[Interior Systems Drywall]

Which way to go?

 

[brake jack]

it depends on what you want. the 32 is lighter and flexier, the pike is a bit heavier but stiffer. if youre riding rocky trails id recommend the pike. it steers better and gives you more confidence in tight situations. but if there are no rocks, the 32 would do just fine.

something else to think about: if youre a light weight and you want an air fork, better get the pike. on the dual air you can set both negative and positive springs, where as the 32s allows only the setting of the positive spring. if youre too light, it might feel sticky.

 

[d3toid]

Manitou Minute

Manitou As light as a float and available with a 20mm axel. Plenty of different models to chose from for wtf lighness to more solid all mountain.

 

[mx_599]

Which way to go?

are you talking about a vanilla rlc? or an air fork rlc?

mx

 

[Interior Systems Drywall]

float 32 rlc

 

[derby]

The Pike is far less flexy than the RLC, air or coil, but the Pike is .6 lb. heavier. The 2009 RLC with 15mm axle should be a good compromise light and less flex but won't be as stiff as the Pike without a stiffer crown and tighter bushing tolerance. The 2008 RLCs are much flexier than any other 140 fork even at about the same weight.

The cornering responce on smooth trail and rocky trail control is much improved with the Pike over the RLC.

 

[womble]

Or wait a little while for a 2009 Revelation.

 

[Tread Mark]

Which way to go?

the rs pike is the gold standard for sturdy trail riding and park use 4 several years now...
the fox is a half a pound lighter and has is well documented issues with travel and flex...

 

[mx_599]

no one specifically asked how much he weighs. for those who didn't know, height matters too.

if you're derby sized, maybe flex etc is worrisome. if you're mx sized, maybe not so much.

great advice guys....

cool

mx

 

[littlejohn]

no one specifically asked how much he weighs. for those who didn't know, height matters too.

if you're derby sized, maybe flex etc is worrisome. if you're mx sized, maybe not so much.

great advice guys....

cool

mx

Yeah.. I have to agree with this statement.... all this talk of the Pike being so much stifffer than the Fox 32s, I only partially agree..
I've ridden both back to back and although the Pike is stiffer... it's not by the country mile that some on these forums make it out to be.
I think the rider's weight woud be a fairly major variable to take into consideration when choosing any component.

 

[Interior Systems Drywall]

185

 

[sharpshooter]

I've got the Pike dual air on my mojo and am really diggin' it plus it is a yee bit cheaper

 

[Flyer]

The 2009 Fox forks are really good..well, the Float is. I like the plushness and the way it ramps up at the end of the stroke. I bet the TALAS is pretty nice too since they redesigned it to have less stiction with fewer seals and a more progressive stroke, among other things. I have a Pike as well and there certainly are a few trails (I'm 180 lbs) where the Pike can still track better but I'm digging the 2009 Float.

If you do ride trails that are pretty technical and at speed (like fast/rocky downhills and ledges) the Pike is the better choice, almost regardless of rider weight. It tucks in less and twists less but this is only noticed on rocky trails that are steep and you need to slam on the brakes at speed or fast rocky turns.

If your trails are smoother or not very steep or you are very light (130-150) you will probably appreciate the weight savings of the TALAS and a good rider can do almost everything on it as he can do on a Pike. The stiffness of a 20mm fork is noticeable though I find the 2009 QR Fox forks to be the best so far. The Float is no noodle but I can definitely hold more speed through fast and jagged rocky downhills- not true DH but steep trailriding downhills and rockgardens.

Another sweet option would be the new RS Revelation with Maxle Lite. At 4.5 lbs for the U-Turn Air, I'm putting it on my list to run against the Pike and the Fox Float RLC.

 

[ddraewwg]

....and a good rider can do almost everything on it as he can do on a Pike.

Exactly

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=424837

I've always said that there are always going to be BETTER products out there.....higher spec's, better QA, better materials, better technology, etc....but do these "improvements" actually translate to performance? For some yes, for others no or not to the same degree anyways. I'm on the fence about getting a PIKE over my Vanilla 140. If I had the choice now to choose either, I would probably go with the PIKE, but since I have the Van, I have a hard time rationalizing getting the PIKE....especially since the Van is newish. I'm not heavy....don't do anything "insane"....typical rides involve some smallish jumps and 3 ft. ledges....some rocky terrain....but mostly it's buffed out singletrack. The PIKEs advantages would not be as apparent in most of my riding.

 

[adhumston]

I was in the same boat, and went with the Pike for the piece of mind it gave me. I'm a fairly aggresive rider and tend to use my equipment hard. From the things that I've read, the Pike has proven to be much more reliable, as well as stiffer. I was a little concerned about the weight, but my SL weighs in at just over 26lbs with a Pike and an RP23. The Pike is a little finicky about setup, but spending the time figuring it out is half the fun! It'll be off to Push in the offseason for mine as well. Read great things about the Pushed Pikes.

 

[Tread Mark]

Exactly

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=424837
I've always said that there are always going to be BETTER products out there.....higher spec's, better QA, better materials, better technology, etc....but do these "improvements" actually translate to performance? For some yes, for others no or not to the same degree anyways. I'm on the fence about getting a PIKE over my Vanilla 140. If I had the choice now to choose either, I would probably go with the PIKE, but since I have the Van, I have a hard time rationalizing getting the PIKE....especially since the Van is newish. I'm not heavy....don't do anything "insane"....typical rides involve some smallish jumps and 3 ft. ledges....some rocky terrain....but mostly it's buffed out singletrack. The PIKEs advantages would not be as apparent in most of my riding.

1 option not discussed so far is that light riders may chose the rs duel air pike because u can adjust the negative spring a little more than the positive spring and get a really nice supple ride...or bigger guys can set both springs the same pressure while breaking in a new fork and enjoy a sweet ride right away...or get a coil spring and just ride it for years...