After the other thread yesterday (Thanks for all the advice), I decided it’s better to keep the Spearfish and i’ll upgrade the suspension on it a bit.

I need to get the rear shock off to be serviced as one job… but I was also thinking about a fork upgrade too.

I’ve currently got 2011 REBA dual air on there… Unserviced for a chunk of that (if ever)

So I was debating between

https://www.merlincycles.com/rockshox-reba-rl-solo-air-29-maxlelite-15-fork-73018.html

and

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/fox-suspension-32-float-ctd-evolution-forks-2014/rp-prod133578

I know in the past people have berated the Fox CTD’s, but I never had an issue on either my Giant XTC29 or on the Commencal Meta AM29.

Although Salsa only recommend a 100mm fork, plenty have and are running longer, 120mm is more common than 110mm…. but I think 110mm in a new set of Fox could be a decent option ?

Of course if you think there’s a better alternative within or around the same sort of budget I’m more than happy to look.

What does ‘only recommend’ mean? Obv if the bike’s been designed around a 100mm fork with XC / mile munching as its main purpose then they’ll recommend 100mm but (dangerously maybe) I’d assume that putting another 20mm on the front won’t cause its headtube to shear off in a shower of sparks!

Salsa says its frames are designed around a certain length of travel fork. Can I run a fork with more travel than what Salsa recommends? No. You should not ride with a longer than recommended travel fork. We state the recommended fork length because the frame is designed to be used with that length for two important reasons.

1) The bike will handle best when used with the fork length it was designed for.

2) Frames are designed around a certain length fork so that they have the proper strength requirements to withstand the use they will occur. When you put a longer than recommended fork onto a bike, you increase the leverage the fork is applying to the frame, and thereby increase the load that the frame needs to handle. The frame may not be able to handle this increased load and could then fail.

Please use common sense when building up any bicycle. Frames are designed with specific intent. Don’t try to turn your frame into something it isn’t. This is true for all bicycle brands, not just Salsa

a lot of covering themselves there really…

I would service your old fork first – Reba is a great fork.

I can understand them saying that for arse coverage and replacing a 100mm with a 180mm DH fork might well lead to leverage issues.

But 20mm extra, I’m not having that as being a safety issue.

Check fork offset – 51mm for a Spearfish, Fox would be easiest here – it really does make a difference to how they handle. Have tried non offset and disliked it, front end felt to steep, not playful on descents any more.

But as Matt said – why not service the Reba?

But as Matt said – why not service the Reba?

Answer to that is that I’d like to jump on the 15mm instead of the 9mm QR, just to make it a bit stronger/stiffer. Add to that the new forks are slightly more modern technology.

I can sell the REBA for £100 which means the Foxs cost me £180 and gives me a nice new set of forks.

If looking for a new fork it’d be hard to look past a Pike, and FWIW the solo I bought weighed less than the 32’s they replaced.

Stiffness and ability is on a different planet.

These are fairly good value, a year later and Factory rather than performance tune.

http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/fox-32-float-29-k-ctd-adj-fit-120-tapered-qr15-496556/wg_id-8722

I ordered a set of 34’s they have the same Christmas Eve and they arrived New Years Eve.

b r – Member

If looking for a new fork it’d be hard to look past a Pike, and FWIW the solo I bought weighed less than the 32’s they replaced.

Pikes though are a whole level of budget up from there… Coming in at an eye-watering £479 instead of £279 so that’s an extra £200 to find obviously. Add to that I can’t fine Pikes in anything like the travel required as they seem to be 140’s ? Which makes the Pikes just none viable overall.

wwaswas – Member

These are fairly good value, a year later and Factory rather than performance tune.

http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/fox-32-float-29-k-ctd-adj-fit-120-tapered-qr15-496556/wg_id-8722

I ordered a set of 34’s they have the same Christmas Eve and they arrived New Years Eve.

Fair point mate… good find… if you’d have posted that link 10 mins earlier I would have bought them instead of the CRC ones I ordered 🙂

sorry 😳 didn’t realise you’d pressed the button.

Oops, just replied to your other thread. I’d go for Rebas!

Not your fault… mine for being impatient 🙂

That said… I’m happy with my decision 🙂

I’m happy with my decision

🙂

After reading your other thread it seems like you may be hankering after a “bit more” bike so unless you’re going to go for a slightly more burly fork then why not just get your Rebas sorted?

Assuming they’re not knackered that is.

I’d echo previous comments about going for a Pike which can now be bought down to 120mm (I’ve just had 130mm) Alternatively you could look into getting a Yari at 120mm which will give you the stiffer 35mm stanchions but less sophisticated damping although reviews seem to be coming out very positively.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/rockshox-yari-rc-solo-air-forks-15mm-2016/rp-prod138975?gs=1&gclid=CJ29vOf7lMoCFdgSaAodOwwHxQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

Yes the Yari are pretty good from the ones we’ve sold (same price as CRC too 😉 )
Damping is the same as the old Lyrik RC except with a dual flow rebound system which reduces the ‘packing down’ on repeated impacts that the more basic system was know for.

I need to send my shock to you once my other forks sell Mr Loco… i’ll be in touch ASAP.

😀 No problems.

I guess now is as good a time as any for some potential final questions as I’ve jus been out to measure the steerer length with view to selling.

It seems mine are not RL but RLT, pics attached as you lads have far better knowledge than I do.

So I guess the question is… How much ‘better’ are the Fox’s than this model of REBA RLT ? Will I notice the 15mm axle over the 9mm QR ? or am I just essentially wasting my own time money and effort making the swap in the real world ?

Performance wise the fox may feel a bit better.

Stiffness with the 15mm qr will be considerably better, you’ll notice them tracking better over rough stuff.

Hmmmm still sounding then like they’re worth the £180 swap-over to me 🙂

Thanks fella…

p.s, not ignoring your mail but will do in the morning.

I received a mail from forum member I know loosely, he has a set of 5 ride old REBA RLT’s in 120mm tapered, 15mm which I can purchase for £170.

So I’ve now got the tricky decision of sending back the Fox’s from CRC without using them, putting the REBA RLT’s on… Or stick with the Fox…

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/fox-suspension-32-float-ctd-evolution-forks-2014/rp-prod133578

sorry for all the complexity … I don’t mean to complicate the world… honestly.

ahem 😛

Well that didn’t quite go as planned.

Provisionally sold them so thought I’d whip them out…. well, what do you know.. they’re a straight steerer, not a tapered. Which is a bit of a shame as the bloke buying the forks has a tapered frame and headset lower.

I COULD in theory I guess use my lower headset and remove his one and then fit my forks in his frame…. but the chances of me getting his headset lower out along with mine out without any brute force has to be minimal I think ? Then getting my headset into his and it all still being happy.. Hmmm. Not convinced that’s going to happen LOL.

So now I’m left with the other slightly dubious honour of having the wrong forks for my headset lol. Which will mean a new lower being installed along with steerer crown thingy. All in all… a bit of a shame and a little more expense than I planned.. but in for a penny in for a pound…. Will have to re-write my bloody advert now hahahaha.

120mm is a good choice. I’m running Reba RLT’s on my Spearfish it it’s great.

You are over thinking it. Just needs a crown race reducer put on your forks and they will fit the buyers frame if he still wants them. If not straight steerer forks are probably worth more anyway!

I’d be surprised if you can’t just get a taper race for your headset too, if not a lower cup can be had cheap enough. For my preference is keep the fox, preferred the feel over rs when had my spearfish (funnily enough I’ve switched to a meta am29).

I don’t like to think of it being ‘overthinking’ it, but certainly enough thinking that I get the right answers 🙂

Was thinking more last night and moved onto “well, if I just sell the spearfish for £850 then I could just buy the Cannondale Trigger 29er 2” at Pauls cycles. It’s up for £1099, which is £350 off sale off Spearfish, which is roughly what I’d spend on the forks/fittings. (Although £100 back for selling forks I guess). But I’d then have a new bike with more BPW based geometry and longer travel.

But then we’re back to over thinking, which is where I swapped from the Meta AM29 because it was too big/heavy/overkill for most of my riding and the Spearfish is ideal LOL. The Trigger is likely to put me in the exact same position again I guess.

Ha, thats probably where i am. Wanted slightly longer (reach) bike than the Fish (im 6ft4 on a old style Large) but the newer XL are very spendy. So went for the meta thinking that i have a fatbike for bikepacking now so the Fish is duplication for that, and i needed a bike to keep up with mates at trail centres despite it only being 5% of my riding. I’ll prob switch to a shorter travel bike come the end of the year, or get something in the middle like a camber.

I am the king of overthinkers 😆

At the moment my ‘mates’ all seem to be not riding, or have turned into Pseudo roadies on Zwift on their turbos lol.

So, any decision I make is mostly only for me. Having the Charge Cooker and the Spearfish is a great combination and arguably for the majority of my riding, winter on the Charge, road on the Charge and then the Fish on the trails, it potentially makes the most sense.

But I’m pretty sure I could shift the Spearfish for £850 (if I’m way off lads, please let me know as it’s a major part of the transaction as I’d CC the Cannondale and then pay it back off with the Fish sale money), that would leave me not an insane amount left to pay off the Cannondale.. which would be fine.

After a load of messing in my head I took the bike to local bike shop yesterday along with the fox forks about 4pm.

Told him to fit the forks and fit whatever headsets were needed.

In the end he managed to get away with only fitting a hope crown race, star nut etc.

Total was £25 which I thought for the time and effort was a bargain.

I felt like running 120 was pushing it and u.3 fox forks are under full warranty etc so the cost over the used set 4 could have bought instead was acceptable

Bike collected and will test later!

Forks feel great, lovely and plush… very impressed.

So I took the ‘new’ Spearfish to Swinley yesterday, it was absolutely brilliant. I’m not sure if it’s just the forks travel that have improved things or the headset or the Tapered aspect or even the 15mm axle, but I can safely say the bike is transformed… Just massively better now that’s for sure.

It’s not quite at Meta standards of ease on the jumpy bits, but it’s pretty damn close that’s for sure

Must admit, I only used the dropper post once.. but Swinley isn’t really dropper post territory in honesty…

Still having some chain slip issues, although they did get better later on in the ride, which is a bit weird.

I thought it may be the rear HOPE hub, so swapped wheels before heading out… made sure I swapped cassettes too so everything was the same apart from the Hubs… So it’s deffo not the hub. I swapped cassettes earlier in the week and still slipping, so it’s the chain slipping basically. I’ve ordered up a new SRAM chain, will make a decision on whether to go for the new chain for BPW, or option 2 is to remove the lightly worn chain off the Charge and fit that… Not sure which way i’ll go with things yet.

I’m planning/hoping to hit Swinley again on Weds after work for a quick one, just to make sure I can go round bends on Friday