[thekaiser78]

Hey there,

Going to be getting a 2011 Reba w/maxle and a tapered steerer soon, and figure I'll probably end up running it at 120mm.

What I am trying to determine is...what tangible advantages/disadvantages are there to the forks that come stock with 140mm vs. the forks that come stock with 120mm (besides the obvious option of running an additional 20mm on the 140)?

QBP (and most other sources) list both of them at the same weight (4lbs), and QBP supposedly actually weighs all of their parts.

Some of the early reports in the press stated that the 140 could only drop to 130 or so, but I called SRAM and the gal I spoke with stated that all Rebas can be dropped as low as 80mm if you want. Early press reports also made reference to a beefed up crown, but I can't help but wonder if they simply meant longer uppers, as there were a lot of other factual errors in these early reports.

She was able to confirm that the CSU part numbers for 140 vs. 120 are different (obviously) but could not tell me if the difference is solely the longer uppers, or if the crown forging or steerer are beefed up on the 140. She was also able to confirm that the part numbers for the lowers are the same, so bushing overlap would not be a deciding factor.

My thoughts are this...at the very least, getting a 140 seems to give you more options down the road, with the only disadvantage presumably being the additional weight that 20mm more upper tube/damper rod adds (which doesn't seem to even be enough to merit a different weight listing in the spec sheets and catalogs).

If the 140 has a beefed up crown/steerer, it might actually offer you more steering precision at any given travel setting, vs. the 120 fork.

So...does anyone out there have any inside knowledge on this front?

Does anyone have a 2011 120mm Reba and a 2011 140 Reba which they can weigh side by side, and throw a mic on the crown/steerer to see if the outer dimensions and wall thicknesses appear to be the same?

Thanks in advance!

 

[muzzanic]

I have both & they look the same,both on bikes so can't weigh them.

For what its worth the 140 IMO is just another fork but the XX fork with remote lock out is awesome.

If you don't need 140 go XX

 

[LyNx]

OP, are you sure they confirmed that the 140 and 120 lowers are the same? Have to ask as there were a lot of cases of off centre lowers on 140mm Rebas and can't say I've heard the same complaint from 120mm< users - this is one the TA lowers.

Jeeze Louis man, give the whole I can't reach down and flip a switch, so you have to get XX with poplock thing a rest

 

[Adim_X]

I personally bought the 140, and limited it to 120. So far it has worked well, even though I am a sufferer of offcenter lowers. I wanted to future proof myself a bit if I ever decided to go for more rear travel than what my current 429 has. I do not find it too difficult to turn on the lockout if needed. In fact I rarely use it, but I am a big dude and not racing anyone to the top of the hill.

 

[boomn]

OP, are you sure they confirmed that the 140 and 120 lowers are the same? Have to ask as there were a lot of cases of off centre lowers on 140mm Rebas and can't say I've heard the same complaint from 120mm< users - this is one the TA lowers.

Jeeze Louis man, give the whole I can't reach down and flip a switch, so you have to get XX with poplock thing a rest

yep, there were a number of people in that long lowers thread who had the offcenter issue with XX 20mm Rebas

 

[thekaiser78]

Thank you for all of the input so far...

Muzzanic: Remote lockout seems great if you aren't giving anything up in return, but doesn't the XX fork lack some of the external fine compression adjustments that the RLT Ti has? I could be wrong on that one, but thought I saw a thread on here where some folks were bemoaning that. I guess that would make it more of a personal choice/riding style thing, where the RLT Ti might be better suited to Trail/light AM, whereas the XX would be better for XC racing and perhaps SS riding where a firm and fast lockout is a real advantage.

LyNx: I'm pretty darn sure that the replacement lowers are the same part number, but that doesn't mean that the stock lowers all came out of the same production batch. I could imagine that SRAM might have used the majority of one bad batch on the 140s, leading to their predominance in the crooked complaints...

On the crooked topic, perhaps others have pointed this out, but I have wondered if it is the finish machining that is off. That would explain how there seem be straight/crooked forks coming out of the same same molds. The castings might be fine, but then SRAM could be facing too much off one dropout. Manitou had a somewhat similar problem several years back with their lower end Axel forks, where the castings were fine but then the machine that inserted the bushings would inadvertently apply a lateral load on the legs and tweak them, leading to bad alignment. If would suspect facing more than actual bending on the Reba though, as it seems the Maxle wouldn't line up if the legs were twisted. Anyone measure the dropout spacing on their offcenter Reba?

Back on topic...anyone else want to weigh in (literally or figuratively) on the Reba 140 vs Reba 120 matter?

 

[ozynigma]

I bought the 140 for the flexibility.

Its too much fork for my RIP9 and my riding style and terrain.

So I am going to get it reduced to 120.

The only other thing I would add is that I have owned a Reba U Turn (85-115mm) for a 26'er and a Reba 100mm for my 29'er hardtail. I think they are a great fork but I have always considered them an XC fork good for 80 - 120mm of travel.

Rockshox have other forks in their 26'er range like the Revelation to go up to the 140/150 mm travel. I have one of these on my Chameleon but interestingly also looking to reduce it to 120mm to suit the geo of the bike and the previously mentioned terrain and riding style.

My point is that I think the Reba was originally designed around about 100mm travel and modifying it to 140mm travel, particularly with the longer lowers on a 29'er seems to be pushing the limits. The tapered steerer and 20mm through axle probably help a bit. I am surprised Rockshox don't make a 29'er version of the Revelation for 29'er trail/AM riders.

 

[boomn]

My point is that I think the Reba was originally designed around about 100mm travel and modifying it to 140mm travel, particularly with the longer lowers on a 29'er seems to be pushing the limits. The tapered steerer and 20mm through axle probably help a bit. I am surprised Rockshox don't make a 29'er version of the Revelation for 29'er trail/AM riders.

I'm more surprised that they didn't label the Reba 140mm as a Revelation since the Revelation is pretty much just a longer travel Reba. I'm sure there are some slight differences (maybe like how the Reba 140 29er possibly has a stiffer crown) but both are 32mm straight-wall aluminum uppers, identical looking lowers, identical looking crown, etc.

One big problem is that a 150mm 26" Revelation is about the same axle to crown length as a 120mm 29er Reba, so an entirely different platform (re: 36mm) is really needed if you want longer travel

 

[dgreene2010]

I bought the 140 for the flexibility. Its too much fork for my RIP9 and my riding style and terrain. So I am going to get it reduced to 120...."

ozynigma- I'm starting the process of building up a new RIP9 myself and was thinking about putting the reba 140 rlt ti on there myself. Both the niner website and the lbs say a 140mm fork will fit it...were you just saying it's too much for your style? Where do you live/what kind of trails do you mostly ride your RIP9 on? Any info appreciated...

 

[ozynigma]

I bought the 140 for the flexibility. Its too much fork for my RIP9 and my riding style and terrain. So I am going to get it reduced to 120...."

ozynigma- I'm starting the process of building up a new RIP9 myself and was thinking about putting the reba 140 rlt ti on there myself. Both the niner website and the lbs say a 140mm fork will fit it...were you just saying it's too much for your style? Where do you live/what kind of trails do you mostly ride your RIP9 on? Any info appreciated...

Hi, live in Brisbane Australia, not much technical terrain locally, single track and fire trails in the bush (forest).

I have only ridden my RIP a couple of times so far, I am still setting the suspension up, was too soft the first ride and a bit better the second.

Yes a 140mm will fit. I found on very steep climbs the front wanted to wander even with my weight forward as it should be. I think it will work better with the 120mm for that.

Have a read of this thread

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=683743

Muzzanic's comment on having the heart for 140mm clinched it for me.

 

[dubdryver]

The 140mm weigh more than the 120mm version. The website states that. Regardless of anything done to the fork to beef it up in the 140mm version, it will probably be unnecessary @ 120mm. I have the 120 Tapered w/ 20mm TA and it has more stiffness than I can ask for!

 

[muzzanic]

The Reba 140 is good for riding steps & things to.

Having been able to ride over a kerb I thought I would move up to a couple of steps

 

[Lugboot]

Quick question concerning Axle to Crown measurements for these forks--since I can't seem to find the answer anywhere...

I'm looking at a 140mm RLT Ti but would put in the spacer for 120mm. Does this change the Axle-to-Crown measurement? What is the the A to C for the 140mm fork? What would it change to if limited to 120mm (if it does change)?

 

[ozynigma]

Yes putting the spacer in will reduce the A-C by 20mm. I don't know the original measurement but have found similar information pretty easily with a google search.

 

[ozynigma]

Just measured mine for you, its approximately 545mm A-C with no spacers. That is hanging in the wall rack with no sag but with positive and negative air pressures set.

 

[DFYFZX]

Get a White Brothers LOOP. Cheaper, travel adjustable with spacers and supposedly smoov as butta... Made in the USA! Done and done

 

[Lugboot]

Thanks all--that's what I needed to know.

One of these years I'll get a White Bros.fork...maybe the same year I get a Lenz to hang it on.