Which fork for Hardrock?

Garett

I have a 2011 Specialized Hardrock with a standard fork I've been thinking of changing.

The choices I have seen are as follows:

Rockshox Recon Silver Coil - Seems very good value for money, on-one do the 2011 model for £110
Rockshox Recon Silver Solo air - As above but a bit lighter but you pay for that weight loss.
Rockshox Recon Gold - Seems to get good reviews but again lighter and more expensive (are internals same as silver?)
Rockshox Reba - Seems the go to fork and can be picked up for the same or even cheaper than the Recon Gold if you shop around! Would a Reba be overkill on a Hardrock?

I do mainly local XC and trail centre so pretty standard stuff, i'm a relative newb so I'm looking for some pointers to help me make the right decision. Budget is upto £250 depending on stuff I'm selling on eBay at the moment!

Cheers

chrisw333

A Reba would be perfect. But think you need to stick to 100mm travel with a hardrock (?), so will need to space it down if you get the 120mm changeable ones

Garett

The standard fork is 80mm, so you're right I think 120mm would effect the handling characteristics adversely. I'd definitely be looking at 100mm.

supersonic

If you can get the Reba - get one ;-). 100mm will be fine.

Giraffoto

The Hardrock works OK with a 100mm fork - I've gone with the coil-sprung Recon Gold. When you do the swap just take a moment to hold the old fork in one hand and your new one in the other - you'll be amazed at the difference in weight

rockmonkeysc

I swapped the 80mm Suntour fork on my Hardrock for a 100mm Rockshox Tora SL, made a huge difference to the way the bike rides.
Any of those forks you listed will give a vast improvement, go to 100mm max though. If you can afford it get the Reba.

Garett

Thanks for the input chaps, does anyone know if the gold and silver are the same internally? At the moment the favourites are the recon gold and Reba, is the £50 or so worth the extra for the Reba?

Aah, Mr.Giraffoto, I was reading your thread last night, your bike looks very nice, similar to mine but mines red/white where yours is red/black. I'd ideally like a white fork but I won't let it dictate my final choice!

Giraffoto

Garett wrote:

Thanks for the input chaps, does anyone know if the gold and silver are the same internally?

The internals are a mystery to me, but the Gold has aluminium top stanchions as distinct from the steel of the Silver, so it's a bit lighter.

Twelly

+1 for Reba, thought the Recon silver is excellent value from on one (I have a Reba on one bike and have ridden same bike with Recon Silver)

Garett

Just an update, I decided to go for the Recon Gold Soloair. BUT! I ordered from Merlin Cycles and I think they've made a mistake on my order and not included the Poploc remote as advertised on the website. I didn't really want a poploc, I rarely use the lockout tbh. Am I being daft and if I remove this theres a lever underneath? :?

Can anyone advise as to whether this is for the remote, as it doesn't appear to be a lever!


Also I'm not that happy with how it looks with the chunky V brake mounts, I knew it had them when I ordered it but thought removing the V brake post would make more of a difference but it just leaves an ugly unpainted hole o the front of the fork!

cooldad

Don't think you can just remove it - there's no lever underneath.
You can get blanking plugs for the mounts.

apreading

You need a whole kit to swap back to a lever for the lockout and some work to fit it - not really economical. Loads of people dont feel the need to use the lockout, so just use the forks as yours are now with the poplock removed. If it is advertised with one then you should go back to Merlin though - because if you ever want to sell the forks it will be easier if you have it. Trouble is, sometimes the cheap forks on the web seem to come like this as they are OEM forks which also sometimes have different internals to the retail forks as I understand it - not sure that Merlin sell OEM forks though - I know on-one do. Merlin have always been really good with rectifying stuff like this for me.

cooldad

Let them know, Merlin will send it.

Greer_

Options: PopLoc Remote included
V-Brake bosses can be removed if running discs
Maximum Rotor Size: 210mm

Yep, send them an email, it should've came with the remote.

supersonic

Definitely a top cap for the remote.

stgranty

i too have a hardrock sport disc but a 2011, i am completly new to all this but i am being told i need to upgrade my forks as most people seem to be doing.
i have read all the above and started looking at forks but they all seem to have different measurments, i know i need 100mm travel but whats all this 200mm stem and 1/18 this and that. can one of you guys with some knowledge pass some on to me so i order the exact size i need. i think its 200mm stem ish but tapers ? thickness ?
regards
Grant

Greer_

stgranty wrote:

i too have a hardrock sport disc but a 2011, i am completly new to all this but i am being told i need to upgrade my forks as most people seem to be doing.
i have read all the above and started looking at forks but they all seem to have different measurments, i know i need 100mm travel but whats all this 200mm stem and 1/18 this and that. can one of you guys with some knowledge pass some on to me so i order the exact size i need. i think its 200mm stem ish but tapers ? thickness ?
regards
Grant

Don't change it unless you feel something is wrong with it!

200mm is the length of the steerer - the part of the fork that goes through the headtube. Many steerers are cut down so this is always stated on second hand forks so you can check it fits. You'll need to measure the stack height of your headtube, headset cups, spacers and stem to get the minimum steerer length you need (or measure the steerer on your current fork). 265mm will fit all bikes and you can cut it down once you measure the correct size.

1 1/8" is the internal diameter of the headset cup. Most bikes have a straight 1 1/8" steerer (yours does, i.e. its not tapered) so that is what you need for the fork to fit.

By stem, I take it you mean steerer. The stem is the long bit that bolts your bars to the steerer.

chez_m356

aren't uncut steerers 265mm ?

Greer_

chez_m356 wrote:

aren't uncut steerers 265mm ?

Edited now! You're right.

stgranty

thanks guys but also something about the axle ?

stgranty

thanks for the help guys

i have now fitted the new forks (recon silver) great improvement, so what should i upgrade now

reminder 2011 hardrock sport

one other thing, any body got a short cut to a hanger that will fit this bike so i can carry one for emergencies

Plyphon

While the fork upgrade is 100% worth doing and will totally make your bike feel awesome,

I'd recommend not changing much else, and instead putting that money you'd spend on another crackset/carbon bars/ etc and so on into a pot for a new bike a year or two down the line

I have a hardrock also and stuck on the coil Recon silvers - bike feels great now for my skill. Started to look into other possible upgrades but quickly realised there was so much more value for money buying another complete for 1k than spending another 500 on the Hardrock. Then sell the hardrock after to offset the price of the new complete some.

Thats what I'm doing anyway!

Twelly

Plyphon wrote:

While the fork upgrade is 100% worth doing and will totally make your bike feel awesome,

I'd recommend not changing much else, and instead putting that money you'd spend on another crackset/carbon bars/ etc and so on into a pot for a new bike a year or two down the line

I have a hardrock also and stuck on the coil Recon silvers - bike feels great now for my skill. Started to look into other possible upgrades but quickly realised there was so much more value for money buying another complete for 1k than spending another 500 on the Hardrock. Then sell the hardrock after to offset the price of the new complete some.

Thats what I'm doing anyway!

Wise words

stgranty

thaks for the commenst guys
so give me an idea of what sort bike should i be aiming for next, what would be a decent step up from the hardrock at the suggested £1000 mark

grant

70\ʹspenguin

stgranty wrote:

thaks for the commenst guys
so give me an idea of what sort bike should i be aiming for next, what would be a decent step up from the hardrock at the suggested £1000 mark

grant

If you just upgraded the forks on this then why look at a new bike? Havent you just wasted £110?

Upgrading a bike can be very very rewarding! Of course it can end up costing more than a new one in the end but you can and do get all the nice bits you like on one bike. Having said that, its important to actually like the bike you currently have and to set yourself a reason in the first place to upgrade.

If already looking at a new bike then there is no point doing any more to the one you currently have......

However, perhaps looking at the contact points would be advisable. If there is anything that you arent comfortable with then its worth upgrading regardless because these parts will most certainly go onto any future bike you change to.