Submitted by
Biker Kai
a Cross Country Rider
from Scottish Borders
Date Reviewed: October 25, 2008
Strengths: Adjustability and quality.
Bottom Line:
I've used the Reba SL forks for exactly a year and they are now off to Tim Flooks Tuning for a well earned service. I hadn't realised that they cam set up for just 85mm of travel. As I use the bike for XC trail stuff as well as ventures into the local hills, I am getting the fork travel maxed out. In theory this should be 115mm but the reality is probably a little less.
The forks have been very good so far but of late I think the seals have started leaking. That said, I do tend to use the bike a lot.
Well worth taking the time to set up the sag properly and then experimenting with different settings.
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Prescott, AZ. USA
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2006
Strengths: Looks good, easy to use, set it and go
Weaknesses: Have not found one yet.
Bottom Line:
This is an easy to use fork that can take a betting. I like to ride fast single track but here in Arizona there is alot of rock and you miss some and you hit alot. I have jumped on this fork many times maybe 3 feet high and have not had any problems. I have only aired it up twice and one time was just because I was just playing with the settings. This fork rides so well and the price is so great I just cannot see see paying more for another brand. If you can get one you will not regret it.
Similar Products Used: Marzocchi Mx Pro w/ETA, Rock Shock Pilot
Bike Setup: Giant Trance, Reba Sl Uturn, Sram XO shifters, XO rd, XT fd, WTB Laser Disc Lite Wheel set, Kenda Tires, Race Face Dues XC cranks, Avid BB7 brakes, Easton bar, Race Face Dues stem and seat post, Ti Tec seat
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Enrique
a Cross Country Rider
from Mexico
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2006
Strengths: tons of tunes thanks to the + and - air pretty light very stiff good looking
Weaknesses: none!
Bottom Line:
great XC do-it-all fork that can handle a lot more thank a SID or R7. I've made 3 feet jumps in a 4x course and no problem, feels stiff and plush on evry jump
the dual air makes all easier and allows u to perfect, and easly adjust the fork to ur riding style, and terrain.
Submitted by
ming lee
a Cross Country Rider
from hk
Date Reviewed: July 16, 2006
Strengths: Very stiff Great price Super, super adjustability U Turn travel adjustability 115- 80mm Reliable Plush
Weaknesses: None really
Bottom Line:
I've put many tough miles on this fork through all conditions. I've had no problems with this fork, I've recently started looking for something new but have decided to stay with this rock steady dependable and value priced fork.
I love how plush it feels on technical trails, it takes some hits and jumps (100mm)and doesn't flex. The best feature I love about this fork is the Pop valve which is the same as the new R7 Platinum pop valve and Fox fork pop valve feature. U can adjust the pop valve on the Reba to any level and is an excellent feature for climbing.
This fork has adjustments for platform, compression, ride height, lock out, and thick stiff stanchions to boot.
This fork has excellent adjustability and for the $$ really unbeatable in the market. You can pay more but won't necessarily get more, however it's probably a 1/4lb heavier than SID and R7 but not a big deal.
Submitted by
James
a Weekend Warrior
from Gainesville, Fl.
Date Reviewed: December 22, 2005
Strengths: The adjustability of this fork is a major strong point. Once dialing in the correct air pressures etc. you really feel like its made for you. It is really responsive and the "blowoff" feature on lockout is great for those unexpected bumps. This thing is light as hell too: 3.4 lbs I think.
Weaknesses: This is really minor but I think the finish on the bottom end is of lower quality than I expected. The paint looks cheap and I think that the "Reba" logo is a sticker. Again, only cosmetic.
Bottom Line:
For me this is a serious step up from what Ive had on my other bikes. Adjustiblity, responsiveness,weight, and some great features make the 2005 a solid buy (they should be on sale at this point). The cheap stickers and cheap-looking paint are the only drawbacks considering the price range. This fork would be at home in XC, all-mountian, trails, everywhere. Ive even done a little jumping with it. Great fork.
Similar Products Used: Manitou Six, Manitou Axel Elite, this is a definite upgrade
Bike Setup: I Build my '04 Jamis Komodo from the frame up: the Reba fork, Holzfeller Crank, LX and XT drivetrain, LX shifter/brake combo, Hayes MX-2 mechanicals, Alex TD-17s w/ 2.3" Huchinsons, Hussefelt stem and bar. Its a do-everything bike.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Hendry Chau
a Weekend Warrior
from Kota Kinabalu,Sabah,Malaysia
Date Reviewed: November 9, 2005
Strengths: stiff,suck every bum,no complaint about the performance.
Weaknesses: U-turn dail plastic very fragile. once felt down sure broken apart and cannot get one here. i wrote to sram but no reply.
Bottom Line:
i bought this fork for change the SID fork i use in my fullsuspension stumpy. well u can imagine how this fork work on fullsuspension bike. i set 100 mm front and 90 mm rear. all the single trek u feel like a carpet only. graet value but the back up service bad... where can i get the u-turn dail?????
Bike Setup: specialized stumpjumper, full xt disc groupset except xo shifter/rd,gobi seat thompson stem and satpost and eastern monkeylite handlebar
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jerome Le Sueur
a Weekend Warrior
from Cape Town
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2005
Strengths: Nice and Stiff, Lockout and has a good adjustability.
Weaknesses: Can tell yet, other than I am still to get the fork to compress to 100mm - I need to play with the settings!
Bottom Line:
I am enjoying this fork. When I first upgraded to the Skareb I thought it was great and now running the Reba I am even more impressed - the Skareb was quite flexxy compared to the Reba. Under hard bracking the fork holds out well and performs well in tricky single track sittuations. Just need to play with the settings and see what she is really capable of (The shop set it up for me).
Strengths: Took my new Reab SL out for a ride today. Very nice. Smooth, active fork with good travel. Stiff, steers good, very solid. It is fairly lightweight for a 100mm fork. 3.5 pounds for the dual air SL. Cheaper than the Reba Race, exact same features.
Weaknesses: The negative air valve is kinda tricky. At first I thought it was not holding air or it was leaking. What I figured out was that as I unscrewed my shock pump, most of the air was escaping. Don't screw on your shock pump too far. It has threads all the way up, but only screw it on until your gauge moves, then start pumping.
Bottom Line:
I don't think you will find a better 3.5 pound, 85-115mm travel, beefy fork for less than $300. If you are a racer or someone that does huge drops, maybe this fork is not for you. It's great for the weekend warrior. If you have a wad of money burning a hole in your pocket, there are better forks out there. I'll use the money I saved for beer.
Similar Products Used: Black Elite Air, Fox Float R
Bike Setup: 2002 Giant NRS1 w/ long travel rockers. I set positive so I have about 1/2 inch sag, then set negative to same PSI. More air in the negative makes it sensitive to smaller bumps. Full open setting. I don't use the lock compression setting,thus didn't change threshold setting. It's a suspension fork....why have it locked?
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from Quezon City, Philippines
Date Reviewed: September 15, 2005
Strengths: lockout, travel adjust
Weaknesses: weight
Bottom Line:
This is an upgrade from my previous Rockshox Pilot XC. So far, so good. The lockout is great, as well as the travel adjustment. The weight is only the downside. Maybe if I have the dough, I'll upgrade to a SID. Then, tranfer the Reba to an all-mountain bike. That's a big "if" and "when".
This is an awsome shock. I upgraded to this from a RS Judy (useless) and was very pleased the air pressure adjustment is very useful as you can change it slightly for the different areas you ride, the lock-out is good I just have a crown mounted adjuster it saves money for the effet of taking your hand off the handlebar to change the dial, the rebound works, and I got the shoch with U-turn which is just about the best bit, a bit more travel on the downhill and a bit less on the uphill makes a lot of difference.Shame they can't have travel adj on the fly. They have not given me a single problem apart from I lose a bit of travel (10-15mm) when I put in the recomended negative air pressure but I get round that by just putting less air in. All in all a significant upgrade from the last RS.
Submitted by
jef
a Cross Country Rider
from Belgium
Date Reviewed: August 8, 2005
Strengths: when working this fork does the job
Weaknesses: i'm experiencing simular problems with this thing as mentioned by some other riders in the 'reba race' review. after a couple of months this fork started to lose air at every obstacle ( even the smallest pebble on a horizontal path) It's now been brought back in since repumping the thing was not the solution
Bottom Line:
something is wrong with this fork and i dont know what it is yet... Sram is dealing with it now
Similar Products Used: Manitou Black Elite. Nothing to compare. Only the price was similar.
Bike Setup: Specialized Stumpjumper Elite 2004.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Eric Grootveld
a Cross Country Rider
from Ames, IA USA
Date Reviewed: June 17, 2005
Strengths: Stiff, plush, reasonable weight, steering precision is great.
Weaknesses: Not exactly a featherweight fork
Bottom Line:
98% of the fork that a Fox Float is, but a lot less $. Great for everyone but the most hardcore XC racers (get a SID) or if you need something beefier, get a thru-axle.
