RockShox Judy Gold RL Suspension Fork [Rider Review]

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for.

RockShox Judy Fork offers a really good price point, but still having leading edge performance within the industry. Our friend, Jeremy, just mounted one up on their new GT. Check out what they think!

I’ve had it in my head to take an average aluminum hardtail and upgrade it significantly for quite some. I stumbled upon a GT Aggressor Expert on sale and snatched it up. After converting it to a 1x11, with Shimano XT components, I turned my sights to my fork. (The stock Sun Tour blew out after my second aggressive ride).

The big issue was that for the “latest and greatest”, my frame and wheelsets were a generation behind. (Tapered versus straight and skewers versus axles).

After researching, I landed on the 29” RockShox Judy Gold RL - Straight with a CaneCreek 110 series headset and Shimano XT skewer.

This setup gave me a bump from 80mm to 100m travel. The angle was a tad more aggressive but negligible. I liked the fact that I could move up to 120mm - but after taking it out, I’ll probably leave it be.

Putting it together was easier than I anticipated. I bought an extra star nut, but the one provided went in without a hitch. Cutting it to size was a cinch as well. A hacksaw worked fine, with a little sandpaper to get rid of the burrs. The Cane Creek crow race went on with no problem.

The only small issue was the hose clip screw was extremely fragile - and started to strip — far too easily. This proves to be minor - as I normally zip tie my hoses regardless.

The skewer looked great and kinda made me hate axle setups.

The entire setup took less than 30 minutes. I did have to borrow a RockShox pump from a buddy to fine-tune the air pressure. It’s something That didn’t even cross my mind. One thing that would’ve been a helpful suggestion - if I would’ve known.

I was a bit nervous with a Judy series Fork. However, the Gold series was much lighter than the stock fork, and the air spring and RL damper were much more than I expected since the last time I used a Judy TT back in 2003. It took a couple of trips down the road to fine-tune my preferences. However, these are very simple.

The black/black look is sleek. The subtle colors on the RL damper and travel indicator look great. It works well with my silver/blue frame and would go well with almost any other color scheme.

It took me about 20 minutes to get used to the longer travel and angle, but wouldn’t go back. I slowed down the rebound just slightly, which has been great so far.

On trails, I’m able to crank corners quickly and find the dampener is very forgiving on unexpected rock beds and washouts.

I especially like the lockout access. It’s easy to lock out as I’m ready to bomb a run. I haven’t had the blowout protect me yet, but the fact it’s there is reassuring.

Final Thoughts

Bottom line, this is a great entry+ fork and setup. My next build will likely not be constrained by “old” technology, but I’ll absolutely consider a Judy Gold RL on any mid-tier bike.