I think that the forks on my Epic have died or are at least well on their way there so it might be time to upgrade 😀

Any suggestions for good 29er forks, they need to be 100mm travel, tapered steerer and preferably 15mm axle. I’m currently looking at RockShox SID RCT3’s but I’m open to other options. The bike’s mostly used for general XC riding and racing.

I have been very happy with the RS-1 on my Epic. Not a fashionable opinion.

The RS-1’s a bit of a non-starter for me as I don’t want to be having to buy a new wheel as well.

Rebas do the job well for me.

Manitou – I’ve got two sets of Tower Pro forks on my bikes (one 80mm and one 100mm) and they’re both fantastic.

Had the same debate a while ago and went with SID RCT3’s too as they appear the best combination of price, performance, adjustability, spares and weight. They often pop up on the German sites for little more than Rebas so it is a fairly easy choice 😀

merlin are selling the rs1 for £550 including the hub at the mo

so just a wheel build required?

just saying like…

Fox CTD – love mine

Not 29er but my Magura Durins were much stiffer than the SIDs that I replaced them with, even though they were QR and non-taper.

And maybe lighter.

dt swiss

fox fit not ctd

lefty…..I so miss the lefty

I think you’ve got it right. RCT3 SiDs. Stick in middle ‘gate’ position, adjust compression dial and forget. Great performance!

Bos Dizzy.

I think you’ve got it right. RCT3 SiDs. Stick in middle ‘gate’ position, adjust compression dial and forget. Great performance!

From looking around I think the SiDs will be the way to go.

Out of interest, how do you go about setting them up?
I’ve got a set on my other bike and found that running them open with one of the bottomless tokens removed seems to be ok but never really managed to get them set up to ride very well in the middle position.

I’ve got a 1 ride old Fox CTD that would fit the bill for sale right now if the OP was interested. Also a Reba RL that’s brand new off a new bike too that should fit requirements.

Don’t forget the new 2016 Fox 32s are FIT4, the same damper as on the rave-reviewed 2016 34.

I have 2015 SID RCT3s on my hardtail, and 2016 34s on the other… I want 32s on my hardtail.

Bos Dizzy – Trust me when I say, one of if not the best and smartest forks out there.
I found they do not need as much air psi as suggested on the Bos air pressure chart.
Have a 3 way compression lever and are fit and forget.
Basically a mini Deville but in 29er format and lighter.

The 15mm axle/lever is a little bit fiddly but it may be because I am not used to it just quite yet.

Not 29er but my Magura Durins were much stiffer than the SIDs that I replaced them with, even though they were QR and non-taper.

The 29er are not that light and very expensive

From looking around I think the SiDs will be the way to go.

Out of interest, how do you go about setting them up?

I may be mistaken but I don’t think these forks use bottomless tokens. Adjust air pressure, then rebound and dial in some LSC if needed. I didn’t use the three position feature but appreciated the LSC adjust that most other models don’t have.

Being completely honest, the “best” XC fork for me is anything built around the Shift Up cartridges. If you can find a structurally fine SID in need of a damper than it could be affordable too. Otherwise it is an expensive way around, but worth it 😀

Fox CTD – love mine

+1. >. 2014 is underrated for its performance and simplicity IMO. Much better than a Sid.

I may be mistaken but I don’t think these forks use bottomless tokens. Adjust air pressure, then rebound and dial in some LSC if needed. I didn’t use the three position feature but appreciated the LSC adjust that most other models don’t have.

The newer models definitely use the bottomless tokens, the 100mm fork comes with two fitted as standard.

I really need to have a play with the SiDs and try to get them set up right. Just been too lazy to in the past.

+1. >. 2014 is underrated for its performance and simplicity IMO. Much better than a Sid

Whereas my 2014 100mm CTD has no small bump sensitivity forcing me to run it soft. The middle T setting is no different from the fully open D setting and the trail adjust makes absolutely no diffence whatsoever to anything. It’s either fully open and collapses the moment I get out the saddle or locked without much of a gate to mitigate hits. It is also not tunable – if you’d like another one I’ll sell it to you because I’m about to swap it at huge expense for a SID RCT3.

I ran my SID locked out by mistake for half a lap of Big Dog before I realised – the gate worked well enough to make it rideable on the descents.

Manitou Tower Pro on my Stumpjumper Marathon – best fork I’ve had for many years

Structurally very sturdy (especially compared to Fox 32), great damping with good usable compression adjustment range, just seem to run and run with little love and very cheap off CRC