Service or Replace?

FingersKFF

Hi guys and gals

I'm after a bit of advice on something and thought I'd join the forums to ask.

Recently the fork on one of my bikes, a 2009 Rockshox Recon SL, has been giving me a bit of hassle. On recent rides I've noticed that the fork is feeling a LOT stiffer than it used to and is only moving through about 40mm of it's travel. The fork has never been serviced and I'm no mechanic when it comes to maintenance.

My question is this, am I better off spending the money to get this fork serviced or should I throw in a bit more cash and replace the fork with something better? At 5 years old is it a good idea to spend money having the fork fixed? Would it make more sense to pick up a 2010 or 2011 fork for an extra £100-£200?

Thanks in advance for the input!

LJ.

Merlin have brand new Recon Gold for £180, so unless you are servicing yourself at little cost may be worth a look

FingersKFF

Any servicing I try myself is not likely to be at little cost!

If I was to stay with a similar spec of fork would I just be better off getting this one fixed instead and saving the cash? I was thinking more of trying to upgrade to a better, lighter fork if I go down that route. I've seen a 2010 Fox F100 for £270 which has piqued my interest.

mcnultycop

1 1/8th? Standard QR? I'd be looking at Rebas for similar money I'm sure you could probably get them a little cheaper, too.

cooldad

I doubt a Fox F100 is better.

FingersKFF

Yeah 1 1/8th and standard QR.

supersonic

The reason the fork has done this is because an internal seal has leaked. These are cheap to replace.

FingersKFF

So is this the sort of job I could do at home? How much does a replacement cost? Bear in mind that I've only ever done basic maintenance on bikes before, nothing particularly technical.

Thanks again for the feedback so far guys

supersonic

Have a look on ebay for service kits. They come with full instructions, can be done at home.