Tested: EXT Storia Lok V3 Shock | $900 – Bike Magazine

The third version of EXT’s Storia shock (hence the V3 in the title) continues to change and evolve as EXT grows its knowledge and experience in the sport. Version 3 is not only a beautiful work of art, it represents the biggest step forward since EXT began developing shocks for mountain bikes in 2014, with a fully redesigned body, side-mounted adjusters, and a new hydraulic bottom out control.

The first Storia I tested, back in 2015, didn’t have a lockout of any kind. The low speed compression adjustment had a little lever on it, with about one full rotation of throw. On long climbs, I’d reach down and add the full amount of low-speed compression, making sure to put it back to the sweet spot for descending. It was a bit rudimentary, but I didn’t care because I was so enamored by the level of traction it provided. I’d never felt anything like it.

You know when something happens that’s so memorable, you can recall specific details years later? My first ride on the Storia was like that. I can barely remember my last mountain bike ride (which embarrassingly, was almost 2 weeks ago), but I can vividly recall details from that ride. It was in SoCal, and I was riding into the blinding setting sun, leaning hard into corner after blown-out corner, and laughing in amazement as the rear wheel just kept holding on. I’d been mountain biking for 20 years before that day, and I’d never felt a wheel track the ground the way it did with the Storia.

The second version of the shock, as shown in the above photo, had the same insane ground-hugging capability as the first, and was equipped with a real lockout lever separate from the high- and low-speed compression adjustments. EXT calls this feature “Lok”. It wasn’t perfect, though. The shock that came for my 2018 Dream Build, had too firm of a lockout that took all the comfort and climbing traction away. This was the default tune on the shock and had I known, I would have been able to opt for a lockout tune more suited to my needs.

By the time I had an opening to send the shock in for a re-tune on the Lok system, the completely re-designed Storia Lok V3 was available and EXT offered to send it over to me instead. Not only does this latest Storia feature the side-facing valves and hydraulic bottom-out control (which we’ll get into in a moment) mentioned earlier, the Lok system has been vastly improved. Lok 2.0 is a completely separate valve that when closed, still lets some oil flow through the shim stack. It’s much firmer than open, providing an excellent pedaling platform, but it takes the edge off and maintains comfort and traction. The firmness of the system can be tuned to your preference when you order it, but the default setup on the Storia V3’s Lok lever is softer than it was on the previous version of this shock. It’s definitely more in line with what we think most riders will be looking for in a shock like this. And it features a blow-off for the times you’re so excited for the decent that you forget to flip the lever back.

Before we dive too far down the rabbit hole of ride impressions, let’s spend a little time going over what makes EXT and the Storia unique. It’s a lot, by the way, so this section might be a bit wordy.

First let’s talk about the hydraulic bottom-out control (HBC), since I’ve mentioned twice already. Here it goes: Air sprung shocks resist bottom-outs because air springs are naturally progressive. As the the shock is compressed, the spring rate increases. Near the end of the stroke, the spring rate is high enough to take a serious edge off bottom-outs. Coil springs don’t have that same thing going on for them because they’re naturally linear. A coil shock doesn’t get harder and harder to compress at the end of its travel. As a result, most coil-sprung shocks use a big bumper on the external piston to physically restrict the piston from reaching bottom-out.

Seem’s pretty primitive, right? It is. The first issue is that those rubber bumpers effectively make it so the shock, and therefore your bike, doesn’t get full travel. Secondly, it’s a spring.

Springs store energy and then return it with equal force. You know, like a pogo stick. Dampers dissipate energy. They calm it down. So, like, what would you prefer to have at the very end of your shock stroke? You’re probably that deep into it because you’re going really fast or shit is hitting the fan. I don’t know about you, but, I’d rather have a damper dissipating energy than a spring returning it.

HBC is a position-sensitive damping circuit that automatically increases compression damping for the last 15 percent of the shock stroke. Basically, it adds progression, but on the damper instead of the spring. The result is a bottomless feel, more available shock travel, better ground tracking, and increased traction and control. In short, HBC is rad.

Next up is the way that the shock moves oil—this part is super interesting, but it also takes some explaining. Stay with me

Dampers dissipate kinetic energy by turning it into heat energy. The problem with that is heat is traditionally suspension’s biggest enemy. As the oil inside a shock or fork heats up, the viscosity changes and flows through the damping circuits more easily. The hotter the oil gets, the less damping there is. Rear shocks are especially susceptible to this because there’s a surprisingly small volume of oil inside them. When we talk about a shock being consistent or not, that’s what we’re referring to.

EXT shocks run hotter than most other shocks, but it’s because they utilize an ingenious valving technology designed by Fratton that makes the oil impartial to temperature. He discovered that if the oil is agitated in a certain way as it passes through the valve, the damping characteristics remain constant as the oil temperature rises. Purposely creating turbulent oil flow goes against the traditional thinking in damper design, but the result is by far the most consistent shock I’ve ever ridden. I’ve never been able to get the Storia hot enough to deteriorate the damping, even on multi-thousand-foot descents. On super long alpine descents, I always get tired and need a break before my shock does.

There’s a ton more to talk about here. Like the incredibly low IFP pressure that helps create better pressure equalization on both sides of the piston, reducing hysteresis and cavitation and increasing responsiveness reliability, and longevity. Then there are the improvements from the last version to V3, like larger pistons, larger diameter reservoir for better pressure equalization and lower friction, less-stictiony main piston, improved sealing, and refined compression valve to further reduce hysteresis and add sensitivity between clicks. There’s also a new rebound circuit to improve sensitivity (which is hard to imagine), that is also completely separate from the compression circuit, unlike most other shocks.

Oh, and finally, there’s the fact that the Storia Lok V3 is likely the most beautiful thing you can bolt to a bike. Not only is it the smartest shock around, it’s the best looking. What’s not to love?

I’ve been on the Storia V3 for the better part of a year, and I can’t imagine life without it. Actually, wait. Yes I can. I experience life without it all the time—I just got back from our Bible of Bike Tests where there was not a single EXT-equipped bike. I’m constantly riding test bikes that don’t have EXT shocks on them, and I’m constantly missing the Storia when I am.

The bike I run this shock on is a Specialized Stumpjumper. It’s unfortunately not an EVO, and I unfortunately got a size large instead of an extra large. It’s too small and as a result, it’s not my favorite. But I ride it anyway because of this shock. Every single time I go out on it I’m amazed at how great the shock feels, how much traction I’m getting. I even have a Pivot Mach 5.5 that’s equipped with Fox Live electronically-controlled smart-suspension that comes nowhere close. Not even in the same ball park. I actually like that Mach 5.5 more than the Stumpy (mostly because of the Stumpy size fuck-up) but I reach for the Storia most days instead.

The Stumpy isn’t the most naturally gifted climber. It’s much better than the previous version, but I still want to use some form of climb mode on anything that’s more than a couple dozen pedal strokes. The lockout on the Storia V3 is suited absolutely perfectly. It quiets the bike’s bob and turns it into an efficient climber without getting rid of climbing traction. I’ll sometimes leave the lever closed on smooth, undulating terrain because there’s still good bump absorption happening, just with far better pedaling support. And, since there’s a blow-off, I don’t need to worry about reaching down to open the shock for a few stray roots or rocks on an otherwise smooth section of trail.

Where the Storia V3 really comes to life, obviously, is on the descents—preferably the rowdiest ones you can find. This tiny traction factory hugs the ground like it’s the last time it’ll ever see it. It adds a level of control that you simply have to feel to understand. The shock is ultra quick and responsive, and the rebound can be run super fast without making the shock feel like a pogo-stick. This speed is where the Storia differs hugely from most other coil shocks. It feels light the damping is lighter, without losing control. It gives the rear wheel almost an untethered feeling of being able to conform perfectly to the trail at any speed. It’s not dead-feeling or over-damped like so many shocks, but rather energetic and peppy in comparison. Coil shocks aren’t typically described as “poppy” but the Storia comes the closest. It’ll never feel as boosty as an air shock, but it is by far the liveliest coil I’ve ever ridden.

The clickers have enough adjustment in them that most riders should be able to dial in their setup. This is a very high-end shock that’s suited for discerning riders who are ready and willing to spend time getting properly set up. But having said that, it’s also rather simple. There’s enough usable range on the adjustments, but not so much that you can make it feel like complete garbage. Plus, the shock functions so well that it’s easy to feel the difference between low-speed and high-speed compression tweaks, and it becomes apparent quite quickly which you need to adjust and when.

The only bummer when dialing it in is that you have to carry a 12-millimeter socket or box wrench around with you to adjust the high-speed compression. Fox’s 6-millimeter and 3-millimeter high- and low-speed adjuster fittings are friendlier for the tools that we’re already likely to have on us. That’s literally the only criticism I have.

Others have pointed out the fact that the Storia is a bit loud, which is true because that special spool valve is busy agitating the oil. Turbulent oil flow makes more noise. People notice it because other shock companies actually alter their designs in order to mitigate noise. I’ve even been told by a suspension engineer or two that making a shock quiet can sometimes come at a performance cost. Also, there’s the fact that when you really get the Storia moving, it sort of sounds like other shocks sound when they’re air-contaminated. If I’m honest, it took me some getting used to as well, even after hearing from the horses mouth that the noise is perfectly normal. But I’ve actually come to like the sound of oil running through the shock—it lets me know it’s working.