Helix Coils is finally giving coil shocks the attention they deserve

For devotees, coil shocks promise performance that just can’t be matched by air-sprung alternatives. But, while there are many shock options, most of us don’t think twice about using the spring that comes with a shock, beyond making sure it’s the correct weight. Helix Coil Springs, out of Nelson, B.C., is finally giving the unassuming coil the attention it deserves with the help of some Japanese metallurgic magic.

We talked to Kevin McEvoy about what drove him to make a high-end coil company, why he thinks more riders should take the role of a coil more seriously and the science behind Alex Volokov’s 666 lb signature spring.

The unassuming coil? Or wrongfully overlooked?

Cycling, as a sport, spends a lot of money on bikes. As mountain bikers, we can spend a lot of money on shocks, even when we do so indirectly through the very expensive frames we buy. The shock at the heart of that frame is, quite directly, what controls whether the frame works as promised or …not.

McEvoy, founder of Helix and the man behind Nelson, B.C.’s Interior Suspension, says that we might not be getting quite the level of quality we assume when it comes to coil shocks. Or, specifically, the coil itself. As the service centre for several high performance brands and working with most major brands, Interior Suspension sees a high volume of coil shocks. Measuring the coils themselves as part of a service, McEvoy says, showed the spring rates weren’t always as advertised.

“There is a pretty big spectrum in quality of a coil spring. With OEM shocks, we’re seeing from 9 to 11 per cent variance in spring rate accuracy, on average.”

When you consider average spring rates on a mountain bike are 350-500lbs, or more, that’s not a minor variance. With Helix offering springs in 25-lb increments, it’s one to two entire spring rates.

“I think the bigger issue is the inconsistency and variability,” McEvoy adds. “If it was always off by the same amount every time, that’s not a big deal. You could plan for that. But with them not being consistent, that’s an issue.”

An issue that has a direct impact on the performance of these very expensive bikes we invest in.

“If you zoom out and look at how much focus we put into the bikes we’re riding and all the deferent technology on a bike. I think suspension is one of the aspects that, if I was to take your bike and really mess with your settings,…