The je ne sais quoi of suspension design, well probably in the whole of bike design is translation between number and feel, when the "right feel" is different person to person.
Ride both back to back and see. Numbers say 2021 is a step back from 2020...
I think you've hit the nail on the head there dean.
Because there's so much flim-flam about this, I just went and bought one to try for myself.
Whilst it was meant as a jibe, continuity was correct when he said this-
Scienceofficer – I think you might be misreading my post; but I’m glad you have simplified things by confessing to being one of the people that RS designed the new spring for. Probably be a cracking upgrade for you.
It arrived today, I fitted it and headed straight out to do 20km of my local rocky, rooty woods after work and I came back more pleased with it than I thought I would.
There's nothing I found about it that hasnt already been said. I found exactly the same as Kazimer on Pinkbike.
I've gone and scratched the air shaft on my 2018 Pike which now seems to be leaking (doh!) so need a replacement. I was about to buy the 2020 kit then saw that this new 2021 just came out but can't work out if the 2020 would actually be better for me. I'm fairly light and run no tokens and never manage to use full travel at sensible pressure, so think this means I need a more linear spring? I've not really seen the issue with the fork sucking into the travel when off the bike, the front end is also plenty high enough due to a new lower headset cup so I'm not fussed about it being 5mm lower anyway.
Im still waiting on the parts from Jtech, but I do really like what RS are doing here. I can pay a small amount to keep my bike current, and if I don't get on with it, I'll just go back to the 2020 version. I think that's great tbh.
I've booked a service and debonair upgrade with travel change for my 2017 jeffsy 27 pike at TFTuned. Got a solo air in there currently, don't trust myself to do the service well so thought I might as well support a fairly local business and get it done professionally. Quite excited honestly as I won't be buying a new bike for a while thanks to saving for a house deposit, so getting the fork refreshed and updated and more travel added seems like just the ticket. I've been doing a lot more winch and plummet riding so having a 160 fork makes sense to me.
I do have a question though, I selected TFTuned's courier service to pick the fork up, if I don't have a fork box what's the best way to pack it? Wrap it in bubble wrap obviously but then how should I bodge some cardboard around it?
I'm on the fence with these incremental updates as to whether they are a good thing or just fixing things that should have been right first time. What's the situation like in Fox world? Or DVO/Ohlins etc for that matter? The last non-Rockshox fork I owned had elastomers in it!
Whilst it was meant as a jibe, continuity was correct when he said this-
It's only a jibe if you think a suspension fork is there to provide front wheel traction rather than to compensate for your body position and braking form e.t.c
Glad you like it.
I'm a bit non-plussed with your last comment.
You appear to be suggesting that the purpose of a suspension fork is to correct for body position and brake dive. Is that correct?
I think it will be good for me personally as having to put less air in to get the same sag and the fact it ramps up a bit more should be good as I'm a heavy bugger.
So Ive just changed my air shaft from the original non debonair 150mm one to the new 2021 debonair version.
Side by side the new air shaft is around two cm longer than the original. In fact it's longer by the length of the red anodised bit at the bottom.
With the correct air pressure my fork used to sit on the 10% sag line without me on the bike.
Now the sage lines are well up the fork length.
Not done any proper riding yet but it's definitely sitting higher as my bike feels higher at the front which is good.
Need to bleed my new magura brake next then can get out on a decent ride.
I’m a bit non-plussed with your last comment.
You appear to be suggesting that the purpose of a suspension fork is to correct for body position and brake dive. Is that correct?
No, the exact opposite.
I'll make it simpler. The new upgrade increases ride height, which has benefit of compensating for poor setup or poor riding - but it costs you traction. The leverage charts all show this quite clearly, as do reports across the internet that aren't just paid sram press releases. Just depends what you want from a fork.
Continuity can you explain it a bit better for me please.
Before I did the upgrade my 150mm fork measured 140mm with the correct air pressure in for me. How does that equate to poor set up ?
Anyone know where i can get these in stock?
I'm interested in upgrading my 27.5" Pike with a Debonair air shaft (and changing travel at the same time), the model I have is the catchy: FS-PIKE-RCT3-A2
So I take it this is an 'A2' Pike.
From the TF Tuned Page the 20212 C1 Debonair (the newest one) does not look like it works for an A2 fork:
https://www.tftuned.com/2021-c1-debonair-air-spring-upgrade-kits-pike-yari-lyrik/p3851
/a>
So I guess I can only go so far as the original Debonair:
https://www.tftuned.com/debonair-air-spring-upgrade-kits-pike-yari-lyrik/p3412
And if I want 130 travel on a 27.5 fork I go for the RS00.4019.931.010
Have I got all of that right?!
And if I want 130 travel on a 27.5 fork I go for the RS00.4019.931.010
Have I got all of that right?!
Correct
The Rockshox Trailhead App is quite good for letting you know what works with your fork. Worth a play (you will need the number off the back of the fork crown).
..
The Rockshox Trailhead App is quite good for letting you know what works with your fork. Worth a play (you will need the number off the back of the fork crown).
That was my starting point but unless I missed something there was not a definitive list of what would and would not work but I looked at Pg7 of this Debonair upgrade document that I think sets out that it is not compatible with the new Debonair but is with the older one.
