Formula expands their air suspension to the back of your mountain bike with the all-new Nebbia hybrid air shock. It’s the first air shock for the Italian suspension makers, aimed at riders looking for simple setup – no picking coil spring weights – but not wanting to sacrifice on tuning or durability.
The Formula Nebbia tuneable mountain bike hybrid air shock
Describing it as “reliable, simple to set up, and easy to adapt“, the new Formula Nebbia is all about performance that lets you focus on the ride.
But, it’s a bit more complex that your standard air shock – taking a lot of inspiration from their coil Mod shock. This is a highly-tunable piece of Formula mountain bike suspension after all.
Besides the regular positive air spring that makes setup quick & easy, the Nebbia combines a hybrid coil and air hybrid negative spring inside, plus a piggyback bladder oil reservoir to offer the control and adjustability you want from a premium suspension component. And that oil reservoir gets classic Formula CTS (Compression Tuning System) adjustability thanks to drop in shim stack options.
Plus, it includes Formula’s Neopos volume spacer tech so you can further fine-tune the mid & end stroke of your shock. And at the end, a polyurethane bottom-out stopper for a smooth finish to those massive hits, without a rough thunk.
Adaptable to any mountain bike?
Formula says the Nebbia was designed to work on any almost type of mountain bike, from short-travel trail bikes up to full-on DH race bikes. Much of that comes down to the modular nature of the shock, where you can adjust stroke in by 2.5/5/7.5mm with simple clip spacers. And the CTS system means you don’t need a tune tailored just for your bike or riding style. You can pick from the full CTS assortment for the perfect match.
Tech details
- Easy setup: Frequency sag indicator allows for quick visual guidance when setting air pressure.
- Reliable: 60 hour minor service intervals, 125 hour major service intervals.
- Easy to service: Designed to be serviced at home, no specialist tools required.
- Positive air chamber: Works at a lower pressure compared to other shock designs. This puts less strain on seals so they last longer.
- Negative spring: A coil and air hybrid negative spring design increases initial sensitivity.
- Compression switch: 3 positions – Open. Platform. Firm.
- Compression Tuning System: Smaller and lighter Compression Tuning System valves compared to Formula coil MOD shock. Three user-changeable options are included with the shock – gold (light), orange (mid), green (firm).
- Rebound: A wide range of rebound adjustment is built in, so there’s no need for a specific tune to suit your frame.
- Bladder membrane technology: The bladder design reduces friction and reaction time compared to an Internal Floating Piston design, this improves small-bump sensitivity and generates less heat for more consistent performance.
- Bottom out bumper: Originally developed for Formula moto trials shocks, the polyurethane bump-stop allows you to achieve full travel without any harsh bottom-out.
- Neopos: Sponge-like volume spacers that allow tuning of mid- and end-stroke support. The same technology as used in Formula air forks, redesigned specifically for the Nebbia.
- Stroke adjustment: 2.5, 5 and 7.5mm user-installable spacers allow the shock’s stroke to be changed with no specialist tools required.
And like all Formula products, it is covered by their ten-year service promise.
Formula Nebbia air shock – Pricing, options & availability
Formula says the new Nebbia air shock is compatible with most mountain bike frames. It comes in a whole slew of sizes, with both standard and trunnion mounts on offer. It is also approved for both e-bikes and clevis-style yoke mounting.
Trunnion lengths available: 165 x 37.5/40/42.5/45mm, 185×47.5/50/52.5/55mm, 205×57.5/60/62.5/65mm & 225×67.5/70/72.5/75mm.
Standard lengths available: 190×37.5/40/42.5/45, 210×47.5/50/52.5/55mm, 230×57.5/60/62.5/65mm & 250×67.5/70/72.5/75mm.
Claimed weight is 472 g (210x55mm). And the retail price for the Formula Nebbia air shock is: $850 / 790€.
