Rockshox SID SL Select Charger RL: 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. 

Looking to breathe some new life out that old rig of yours? Or simply just want the latest and greatest? No other upgrade like a fork upgrade will help you reach that goal and keep you riding with smiles for miles. Check out John's review after he upgraded to a RockShox SID SL fork below. 

Introduction

Sometimes I tell myself that weight really doesn't matter that much. That I should stop fretting over a few grams here and there when what's really important is something that works well ride after ride. After all, all my races are strictly local affairs and I'm not chasing KOMs on Strava. But try as I might, I still get a longing feeling in my jellies when I hear the siren call of weight savings, and the new SID SL Select beckons.

Luckily enough for me, the benefits of RockShox's budget version of its cross country flagship extend beyond that insanely low weight (1,468g exactly with the uncut steerer - I checked). It's got the debonair spring shared across the range, a highly functional lockout for gravel roads and smooth fire road climbs, it sits high up in its travel, and it performs as well as any 100 mm fork has any right to.

Setup & Ride

As far as setup goes, I stuck to the RockShox Trail Head recommendation for pressure and rebound and haven't yet felt the need to tinker. In order to get to my closest trails, I have a few miles of asphalt and gravel roads to traverse, so that lockout has been pretty useful. What's been even more useful is the forgiveness of that same lockout on big hits when you inevitably forget that you have it on and drop in to a trail with an immediate 2 foot drop.

Once on the trail, the SID feels smooth as butter and as stiff as a 32 mm stanchion fork should be. No, it's not as confidence-inspiring when bombing down a rocky, rooty descent as say, a Fox 34 or Pike, but that's not what it's meant for. For my riding (lots of short ups and downs, as opposed to one long up followed by an equally long and treacherous down) I can't ask for much more.

As far as durability goes, I've only been riding it for about a month and a half and put maybe 150 miles on it, but those 150 miles have been about as muddy and waterlogged as possible with no issues yet. The low friction seals that RockShox advertised on all its press releases seem to be doing the trick because after numerous coats of mud and ensuing washes with the garden hose, the travel feels as smooth as ever.

Final Impression

It's not as burly as some options, and it's not quite as mind-meltingly light as the Ultimate version, but for me (a not too heavy part-time roadie who has delved into the dark arts of lycra) it's just enough. I look forward to the end of lock-down when I'll still probably get smoked by teenage girls and old dudes with beer guts, but at least I won't be able to blame my suspension.