New RockShox fork brings performance at a lower price
Originally posted on March 22, 2013 at 13:20 pm
Aside from the frame itself, nothing has a greater impact on the quality of your ride than the fork, and a good suspension fork is anything but cheap. Top-level offerings cost as much as—or more than—many frames.
RockShox has always offered forks at many pricepoints, but the new RockShox 30 Gold offers many of the technologies of the higher-level forks but at an impressive price, starting at only $330.
Unlike many pricepoint forks, the 30 Gold uses aluminum stanchions instead of steel. This drastically reduces the weight. RockShox says the 30 Gold is nearly half a pound lighter than its 26-inch predecessor, the Recon Silver.
The 30 Gold also uses the RockShox Solo Air spring technology found in most of the brand’s other forks. It is simple to set up and adjust. Simply fill the air chamber to the desired pressure – the system automatically adjusts to give the best balance of sensitivity and bottom out resistance.
Do you ride 29-inch, 26-inch, or somewhere in between? No need to make any drastic decisions here, because the 30 Gold is available for three wheel sizes, including 650b
Specs:
- Wheel Sizes: 26-inch, 650b, 29-inch
- Weight*: 26-inch – 1,660g (3.66 lb); 650b – 1,842g (4.06 lb); 29-inch – 1,828g (4.03 lb)
- Travel: 26-inch – 80mm/100mm; 650b 29-inch – 100mm/120mm (29-inch – 120mm travel tapered steerer only)
- Steerer: 1-1/8-inch aluminum or 1.5-inch to 1-1/8-inch tapered aluminum
- Crown: Forged 6061 T-6 externally pocketed aluminum
- Upper Tube: 30mm straight wall anodized aluminum
- Axle: 9mm QR
- Lower legs: Magnesium, disc only
- Spring: Solo Air
- Adjustments: External rebound, TurnKey lockout
- Colors: Diffusion Black
- Options: PopLoc remote
- Maximum Rotor Size: 180mm
- *Weight based on 265mm 1-1/8" aluminum steerer, 9mm QR lower leg, Solo Air