[Tichytpf]

Has the SID Ultimate avoided the bushing issues the lesser SID’s have?

From what I’ve heard they all have the issue. I did however get the following answer from RockShox :
“We have fixed the issue of bushing play at our manufacturing plant for the SID chassis forks. If you purchased a SID fork today that developed bushing play, this would be covered under warranty if you're the original owner and the original date of purchase is within two years.”

 

[Tichytpf]

Thanks a lot, especially @Jeremy05 @PlanB @Cary @combfilter @Hexsense.
your input proved valuable and I took the plunge. Bought the 130mm Fox 34 Grip2, it’s more plush, has better small bump compliance AND support through berms and braking. Better than I could’ve imagined. The Reba felt like it both wasn’t soaking up the small bumps but also dove in turns etc.

 

[TrustyAxe]

FWIW I recently put a 2022 Fox 34 130mm Grip2 on my 21 comp and I couldn't be happier. Magic carpet on our local roots and a very slight but appreciated BB boost.

 

[Tichytpf]

FWIW I recently put a 2022 Fox 34 130mm Grip2 on my 21 comp and I couldn't be happier. Magic carpet on our local roots and a very slight but appreciated BB boost.

Completely agree to this! I couldn't believe how big the difference from the Reba was! With the comp, you had the SID Select+ right? So big difference also from this one?

Now i wonder which damper to get 🤪
And do I dare to go long-stroking for a 120mm rear end?

 

[TrustyAxe]

Completely agree to this! I couldn't believe how big the difference from the Reba was! With the comp, you had the SID Select+ right? So big difference also from this one?

Now i wonder which damper to get 🤪
And do I dare to go long-stroking for a 120mm rear end?

Yes I had the Select+, and I liked it.. but putting the Fox Factory 34 130mm with the Grip2 damper...made a HUGE difference. Some folks on the EE thread suggested the Grip2 and I had the Fit4 on another bike so I wanted to try it. I kept the rear travel the same and had the off the shelf shock sent to fox for the epic evo specific tune. It is a solid platform and climbs like a beast. Some of the best money I've ever spent.

 

[Tichytpf]

Yes I had the Select+, and I liked it.. but putting the Fox Factory 34 130mm with the Grip2 damper...made a HUGE difference. Some folks on the EE thread suggested the Grip2 and I had the Fit4 on another bike so I wanted to try it. I kept the rear travel the same and had the off the shelf shock sent to fox for the epic evo specific tune. It is a solid platform and climbs like a beast. Some of the best money I've ever spent. View attachment 1992369 View attachment 1992373

How do you appreciate the difference from the Deluxe Select to the DPS?

 

[TrustyAxe]

How do you appreciate the difference from the Deluxe Select to the DPS?

Night and day difference.

 

[Tichytpf]

Night and day difference.

so as transformative as the fork swap? Better small bump sensitivity? Better support? Do you reckon I'll get 95% there with a DPS Performance? I've found one used (and newly serviced) at about 130EUR. Quite the difference from 700 for a new Factory (+tuning??)

 

[TrustyAxe]

so as transformative as the fork swap? Better small bump sensitivity? Better support? Do you reckon I'll get 95% there with a DPS Performance? I've found one used (and newly serviced) at about 130EUR. Quite the difference from 700 for a new Factory (+tuning??)

So I would say yes, equal to the fork swap but keeping in mind the fork (to me) is a greater suspension component in general. Small bump chatter is all but gone, and the support is much improved, more than expected as the stock RS seemed pretty good until I put the DPS on. Getting my bike specific tune from Fox is something I don't regret, off the shelf is a medium linear tune and the EE is light linear. Tuning was $160 but I did get a deal on my shock from another member who had it on back order and then went another way.

It's a "buy once cry once" situation. People think they are saving money when buying a lesser product but your actually spending money...just a little less. Saving is putting it in the bank, if you're buying something then just get what you want and never look back. 🤙🏻✌🏻

 

[Tichytpf]

So I would say yes, equal to the fork swap but keeping in mind the fork (to me) is a greater suspension component in general. Small bump chatter is all but gone, and the support is much improved, more than expected as the stock RS seemed pretty good until I put the DPS on. Getting my bike specific tune from Fox is something I don't regret, off the shelf is a medium linear tune and the EE is light linear. Tuning was $160 but I did get a deal on my shock from another member who had it on back order and then went another way.

It's a "buy once cry once" situation. People think they are saving money when buying a lesser product but your actually spending money...just a little less. Saving is putting it in the bank, if you're buying something then just get what you want and never look back. 🤙🏻✌🏻

Good input! Yeah compared to the Reba I found the shock definitely good enough. Compared to the fox 34 I can feel the shock not being as nice as the fork, but also regarding that, not sure how much improvement one could reasonably expect
Did you ever ride the stock before tuning?
How (and how much) is shock "support" appreciated. I didn't know I lacked support on the Reba but immediately felt it jumping onto the fox where I felt it.wpuldnt bog down and throw me forward on turns and during braking.

 

[combfilter]

so as transformative as the fork swap? Better small bump sensitivity? Better support? Do you reckon I'll get 95% there with a DPS Performance? I've found one used (and newly serviced) at about 130EUR. Quite the difference from 700 for a new Factory (+tuning??)

You weren't talking to me but I think I can help with your decision. As you might have seen previous in this thread I also went from a REBA (which wasn't bad, it just wasn't good), to a Fox fork. Now I went to the Fox SC 34 factory. I also went from the crappy select + or whatever the RS name is that was on my EE to the DPS. I went with factory on both, but that is because I get EP pricing (which with fox isn't much at all).

With my history of riding both fox and RS in XC/XCO settings, I can tell you that on the fork, I'd go with factory all day long because the area you will typically experience stiction is on the fork. Now on the shock because it's under constant load with more centered weight on it, I think you are fine with performance in that area. Seems like stiction doesn't become a problem until you start increasing stanchion size. Now this is from a light rider (145lbs)...YMMV. I am also not a suspension expert but I know enough and what I've experience.

It also depends on your riding style. My personal view is this
Fox = Better small bump compliance, smoother action but more responsive if you run faster rebounds.
Fox Warranty = Total ****. They act like there is nothing and never could be anything wrong with their forks. It's a PITA dealing with warranty for them. Even if your suspension is 1yr old.

RS = Better Big Hit stuff. Tend to have more stiction. Way hard to get correct SAG vs Actual proper fork action. It's hard to find that balance. Typically I have to run greater sag to get it to feel right.
RS Warranty = Much better than fox. For the most part they are pretty easy to deal with. SRAM is like that actually with most of their stuff.

IMO Get that performance one if it's not leaking and in good shape.

 

[Tichytpf]

You weren't talking to me but I think I can help with your decision. As you might have seen previous in this thread I also went from a REBA (which wasn't bad, it just wasn't good), to a Fox fork. Now I went to the Fox SC 34 factory. I also went from the crappy select + or whatever the RS name is that was on my EE to the DPS. I went with factory on both, but that is because I get EP pricing (which with fox isn't much at all).

With my history of riding both fox and RS in XC/XCO settings, I can tell you that on the fork, I'd go with factory all day long because the area you will typically experience stiction is on the fork. Now on the shock because it's under constant load with more centered weight on it, I think you are fine with performance in that area. Seems like stiction doesn't become a problem until you start increasing stanchion size. Now this is from a light rider (145lbs)...YMMV. I am also not a suspension expert but I know enough and what I've experience.

It also depends on your riding style. My personal view is this
Fox = Better small bump compliance, smoother action but more responsive if you run faster rebounds.
Fox Warranty = Total ****. They act like there is nothing and never could be anything wrong with their forks. It's a PITA dealing with warranty for them. Even if your suspension is 1yr old.

RS = Better Big Hit stuff. Tend to have more stiction. Way hard to get correct SAG vs Actual proper fork action. It's hard to find that balance. Typically I have to run greater sag to get it to feel right.
RS Warranty = Much better than fox. For the most part they are pretty easy to deal with. SRAM is like that actually with most of their stuff.

IMO Get that performance one if it's not leaking and in good shape.

thank you very much! I guess this is the point of public forum, that you don’t necessarily speak to an individual but for everyone, and that anyone can chime in.

thank you very much for your input! Your explanations of the differences between fox and rockshox also do make sense in what I’ve experienced so far, and why I’d want fox. I like riding at high pace over rocks and roots and occasionally fiddling with the odd smaller table top jump. I don’t need big hit capabilities, but I want smooth action to deal with the chatter and handle like medium sized square edges hits quite the bit.

 

[Imfamousinkorea]

I have a 2022 Fox Factory Stepcast 120mm and a 2021 Pike Ultimate that I use on my 2022 Top Fuel. They both are excellent in very different ways.

The Stepcast is very light and stiff enough. The damper is very “supportive” but struggles on truly technical terrain. Successive rock/root sections on long downhills kill my hands. I’m not giving up completely, but I think I have realized it’s simply a “race” fork that shines in XCO type settings.

The Pike is better in every way except it’s a couple hundred grams heavier. It has no lockout but I really don’t care. I like to be able to lock the rear shock but a properly set up fork never bothers me.

So, I think I’ll run the Stepcast in our short XC races and probably put the Pike on for technical stage races etc. For reference, I’m about 175 Freedom Units and live on Vancouver island.

A regular non Stepcast 34 with a FIT4 damper sounds like the worst of both worlds: lousy in the rough AND kinda heavy. If you must have that damper you might as well save the weight with Stepcast. A standard GRIP 34 is a fine fork that could have a lockout. I assume this combo exists? The GRIP damper is actually great. Not as tunable as GRIP2 but hey…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I also have a similar situation.

XC racer riding an epic. I used to have a sc32 but I found it lacked in just about every way imaginable so I just upgraded to a 120mm Pike ultimate and hoping this is just what I'm looking for.

The 300 extra grams over the sc34 seems almost negligible to me, but we'll see after riding it a few weeks.

For reference, I'm about 170 pounds and have around a 310 FTP. I ride super aggressive so I wanted something a little more capable than the Stepcast 32.

Curious on anyone else's thoughts on racing a Pike. I tend to do 50 miles and up distance.

 

[Tichytpf]

@combfilter @TrustyAxe any point in going for a dpx2 or a float x? Or no point on such a small bike?

 

[Hexsense]

I also have a similar situation.

XC racer riding an epic. I used to have a sc32 but I found it lacked in just about every way imaginable so I just upgraded to a 120mm Pike ultimate and hoping this is just what I'm looking for.

The 300 extra grams over the sc34 seems almost negligible to me, but we'll see after riding it a few weeks.

For reference, I'm about 170 pounds and have around a 310 FTP. I ride super aggressive so I wanted something a little more capable than the Stepcast 32.

Curious on anyone else's thoughts on racing a Pike. I tend to do 50 miles and up distance.

hmm and wouldn't that be a bit imbalance between cushy ride Pike and brain-equipped rear shock Epic?

 

[combfilter]

@combfilter @TrustyAxe any point in going for a dpx2 or a float x? Or no point on such a small bike?

I don't see a reason. I Just got back from hammering my bike in Angle Fire, NM. Both on the rocky/chunky descent down southboundry black, and the bike park at Angle Fire. While my friends were on 150 travel bikes, I was on my EE with the SC 34/dps and it was never a limiting factor. I mean yeah if I could have had 150 for some of the bike park it would have been better, but my EE with that setup did just fine and the climbing part of south boundry obviously my EE was the right choice.

I don't see trying to go much more aggressive on the EE with the dpx2 or float. YMMV.

 

[TrustyAxe]

@combfilter @TrustyAxe any point in going for a dpx2 or a float x? Or no point on such a small bike?

No I'm quite happy with it as is. I've been riding our roughest local trail exclusively and it climbs better than stock and nothing is sore after a ride.

 

[Tichytpf]

I don't see a reason. I Just got back from hammering my bike in Angle Fire, NM. Both on the rocky/chunky descent down southboundry black, and the bike park at Angle Fire. While my friends were on 150 travel bikes, I was on my EE with the SC 34/dps and it was never a limiting factor. I mean yeah if I could have had 150 for some of the bike park it would have been better, but my EE with that setup did just fine and the climbing part of south boundry obviously my EE was the right choice.

I don't see trying to go much more aggressive on the EE with the dpx2 or float. YMMV.

Thanks! Sounds great!

Also @Hexsense, I've come across your write-up of some DC fork/shock comparisons over on star-bike as well as the Mara thread on this forum. Knowing what you know now, would you recommend the online mara or the DPS? (Or maybe even cc il/Öhlins IL?)

 

[Hexsense]

Thanks! Sounds great!

Also @Hexsense, I've come across your write-up of some DC fork/shock comparisons over on star-bike as well as the Mara thread on this forum. Knowing what you know now, would you recommend the online mara or the DPS? (Or maybe even cc il/Öhlins IL?)

Do you mind a bit of extra weight? If you don't. Then Mara Inline is superior.
If weight is more important than (rear) suspension performance then DPS. Like, people do fine with hard tail right? So any rear suspension is already a trade of weight for comfort/traction over hard tail in that sense.

Personally, I have too much extra fat to care about these weight diff. I'm not in a racer shape right now.

 

[Tichytpf]

Do you mind a bit of extra weight? If you don't. Then Mara Inline is superior.
If weight is more important than (rear) suspension performance then DPS. Like, people do fine with hard tail right? So any rear suspension is already a trade of weight for comfort/traction over hard tail in that sense.

I guess sort of but not really.. I don't think I'd put a 700gr coil on this bike... And whilst dropping 100 gr of the stock deluxe select+ would've been nice it's not the primary reason for switching..I feel like the Deluxe Select is either snot upportive enough or either not plush enough depending on the pressure I run, compare to the fork it almost gives me the hardtail bum kick.. The Mara is comparative weight wise to the Deluxe Select so at least I'm not making the bike any heavier..