Subscibed.

 

My budget stumpy ST came equipped with a Recon RL 130.
I would also like to improve my knowledge of MTB suspensions, and will try to share my thoughts after a month of ownership.

Impressions of the Recon:
It didn't seem to provide enough support for my weight (170lbs)...without having to increase air pressure.
You start to loose Small bump compliance (with higher pressure), which wasn't that impressive to begin with.
As you traveled through the suspension, It also didn't provide the smooth fluid motion associated with nicer forks.
Bottomless tokens might improve the Recon, but I don't believe they are an option.

My Recon was replaced after a month of ownership with a 2018 Revelation 140.
Even though the Revelation is considered a budget fork, it is in a different class compared to the Recon.

My initial impressions of the Recon might have been more positive, if I wasn't coming from a 2018 Fox Rhythm 34 (other bike - trek Stache).

 

My budget stumpy ST came equipped with a Recon RL 130.
I would also like to improve my knowledge of MTB suspensions, and will try to share my thoughts after a month of ownership.

Impressions of the Recon:
It didn't seem to provide enough support for my weight (170lbs)...without having to increase air pressure.
You start to loose Small bump compliance (with higher pressure), which wasn't that impressive to begin with.
As you traveled through the suspension, It also didn't provide the smooth fluid motion associated with nicer forks.
Bottomless tokens might improve the Recon, but I don't believe they are an option.

My Recon was replaced after a month of ownership with a 2018 Revelation 140.
Even though the Revelation is considered a budget fork, it is in a different class compared to the Recon.

My initial impressions of the Recon might have been more positive, if I wasn't coming from a 2018 Fox Rhythm 34 (other bike - trek Stache).

Ok, there's one technical difference: no tokens available to reduce volume. Thanks.

I'm a little hazy on why tokens work. I understand that they reduce the volume of the air spring and I think that's good for heavier riders, but I am not sure I understand the physics of it.

 

I guess I will add a bit too. I understand that a suspension component, whether fork or shock, comprises basically a spring and a damper. In the case of the Recon, we're talking an air spring, so a chamber with a given volume of air with pressure that may be varied to vary its spring rate.

I believe, but may be wrong, that an air spring is less "linear" than a coil spring. That is, the force applied by compressing it a given distance varies more with that distance, that is the old spring formula F=kx^2 does not strictly apply. I think this has to do with the volume of the spring, thus tokens.

The damper, I understand, is a pair of chambers with oil in them. Pressure in one chamber or the other causes the oil to flow through an orifice from the pressurized chamber to the other, allowing the chamber to compress or expand (lengthen or shorten) at a given rate of speed, thus altering or damping the action of the spring.

I am given to understand that the Recon and forks of its "ilk" have crude dampers.

Any elaboration on why the Recon damper (Solo Air?) sucks, and other dampers (Debonair? Charger?) don't suck or suck less, would be great.

 

For sure, that's what they do, I think as well he is asking how they do this. This may help:
View attachment 1909072
If you remember high school chemistry, it's an example of the ideal gas law. You compress the air charge to a smaller fraction of its total volume which increases its pressure more (they are inverse of each other).

Here are a bunch of videos to explain better than above:

More videos and links are available.

As great as that is, there aren't air tokens available to purchase for the Recon fork being discussed here. If there's a MacGyver hack that works, please post it.

LMAOOOO as much as I know the amount of hard work you have put into that response im only 13 so i dont understand half that ****

 

Reason why the recon is considered a cheaper fork. Steel Uppers <--- cheaper material more weight. It uses old damper technology. Motion Control. This tech has been used by RS since at least 2008. The current crop of RS forks use the charger damper which is a sealed unit. On top of that it is still using the base MC damper not the RCT3. The base MC uses a port orifice that controls the oil flow. The RCT3 uses shim based systems with a needle to control the low speed compression in open mode. Why is it better the RCT3 just offers more control. On the Air spring side, its still is using a solo air spring and spacers to control travel vs the current system which uses different length air springs to control travel. There is so much difference I cant even begin to explain. Again this is tech that RS has had in place forever.

None of the tech thats in the current recon suck, at one time it was the best that RS made. That time being around 2008.

 

Reason why the recon is considered a cheaper fork. Steel Uppers <--- cheaper material more weight. It uses old damper technology. Motion Control. This tech has been used by RS since at least 2008. The current crop of RS forks use the charger damper which is a sealed unit. On top of that it is still using the base MC damper not the RCT3. The base MC uses a port orifice that controls the oil flow. The RCT3 uses shim based systems with a needle to control the low speed compression in open mode. Why is it better the RCT3 just offers more control. On the Air spring side, its still is using a solo air spring and spacers to control travel vs the current system which uses different length air springs to control travel. There is so much difference I cant even begin to explain. Again this is tech that RS has had in place forever.

None of the tech thats in the current recon suck, at one time it was the best that RS made. That time being around 2008.

Do you know if travel can be adjusted on these newer Recon RL forks? I have a 130mm Recon and am wondering if it is possible to go 140mm with it.

 

I have one on my hard tail. It's an ok fork, does the job well enough but not as smoothly or as well as a higher end fork. As some have mentioned, the damper is fairly basic, so it starts to be less smooth in extended gnar. The stanchions are steel, so it's a bit heavy. It's a good fork for the money, but if I had a choice I'd look for a used Fox Rhythm take off, which can be had for around $300.

 

It's OK, it doesn't track the trail as well or quickly as a Pike does. If you don't need that (or are too slow to do that) it's not bad at all.

 

It's OK, it doesn't track the trail as well or quickly as a Pike does. If you don't need that (or are not able to do that) it's not bad at all. Small bumps... are for the tires ('cause you're slow).

I have not tried this, but you might get the travel extension from this document: Service Manual - 2018-2020 Judy 30 Recon English (11.28 MB)

Whammoooo.... Thanks

 

For sure, that's what they do, I think as well he is asking how they do this. This may help:

If you remember high school chemistry, it's an example of the ideal gas law. You compress the air charge to a smaller fraction of its total volume which increases its pressure more (they are inverse of each other).

Here are a bunch of videos to explain better than above:

More videos and links are available.

As great as that is, there aren't air tokens available to purchase for the Recon fork being discussed here. If there's a MacGyver hack that works, please post it.

 

Just an FYI, the Recon does not accept tokens. I tried on my GF's bike. No bueno....

 

Buy the correct air top cap and it does take tokens.
Part # 11.4018.032.002

 

Yeah, I picked up the Reba top cap and tokens as I read about that in another thread.

I removed the top cap on my 2019 Recon and to my surprise, there's another tube inside the stanchion that won't allow you to insert any tokens. Emotions went from elation to disappointment in 5mins.

The workaround would be to maybe grab a delrin rod and turn it down so that it fit into the inner tube and screwed into the Reba's top cap. But for a $250 fork, I figured that was more effort than the performance I would gain from it. The GF doesn't ride hard 'nuff to bottom out the fork anyway.... and that bike is getting sold in spring.

 

Ah yes, the token top cap works with aluminum stanchioned versions i.e. the Gold RL. What used to be called the Recon Silver, or now just the Recon RL, has steel stanchions and that inner air spring tube.

 

Yeah, Rockshox buggers! lol

 

use anything that takes up volume. glob of grease, putty, glue a cork under the top cap even. just make sure there is clearance for the air piston at bottom out

 

I had a RS sektor silver 140 with the same issue. No spacers available. I bought a bag of synthetic wine corks on Amazon and preceded to shape them so I could wedge
One in the top cap and then had the others attach to it. After one ride they just fell in. Since they are soft they do no damage and slide out easily by just turning the bike over.