At this point in their MTB history, EXT should need no introduction. The boutique Italian suspension company offers a burly single crown fork loaded with bullet points, a fleet of coil-sprung dampers, and are currently working on an air shock. The Arma is their coil-sprung downhill damper that forgoes a climb switch in favour of an adjustment you don’t often see on an MTB damper – a hydraulic bottom out (HBC). Even though most downhill bikes have moved to 250 or sometimes 230mm metric shock sizing, there are still some imperial lengths offered, like the classic 9.5 x 3.0″, and a shorter 210. Of course, trunnion mounts are available in 185, 205, and 230mm sizing too. Once you’ve filled out the order form that requires not only the shock size and rider weight you’ll have to specify which bike the Arma will be bolted onto as well, because each shock is custom built with a 4-week lead time. EXT also understands that a rider’s needs may change depending on the tracks, so the choice of two lightweight steel springs is built into the $1,100 price tag.
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