Submitted by
joshuagore
a Cross Country Rider
from Gurnee, IL, USA
Date Reviewed: November 6, 2011
Strengths: Stiff, Smooth, Good window for compression, low bump compliance tuning with air pressure.
Weaknesses: 20mm axle is ackward but expected, spring means it is slightly heavy, dated appearance.
Bottom Line:
I am an aggressive trail rider who hits as many trail features as I can... normally reserving the jumps and drops which could lead to an e.r. visit to the others. That being said this fork has not only seen the best of midwest singletrack but has traveled with me to Moab, and to the hill country of Texas where it has always proven to keep me planted.
Initial setup was simple, and only one or two tweaks were required after the first few rides to dial things in. Since then it has been set it and forget it. I am a clyde so I got this spring fork hoping it would have better small bump compliance over the reba air fork it was replacing, and I was right. Traditionally with an air fork as a clyde I have to have such high pressure to reduce sag and bob that small bump compliance disappears.
My fork was purchased used so I put in new seals, and fluid despite the fact that it didn't seem to need them. I have not touched the fork besides topping up air pressure on the damper side.
Someone said the best fork is one you don't notice and other than the weight, and style I am not sure I would ever think of replacing this fork. It handles my fat rear on small drops and jumps, and is plush through the washboard, and planted in the twisties. I love it.
Similar Products Used: RS Reba, Marz MX, Manitou Tower Pro
Bike Setup: Turner Sultan, Spinergy Xyclone, x0/x9, Chris King etc...
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Keith Hribek
a Racer
from Boise, Idaho
Date Reviewed: October 30, 2009
Strengths: Strong, Light, Plush and performs best when pushed Hard.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
Best Fork! Laterally stiff and soakes up big hits with aplomb. Smoothes out after just a little bit of break in time on the smaller ripple bumps. Then it begins to eat them as well. Customer service is a 10. No problems, and lots of plusses. Aggressive riders will love this Fork.
Similar Products Used: Fox,and other suspension designs
Bike Setup: Ellsworth Evolve and Carver Ti 99er Hardtail
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Submitted by
Turkey Jerky
a Downhiller
from mountains
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2008
Strengths: light weight, 20mm axle, accurate steering, smooth suspension action, very plush in choppy terrain at speed
Weaknesses: "platformy" on small bumps at low speeds
Bottom Line:
Great fork for trail bikes at around 4-5" rear travel, performs best at speed in chunky terrain, not as plush as a Marzocchi coil/oil but plenty plush when you are moving at a good clip. Suspension action is very smooth. I used the stock spring at 165 lbs ready to ride and it was perfect with no air in the preload/boost chamber.
Submitted by
cormactooze
a Weekend Warrior
from Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2008
Strengths: Super smooth plush stiff fork that always feels like it has more travel & noise free
Weaknesses: Plastic cap, No lock-out, Guys are moaning about price but then I think WB could charge as much as they want as this is the only 29er long travel fork avbailable.
Bottom Line:
I have the 29er 135mm Fliud and it rocks I would rate it as 4.5/5, drops 0.5 as has no lock-out option. This is a excellant super smooth plush stiff fork that always feels like it has more travel.
Weaknesses: Very finicky to adjust and get dialed in. And as mentioned in other posts... what's with the cheap plastic cap!?
Bottom Line:
I'm very tall, but needed an all mountain bike that could climb while still being able to handle 3 ft drops. This fork has performed very well in all sorts of conditions; however for the price I would have expected a bit more in overall performance.
Submitted by
Ridethebike
a Cross Country Rider
from NJ
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2008
Strengths: Only long travel 29er fork available
Weaknesses: Over damped low speed dampening
Bottom Line:
This my first 29er build, and so far the only disappointment has been with the choice of fork. 135mm of travel yet it feels like 1 inch. The air chamber pressure set @2psi and riding across a grass field the fork does not budge, feel every little stutter bump. The low speed is way over damped and along with stiction it just is not what I would call plush. Adjustments for rebound and preload require an allen wrench which is very annoying while on the trail. Some good things I can say are that once up to speed this thing can hold a line, no flexing and the high speed dampening is just about perfect. Build quality is good and the seals are bone dry! My plans are when Fox makes a long travel with thru axle sign me up. I cannot give a positive rating... sorry WB but I guess there are no slimy rooted rock gardens where the R&D was done. They really need to rethink the settings or make it user adjustable.
Submitted by
Rainman
a Cross Country Rider
from AU
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2008
Strengths: This is an update on the WB F135 Fork.
No problems at all after 6 months of hard use.
Weaknesses: No Lockout.
Bottom Line:
After six months, this White Brothers F135 Fork is still as strong and performing faultlessly as ever.
No problems so far, the fork continues to work beautifully for me. It is quiet, stiff, and very strong.
I have had to change my riding style to accommodate the lack of a lockout when standing and mashing up hills, and the fork is mostly good when I am able to actually remember to use this technique, but bobs if I don't, which is a pita.
Apart from this, an excellent fork that does a fantastic job on a light all mountain bike.
Similar Products Used: Fox, Rockshox, Manitou etc..
Bike Setup: RIP 9 FS.
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Submitted by
Rain Man
a Cross Country Rider
from Australia
Date Reviewed: March 12, 2008
Strengths: Well made, very good finish. A solid feel to this fork, the seals are Enduro, which are very good seals. Quiet, no rattles or 'clunks'. No Twisting or flexing.
Weaknesses: Expensive. Quite heavy. NO Lockout.
Bottom Line:
I'm currently running a long-term test on this WB 135 fork. So far it has been very good.
The initial tuning was a bit of a mystery to me for a couple of days, but once I sorted that out, the fork behaved in an exemplary manner.
This is a very "quiet" fork to ride with. It disappears in use, you never even think about it...and that is the mark of a good, well made product.
This is a solidly built fork that looks great in it's shiny black finish with the silver White bros logo. It performs even better than it looks, soaking up everything in it's path with no fuss or noise.
This is a great fork for a light All Mountain bike. I have had no problems with this WB 135 to date, and I ride it almost every fine-weather day.
The steering is rock solid with the through axle, it goes exactly where it is pointed, with no flexing or deviation, even on off-camber bumps and roots, etc..
This fork has one weakness ... it is the absence of a lockout mechanism. For those out of the saddle sprints and uphill mashing, no lockout means that the fork is going to bob around a bit, but correct tuning can overcome most of this bad behavior. However, a lockout would have been the thing that made this fork perfect, imo.
Apart from this one glaring weakness, the fork is fantastic. It eats up small and large bumps without disturbing the rider and maintains the chosen line without flexing or twisting.
I shall update this report on the WB 135 after another few months use and hope that is it performing just as well then, as it is now.
Similar Products Used: Manitou, Fox, Rockshox, etc..
Bike Setup: RIP 9 FS.
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Submitted by
Peter
a Weekend Warrior
from York
Date Reviewed: December 6, 2007
Strengths: Everything - this fork is the best I have used and is the epitome of high priced forks. Set up was easy and it does exactly what it is supposed to, no flaws, no quirks, no having to mess around with lockouts/rebound adjusments on the trail, it works flawlessly on everything from stairs, to hucks, steep climbs and everything in between!
Weaknesses: It only has two flaws, both negligable compared to the final result: The first is cost, the second it one of the top caps is made of plastic! It's like buying a picasso and putting it in a cheap frame, why have that plastic crap!
Bottom Line:
If you are a big guy and have the money you can't do better than this fork on a RIP9.