[dlxah]

Take a look at DVO. You can often find a DVO Sapphire for under $600 and it's a top of the line fork. The team at DVO are awesome and will take your calls, call you back, give setup advise and make changes before shipping.

I had the 32mm Sapphire and now have the 34mm on my Pivot. The OTT is the real deal, you feel the difference in each adjustment.

User serviceable and top notch customer service are what sold me.

Give them a call, they might have something on the shelf for you.

They've got a 25% off coupon code on their homepage right now too.

 

[Gurpil23]

Thanks i will send them the information. How do you like your fork? Also i wonder if i can stack codes. There is the 15-25% off and i also got a code for 15% off first purchase

I like it, but I am not an expert and have limited experience with other forks to compare. Changed the stock RS Recon for it and it just feels much better than that one. It is very stiff and easy to service, and the RC2 damper feels good to me. You can read a couple of reviews of the durolux that has the same internals and the reviews are overall good. It also allows changing the travel without installing a new shaft which was a big plus for me to try different configurations quickly. If I was to point to negatives would be weight (but I an okay with that and personally prefer a more rigid fork) and the negative chamber is done with a spring so adjustment is needed for lighter riders (but if you buy direct to suntour they can tune that for you). Also they are releasing a new version now with an air negative spring I think, this model was released in 2017/2018.

 

[ral1121]

So i think i am going to go with dvo sapphire 34. It was originally one of the forks i looked at but i thought it was out of my price range at usually around 900. Well in the color and specs i want online it is going for 700 then if you apply the 25% off it brings it down to 525.

Just to let yall know i called dvo because it was out of stock online and they took down my information and will set up a backorder for me so i can get the sale discount because the sale will be over by the time it is back in stock.

 

[ral1121]

Also just to make sure, since i run 27.5+ i would need to order the 29er so i can fit the plus tire. I only run 2.8 so that should fit any 29er boost fork correct?

 

[Curveball]

So i think i am going to go with dvo sapphire 34. It was originally one of the forks i looked at but i thought it was out of my price range at usually around 900. Well in the color and specs i want online it is going for 700 then if you apply the 25% off it brings it down to 525.

Just to let yall know i called dvo because it was out of stock online and they took down my information and will set up a backorder for me so i can get the sale discount because the sale will be over by the time it is back in stock.

DVO makes good stuff. I'm sure you'll be happy.

 

[dlxah]

Also just to make sure, since i run 27.5+ i would need to order the 29er so i can fit the plus tire. I only run 2.8 so that should fit any 29er boost fork correct

Yeah, 27.5x2.8" should be no problem.

 

[Davide]

Did you start on a DPA pike to begin with?

I've gone back and forth on coils for years. Its alright. Im always left scratching my head that people make them out to be so drastically different.

Its more of a maintenance thing to me. Coils have close to zero upkeep, but its more convenient than anything. It was fun to convert forks when coils were $25. I thought the $60 I had to pay for the last one was excessive... now they're pushing $300 and that seems like insanity. The fork still basically works the same.

That is not really my experience, nor of a large numbers of people on the ACS3 or Smashpot conversions. My Vanilla Push in 2006 was head and shoulder above the performance of the Fox Air that took its place. Fast forward 13 years and it is the same with the ACS3: it is not really comparable. But of course every experience is different.

And yes, you do need to do FREQUENT maintenance on your air fork to keep it working.

 

[RS VR6]

So i think i am going to go with dvo sapphire 34. It was originally one of the forks i looked at but i thought it was out of my price range at usually around 900. Well in the color and specs i want online it is going for 700 then if you apply the 25% off it brings it down to 525.

Just to let yall know i called dvo because it was out of stock online and they took down my information and will set up a backorder for me so i can get the sale discount because the sale will be over by the time it is back in stock.

The guys at DVO are pretty cool people. I bought a D1 Diamond during the sale. I had them reduce the travel before picking it up. Good thing is that if I need the fork worked on...they are 10 mins away.

 

[ral1121]

Update


So i thought i had this all figured out but now i am considering a couple other options

DVO sapphire 34 d1 140mm 44 offset
Pike select 140mm 51 offset
Bomber z1 140mm 51 offset

Of the 3 i know the DVO is the nicest as well cheapest for me right now. My only thinking of possibly not going that route is if i switch frames in the future and get a more slack hardtail i would have to get a new fork. I do not want to have to purchase a fork twice for my hardtail. The DVO is a trail fork that is maxed put at 140mm. I would be stuck at 140mm for my next frame. I know it is not a big difference but if i switched frames i would like to be able to run 150mm. That is where the pike and z1 come in.

The pike is the next cheapest option but i know it has a different dampener then the ultimate which is quite a bit more expensive and past my price point but it gives me the option of going higher travel.

The z1 is the same as the pike and gives me the option down the line if i decide to change frames.

At the same time i feel 140mm if plenty for a hardtail and not sure 10mm is really enough to pass up on an amazing deal the sapphire is. What would yall do or any suggestions to help me we owe between the 3. I know down the line i could upgrade the dampener on the pike to give me the adjustability of the ultimate but other then that i am not sure. I am leaning towards the pike select right now.

 

[Leafy1]

To further make you decision harder, if you're planning to take it to your next bike your next bike is probably going ti use a short offset fork so you wont be using the 51mm offset fork on it.

 

[ral1121]

Also i think the main difference between the pike and the z1 is out of the box it has all the adjustability as well as an easy option to go coil if i so choose in the future which why i am also strongly considering the z1

 

[ral1121]

To further make you decision harder, if you're planning to take it to your next bike your next bike is probably going ti use a short offset fork so you wont be using the 51mm offset fork on it.

Why would you not be able to use a 51mm fork? Or are you just saying that the short offset is what the frame was designed around.

Maybe it would help to give yall the frames i am looking at which are a nimble 9 or chromag rootdown. Something similar to those.

 

[ral1121]

Also if i go pike i have the choice of 51mm offset or 42mm.

Not sure which one to get. I know the 42 will feel more stable at higher speeds and slacker then the 51mm

 

[Leafy1]

Why would you not be able to use a 51mm fork? Or are you just saying that the short offset is what the frame was designed around.

Maybe it would help to give yall the frames i am looking at which are a nimble 9 or chromag rootdown. Something similar to those.

Yeah, anything new is probably going to be designed to use a 42mm.

 

[x-rated]

Wouldnt use 51mm on 650B and i am also not a fan of 42mm on 29er.

Why not buying a used fork? Last year i got a 2018 Pike RC for half the price a new RCT3 would be.

 

[ral1121]

Wouldnt use 51mm on 650B and i am also not a fan of 42mm on 29er.

Why not buying a used fork? Last year i got a 2018 Pike RC for half the price a new RCT3 would be.

If you do not mind what are you reasons for this? This would also be for 27.5+ bike

 

[x-rated]

I tried 650b with 51mm offset and while it has been really nimble at steering, it is going a bit nervous at higher speeds. And 42mm on 29er feels too sloppy for me.

650b+ is not so far off from 650b in diameter compared to 29er.
I ve got an Rekon+ 2.8 (effective only 2,6") which is in outer diameter more similar to a Schwalbe 650 x 2,35 than to a 29er x 2,35.
650b+ is ridden with lower pressure. Wider rims also give a lower profile.

 

[Leafy1]

Which offset you go with on a 29er is really going to come down to the HTA. A slack boy that feels slow with a 51mm will feel way more nimble with a 42mm on it while also feeling more stable. Increased flop over makes the steering feel faster at low speeds and increased trail makes it feel more stable. But if the bike isn't very slack (probably like 67° and steeper I'd guess) it's not going to gain much flop over, while it'll gain a ton of trail and probably feel sluggish.

 

[x-rated]

Its impossible that 42mm feels more nimble than 51mm.
But some bikes are designed around 42mm offset. Especially on low HTA and long WB you sometimes need short offset to have enough weight on the front wheel.
In my opinion 42mm on 29er should be only used on DH/Enduro bikes.

And for 650b its strange that RS now comes with 46mm. 42mm has been used since years here and was ditched in favour of 37/46mm. 650b forks are mainly used for downhill orientated bikes now and i really dont see the point in 46mm.

 

[One Pivot]

I put a 44mm offset 100mm xc fork on my 69 degree HTA xc bike (29er). I prefer it over 51, by a lot. Its stable and not sluggish at all. Its also not sketchy and twitchy like 51mm forks.

I dont think the 51 should be used on anything. I think "sluggish" for a ~30lb bicycle isnt really a great describer anyway. You can lift the front or rear wheels if you need to make a really sharp turn anyway.