Most owners of full suspension bikes will recognise the symptoms of worn-out shock bushings – rattling, a hint of looseness about the tail and so on. Like many bits of bike, shock bushings are a consumable item but a lot of people find that they consume them at a worryingly rapid rate.

Whyte’s solution is simple, yet cunning. The Whyte Bearing Upgrade Kit does away with the pressed-in solid bearing and alloy reducers on Fox shocks and replaces them with a pair of housings with KP5 heavy-duty control bearings pressed into them. The housings press into the shock eye with a spacer between the bearings and they run on a stainless sleeve around the mounting bolt. Shield washers keep the gunge out. It’s a little bit like a mini headset on its side.

It’s a neat thing. It’s designed to fit straight on to Whyte and Marin full sussers but with a bit of judicious spacing should be adaptable to lots of other bikes too. No word on pricing yet – we’ll keep you posted.