The New RockShox SID Ultimate Is a Superlight Mash-up of the SID and Pike
The Takeaway: The new RockShox SID Ultimate is a superlight and extremely good 120mm trail fork.
For model year 2021, RockShox overhauled its SID product line, the company’s lightest offerings.
The new 100mm SID SL Ultimate is 166 grams lighter than the 2020 SID Ultimate Carbon.
The new 120mm SID Ultimate utilizes a 35mm platform and bridges the gap between the Pike and SID fork lines.
The new SID Ultimate and SID SL Ultimate forks feature a new air-spring tune and a lightweight version of the company’s well-regarded Charger damper.
Today RockShox unveiled the latest versions of its lightest suspension products. Below you’ll find a review of the all-new SID Ultimate. Read on for a deeper dive into the new SID’s tech, a rundown of the new fork models, and a look at the new SIDLuxe shock.
Reviewed: RockShox SID Ultimate
The SID Ultimate is a new 120mm lightweight (1,516g on my scale) trail fork on a 35mm platform that fills the void between the SID and Pike (SIke?) in RockShox’s fork line (more information below). I received my sample weeks ahead of today’s launch for ride testing. It went onto the front of a Yeti SB100, replacing the 120mm Fox Factory StepCast 34 that also happens to be the SID Ultimate’s primary competitor.
After banging it around on the trails of southwestern Colorado, my impressions are positive. This is a good fork: It’s light and smooth, with very good stiffness and a well-tuned spring and damper.
But (there’s always a but) only if you’re willing to accept the SID Ultimate for what it is. Despite the 35mm platform, this fork is more SID than Pike. It’s intentionally tuned to be on the firm end of the spectrum: it never feels plush. But it is sensitive. You can see it oscillating as it picks up small bumps, and it offers reliable grip on the dreaded kitty litter over hardpack. And it’s smooth. In one case I slapped down to flat after overjumping a transition, and the new SID took up the hit without harshness and, though I used full travel, I didn't feel a hard bottom-out.
Essentially it rides a lot like an XC-race fork, just one that’s a lot stiffer than any XC fork ever made. The 35mm platform pays huge dividends in stiffness and accuracy: This fork steers sharply, holds its line, and has good braking stiffness. It might be a little less stiff—especially fore/aft—than a Pike, but not much.
I’m a touch worried that the superlight damper, with its small oil volume, will be susceptible to fade. So far, I haven't experienced any damper fade, but I’ve been testing in late-winter conditions and weather prevented me from hitting any long downhills. I’ll know more as the days get warmer and the trails dry out.
Oh, and I did try the lockout. The lever is easy to find and has a high-quality feel and robust detents. As promised, the lockout is fiiirrrm—there was no noticeable movement, even when I was powering up steep climbs out of the saddle. If lockouts are your thing, you’ll like this one a lot. I rarely use a lockout, and was even less compelled to do so on this fork because of it’s already firm feel.
So how does it compare to the Fox Step Cast 34? The Fox has a slightly softer, more trail-like feel, while the SID has a distinct XC flavor. They both perform very well, so this is more of a personal preference. But I will say that I found the SID’s sportier feel was more in sync with the attitude of the bikes in the category, like the Yeti SB100, Spot’s Ryve 115, and the Trek Top Fuel.
But I think the SID Ultimate is, ultimately, the winner because it is $69 cheaper, a touch stiffer, and significantly lighter—123g on my scale—in a category where weight is very important.
What's New With SID
For 2021, the SID gets a ground up redesign: the lowers, uppers, crown, steerer, spring and damper are all new. The 32mm SID SL platform (100mm travel) carries forward as the lightest option, but there's a new a stiffer 35mm SID platform (120mm travel) too. The forks are 29 only: you'll need to look elsewhere if you roll 27.5.
New Air Spring and New Damper
The Ultimate versions of the new SID SL and SID get a new damper RockShox calls Charger Race Day. The damper in the 2021 SID SL (32mm chassis) weighs 88 grams, and is about 100g lighter than the Charger 2 RLC Damper found in the '20 SID (32mm chassis). The Charger Race Day for the 35mm SID weighs 96 grams. This damper uses a flexible rubber bladder like the Charger damper found in RockShox's bigger forks, but the Charger Race Day is lighter owing to its smaller size and reduced oil volume. RockShox claims The Race Day has less internal friction than its other Charger dampers.
The 2021 SID line gets a revised air spring optimized for running at 15 to 25 percent sag (the longer-travel Pike and Lyrik are optimized for 25 to 35 percent sag). “Because there is less travel, we want more of it available for use than a longer-travel fork,” says the company.
The new Charger Race Day damper can be dropped into some earlier versions of the 32mm SID. The Charger Race Day for the 35mm SID is not compatible with Pike or Lyrik forks.
New Seals, New Fluid
All of the new SID forks use SKF wiper seals, which offer less friction than what RockShox previously used.
Inside the dampers, RockShox now uses Maxima’s Plush fluid. RockShox says its internal testing found this fluid offers less friction and provides increased seal life and “is consistent over a much wider operating temperature range than standard damping fluids.” It also makes less noise than RockShox’s previous fluid.
SIke—A Bigger SID
Bridging the gap between the SID and the Pike in RockShox’s line is the 2021 SID (just SID). It’s available in only one version: 29er, 120mm, and 44mm offset. This fork uses a 35mm platform like the Pike but gets the SID’s focus on weight optimization.
On my scale a SID Ultimate ($899) weighed just 1,516g with a cut steerer—that’s 123g lighter than Fox’s comparable Step Cast 34, which weighed 1,639g (cut steerer, on my scale). The SID Select ($699) has a claimed weight of 1,671g. It’s heavier than the Ultimate due to a heavier damper and crown.
SID SL Ultimate and SID SL Select
The SID SL continues as RockShox’s lightest and most XC-focused fork offering. Available for 29-inch wheels only, it’s built on a 32mm chassis with 44mm offset and running 100mm of travel.
The SID SL Ultimate ($799) weighs just 1,326g (claimed). Even though the 2021 fork uses an aluminum crown and steerer, it is 166g lighter than the 2020 SID Ultimate Carbon, according to RockShox. The 2021 fork is lighter because of the Charger Race Day damper, and the 2021 chassis is narrower than the 2020 version as well.
Will the carbon crown and steerer return in the future? Maybe, but don’t get too excited. “In looking at what we accomplished with aluminum, it will take more research to understand if we can achieve any performance or weight improvements with a carbon CSU [crown-steerer unit],” said RockShox.
The SID SL Select ($599) weighs a still-light 1,468g (claimed). It has a Charger RL damper with “rock-solid lockout,” and does not have the machined crown of the lighter SL Ultimate.
Both forks are compatible with RockShox TwistLoc remote.
SIDLuxe Brings up the Rear
For the rear end of the bike, RockShox has a new shock it’s calling SIDLuxe. At 227g (claimed), this is the brand’s lightest sh0ck, which was achieved by making it small and doing away with some common features.
For example, this shock doesn’t have a rebound knob. Rebound is still adjustable, but you’ll need to whip out a small hex wrench to make any changes. If you happen to have a 2021 SID on the front of the bike, you can yank the fork’s rebound adjuster and use the tool to adjust the shock’s rebound damping.
Another common feature the SIDLuxe doesn’t have—three compression settings. Like the new SID fork’s Charger Race Day Damper, this new shock is either open or locked. And yes, it’s compatible with a handlebar remote.
RockShox didn’t strip everything from its new shock: The rider can tune the SIDLuxe’s air-spring curve with tokens.
Currently, the SIDLuxe is an OE-only product, but aftermarket options will follow at an unstated time. Prices have not yet been set.
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