A shock absorber including a damping force generation mechanism (30a) includes a spring member (106a) having radially extending spring portions (117) having high spring constants and circumferentially extending spring portions (118) having low spring constants. The radially extending spring portions and the circumferentially extending spring portions are integrally configured so that biasing forces thereof act dynamically linearly. An annular stepped portion limits strokes of the circumferentially extending spring portions and is provided on a cylindrical wall portion of a pilot body. As a result, within a range of damping force control, only the radially extending spring portions of the spring member are elastically deformed, whereby the durability of the spring member is enhanced, and only biasing forces of the radially extending spring portions of the spring member act on a pilot valve member, and thereby variation in a damping force is reduced so that the performance is improved.