RockShox 35 Gold RL Suspension Fork [Rider Review]

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RockShox makes a ton of excellent mountain bike forks, and their entry level forks are some of the best in the business. Their 35 Gold fork offers performance at an exceptional value. Our friend recently installed one on their steed and loves the adjustable plushness. Read on for more!

Overview

I've recently started dabbling in the world of "build your own bike". I dove in headfirst but wanted to save where I could on components without ending up with a bike you can just pick up at your local bike store. When it came down to the fork, there were plenty of options out there, but I ultimately settled on the Rockshox Gold RL. Between what was available and price point, it seemed to offer what I was looking for for my hardtail build. 150mm travel with a bit beefier stanchions because why not?

I'm by no means a gear head, but I did recently take apart my old 2006 pike and got a feel for internals and did a full service to fix a leak I had. What I did notice was that after research on the internals of the 35 Gold RL, the damper mechanism was an area that didn't seem to please many riders. Rockshox uses the old moco technology similar to my 14+-year-old shocks. I guess if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The use of their motion control damper system seems like a budget play, but this is what you should expect for what's dubbed as a "mid-range" fork. On the flip side, it does come with their debonair spring so you at least get that. For what it's worth, it's good enough for me and should be good enough for most riders looking for a fork that is trail worthy and capable at this price point. It's easily way better than the more entry-level forks at half the price of the fancier offerings. For reference, I also ride a new 2020 Pike Select as well as my refreshed 2006 pike. I know a lot of the more experienced riders complain about the motion control damper, but it's not too noticeable on my typical rides around my area, and I like to consider myself an average rider. My trails range from nice and flowy single track to small stretches of rock gardens and techy climbs.

Reading all those reviews about shocks and the pros/cons can get you misled into thinking this fork is garbage. It's kind of like wine tasting. They tell you it has hints of orange peel and plum and all you do is nod your head in agreement. It's not the best, but it's not the worst. It really does depend on your riding style, what local trails you ride, and experience on other forks to even tell the difference. It's a decent fork at a good price point which is exactly what I think RockShox was aiming for. So I think they succeeded in achieving this.

It's a decent fork at a good price point which is exactly what I think RockShox was aiming for.

So aside from the questionable value, you're getting on this fork, here's what I do know. The stiction thing is real when it comes to this fork. I have the latest A2 version and the fork isn't as smooth as one would hope. A little research on this, and you'll find a plethora of posts. People have their theories as to the cause, but regardless of the reason, it's apparent that it's something that's plaguing this particular fork. It's not to the point where I'm about to send it into warranty, but it's definitely there. The breakaway force needed to start travel feels choppy. After a couple of rides, it's a little bit better but still there. I'm hoping my first service will fix the stiction issue or reduce it to the point where I could care less. Is it an issue? Not really, as the fork does its job, but it can be annoying if you notice this kinda stuff.

For those wondering, I put this 29er fork on an NS eccentric cromo frame and slapped some 27.5 wheels on it for the time being. I'm 5'7" 185lbs and short legs so I wanted to start with this before I tried a 27.5+ or 29er. I like to have options and this 29er fork will accommodate a 3" 27.5+ tire no problem. You can see the clearance in this picture which currently has a 27.5 x 2.5 wheel on it. Plenty to work with here. Make sure though you know what you're getting as I went with a 150mm to adjust for the 27.5 wheels I was planning to use for geometry reasons.

At the end of the day, this is a trail fork that will do what it needs to do. It won't be the best in class, but you're not spending almost twice the amount for a comparable higher-end fork. So who is this fork for? If you're the casual mtb rider that doesn't want to spend $700-$1000 for a more capable fork, then this might be the one for you. You still get a stiff and capable 35mm trail fork that comes in at a lower price point than all the other similar forks in this class. It doesn't appear to be very upgradeable (that's a bummer) and comes with the moco damper, but if you are really that concerned with the damper then you shouldn't be bothering with budget forks in the first place. You get what you pay for and this is right in the middle. It's also common enough in the marketplace as a lot of middle of the road mtb bikes and e-bikes are coming equipped with this fork. The market should be large enough to probably pick up replacement parts in the future if you plan on holding on to this one for a while. If you do want a decent travel fork that can pass muster on some of those crazy trail rides or even if you want a fork that you can grow into then i'd probably just pony up the $$$ to get the next level up.

Final Thoughts

I'd probably give this fork 3.5 out of 5 stars. Not horrible but not great. It sits right around average for performance (partly due to the stiction issue) to value. Pricing played a heavy role in my choice, but if you have a couple of extra bucks to spend just opt for something better. The 35 Gold RL is in a space of its own with the pricepoint and the 35mm stanchions. It walks that fine line of budget fork but passes into the realm of a more aggressive trail fork. Not quite cheap but not quite expensive (relative to other 35mm forks). You can argue it doesn't excel in value or performance, but sometimes that's just right for the typical rider. I'd probably consider the Rockshox 35 Gold RL again if I could grab it at a cheaper price point either on sale or second hand even with the stiction issue. The value would definitely be there and I could easily overlook any shortcomings as it would be better than anything you could buy off the shelf.