I have some Rebas. Probably got 2000km or so on them of a fairly solidly built rider.
They are properly juddery to the point I can see the tips of the legs visibly fluttering under braking. Feels like half of them is loose inside. They're nice and smooth when just riding along until you really hammer into something.
Other than wear on the bushings what else might be causing my judder.
Would a worn brake disc potentially cause this before I treat myself to some discounted Fox 34s and a Boost conversion kit for the front wheel.
Probably bushes. I found with rebas the 32mm stanchions were too flexy on a 29er 120mm fork. They were the only fork I’ve had bushes replaced on. The fox 34 are a better all round fork tbh. Stiffer and much better damping.
It depends on which rebas you have as there have been multiple iterations, including a 120mm max version which had shorter stanchions more akin to the 32mm SID's of the time. These, for sturdier riders, were a bit lightweight and had some twang. they did a 150mm max version to which when ran up to 130mm travel were much stiffer than the others.
As you've mentioned a boost conversion kit, you're definitely in the more sid a like rebas than the heavier ones if they're non boost.
34's are good forks, step cast/SL for 120mm if that's what your after standard 34's didn't go any shorter than 130mm.
or of course there are the sid 35mm forks or the new rebas which are also 35mm.
Probably bushes. I found with rebas the 32mm stanchions were too flexy on a 29er 120mm fork. They were the only fork I’ve had bushes replaced on. The fox 34 are a better all round fork tbh. Stiffer and much better damping.
I found Reba's too flexy, and I found the bushes wore out quickly if they had not been serviced and kept pukka.
As @lovewookie correctly guessed these are the 120mm max, non boost version from 2015 or so.
Annoyingly the discount 34s on Merlin were e-tuned and from what I've read that's unlikely to suit me in terms of fork action without spending out on an immediate service and adjustment by TF or similar (I have neither time nor inclination to be messing with much more than an oil change). May have to bite the bullet and spend another £100 on the Pikes.
Frame will take a 130mm (it was the original spec on the model up iirc).
We had 32mm/120mm Reba forks on our 27.5erz and can confirm they were prone to flutter.
Our new 29erz have 35mm/120mm Reba Gold fotks and so far there's no flutter.
Thanks for the inputs on this.
Bought some of those Basic Pikes from Merlin at £399 and now fitted to the bike with a boost conversion kit.
Will give TF a call next week and see if they think the Rebas are likely to be worth further expense and if so I might recycle them onto a more XC build hardtail and get a proper boost front wheel for the FS. If they're not then I think I'll see if someone can reuse the existing arrow straight rim on a proper boost hub.
