29er Suspension Fork Rec's

[pcxmbfj]

Building a new 29er frame with required fork travel of 100mm.

Have not bought one since 2008 and wonder how the offerings are now.

Needs are for good, simple suspension at best price.

Running White Bros and Reba Dual Air SL, straight steerer, 9mm QR now with satisfaction, except for costs.

Both have tuning features I never use.

Fox has been overly complicated in the 26" models.

Seen some new names in the game I've not experienced.

Any recommendations?

[vqdriver]

obviously RS and fox are the two big names out there. have heard good things about xfusion and magura, tho i've not used either myself. i'm pretty happy with fox. other than seals and fluids, what's there to do on a fork? it's not like i'm revalving these things.

[David Kirk]

I've got a 29'r Rockshox on my hardtail and I like it a lot.

dave

[josephr]

Lefty.

[KonaSS]

Rockshox Reba and Sid are to me the set and forget (within reason) proven options. Not that there are not others, but these are the top of the list.

[JWDR]

Originally Posted by KonaSS

Rockshox Reba and Sid are to me the set and forget (within reason) proven options. Not that there are not others, but these are the top of the list.

I have a Reba on one 29er and a Sid on the other. I can't really tell a difference in day to day riding. The Reba is straight 1 1/8 quick release and the Sid is tapered 15mm Qr.

I still want a lefty but the the fork and front wheel buy-in has just been too cost prohibitive.

[Kirk Pacenti]

I always recommend Manitou. Lots will debate about it, but for money they have the best damper in the business. What's not debatable is that they have, hands down, the best, second-to-none, absolutely [the most] brilliant thru-axle design on the market. So much easier to use than the SRAM Maxle or the Shimano/Fox design.

Cheers,
KP

[josephr]

Originally Posted by Kirk Pacenti

I always recommend Manitou. Lots will debate about it, but for money they have the best damper in the business. What's not debatable is that they have, hands down, the best, second-to-none, absolutely brilliant thru-axle design on the market. So much easier to use than the SRAM Maxle or the Shimano/Fox design.

Cheers,
KP

no thru-axle to worry about with a Lefty. Plus can change tire (or a tube if you still run those things) without removing wheel.

[binouye]

From talking to a dozen shop mechanics and avid riders in CO recently, the consensus was that the high-end Fox forks were favorites, and RS Reba a close second. The Reba costs about half as much, requires less maintenance, and is what I've got on my 29er (with remote lock-out, which I like). I tested a DT fork at an event this summer (so only a 30 min ride), and was impressed, but rarely ever see one "in the wild".

[peanutgallery]

For ease of service and bang for the buck, the Reba

The Fox is good, but expensive. When the fancy coating goes so does the fork

Used both over the last few years and I have found that the Reba was better for my type of riding (techy single track and rocks). The Fox always felt harsh and set up for big hits, could never seem to adjust that out. Being more complex I didn't pull it apart and play with oil weights and levels as I have with my Rebas so that's probably on me

[pcxmbfj]

Some good info.
Validates my own experience.

Thanks

[seleniak]

Really happy with my last 3 RS forks and I'd get a Reba. Nice damper, good CS, easy to service yourself and all the parts / kits are easy to get.

Have several friends riding X-fusion (Norcal) though and their stuff seems good. All metal construction, easy to service, cheaper than RS or Fox.

[gdw]

Another vote for Reba for the reasons posted above. Manitou's Marvel and Minute get pretty good reviews from their owners and are worth checking out too.