New Formula Mod Coil Shock is Hyper Adjustable, as Expected

So you’ve fallen in love with the improved traction and fluid movement of coil shocks, and now you have to find the right one for your bike. Maybe your online profile reads, “Loves fast and rocky descents. The longer the better.” Or maybe you just like your shock to function the same at the end of a descent as it did at the beginning. The folks at Formula have a new coil to tack on your list of considerations called the Mod.

Image courtesy of Formula.

I tested this new coil on a YT Jeffsy Base this spring and enjoyed every minute of it. Just like the Formula Selva R fork that I rode and reviewed a while back, the overall tune inside the Mod can be changed to offer different compression characteristics to suit your riding style and trails. There are three valves that vary the compression tune from light to firm, lending a hand to the wide range of available springs.

All of that compression can be loaded up with the climbing switch to cut pedal bob and increase efficiency on the way uphill. At home I typically climb a fire road or a steep trail to reach the lunch-trail crest, and the climb switch has been a welcome feature to stiffen things up out back.

Internally, Formula tunes each shock to the pair with frame it will be used on for optimal performance. The Mod uses a high-flow 30mm piston that formula says “results in improved sensitivity, less friction, and excellent heat management.” Inside the piggyback, this shock uses a large volume bladder that should improve small bump sensitivity compared to a traditional IFP. I can say from experience that the Mod excels in the sensitivity department, and it took the rear end of the Jeffsy from chatter to silky in short order. With the right spring rate and CTS combo, the Mod can be dialed in to smooth some of the roughest trail out there. It made the 150mm Jeffsy feel like a much more capable and traction-rich platform that the stock air shock ever could.

The shock’s bottom out bumper makes that last bit of travel noticeably smooth. Most coil springs require an equal amount of pressure to compress throughout their stroke, and when it’s time for that stroke to stop something has to catch it before the clang. With Formula’s moto-inspired bottom out bumper, I have yet to feel a harsh bottom out, despite riding the 150mm bike in a few steep parks. I’ll be testing the Mod on a longer travel Privateer 161 this fall, and will report on how it performs in the following review.

Springs for the Mod come in 300-600 Lbs/in weights, in 50 Lbs increments, with a violet or silver coating. All of the standard and trunnion mount sizes are covered, and Formula has a wide range of hardware ready to fit your bike. A 210 x 55 shock weighs 670g with a 300 Lbs spring.

The new shocks will sell for €699 or $829 at your local formula dealer.

The video below is a demonstration of how to swap valves in the Compression Tuning System.