RockShox Recon RL Solo Air Fork 29" 100mm: Rider Review

When it comes to the next upgrade for your bike, the suspension can single-handedly make your bike feel completely different. It's a fairly big decision but one will potentially have the biggest impact. Our valued customer Steve Williams shares his experience with his RockShox Recon RL 29" fork. Check it out!

Overview

I am in the process of upgrading my cheap bike as my skills progress. After upgrading grips, tires, seat, and pedals also upgrading my skills over the summer it became apparent my front forks was the next change that needed to happen. 

The 2018 Trek Marlin 5 originally came with RST Gila spring forks. Which, to be fair, was just fine for the casual trail riding or commuting the bike was made for. I'm now riding blue on the edge of black diamond trails and they just can't hold up. I could feel them twisting at times and the response when going over obstacles was just not natural. Due to my budget constraints and the fact that I'm still not great at mountain biking I picked a lower cost option for the upgrade.

The RockShox Recon RL Fork fit the bill perfectly. It's low cost when it comes to forks coming in at under $250.00. It's air spring with low-speed compression dampening and rebound dampening. It also has black stanchions to keep my black and silver theme going. After a quick email exchange with the customer service crew at Worldwide Cyclery to make sure this was a fit for my bike, I placed my purchase.

Being my first time replacing a fork it took me over an hour to swap out for the Rock Shox. It was fairly easy to do although a step above pedals, grips, and tires for sure. I did use a plumbers pipe cutter tool I had to cut the steerer tube instead of the hacksaw/miter box solution normally offered to bikers. Worked like a dream.

After a few quick adjustments I hopped on the bike and rode it around the driveway, the difference was instantly apparent. I could tell even riding on flat pavement. I threw the bike in my truck and hit a 17-mile trail. The difference this fork made to my ride was amazing. Not only was it more comfortable it also helped my keep grip while going over roots and rock. It also helped me work on my bunny hop skills to hop over roots and rocks, although those skills still need a lot of work and nothing will help me there but practice. Even though this is a low-cost replacement the difference is worth every penny and then some. Wow, what a difference!

Final Thoughts

To keep the look of my bike stealthy I did log back to worldwidecyclery.com to get myself the Stealth Black Decal Kit as well. I'd highly recommend this upgrade to others looking to inexpensively add a smooth boost to their riding experience! Next up, a dropper post. You only need to get tapped in that spot by your seat once to justify $129.