The shock that came for my 2018 Dream Build had too firm of a lockout that took all the comfort and climbing traction away. 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. 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. 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 can barely remember my last mountain bike ride (which embarrassingly, was almost two weeks ago), but I can vividly recall details from that ride. 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. It was a bit rudimentary, but I didn't care because I was so enamored by the level of traction it provided. 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. The low-speed compression adjustment had a little lever on it, with about one full rotation of throw. The first Storia I tested, back in 2015, didn't have a lockout of any kind. 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 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.

Perfectly clear complete v3.5 review