock absorber for the company that became Fox Shox. He then established his own company Dynamic Enterprises which became Simons Inc. developing pneumatic upgrade kits for suspension forks. This led to his own fork design and manufacture. He had two patents on suspension forks, one which, for upside down forks, he licensed to motorcycle and suspension manufacturers.

In the late 1980s Paul began riding mountain bikes and with his motorcycle experience longed for suspension. Paul began developing the first bicycle suspension fork. In 1989 or 1990, Turner approached Simons for help designing a suspension fork for mountain bikes. Turner had in 1987, with the help of Keith Bontrager, presented a full bike with front and rear suspension at the bicycle industry trade show in Long Beach. The industry was not impressed. Two years later Turner and his wife Christi were manufacturing suspension forks in their garage with parts bought from Simons Inc, who later partnered Turner when Steve and his wife, Deborah, mortgaged their home to buy out Dia Compe and move manufacturing to Mt. View, California in 1993. The R&D and Marketing groups remained in Boulder, Co. until moving to Mt. View, Ca in 1994 and then Santa Cruz in 1995. Manufacturing and Engineering move to San Jose, Ca in 1995. They worked with Thomas Dooley at TDA in Boulder, CO who created the current Rock Shox logo, and was the creative director for all marketing and advertising.

Turner brought in Greg Herbold as a test rider and company spokesman. Herbold became the first world champion in downhill mountain biking on one of the first suspension forks for mountain bikes made. In August that year the company manufactured its first 100 suspension forks, the RS-1. The start-up was financed by the East Asian bike component manufacturer Dia-Compe, the founders, and other investors. Dia Compe manufactured the next series of forks but later was bought out by Simons & Turner and disposed of its shares. From then the forks were primarily manufactured at Rock Shox in Mt.View, Ca.

In 1992 Turner & Simons, using the Rock Shox RS-1 design, created a private label fork for Specialized working with Mark Winter. Mark left Specialized a few years later and joining Rock Shox in 1995.

Growth and IPO

Eight years after inception the company manufactured and sold a million RockShox forks and had revenues of $100 million. The company went public in October 1996, was listed on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange (ticker: RSHX), and raised 65 million dollars ($72 million before deduction of IPO related costs). The company had 300 employees, most in the company's US factories. RockShox had a market share of 60 percent. [1]

Competition and cost savings

Towards the end of the 1990s competition was fierce and profits were thin.

Rock Shox was one of many brands that marketed suspension forks for bicycles, others were Answer Manitou, Marzocchi and RST. During this time Fox Racing Shox also entered the bicycle industry. As the number of direct substitutes to Rock Shox' products increased, the company experienced difficulties in protecting its position as the leading manufacturer in the business.

In June 2000 RockShox moved production to Colorado Springs, which saved an estimated $5 million a year. In 2001 the company lost $10 million.

SRAM takeover

In 2002 RockShox defaulted on a loan to SRAM. SRAM took over the company and its debt obligations for $5.6 million. The company had 300 employees in Colorado Springs.[1] In 2002, production in Colorado moved to Taichung, Taiwan. A small test facility remains in Colorado Springs.

Paul Turner has been nominated for the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame several times but declined.[2]

Product chronology and common specifications

Suspension Forks[3][4][5][6]

Product Year introducedYear discontinuedStanchion DiameterTravel LengthsSpring Types
RS-1 1990 1991 25.4 mm (1") Air, oil return
Mag 20 1992 1992 25.4 mm 48 mm Air, oil return
Mag 30 1992 1992 25.4 mm 48 mm Air, oil return
Mag 21 1993 1997 25.4 mm 48 mm (60 mm long travel) Air, oil return
Mag 10 1993 1995 25.4 mm 48 mm Air, oil return
Mag 21 SL 1994 1994 25.4 mm 48 mm (60 mm long travel) Air, oil return
Quadra 1993 25.4 mm Elastomer
Quadra 5 1994 25.4 mm 48 mm Elastomer
Quadra 21 R 1994 25.4 mm 60 mm Elastomer
Judy XC 1995 2001 28 mm 50/63/80mm MCU spring (elastomer), oil return
Judy SL 1995 2001 28 mm 50/63/80mm MCU spring (elastomer), oil return
Judy DH 1995 1998 28 mm 80 mm Coil, MCU spring (elastomer), oil return
Indy 1995 MCU spring (elastomer)
SID 1998 Present 32 mm (as of 2009; previously, 28 mm) 80/100 mm or 120 mm Dual Air until 2013, then Solo Air.
DHO 1997 1998 28 mm 100 mm MCU spring (elastomer)
BoXXer 1998 Present 32 mm (1998-2009), 35 mm (2010-present) 150 mm (early), 180 mm, 200 mm (present) Coil (World cup model with solo air), Coil U-Turn (Boxxer Ride)
Jett 1999 2001
Ruby (road/700cc) 2000 2000
Metro (road/700cc) 2001 2005
Psylo 2001 2005 30 mm 80-125mm Coil U-Turn, Fixed Coil, Hydra-Air, Dual-Air
Duke 2002 2005 30 mm 80/100 mm (Hydra Air) 63-108 (Coil U-Turn) Hydra-Air (Solo-Air with a coil negative spring), Coil U-Turn 63/108mm
Pike 2004 Present 35 mm (2005-2011 Pike was 32 mm) 140/150/160 mm Older models were coil or air with or without U-Turn. 2014 onwards are Solo-Air or Dual Position Air.
Pilot 2003 2005
Reba 2005 Present 32 mm 80/100/120 mm Dual Air, 90–120 mm Air U-Turn, 130/140 mm Trail Specific 29" Dual Air, Air U-Turn, Trail Specific 29", Solo Air (since 2013)
Recon 2006 Present 32 mm 140 mm (some models like the 335), 80/100/120 mm, 80/100 29" Solo Air / Coil / Coil U-Turn
Revelation 2006 Present 32 mm 130/140/150 mm Dual Air, 120–150 mm Dual Position Air Dual Air, Dual Position Air, Air U-Turn
Argyle 2007 Present 32 mm 80/100 mm Coil
Dart 2006 2012 28 mm 80, 100 and 120 mm, 80/100mm 29er model Coil
Domain 2007 Present 35 mm 160 mm, 180 mm (Single Crown) and 200 mm (Dual Crown) Coil
Lyrik 2007 Present 35 mm 115 to 160 mm 2-Step and Coil U-Turn, 160/170 mm T/A Solo Air and Coil 2-Step Air, Coil U-Turn, Solo Air and Coil
Tora 2006 2012 32 mm 80/100/120 mm, 80/100 mm 29" Coil; 85–130 mm Coil U-Turn and Solo Air Coil, Coil U-Turn and Solo Air
Totem 2007 2014 40 mm 180 mm 2-Step, Solo Air or Coil
Sektor 2011 Present 32 mm Up to 150 mm Coil U-Turn and Solo Air
Bluto Fatbike Fork 2014 Present 32 mm 100 mm or 120 mm Solo Air
RS1 Upside-Down Fork 2014 Present 32 mm 80 mm,100 mm or 120 mm Solo Air

Other features:

There are usually several versions of each product, typically distinguished by the presence or absence of certain features, such as material type, preload, rebound damping, compression damping, lockout, remote lockout and replaceable bushings. This article does not attempt to list all specifications for all versions.

References

7. http://www.vintagerockshox.com/

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