[JonathanGennick]

I'm confused -- a relatively normal state of affairs. I see a "Rockshox Reba Race" at Speedgoat for $613. I also see a "Rockshox Reba SL" for only $365. That's a huge difference in cost. What, exactly, is the difference between those two forks? Why does the lighter Reba (the SL) end up costing so much less than the more expensive version of the same fork? Are the Race and the SL more or less the same, or is the fact that they both have the word "Reba" in their names misleading?

I also find it confusing that a Tora right now goes for more than the Reba SL, making me wonder whether the SL is somehow a lower-grade fork than the Tora.

 

[Manicmtbr]

Reba Race has a Pop loc and Reba SL has an on/off lockout switch. There may be other differences too, but I think the Reba is always better than the Tora.

 

[Miker J]

$$$

I called Speedgoat several months back on that one. The response I got was there really wasn't much difference except the more expensive one is the "newer" model; though without any real changes.

I've been riding two of the older/cheaper models for a year or so I think and they've been working out extremely well.

Kind of funny to see folks paying so much for Reba's when they can be had at the goat for so little.

 

[mt.Pulaski]

What is the weight on that Reba SL? That is a good price.

 

[vortrex]

if you look at the rockshox site you know they tell you the differences...

 

[xjbebop]

internal vs external floodgate....

 

[pimpbot]

THe SL....

Reba Race has a Pop loc and Reba SL has an on/off lockout switch. There may be other differences too, but I think the Reba is always better than the Tora.

Is not as on/off as you think. The Motion Control adjustment is behind a little cap, and you need a 3mm allen wrench to adjust it. Fortunately, that happens to be the same size as the damper adjuster knob in the bottom of the fork, and you can pop it out and use it to adjust the Motion Control Floodgate adjustment. You engage the motion control by dialing the compression knob all the way closed.

The Poploc is basically a bar mounted lever to engage the Motion control, with a stopper to adjust the compression. The SL also has compression adjustment, but as a knob on the top of the leg. You can add Poploc to the SL if you want.

Tora is similar to the Reba, but has steel stanchions and a steel steerer tube, and only a single positive air spring with a coil non-adjustable negative spring. The Reba has a positive and negative air spring (and naturally, both are adjustable). So its a pound or so heavier and less adjustable. Not sure if the motion control is adjustable at all, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were non-adjustable.

Really, there is hardly any differences between the Race and SL. I went for the SL. The weight difference is probably because they are taking into account the Poploc lever and cable.

 

[boomn]

Is not as on/off as you think. The Motion Control adjustment is behind a little cap, and you need a 3mm allen wrench to adjust it. Fortunately, that happens to be the same size as the damper adjuster knob in the bottom of the fork, and you can pop it out and use it to adjust the Motion Control Floodgate adjustment. You engage the motion control by dialing the compression knob all the way closed.

The Poploc is basically a bar mounted lever to engage the Motion control, with a stopper to adjust the compression. The SL also has compression adjustment, but as a knob on the top of the leg. You can add Poploc to the SL if you want.

Tora is similar to the Reba, but has steel stanchions and a steel steerer tube, and only a single positive air spring with a coil non-adjustable negative spring. The Reba has a positive and negative air spring (and naturally, both are adjustable). So its a pound or so heavier and less adjustable. Not sure if the motion control is adjustable at all, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were non-adjustable.

Really, there is hardly any differences between the Race and SL. I went for the SL. The weight difference is probably because they are taking into account the Poploc lever and cable.

Your info on the Reba sounds spot on, but you are mistaken on the Tora. RockShox Solo Air forks, such as the Tora, do not have a coil in them. The difference is that one schraeder valve fills both the positive and negative chambers simultaneously with the same pressure, versus the Reba where you fill each chamber separately to your desired pressure. This is where the Reba has more adjustability, along with being able to adjust the Floodgate level

 

[JonathanGennick]

if you look at the rockshox site you know they tell you the differences...

I don't always find the RockShox site very helpful. For example, only the Race model is listed as being available in a 29er version. And the race model has the "Travel Adjust" listed as "All-travel, All-travel" (repeating the words), whereas the SL model shows just one occurrence of "All-travel". Maybe that's a typo; maybe it's not. It's definitely confusing and contributes to a lack of confidence in what I see on the site. There is also quite a bit more detail given in the listing for the Race model than for the SL model, making me think the SL description is incomplete.

I just now noticed that I can scroll down in the description for the Race, and it does say that the only upgrade over the SL is something called an "external floodgate". (What is that, btw?) However, a closer read of the two descriptions shows that the Race has "low-speed compression to lock", whereas the SL has only a "low-speed compression" adjustment. So is there only one difference between the Race and the SL, or are there two differences? RockShox claims just one difference, but then they list two. I don't know what to believe. Is there a difference between "low-speed compression to lock" and "low-speed compression"?

Maybe it's just me, but I wish SRAM would spend less time trying to make a fancy-pants website, and instead focus on getting their product descriptions to be accurate and useful.

 

[JonathanGennick]

Thanks to all who responded. I don't really care about the remote-control lever, so probably the SL is the way to go.

But what is this "floodgate" thing? Is it the same as "motion control"?

 

[kardy]

Thanks to all who responded. I don't really care about the remote-control lever, so probably the SL is the way to go.

But what is this "floodgate" thing? Is it the same as "motion control"?

That's to adjust when the blow-off valve kicks in for the lockout feature. i.e. how big of a hit it will take to compress the fork even when the lockout is cranked up. Open=small hit, closed=it won't compress.

 

[JonathanGennick]

That's to adjust when the blow-off valve kicks in for the lockout feature. i.e. how big of a hit it will take to compress the fork even when the lockout is cranked up. Open=small hit, closed=it won't compress.

And it's only adjustable on the Race, right? My Fox fork has a similar feature. I actually rather like it.

Hmmm.... Not sure what to do now. Probably will still go with an SL though. I'll be lucky to just pull that off -- my daughter's allergy-shot bill about gave me a heart-attack this morning.

 

[mt.Pulaski]

It really pisses me off when life gets in the way of Mt. biking

 

[Turveyd]

SL's been fine for me, I've got a mate with a 26" race and in use identical except I have to adjust on the fork top rather with the remove lever.

Its not a bobby fork and climbs fine when active so I rarely use it anyway.