Comments on: Rock Shox Reba Team: Out Of The Box

By: Guitar Ted

Guitar Ted — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 04:29:58 +0000

mcgovski: Yes, the offset has increased from 38mm to 46mm. This won’t help your problem though. It will worsen it. I suggest that you might want to go to a longer travel fork in the Rock Shox which would slacken your head angle a bit, or dial in more Floodgate/ compression damping. That feeling is frightening, but you should be able to tune that out with some tweaks.

By: mcgovski

mcgovski — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 01:46:46 +0000

Is the fork offset, or rake any different from ‘08 to ‘09?
I have an ‘08 on a Kona Kula 29 and it is freaky when the fork is loaded into a turn…real twitchy. I thought more rake (increased trail) would solve that fealing…??? Besides that, I am loving the bike and the fork

By: rl

rl — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 02:28:48 +0000

Thanks, I’m looking forward to reading the update! Note that your good review of the Gordo’s is the main reason why I’m looking at them. Keep up the great work!

By: Guitar Ted

Guitar Ted — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 02:05:05 +0000

rl: My initial feeling on this is yes. I believe it is definitely stiffer than the old Reba was, and is at least on par with the Manitou/Fox forks. Is it better than those? Maybe. I have not had enough riding time to ferret that out as of yet.

For what it is worth, I am riding the same combo you are looking at: Hope Pro II’s (20mm thru axle) Gordo rims and this Team fork.

By: rl

rl — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:45:26 +0000

I’m about to pull the pin and purchase a Team, but the big question is how well will they work for a clydesdale in the 260lb range? I’m planning on using Gordo rims and Hope Pro II hubs as I want as little flex as possible – are the Rebas up to the task?

By: Guitar Ted

Guitar Ted — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:24:19 +0000

Dirt: ‘92 Marz? The one made with “Drillium”, right?

By: Dirt McGirt

Dirt McGirt — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:44:58 +0000

I guess I’m at a loss. My Reba has been the nicest fork I’ve ever had. And I started with the 1st Marzocchi in 1992…. You know the one, the one with the speed holes drilled in the very bottom of the lowers… yeah!

By: mg

mg — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:42:21 +0000

I actually run the rebound pretty quick relative to many people. Just slowed down enough to keep it composed after a hard hit, but no faster. I definitely know what it feels like when the fork packs down over successive bumps from too much rebound damping. I’ve been all over the board with the setup on my fork — it’s just that the fork is overall uninspired in the performance it offers, and that’s an opinion that I’m not alone in having. It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not great. I’m still waiting to feel great from a 29er fork.

That said, I haven’t been fortunate enough to spend a considerable amount of time on one of Fox’s forks yet. I just don’t have the coin to throw at one right now, and since I already have three suspension forks in my quiver, I don’t necessarily need a new fork currently. I’d certainly like to have a new fork, but need??? That’s a different deal entirely… Now that I’m a bit older and more frugal, I’m learning the difference…

By: Dirt McGirt

Dirt McGirt — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:32:04 +0000

Mg, how torqued down do you have your rebound dampening? I found that if I had mine set too slow, it would stick like crazy. Kind of a weird feel for rebound but it’s a fairly normal feel for some rebound dampening systems.

By: mg

mg — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:37:29 +0000

I’ll look forward to your report GT, because JNC’s assertion that it’s “likely the best 29″ offering to date from anyone” is one that I have a hard time believing after hearing Butcher gush about the performance of his Fox F120 on his Big Mama all the time when I talk to him on the phone. I wish I had an unlimited budget so I could get one of each and test ‘em head-to-head… put the issue to rest once and for all, but then the questions would just be put to rest for me. You’d all still doubt the accuracy of my results… Of that I have no doubt.

What I do know is that the old Reba never impressed me with its sensitivity over bumps, but is at least reliable and durable, and it works OK. My silver one from late-2005 is still kickin’ the original bushings, believe it or not. I run it in a semi-bath of Mobil-1 synthetic motor oil, which likely helps on the stiction and durability fronts, because it’s been beaten mercilessly. You can see that the bushings need to be replaced soon though… I’ve replaced the damper oil and all the O-rings a couple of times over its lifetime, so it’s not like the fork’s been totally maintenance-free, but for the amount of use it’s seen, it’s been more than reliable enough.