Flow’s First Bite: New RockShox SID


The not-so-minor details

Product

RockShox SID

Contact

Monza Bicycle Imports

SID XX

$1199-$1299

SID RCT3

$1299

SID RLC

$1299

SID WC

$1699-$1799

Charger upgrade kit

$499

Positives

Impressive weight savings.
Charger damper proven in RS-1.

Negatives

Nothing at this stage.

Before we fit it up and get bouncing, lets take a quick look at what’s new with the new SID.

We have the new SID on review, with the original Motion Control damper, and the Charger Upgrade to try.
We have the new SID on review, with the original Motion Control damper, and the Charger Upgrade to fit after a few rides to compare performance.
rockshox-sid-9175
Retaining the SID name, but revamping every single part.

Hot off the heels of the release of FOX’s crazy-light 32 SC fork (read our full review here) the big guns at RockShox fired back with a fork we hoped for, it may look very similar but there’s multiple weight saving features and now uses the Charger Damper on the RLC and World Cup models.  The SID follows the release of RockShox’s inverted fork, the RS-1 (review here) which saw many World Cup racers using, but the SID was still a lighter fork.

Who is it for?

RockShox are taking the SID back to its XC roots – there will be no more 120mm version of the SID, it’s 100mm only. RockShox are letting the Revelation and Pike handle the 120mm market now. Smart move – people are riding 120mm bikes very hard now, and the SID isn’t built for that kind of flogging, we are certainly not adversed to running a Pike on a 120mm trail bike nowadays. Removing travel variants allows RockShox to optimise the air spring specifically for this this travel too, and they say it’s more linear than before, which is good for lighter riders. Heavier or more front heavy riders can still add Bottomless Tokens to increase progressiveness.

It's easy to see weight saving construction all over this new fork.
It’s easy to see weight saving construction all over this new fork.

There are four SID forks in the range, all available in 27.5 and 29″, with Boost or regular hub spacing: the World Cup, XX, RLC and RCT3, we have the RL to ride, and then we’ll upgrade the damper to the Charger for testing.

A charger damper upgrade is $499 on its own, and the allen key only, non Maxle QR can be purchased aftermarket for $59.

A cassette tool fitting to access the air chamber side.
A cassette tool fitting to access the air chamber side.

How light?

Moving to a 100mm-only platform allows RockShox to create a lighter fork. In the past, the 120mm and 100m versions shared the same chassis, and so naturally it had to be on the beefier side to accommodate the harder riding demands of those riders on the 120mm fork. Now, as 100mm-only offering, the whole fork can be made a little leaner. The new SID is on average 100g lighter across each of the four models than in the past. The carbon crown/steerer equipped World Cup fork is 1366g, in a 27.5″ version, about 10g heavier than FOX’s new 32SC fork.

The SID uses a new tool-free cable guide, hope we see this on more forks in the range one day.
The SID uses a new tool-free cable guide, hope we see this on more forks in the range one day.
Plenty of material shaven from the lower legs to save grams.
Plenty of material shaven from the lower legs to save grams.

RockShox are making the claim that the new SID is stiffer than its predecessors, but that’s on the proviso that you’re running one of their Torque Cap hubs, which gives you a much bigger contact area between the hub and fork dropouts. Of course normal 15mm hubs are compatible too, but you lose the increased hub/fork contact and its stiffen gains.

The Charger damper.

The RLC and World Cup versions of the SID get a new damper too; the Charger damper has external compression adjustment plus a two-position lockout (it’s either open, or has a very firm lockout). Beginning stroke rebound is adjustable, but deep stroke rebound is factory set with the excellent Rapid Recovery system. The new damper is complemented by lower-friction seals as well.

The excellent Charger damper finally makes its way to the SID.
The excellent Charger damper finally makes its way to the SID.
The expandable bladder seals the oil and moving parts of the damper.
The expandable bladder seals the oil and moving parts of the damper.

We’ll be fitting the SID up to a suitable XC bike soon, first we’ll ride it with the Motion Control damper, and then we’ll fit the Charger damper to feel the difference between the two systems.

Stay tuned!


With the new SID on review, it inspired us to give a polish and shine to an old fave, the Judy SL from 20 years ago.

Look at those legs!
Look at those legs!

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