You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Morning,
My 5 month old SIDs are having their 200h service next week (despite only covering 100h - I'm anal like that, plus it allows me to activate a warranty claim now, rather than next year).
Air spring side - tight bushing.
Damper side - loose bushing.
They'll get sorted, and if new lowers are needed it'll get covered under warranty with the new lowers re-sized properly so that they're dreamy when I get them back.
Question for the longer term: Once they're fully serviced, shiny, new, and wonderful - is that a good time to consider some Pikes instead?
Apart from an extra 350g in weight... are there any other disadvantages to the Pikes?
They can be changed to 130s if I fancy the EVO setup on my Chisel FS - hence considering it. 🤔
Depends what you want from the bike IMO? I have Sid Ultimates on my Spur and just assumed they'd be as plush as other Charger RS forks I've had. They're not, although they are improving with use and they are super light which is what I wanted and as I use the bike for XC rides they are more than good enough. I wouldn't want to add the weight to improve performance as I don't need this bike to be a basher but if you do it might be worth it?
I'd happily change to Fox though if the weight is similar and the performance better.
why not a fox 34 (SL) would be my only question
They're more than half the price I paid for the bike. 😳
Maybe wait until winter? Buying stuff 'in season' isn't the best idea economically.
Ok the SL's are probably silly money, i picked up my new 130mm 34 elites fro ma german ebay store for 350 ish for the Top fuel, a similar bike, intention was keeping the weight low still sub 1700G i think, this was the fit damper not grip... the pike was the obvious contender there, but at the time even ebay pikes were 500, there was a set on there the other day for cheap however 😉
Depends what you want from the bike IMO?
Like you - I'm using the bike for XC rides. Focused on fitness at the moment.
Currently, my flip-chip is in the high position - better for climbing steep tech stuff... but come later in the year, I might want to explore something a bit different.
I assume the change in geometry (flip-chip and 130 fork combined) will help a bit? The main thing is that it can be reversed if I decide to continue with my current setup.
there was a set on there the other day for cheap however
Link please!
I don't have anything against fox, it's just that I don't understand their ecosystem at all - so I would't know what to look for (performance/elite/fit/grip). 🤷♂️
Been burned by 'used' things in the past - which can end up costing more. My SIDs were new but discounted (due to being the older chassis variant), and guess what, they need to go in for some light work - so warranty helps IMO.
I've always been happy with the handling of my '23 Top Fuel in the lower setting. It's still fairly steep by modern standards. For a recent trip to Wales I popped on some 130 Pikes from another bike and whilst I can speak to a true like for like difference (as I'd never used the SIDs on bigger hills) the extra 10mm lift it gave the bars was appreciated one longer, steady rides.
^^ same as me re the top fuel... 130mm 34's to get the bars up up up
Thanks - looks like they're old versions (42mm offset). The serial number doesn't reveal anything on the Trailhead site - I wonder how old they are. 🤔
Wonder if my Sids are the same batch as yours? PSA on here from Biketart?
For the riding you/me do I wouldn't bother swapping to Pikes tbh. I have them on my hardtail and although they are a bit plusher, they certainly feel heavier in use. I've run bikes 10mm over standard having picked up a fork bargain and can't really tell much difference. If you want to raise the front it'd be cheaper to get a higher bar although I don't think the Chisel is too low anyway? One of the reasons I got the Spur was because it's XC light without the stupidly low front and the Chisel was also on my list.
Wonder if my Sids are the same batch as yours? PSA on here from Biketart?
Got mine from bike-discount.de - wanted remote lockout (which I've never used LOL).
You have to watch out RE customs/duties though... only buy if something is an absolute steal - you end up paying duties on arrival (why that can't be done at the retailer end??).
Update: The forks went into hospital, and are being sent off for a warranty claim.
They're immaculate inside as expected - apart from the bushing problem.
I don't fancy having to do the same again after another 100 hours, so hoping RS no longer have C2 lower legs in stock - that way they get replaced with a set of C2s and I can get on with pedalling. 🤞
Just hoping it doesn't take more than a week - I've a few events in the calendar. 🤷♂️
I went down the SID / Pike rabbit hole last year looking at upgrades for my Spur and it's not as clear cut as one being better than the other for all use cases.
If you're XCing and not smashing through rock gardens / doing big drops then the SID is still the one to go to IMHO. I had some bushing weirdness with mine and the lowers were replaced after the first year and the fork has been perfect for the last two years. The newest SID Ultimate is completely re-engineered and I'd be more than happy to go with one of those in future for the riding that I do, based on my generally positive experience with the C1. You might find that you get yours back from warranty and everything is solved.
Depending on the damper in your SID (Raceday vs Charger RL 2.0 / 2.1) the Pike will add another 400g to the front end of your bike - the 120mm weighs over 1,900g according to here. You are going to get much more composed damping on rougher terrain and bigger hits though but with a more active feel. Also, look up reviews of the Charger 3 / 3.1 damper in the Pike because I've seen some people saying that the fork can be quite firm and tuned more towards aggressive riding and big hits.
I would summarise the above by saying if you are riding maily trail centre red run+ routes then the Pike would be a great upgrade. But if you want to keep things lighter and more XC then the SID is the one to keep.
I would summarise the above by saying if you are riding maily trail centre red run+ routes then the Pike would be a great upgrade. But if you want to keep things lighter and more XC then the SID is the one to keep.
Thanks - I'm currently riding upto/including red runs. There's the odd rock garden here and there, and it seems fine (I don't know any better). Not going further than that for a while TBH - I like to cover distance relatively quickly if I can.
On another note: I find the compression damping on my Deluxe+ a bit soft for pedalling (it has a 'trail' tune sticker on it - not a surprise). Will try my SIDLuxe once the fork is back to see if it's any better in that regard.
@Oms I tried a Deluxe Ultimate and it definitely felt less sprightly for putting the power down. SIDluxe noticeably better for putting in the miles (and a hundred grammes lighter).
Might be worth waiting for the new Reba Gold 35mm using Sid chassis with isolator damper, debonair and 1750g weight.
I tried a Deluxe Ultimate and it definitely felt less sprightly for putting the power down. SIDluxe noticeably better for putting in the miles
Thanks - good to know. 👍 Keen to try it, but the problem is without a fork it's a bit difficult. 😂 Hoping they're quick about it - they were sent to SRAM yesterday.
Might be worth waiting for the new Reba Gold 35mm using Sid chassis with isolator damper, debonair and 1750g weight.
That's interesting - are they using the C2 chassis... or is it a 'trickle down' fork?
There's 100g in the Race Day damper, so it's only 150g-ish heavier than an equivalent SID if my mental arithmetic is right. 🤔
Apparently RockShox says it is derived from the standard SID chassis (rather than the SID SL).
Apparently RockShox says it is derived from the standard SID chassis (rather than the SID SL).
So the current SID 120 (35mm) might end up too similar to the Reba Gold 120 (35mm)... I reckon they might release a SID 130 (35mm) to compete with the likes of Fox. 🤔
I bet 1 token.
@Oms I tried a Deluxe Ultimate and it definitely felt less sprightly for putting the power down. SIDluxe noticeably better for putting in the miles (and a hundred grammes lighter).
@Devash - forgot to report back. As you said - it's better for pedalling, and better for out of the saddle efforts. Good traction going up technical stuff too. Less po and more go. 👍
Totally different compression tunes though (L vs LC), so not an apples to apples comparison.
@Oms yep, the flex stay bikes need the LC tune for the Deluxe apparently. My aftermarket Deluxe Ultimate was an L tune which is probably why it felt overdamped.
Cheap(ish) fox 34 step cast at merlin in 120 flavour and lots of colours.
https://www.merlincycles.com/fox-34-float-performance-sc-grip-boost-mtb-forks-29-336494.html
Good price on those Fox 34 SCs! I was ready to press go but upon checking, there's limited tyre clearance, only 2.4 max. I know there might be a bit of room for wider, but I wouldn't want it to be too tight or to bottom out on the crown, and it's nice to also have space for a mudguard. Will probably end up going for the new Reba gold, even though it's full price at £485 - which is fine.
But that's not including custom charges when it arrives from EU though right?
Bikeinn, Tradeinn etc are one of the few that the price you see is what you pay despite them being imported
Oh, that's good to know!
R2-bike also have them.
decent price, maybe marginally cheaper than bikeinn once tax and import are applied.
Bikeinn are good, postage can be a little slow but not a problem unless you are in a hurry. Having the fees included makes life a lot simpler. Great price on those reba gold's but would like to read a review before I purchased.
there's limited tyre clearance, only 2.4 max.
My 32 step cast say the same and I've got a mezcal 2.4 and mudguard fitted. There is clearance between tyre and mudguard though I did have to clip all the rubber injection hairs off the side walls as they just brushed the edge. Made a noise a bit light like a rubbing brake. The mudguard fitted does not fit that flat either. You can get a bolt on adapter for 34SC which would improve the clearance. The new version (34SL is 'only' 2.5).