RockShox Damper Upgrade Kit - Charger2.1 RC2 [Rider Review]

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Sometimes all it takes to have your fork feeling like new is a fresh damper kit. Luckily, RockShox has the Charger 2.1 RC2 damper upgrade available to riders so that they can drastically improve the performance of their Lyrik forks with relative ease. Check out this review to hear how the upgrade went for our customer Miles!

Overview

I've owned several bikes with different forks, but as my riding has improved and I've become a more aggressive rider, I've become pickier about suspension setup. Don't get me wrong: the 170mm RockShox Lyrik that came with my 2018 Canyon Strive has been great. I've gone deep down the rabbit hole of fine-tuning compressions and rebound, adding and removing volume spacers, reading endless articles, and watching so many videos on suspension design and setup. The damping abilities on the Charger RCT3, however, left me wanting a little more tunability. The rumor was that the Charger 2.1 was a significant upgrade. The RockShox Charger 2.1 RC2 Upgrade did not disappoint.

Installation

I've serviced my own forks for a while now, but I figured damper replacement was going to be a much bigger project. I was mentally prepared for the difficult process of removing the old damper and installing the new one and had my LBS on speed-dial for the numerous times I was sure I would get stuck. I suspected I would probably need to take my fork to the shop at some point, tail between my legs, stuck without the correct tools or expertise to finish the job on my own.

It turns out swapping out my old damper for the RC2 was much easier than I anticipated. I used SRAM's official manual as a guide and deferred to Youtube videos when I needed to be sure I was doing things right. It was a breeze. Swapping out the damper itself took only minutes once I removed the lowers. I already had the tools on-hand to do the job (hex keys, cassette tool, soft mallet, and socket set), and went ahead and swapped the old oil for new in the lowers, since I had to drain the old oil in the process anyway. Top tip: If your fork is due for a service, do that done when you upgrade your damper. If you've never serviced your own fork before, this is a great time to do it for the first time!

On the Trail

And now I have the same damper as a Lyrik Ultimate (I'd like to upgrade my Debonair next). After getting the air pressure set with the correct sag, I started with LSC wide open and HSC wide open as well. I started with the rebound adjustment right in the middle. I spent a day "bracketing" the LSC, HSC, and rebound and feel like I have it pretty well dialed-in.

On the trail with the new damper, I've noticed that small-bump compliance was a little better and the Lyrik does a MUCH better job at taking on high-speed impacts. The ride feels much softer off the top, now.

On longer rides, these improvements have had a positive impact on fatigue. Riding through bumpy terrain, this thing sticks to the ground. I could tell very early on that this was a big upgrade to my old damper.

Final Thoughts

The Charger 2.1 Damper Upgrade Kit has been around for a little while now. If I had known how easy it was to install and how much it would improve an already good ride, I would have upgraded much sooner.