Fork for 29er

[JohnnyNT]

I'm slowly getting to the point where I'll be ordering my own IP-256SL , most of the questions are answered in the multitude of threads here. One of the more important questions remain - which fork to use ?

As I see here, most of the builds include RockShox, which is a reasonable choice.

I'm the owner of Dual Air Reba form around 2007, can't say a bad word about it but I heard that new Solo Air solution is much less tweakable when it comes to getting the fork characteristic one desires. I also wonder about new SIDs which utilise the same Solo Air system but have a plethora of different dampers, depending on the version (RL/RLC;RCT;XX). Does anybody here have experienc on how different kinds perform in real life ?

Then there are FOX shocks, slightly more expensive (also when it comes to maintance) but more tunable from what I heard. Also, getting Kashima is probably well wrth the extra $$$ invested.

Magura has new TS8 fork which, while being quite light, is regarded to have rather dull action.

And finally DT SWISS after failing somehow with XMM line has now released OPM forks which gather quite favorable opinions so far.

I have no idea about Manitou and XFusion so any input will be welcome. And I do not really care about SR Suntour and RST annymore, good if you are short on $$.

Long story short, any experience and opinion on 29er high-end forks is welcome here.

[Carbon_Dude]

My personal preference is either Rockshox or a Fox with CTD.  My experience has been the Rockshox forks generally have lower mainteneance.  I currently have a Rockshox Dual Air (last year of those that were made) and a Fox Evolution CTD.  Both are good forks and I can't fault either of them with the way they perform on the trail.

Really can't say anything good or bad about the other brands.

[Sitar_Ned]

Well, I have a Manitou Tower Pro that I got for $250.00 and love it. So far completely maintenance free, super stiff.. as far as performance.. the only thing I really have to compare it to is a 26" lefty.. and I actually prefer this Manitou. The suspension action just seems very smooth and responsive. If I was buying now.. I'd probably be looking at the Xfusion simply because it seems like you get a lot of bang for your buck. I say buy whatever you can get the best sale price on, as long as it has good reviews.

[c01e]

What about those lefties? Arnt they supposed to be the best?

[Ramborage]

Lefties are great forks.  I would look into that but only if you have the hub for it.

[RS VR6]

I think bikediscounts.de has some really cheap Fox forks. If you're looking for a Fox fork...at least find one with the FiT damper. I have both an Evolution and FiT CTD. The FiT fork feels more plush and the small bump compliance is much better.

You need to do your homework when it comes to a Lefty. I was planning on doing a Lefty...but having to mount the stem on top of the upper crown and limiting the stem length to 90mm...it would not work for me.

If you get a lower model Rock Shox and Fox, they are both upgradeable by switching out the damper. I plan on switching to the FiT4 damper later in the year,