Best XC fork

mikeymike

Hi folks

I'm looking to buy a decent Cross Country fork to replace the fatty on my Cannondale flash Alloy. I have a max budget of around £550 and need something which does not exceed 100mm. Furthermore I need to buy it from Evans so that they can install them along with the headstock reducer.

I am currently torn between Fox 32 float RL and the Rockshox RCT3. Both seem to be a very good fork. The Rockshox however comes in cheaper at about £500 and are also lighter I believe. I have alays fancied some Fox forks however but am concerned that these are very much entry level, where is the SIDs are more a higher level fork. I don't want to pay more just for the Fox branding.

Please can anybody offer me some words of wisdom?

Many thanks.

Chunkers1980

With the dosh you'll prob save by not getting it from Evans and fitted elsewhere you'll most prob be net better off.

cloudynights

Have the fox f100 rl bought some sid rlt ti 100mm used both sets of forks for a year, the sid is a much better fork, more tuning options.better seals better ride all round

The Spiderman

I have Fox F100RL and Rockshox Rebas.The RS have been boringly reliable,in the 5 years I have had them.
The Fox started leaking at the seals the first time I took them to a trail centre though they have been much better since having SKF seals fitted.

The rebound and compression adjuster are less clunky on the Fox and the hose guide is a nice touch,but the better reliability,less frequent servicing requirement and greater adjustability of the RS would win if I were buying again.

jairaj

In this category I prefer RS forks. They will be stiffer, offer more adjustment options and cost a lot less than equivalent Fox forks.

I have a pair of 2011 RS SIDs and I love them. They are very light and stiff and the suspension action is very smooth. I thought they might be a bit harsh being a XC fork and only 100mm of travel but they are very nice.

If you want to save a bit of money try the RS Reba, not quite as refined as the SID but still very good. I think the newest version shares the same chassis as the SID so will some in with a similar weight.

If you shop around you might be able to find them cheaper than at Evans, who should fit the fork even if you don't buy it from them. They might charge you extra labour costs but you'll still save loads of money.

jairaj

Also which RS fork were you looking at in Evans? Their website seems to state the SID RCT3 is £400:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/rockshox/2012-sid-rct3-100mm-fork-oe--ec035346?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=froogle&utm_campaign=froogle#features

mikeymike

Thanks so much guys for the feedback so far. It seems like the SID's are going to be the best for me.

jairaj wrote:

Also which RS fork were you looking at in Evans? Their website seems to state the SID RCT3 is £400:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/rockshox/2012-sid-rct3-100mm-fork-oe--ec035346?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=froogle&utm_campaign=froogle#features

These are the OE fork. Does that not mean that the spec might not be as good? The standard RCT3 retails at £500 on Winstanleys but I know that Evans will price match. Because I got the Bike from them and will get the forks and new new stem, they agreed to install it all for free. Plus the installation of the Cannondale headstock reducer is going to be a bit of a task so it seems best to have them do it all together? I'm not very techy unfortunately

jairaj

The OE fork could be anything, could be better or worse. Changes could be as simple as a colour change or even a different damper. Its best to double check what you're getting.

But from the description on the website you seem to be getting all the things I'd be interested in.

DNA RCT3 damper - tick
Dual air spring - tick
Ridiculously light weight of1365g - tick

If you're not after absolute best performance the RLT version which is similar to what I have is still very good and will be cheaper than the DNA RCT3 version. The RLT version still offers rebound adjust, compression adjust and dual air springs. Plenty of adjustment options to get the fork to behave as you want it too.

mikeymike

Well I have ordered both the SID RCT3 and the OE version. Evans are sure their is no difference. They will be in store tomorrow so we can compare the two. Would seem to be a bit of a no brainer to go for the OE providing they are exactly the same!