Claiming to “unlock next-level speed”, RockShox has quietly revamped its lightweight, cross-country race-focussed SID SL. With a slew of fresh features, the SID SL now uses a brand new air spring, a new chassis, and more tyre clearance. Here are all the juicy details…
- How to set up your mountain bike suspension – suspension set-up explained
- Air vs coil suspension – which is best for mountain biking?
- 9 tips to keep your suspension running sweeter for longer
SID SL brings updates for the pointy end of XC
Let’s start off with those new things, the SID SL now trades the DebonAir air spring of old in favour of RockShox’s ready-established, DebonAir+ air spring in both its 3P and 2P lockout guises. It’s said that the move to the DebonAir+ model brings more comfort through square-edged hits and a travel that requires less breakaway force, so small bump sensitivity should receive a well-deserved boost. As well as the air spring, the SID SL continues to take advantage of the Charger Race Day 2 damper.
In a bid to lower friction further, RockShox has graced the new SID SL with more bushing overlap, which has been a real trend across all suspension brands over the past few years. That increase in overlap has only been made possible through the employment of a new chassis, which also boosts tyre clearance for up to 29×2.4in rubber, which is excellent as we’re seeing larger tyres become commonplace on the cross-country circuit.
Of course, the latest SID SL comes in the new Electric Red colourway and those equipped with RockShox’s automatic suspension adjustment system, Flight Attendant, will already get the latest fork-only update for hardtail bikes.
The SID SL can only fit 29in wheels, it comes in 100 and 110mm travel options and will set you back £1,339 for the Ultimate Flight Attendant, £959 for the Ultimate model and £739 for the SID SL Select.
Reba aims to balance performance and price
It’s not just the SID SL that’s received a bunch of updates as the budget-friendly version of RockShox’s XC fork, the Reba, has also been given a bit of love. While it doesn’t get the DebonAir+ air spring, it gets the Isolator damper, as seen on forks such as the Domain and Psylo, but it’s been tuned for cross-country, we’re told.
The Reba is built around a 35mm chassis and offers 100 to 130mm of suspension travel. It’s also available to fit 650b and 29in wheels while being compatible with the TwistLoc and OneLoc remote lockouts.
Only the Reba Gold is available after market, and it will set you back £485.
