IN BRIEF
EXT is renewing its Aria air shock with a V2 version and a downhill variant, the Aria V2 DH. At the heart of the product is AS3, a technology patented by the brand: two positive chambers inflated separately, one for the beginning of the stroke, the other for the end. According to EXT, the aim is to approach the sensitivity of a coil shock while keeping the fine tuning that air allows. Both versions are listed at €1,100 on EXT’s European price list, with a five-year warranty.
| Models | Aria V2 (enduro) and Aria V2 DH (downhill) |
| Spring | Air, AS3 dual positive chamber technology |
| Hydraulics | Monotube, adjustable high- and low-speed compression and rebound |
| End-stroke control | Adjustable hydraulic HBC (specific tune on the DH) |
| Lockout | LOK 2.0 on the Aria V2, absent on the DH |
| Shaft | Chromoly steel, 14 mm |
| Reservoir | Bladder type, inflated to 55 psi |
| Aria V2 sizes | 210 to 250 mm (metric standard), 185 to 225 mm (trunnion), strokes from 47.5 to 75 mm |
| Aria V2 DH sizes | 230 to 250 mm (metric standard), 205 to 225 mm (trunnion), strokes from 57.5 to 75 mm |
| Claimed weight | 622 g (Aria V2 in 210 x 55 mm), 667 g (DH in 250 x 75 mm) |
| Price | €1,100 (European price list), for each version |
| Warranty | 5 years |
The EXT Aria V2 is presented by its manufacturer as a complete evolution of its air shock platform. EXT says it built it around what air does well — a spring curve that can be shaped to the rider and the bike — while minimising its drawbacks, providing “the sensitivity coil shocks are known for”. The product pages for the Aria V2 and its downhill version have been online on EXT’s website since 23 September.
Two positive chambers on the EXT Aria V2
The principle is called AS3, a technology patented by EXT. The Aria V2 has two positive chambers, marked + and ++, which are inflated separately. The + chamber, identifiable by its black valve, sets the sag and governs behaviour over roughly the first 60 per cent of the stroke; its pressure therefore depends mainly on the rider’s weight and style, the brand explains.
The ++ chamber, with a nickel-plated valve, takes over for the remaining 40% or so, in the mid and end stroke. It is this chamber that sets progressivity, according to EXT: more pressure gives more support in the mid and end stroke, less pressure a more linear response. The brand states that the 600 psi pump supplied with the shock is enough to adjust this progression, and that this adjustment lets the Aria V2 be adapted to the leverage curve of different frames, whether their kinematics are linear or progressive.
An upright piggyback and reworked friction
In terms of architecture, the piggyback reservoir is now oriented vertically on the Aria V2 as on the DH, and the valve block is more compact: EXT sees this as broadening compatibility with more frames. The brand also says it has reworked the profile and materials of the seals to reduce friction throughout the stroke, and placed the bushing inside, in direct contact with the oil.
The rest of the spec sheet carries over the in-house hydraulics: monotube, adjustable high- and low-speed compression and rebound, independent LOK 2.0 lockout, adjustable HBC hydraulic end-stroke control and the same compression valve as the V4 series, according to EXT. EXT claims 622 g for an Aria V2 in 210 x 55 mm.
A DH version without a lockout lever
The Aria V2 DH differs from the enduro model with a specific hydraulic end-stroke control which, according to EXT, generates 20% more force at the end of the stroke to absorb big impacts. Its hydraulics are tuned for long strokes, from 57.5 to 75 mm. According to the official product page, this version omits the LOK lockout lever, as “pedal efficiency is not a priority on downhill bikes”. The manufacturer claims 667 g in 250 x 75 mm.
€1,100 and a five-year warranty
Both shocks are listed at €1,100 on EXT’s European price list, and at $1,200 in the United States. The brand covers them with a five-year warranty. For initial setup, EXT points to RideMaster, its web app that offers base settings for its forks and shocks.
