Ohlins Racing Rear Shocks

Decoding the Ohlins Rear Shock Lineup

Three models form the core of the Ohlins MTB rear shock range, and choosing between them is mostly a question of discipline and how much adjustability you actually want. The TTX22M is the coil unit - the one the downhill and enduro race crowd gravitates towards. It uses a solid piston design inside the twin-tube circuit, runs on a steel coil spring, and is available in lightweight steel springs in 4 Nm/23 lbs increments, so you're not compromising with a spring rate that's merely close enough. Precise spring matching to your weight and frame makes a tangible difference to mid-stroke support, and Ohlins' incremental range makes that genuinely achievable.

The TTX1 Air suits trail bikes where a more linear feel and slightly simpler setup is the priority. It's a capable unit that brings TTX damping to riders who don't need the full coil setup. Step up to the TTX2 Air and you get a larger positive air chamber - better suited to aggressive enduro rigs where progressivity and support through the travel matter more. Both air models offer a meaningful upgrade over stock OEM shocks on mid-to-high-end trail bikes.

All three models are available in standard metric sizing and trunnion mount configurations, so compatibility with modern frames - including those with tight yoke clearances - is well covered. Check your frame's recommended shock eye-to-eye and stroke measurements before ordering; getting that wrong is an expensive mistake. If you're running a trunnion mount frame, confirm the specific hardware included with the shock.

Need replacement springs or mounting hardware for your setup? Head over to our Ohlins Shock Spares page to find the exact tune components for your frame. And if you're building a full Ohlins package, it's worth pairing with Ohlins suspension forks for a matched damping character front and rear.

The TTX Damping Circuit - What It Actually Does

Most MTB shocks use a monotube damper design. Ohlins' TTX (Twin Tube) technology works differently: oil recirculates between two concentric tubes rather than compressing against a sealed gas chamber alone. The practical upshot is that the shock stays primed and responsive throughout a long descent - no oil aeration, no cavitation, no moment where the damping suddenly feels vague because the fluid has been worked hard. On a place like the Cairngorms or a long enduro stage in the Brecon Beacons, that consistency is the whole point.

The solid piston design contributes to this too. It maintains a more stable oil flow path through the damping circuits, which means high-speed compression control stays predictable even when the trail turns properly rough. You're not fighting the shock - it's reading the ground and reacting before you've consciously processed the input.

Then there's the click adjustment quality. One click on an Ohlins shock genuinely changes something you can feel. That's not always true of budget dampers, where three or four clicks might produce a barely perceptible difference. With Ohlins, low-speed rebound and compression adjustments are distinct enough that you can fine-tune on the fly between stages without second-guessing whether anything changed. Compare that experience to dialling in a standard RockShox rear shock or a Fox rear shock and the feedback precision is a notable step up at this end of the market.

Running an Ohlins Shock Through a UK Winter

The spherical bearing mounts used on Ohlins shocks are a genuine engineering advantage. By allowing the shock to articulate slightly under load, they reduce side-loading on the shaft - that lateral stress that accelerates seal wear on standard eyelet bushings. Over a season of riding, that matters. Long-term, you get a more consistently smooth stroke and less shaft wear.

There's a caveat though. Spherical bearings don't like being packed with grit and left wet. After a muddy Welsh winter ride - the kind where you come back looking like you've been through a car wash backwards - those bearings need cleaning and greasing. It's a five-minute job if you stay on top of it; it's an expensive bearing replacement if you don't. Keep a small brush and some fresh grease in the garage and make it part of your post-ride routine through the mucky months.

Frame kinematics matter more with a shock this tuneable. Ohlins provide base tune recommendations, but a shock set up for one frame's leverage curve can feel noticeably wrong on another - even at the same rider weight. If you're fitting a TTX22M to a custom or unusual frame, it's worth mapping the leverage ratio properly before settling on a spring rate. Getting the base tune right isn't fiddly for its own sake; it's the difference between a shock that transforms your riding and one that just sits there being expensive.

For riders considering alternatives, Cane Creek rear shocks offer a similarly tuner-friendly approach and are worth a look if you want a coil option with a different damping character. That said, the TTX circuit's oil management approach is genuinely distinct from what Cane Creek or others offer at equivalent price points.