I'm in a quandry...
Looking for a new set of forks for a 5spot DW. Thinking either a Fox 32 TALAS 150 or a set of RS Rev's in U-turn 150 flavour.
Wondering if anyone can help me in this decision as i'm stumped.
I've been quoted good prices on both so price is less of any issue 
though its always important. Wheels are not a problem as they are Pro2 hubs so just need the right adaptor
So whats best!!
Thanks everyone
what have you on at the moment?
Good point.
At the moment i have a pair of 2007 Pike 454 air u-turns. Ok forks but they feel a bit short and a bit heavy to be honest.
They'll be up for sale...
TALAS any day of the purely on the basis that you change travel whilst moving easily. Scores massively over the U-Turn system IMHO.
Downsides is the servicing, I know most RockShox forks are fairly easy to service, The TALAS leg can be a pain although there are people on here who do the servicing themselves.
I have TALAS 32 140mm on my Stumpjumper and love them.
I know a recent issue of STW reviewed them both and seemed to think the Fox fork was the best thing ever, but i see occasional horror stories about Fox forks and reliability issues...
TALAS any day of the purely on the basis that you change travel whilst moving easily. Scores massively over the U-Turn system IMHO.
Talas any day, agree with changing travel while riding, very easy. I run the 32 Talas 140 on my Yeti and Reba U-turn on my GT commuter. I feel the Talas is far way superior in terms of tuning it up to how you want it and feels more confident than a RockShox. Rode my mates Yeti with a Pike U-turn and to say it was a decent fork I feel the build quality and weight are alot better on the Fox. Get the Fox Talas, you wont be dissapointed.
the new talas system is allegedly home serviceable now
If you're not too fussed on the U turn I just got 150mm Revs for £315. First ride this morning, very impressed with them. I couldnt have Fox again due to my patented "no maintenance" regime, killed a set of Talas twice in about 18 months with a very average amount of riding. As a contrast, it took me a couple of years to kill some rebas, despite the enormous scratch on the stantion 
Got some 150 Revs, non UTurn on my DW 5 Spot at the moment - superb. Not as plush as the prior coil 140 Van RLCs I had on, but that's as you'd expect. I swapped for the increased a/c height to slacken her off a bit 
The other benefits are the maxle is way stiffer than the 15qr (which is not much better than a standard qr) and they are much lighter.
My mates building a DW Spot at the moment and has choosen the 36 Vans - best of both worlds with only the weight penalty which he doesn't mind.
I found UTurns in the past to be not much cope - too long faffing winding them down for little gain. The Spot rides superbly at full height - don't waste yer time!
I been think about the Talas as a replacement for my Pikes.
Isn't Maxle a fatter dimension than the Fox - ie do you need a new front hub?
I would get 150mm fox 32 float, wouldn't bother with talas, plus you'll save on the weight.
I had some '09 Talas 150mm forks and they were excellent. The Talas is brilliant - click, click and the fork is dropped. I took them to the Alps and found them to be a wee bit flexy braking into steep switchbacks, but never really noticed in the UK. I had to give them back and now have a set of 150mm U-Turn Revs which are also brilliant although the U-Turn isn't as user friendly, but fortunately they're on a bike with a steep seat angle so I don't have to use it much. To me the less faffy servicing requirement and less wear prone stanchions of the Revs outweighs the sublime damping of the Fox as the Revs ain't too far off damping wise anyway. If the price isn't an issue (a couple of hundred quid would be to most) and you can keep up the wiper servicing frequency then go for the Fox. If not, then the Revs.
It makes me laugh all this talk of stanchion wear, usually stories told by people who don't employ basic routine clean and lube after muddy rides. stanchion wear is subjective, depending on the user. I had my 2004 talas apart for an oil change and the stanchions were perfect - explain that? Fox/rock shox/ manitou, they'll all wear out if you don't look after them properly and Fox stanchions don't wear any quicker than any other fork out there.
EDIT: and wiper servicing is a 15 minute job
Revs are stiffer fore/aft and generally feel a bit more solid, fox compression damping is better though and the 15mm talas is not a flexy fork by any means.
talas means a slightly less plush fork than the std float, but it's definately more useable on the trail if you adjust travel a few times per ride. if not, u-turn affects smoothess less when compared to the fixed travel version.
Revs are stiffer fore/aft and generally feel a bit more solid, fox compression damping is better though
Unless he's looking at the Team model Rev, which has the wonderful Blackbox damping.
I'd get one of them if it was my cash, but I'd take the Fox over the motion control Rev.
i have 2010 32 Floats. stunning fork. beautiful damping and SO easy to service. without a doubt more plush and better damped than the TALAS they replaced.
i reckon a dwl spot could go 32 float @ 150mm no problem - you could learn to live with the front height.
i am however a fox fan-boy.
never had a pair fail or wear, and all i do is the lube service frequently and store upside down.
Ive gone from Float 32s to Revs (2009), I wanted travel adjust but couldnt afford the Talas. I've also got a pair of 36 Talas on my other bike. To be honest, as someone said above, the RS are not a patch on the Talas or Floats. The damping is in another league on Fox's.. I've found the revs divey just when your doing slow tech stuff compared to fox, then harsh when your going fast over stutter bumps compared to Foxs. I've found the same in the past with RS.. fox's are just sooooo much plusher and behave as you want them to at the right time.
Regarding the stiffness thing, from 15mm Floats I ran to the 20mm Revs... I've not noticed the difference, and the worse damping of the RS I've certainly noticed.
Regarding travel adjust, the 3 position Talas is far superior to RS adjust, a quick flick, which you can do while riding. much better of Foxs.
All that said, you have to put the effort / cost into maintaining fox forks.. but to keep perfection, its a small price to pay. Over only a few years I've had Fox Vanilla 32s 05, Fox 36 Talas, Fox 36 Vans, Fox 32 floats, RS Revs 07, Revs 09, Pikes 08 and each time the Foxs have felt better. The only RS exception I've had is Boxxers... which are fantastic, but then I've never had a pair of Fox 40's
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