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Why do I like the cheaper fork and shock more..? Sid Ultimate vs Fox Rhythm

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2.4K views 17 replies 14 participants last post by  StokedSpokes  
#1 ·
Has anyone ever "upgraded" front fork and shock and just preferred the cheaper components?

I'd bought a transition spur in Nov 2023 that came with Fox Rhythm 34 and Rhythm shock. After 6 months of riding the stock setup, I upgraded to the RS Sid Ultimate and Sid Luxe Ultimate to shave off some weight (roughly 1.1 lb). Problem is, after riding this setup for 3-4 weeks, I'm just not sure if I'm crazy for NOT liking the so called "top-of-the-line" RS suspension for this bike.

The Rockshox fork and shock pressures/rebound were setup using the website, which I've fine tuned for my trails to hit 95% travel. But I feel like the Sid Ultimate has more flex and deflects me off roots quite a bit more, despite the 35mm RS vs 34mm Fox stanchions. I bought the torque caps and it only slightly solved the issue. Also, the Sid fork doesn't seem to want to accelerate and lift off of the ground as eagerly as the fox rhythm, even though the fork alone is 1lb lighter!

The "cheap and heavy" 34 just... felt more confident and playful... somehow.


Has anyone else been in this situation before? Am I overlooking something very simple or have I finally entered into the world of "ride what you like" territory and that cheap vs halo products can have serious tradeoffs?
 
#9 · (Edited)
For a Spur I think that if you ride it with the enthusiasm that it encourages, the SID is a little too light duty (that's definitely true for me who weighs in at 185lbs). My Spur came with a SID but I since upgraded it to a Fox 34. Having tried that and also run it briefly with a Pike I concluded that either a Pike or a F34 run at 120-130mm travel is optimal (A lyrik is too much in my view..). The Pike is a bit heavier so the F34 (and maybe a F34SC) is a good balance of weight versus performance. It rides really nicely with the Pike but the F34 turned out to be the better compromise of weight versus performance for me (I have been trying to keep this bike light as I seem to spend a lot of time pedalling it up hills!).

To answer your question, generally I find that upgrading a fork comes with an improvement but I think that in the example you describe, the more expensive fork you upgraded to may have been less "fit for purpose" and the "upgraded" features you paid for were not as well suited to your use as the original cheaper fork..

Just my 2c.
 
#13 ·
The "race day" SID fork damper is seriously minimalist. IMO, you don't want that anywhere near your bike unless you are in an XC race where you think you need the lightest weight.

I have the Sidluxe rear shock on my XC race bike. It is significantly stiffer/firmer than my Fox Float. It's ok for racing, but I prefer the Float DPS for everything else. Again, the SID rear shock is for racing.

I also have a Fox 34 SC Fit4 and it's pretty damn harsh. I don't like running it. I have another Fox 34 sc with an Avalanche damper. It's like butter comparatively. So good. I'm not surprised you'd prefer the Rythm and the 34 sc/Sid chassis is definitely going to be flexier than the beefier "full" 34 chassis.

Sometimes more cost doesn't mean better suspension.
 
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#14 ·
I wouldn't call this an upgrade, more like getting more expensive parts meant for a different purpose.
Like other people have said already, SID stuff is all about weight savings and XC, while your 34 is a more general purpose trail fork. And yeah the SID has slightly larger diameter stanchions, but that alone doesn't always mean more stiffness.
When it comes to upgrading suspension, I'm a much bigger fan of tuned mid level stuff vs higher priced stock stuff. I'd rather have a mid level fork, send it to a good tuner to check the bushings and get a custom tune, maybe even a different spring. That doesn't work when you want to save weight to.
 
#18 ·
I definitely understand that, now!

When I was researching what fork to buy, I became a sucker for marketing. Headlines in a nutshell for the sid were: 35mm stanchions are better than 34mm and 1lb lighter couldn't POSSIBLY have drawbacks anywhere else, ahah...

Thanks for the recc, but I don't think I'll be dropping any more cash on the sid. Instead, I'm learning that the sid is best suited for actually lifting the front over obstacles, instead of bashing through them like I could with the Fox Rhythm stuff. I'm finding my lap times are getting a bit faster with the sid, that way.