I’d like something a bit more robust on the front of my rocket. Have some 2013 1 1/8 revs RL which are fine but definitely get out-faced by the stiffness of the rest of the bike. Really noticed it in tenerife and even compared to my old Reba 120 with a 20mm axle.

So want a stiff but light 150mm fork with a 15mm axle (or 20, can swap adaptors on hope hubs). Not bothered about travel adjust. Not over bothered about lockout either (stupid RS this year has to have poploc as default state is locked out!) Tapered for preference. Less knobs the better, already got one riding 😉

Lyrics are a bit fat, On-one are knocking out Fox 150 32s but not sure they’ll be any stiffer, 34s with a spacer out look fab but HOW MUCH MONEY…. anything else out there? X-fusion maybe?

Also required. Moon with stick attached.

Are you genuine that you can feel the flex??

I can feel something for sure. It might be because the rest of the bike is so stiff. The front did feel like it was getting knocked off line. I’ve messed about with the pressures and rebound but it still doesn’t feel as nice as my old 120mm Reba. That was on my ST4 which was a lot less stiff tho.

It might be the damping isn’t as sophisticated and that’s what I’m noticing. But certainly it doesn’t feel matched to the back.

Forget Fox 32s. DT Swiss EX 150 might be stiff enough, but unless you can get them from Germany at a good rate they’ll most likely cost similar to the Fox 34. Lyriks are ace, but like you say, a bit weighty.

My Revs are tapered steerer and feel great, but they are on a 2011 Stumpy Evo which is renowned for being a bit flexy.

Here’s a stick. Find your own moon.

Sure the wheel is stiff (loose spoke etc)?

26 inch Fox 34 isn’t very much more stiff than a revelation- Fox only have the space in their range because the 32 is pretty bendy by modern standards. It’s just Fox doing their usual clever “We have a weakness in our products, we’ll make it a selling point”

I honestly couldn’t care less tbh, I feel the flex in my Revs when I’ve been using my Lyriks or Boxxers but 5 minutes later it’s gone. But if you feel Revs are noticably flexy you’ll need to go up to the big ones to get a big difference.

Alex

I’ve been running a pair of Magura Thor’s for nearly 3 years now, they are really stiff and give real good feel. They’re 140mm’s c/w 20mm maxle, but you can get 150mm’s now.

Service every year through the Magura Service Guy.

B

An air lyrik isn’t that heavy, lighter than old coil pikes. Ig you want stiffer it’ll be heavier. Considering splitting my el guapo so could have some air totems for sale (cheap). Not over heavy, but certainly not flexy! Down at 160mm just now…

How wide are your bars? Wider can “stiffen” the steering

same as b r Use magura Thor stiffer than than something very stiff indeed. but they do have a 20mm axle and two arches… Will buy the TS8 version when they come widely available.

Revs must be very bendy if you can feel it, Al 😉

Change your lowers for 20mm ones 😉

Another recomendation for magura thors, I have a pair of the 2010 model, with a 20mm maxle (the 2012 models have a 15mm maxle) and they are seriously stiff, much more so than my 20mm maxle’d reba teams.

I’d defintely recommend looking at DTswiss. I had a 130mmRev on my Ti456 and never really liked it. Changed it for a 130mm DTswiss and it totally transformed the bike. Lighter, more responsive steering, stiffer and generally just much better.

the x-fusion Slant maybe? Not in the UK til March though apparently 🙁

Revs with 15mm axles or am I missing something?!

Rob2 – aye, Revs were available in 15mm alongside 20mm a couple of years ago and then went 15mm only last year I think.

Drop 10mm and get some 2nd hand Pikes

Are you genuine that you can feel the flex??

I’ve got 20mm ones, they flex, slightly more than pikes, wayyyyyyy more than lyrics.

Depends what you use them for, on the hardtail they’re fine, on the Pitch they felt quite out of their depth.

Thanks all. I was making mince pies 😉 Wheels are fine (new), running a fatish 2.3 DHF tubeless minion at 30ish psi. 730mm bars. I have a set of 2012s on my hardtail and they feel mostly fine. It’s probably coming from a FS that’s not the stiffest to something that is properly bloomin stiff, you really notice. Especially when the back end appears to be fine on very rough rock gardens, but the front doesn’t feel as composed.

If I was any good, I’d just ride round the problem. I did have some lyriks on my old SX trail a few years ago and they were fantastic. Weighed about the same as me in those days. I shall go check out the latest ones.

DT EXM 150 Solid n just effing awesome

Marzocchi 55’s.

Interesting thread this. Running 20mm 150 revs spaced at 130 on my Soul presently, and often wondered what they would be like at 150 if i bought a rocket. I think a few including the man himself have indicated that 36’s are a bit overkill for the rocket in terms of loosing its ‘popability’ which we read so much about? Am I right in thinking some of the latest lyrik’s can’t be spaced down from 170 or 160?

Why not do what I did on my old Blur4x- run Fox36 float spaced down to 140mm.

150mm is the sweet spot for the Rocket. One of the demos had 36s (I think) that were Cy’s spaced down to 150. The one I tried had some form of fox at 150 and I wasn’t mad about those either.

I’d like some 55s Hora if a) they still made them and b) the only ones you can get are 18 months old and six hundred quid 😉

The 15mm isn’t nearly as stiff as the 20mm IMHO, but I wouldn’t say they flex…..try zochies they were always mega stiff

hora – Member
Why not do what I did on my old Blur4x- run Fox36 float spaced down to 140mm.

POSTED 18 MINUTES AGO #

Doubt you’d get anything stiffer than this^

sure it’s not just your tyre squirming about?

I did wonder about that Nick. Considered putting a tube in it and upping the pressure a bit. Cy doesn’t like running DHF’s tubeless for just that reason but he’s about 100% quicker than me. I’d like to say I’ll try some empirical testing tomorrow, but any component trials will be based entirely on their ability to function while submerged in 2 feet of water.

Biggest difference I’ve found between forks is between the different axle standards. In my experience 9mm qr & 15mm bolt through feel the same whereas 20mm bolt through felt far stiffer.

Am running Revs with the 15mm and they are super flexy. They suit the flex in the rear end of the frame though and am happy.

I would be looking at either the fox 36 or Lyriks if going for an upgrade.

How about picking up some fox 36s second hand. Shouldn’t be too expensive, as long as they’re in basic working order either a DIY freshen up or send them off to Mojo to insure they’re 100%

You’ll not be worrying about they feeling flexy and they’re not thaaat heavy.

I’m eyeing up a pair of X-Fusion Slant’s for a new build, travel adjust 160/130, 34mm stanchions and their ‘top spec’ and the RRP is £469. Makes the 34 fox forks look a bit of a joke to be honest.

Proof will be in the pudding though…. but not due till next march.

What’s the difference in axle to crown height between a 150mm Rev and a Fox 36? Surely it’s negligible, or could at least be negated by slamming the stem by 5mm and/or running a lower stack headset?

You won’t be adding much weight and the difference in stiffnes will be noticeable.

521mm for 150 Fox 32s, 529mm for 150 Revs, 530mm for 150 Magura Thors, 545mm for 160 Fox 36s or X-Fusion Slants or Lyriks.

I run 140 Fox 32s on a Soul and there’s a real synergy because the fork is stiff enough (nothing like a twangy twisty XC QR fork) and it doesn’t feel bendy when riding the Soul, but it’s on a lightweight steel frame with pretty skinny tubes, especially at the back. I can feel the fork and steerer flex when I push the bike against the brakes at a standstill. I don’t think I’d want to ride that fork on a bigger stiffer bike, I want my fork to track better than the back end or at least match it.

Fox 36 @ 150mm will be 535mm
RS Rev 20mm @ 150mm = 528mm

“521mm for 150 Fox 32s”
I thought they were 525mm as they the 150mm’s are QR15mm only and QR15 that bit taller.
I could also be wrong
A Fox 32mm QR9mm @ 140mm would be 511mm

This makes interesting reading: http://www.leelikesbikes.com/mark-weir-on-forks.html

It highlights the two sides of the coin – slacker and more stable bikes need more manhandling and it’s when manhandling a bike that you’ll notice a lack of stiffness. So if you feel you need more stiffness then you really shouldn’t have trouble dealing with a slacker bike because of the greater axle-crown length. Uphill? Well that’s complicated but I think an awful lot is in the mind (or a result of less than great balance & core stability).

2011 Fox 36 Float Fit for £529 (not Kashima)

http://www.freeborn.co.uk/fox-racing-shox-2011-36-float-160mm

Just fit travel reduction spacers to suit.