# Rock Shox Recon silver vs. (stock) RST Gila pro



## jlallak (Jun 2, 2012)

Been thinking of upgrading my stock forks on my '09 Cannondale F7. Performance Bicycle has got a sale on the recon for $210. Would it be worth it to upgrade, or is it best to just stick with the Gila pros? 

Here's the ones I'm looking into. They are on sale for $209.
Rock Shox Recon Silver Suspension Fork -- Performance Exclusive - Mountain Bike Suspension Forks


----------



## Sickmak90 (May 27, 2012)

I would go with the Rockshox


----------



## Kiwiplague (Jul 22, 2011)

I'd go the Recon as well. Better fork in the long run.


----------



## Jernas (Oct 2, 2011)

Hmm I wouldn't just jump on that Recon.. First of all, why do you want to replace your Gila? Is it just that the Recon looks better? Is it too heavy? Is it not smooth enough? Is it broken? If that Recon is not solo air then definitely stick with the Gila. If it is solo air as it probably is then it might be a worthy upgrade but like I said you have to know the reason why you are upgrading and it is you who then have to decide if it's worth spending over $200.


----------



## jlallak (Jun 2, 2012)

*upgrade*

Yes it is solo air, there is nothing wrong with the Gila pro. I just don't like the feel of them, they're a lil soft for me. Functionally the gilas are fine, just wanted to get a firmer feel.


----------



## jlallak (Jun 2, 2012)

*upgrade*

I will say the RS Recon at PB is only available in white. I would prefer them black.


----------



## DavyRay (Apr 13, 2012)

jlallak said:


> I will say the RS Recon at PB is only available in white. I would prefer yhem black.


Spray can.


----------



## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

A non-sucky suspension fork makes a really big difference.

If you can swing another $80, here's a nicer version.
RockShox Recon Gold RL Fork 2011 at Price Point

Read up on the turnkey damper vs. motion control damper.
I have saddle time on some Reba variants, most lately the RLT. I find that I really like having a compression damper.


----------



## getagrip (Mar 26, 2008)

I don't know if you have made your purchase yet or not, but a few weeks ago I picked up a 2011 Rockshox Recon Silver R from Pricepoint for $159.95. As of today, they are still offering that price:

RockShox Recon Silver R Fork 2011 at Price Point


----------



## JMP0323 (Mar 29, 2012)

I got the RS Recon Silver TK from PB! Great Deal! Looks good too. White on all black.


----------



## Slozomby (Mar 22, 2012)

AndrwSwitch said:


> A non-sucky suspension fork makes a really big difference.
> 
> If you can swing another $80, here's a nicer version.
> RockShox Recon Gold RL Fork 2011 at Price Point
> ...


when you get close to 300 its time to start looking at the reba. they can be had in that price range.

im still perfectly happy with my recon silver tk solo.


----------



## shreddin22 (May 5, 2010)

i bought a 2012 recon solo air and i couldn't be happier. mine is black though not white


----------



## jlallak (Jun 2, 2012)

*rock shox recon silver r*

I like the price point of the recon silver r, but its a coil shock. The recon silver tk is a solo air. A lot more adjustable?


----------



## Slozomby (Mar 22, 2012)

jlallak said:


> I like the price point of the recon silver r, but its a coil shock. The recon silver tk is a solo air. A lot more adjustable?


its adjustable enough for me. the only thing about it i'd change would be to change to the motion control damper from the poplock kit. im just not sure its worth the $100 bux or so to get it done after the fact. but if i were buying new it'd be one of the things i'd definitely look for.


----------



## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

jlallak said:


> I like the price point of the recon silver r, but its a coil shock. The recon silver tk is a solo air. A lot more adjustable?


Nothing wrong with a coil fork as long as it's the right coil for your weight.


----------



## jlallak (Jun 2, 2012)

AndrwSwitch said:


> Nothing wrong with a coil fork as long as it's the right coil for your weight.


Yes I suppose so. The RST is a little soft for me. 6'0" 230.


----------



## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

^^^
There are coil forks and air forks.

There are sucky forks and non-sucky forks.

There's not necessarily a correlation among the above. Which is to say that your RST Gila sucks but doesn't represent all coil forks.


----------



## pfox90 (Aug 8, 2010)

Like Andrew said the key is to get the right coil for your weight. You may even have to replace the coil on the Recon because it most likely will still come stock medium sprung.


----------



## der_panzer (Feb 21, 2012)

I replaced my Suntour XCT (coil) on my Fisher Advance with the Recon Silver (air) from Performance, a week ago. The bike is much more fun - the front end is a more compliant/bounces around less. Do it!


----------



## dynamodayak (Jul 6, 2012)

Great info.


----------



## hOlykamOtie* (Apr 20, 2012)

I bought my Recon here at this website then used this code "BPX2010" it's a 10% discount for first time buyers. My total minus the discount was around $260 and they have fast shipping.
RockShox Recon Silver Solo Air TK 26" Suspension Fork 100mm Black 1-1/8" PopLoc Remote


----------



## mountainbiker118 (Jul 4, 2012)

rockshox FTW!


----------



## DanZo337 (Jun 4, 2012)

Is this even a question? Gila Pro's are the worst shocks I've ever seen or experienced on a bike, I don't even know where to start.

Do yourself a favor and don't waste your time trying to make it work with the Gilas to save money, save up money and buy a decent fork, you won't regret it e.g. An air fork with rebound control.

Recon seems like a decent fork, although I've never really used one.


----------



## Pedro S (Oct 17, 2010)

I replaced my RST Gila with a Recon Solo air TK and feel it was money well spent. The Gila sucked and while the Recon is no where near high end, It's a decent fork for the money and suits my needs just fine. The Turn Key damper seams to work fine for the riding I do with the exception of a little nose dive under braking so I'm considering swamping the TK for a MoCo so I can dial it out.


----------



## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

^^^
Just run a bit more air pressure.


----------



## Pedro S (Oct 17, 2010)

AndrwSwitch said:


> ^^^
> Just run a bit more air pressure.


I'll give it a try.


----------



## Kazpa (Jul 10, 2012)

I thought rst gila fork was ment to be ok for value. But i do agree they are very soft even with the preload on full im bouncing about. Iv never tried air forks but im thinking of getting the 2012 Marzocchi 44 RLO forks Their £179.99 on chainreactions web site.


----------



## -Todd- (Jun 13, 2011)

The Gila is junk, plain and simple. When I swapped in a RS Reba, RLT my F7 came alive. Dropped 2.5lbs from the front and balanced the bike out properly. The dual air and Uturn features are still allowing me to fine tune the bike, for the trail. Best upgrade so far.

Keep the Gila for a rainy day, in case you baff the RS.


----------



## Kazpa (Jul 10, 2012)

*Marzocchi 44 RLO Forks 2012*

As anyone used or know anyone that used/using these forks what are they like? I cant find a review on the Marzocchi 44 RLO Forks 2012.


----------



## jlallak (Jun 2, 2012)

*Update*

Ok so I finally got the RS Recon silver tk solo air. Will get the bike back on Tuesday. Can't wait to see how it rides. Got a killer deal on a black set sold at amazon.com for $300 for only $185. Brand new, right out of the box. Craigslist is your friend.


----------



## 77charger (Dec 3, 2011)

went from suntour pogo sticks to the recon silvers.Im alot happier now now if they were foxes i would be even happier.


----------



## Pedro S (Oct 17, 2010)

$185 is an excellent price.


----------



## Sickmak90 (May 27, 2012)

77charger said:


> went from suntour pogo sticks to the recon silvers.Im alot happier now now if they were foxes i would be even happier.


Fox's are pretty sweet. I went from a RS dart 3 to a Float and the difference was insane.


----------



## jlallak (Jun 2, 2012)

Would love to step up to a Fox fork. For that type of cash, think I'd rather save and buy a complete bike.


----------



## Sickmak90 (May 27, 2012)

I got my entire bike for $700, which is almost the price of the fork alone. I definitely wouldn't recommend spending $600+ on the fork.


----------



## jlallak (Jun 2, 2012)

*Fork Installed*

Got the new fork installed, now to hit the trails.


----------



## 2 Slow (Jul 20, 2012)

What's the main difference between air and coil forks and what are the disadvantages/advantages?


----------



## JMP0323 (Mar 29, 2012)

Have any of you fellas above running the RS Recon Silver TK removed the internal spacer to run the fork at the available 120mm travel?


----------



## jlallak (Jun 2, 2012)

JMP0323 said:


> Have any of you fellas above running the RS Recon Silver TK removed the internal spacer to run the fork at the available 120mm travel?


Right now i'm just getting used to riding with a decent fork. It's been like night and day compared to the rst. I might in the future think about removing the spacer, but right now I like it as it is.


----------



## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

2 Slow said:


> What's the main difference between air and coil forks and what are the disadvantages/advantages?


One has a chamber containing compressed air and one has a big honkin' coil spring.

As far as advantages and disadvantages - air springs are a bit lighter and have a huge range of tunability. Coil springs can only be tuned within a relatively narrow range. If the spring's not right for the rider, it must be replaced with a different one. Major-brand forks have a few different springs available. Coil forks don't have air seals to blow, although oil dampers can still have problems. Better coil forks are reputed to be plusher than the best air forks.

I think that pretty much covers it.

All my nicer forks have been air. I wouldn't not buy a coil fork though, if it was right for whatever I wanted to do with it.


----------



## jessers10comp (Feb 25, 2012)

thats a nice looking rockshox also air shocks are much lighter then coil and have better adjustability but air forks some times have more maintenance and reliability issues with new comers and there limited experience


----------



## 2 Slow (Jul 20, 2012)

AndrwSwitch said:


> One has a chamber containing compressed air and one has a big honkin' coil spring.
> 
> As far as advantages and disadvantages - air springs are a bit lighter and have a huge range of tunability. Coil springs can only be tuned within a relatively narrow range. If the spring's not right for the rider, it must be replaced with a different one. Major-brand forks have a few different springs available. Coil forks don't have air seals to blow, although oil dampers can still have problems. Better coil forks are reputed to be plusher than the best air forks.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the response :thumbsup:

I went ahead and ordered the RockShox Recon Gold RL with 120 mm of travel. The RST GILA currently on my bike is not impressive and needs replacement as it is slowing me down on the trail.

FWIW, I have a similar bike to the OP, mine is the Cannondale F8 with a Cannondale stem and handlebar set.

I'll be installing the new fork myself and understand that I need to cut the steerer tube to my desired length and then install a new star nut as well, is there anything else I should be concerned about or aware of before I attempt this install?


----------



## jlallak (Jun 2, 2012)

2 Slow said:


> Thanks for the response :thumbsup:
> 
> I went ahead and ordered the RockShox Recon Gold RL with 120 mm of travel. The RST GILA currently on my bike is not impressive and needs replacement as it is slowing me down on the trail.
> 
> ...


I think you'll be pleasently surprised on how the new fork will change the feel of your bike. My front end feels so much lighter now, you wont believe how heavy the rst boat anchor gila pro is. I think your recon gold is gonna feel even better than my recon silver. But hey, I'm loving the feel of my bike now. Post some pics and let me know how things go when you get the new forks on


----------



## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Part of the headset is attached to your old fork. This is the crown race, and it sits on top of the fork crown, around the steer tube. You need to move it to the new fork.

IMO, steer tubes are best left as long as permissible until you have your riding position figured out. At least, unless there's an extra 6" or something ridiculous like that. See if the manual gives a maximum amount of steer tube that can be present above the top of the headset.


----------



## getagrip (Mar 26, 2008)

For those of you who did pick up the Rockshox Recon Silver R:

Is your pre-load adjustment working right? I like my Rockshox Recon Silver a lot for its performance downhill, but one thing I've noticed is that its a little spungy when going up hill. All I can do for the pre-load adjustment (for the knob on top part of the fork) is adjust it one turn, kind of like a lockout works when you turn the lockout "on" or "off". I can't adjust it any more than that...if I try to turn the nob more to tighten it, it just kind of springs back into place. So I'm trying to figure out if this is correct functionality or if there is something screwy with my fork.


----------



## ecfritts (Sep 8, 2012)

I just bought a bike about a month ago, spent about $700 (including tax) but I'm thinking about changing out my shock also...or should I just save up & buy a whole new bike. My current fork is a SR Suntour XCM. It's a 26" are the forks being discussed above a good option?
Thanks!


----------



## gridtalker (Dec 7, 2006)

jlallak said:


> Been thinking of upgrading my stock forks on my '09 Cannondale F7. Performance Bicycle has got a sale on the recon for $210. Would it be worth it to upgrade, or is it best to just stick with the Gila pros?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


GO for the rockshox


----------



## der_panzer (Feb 21, 2012)

getagrip said:


> For those of you who did pick up the Rockshox Recon Silver R:
> 
> Is your pre-load adjustment working right? I like my Rockshox Recon Silver a lot for its performance downhill, but one thing I've noticed is that its a little spungy when going up hill. All I can do for the pre-load adjustment (for the knob on top part of the fork) is adjust it one turn, kind of like a lockout works when you turn the lockout "on" or "off". I can't adjust it any more than that...if I try to turn the nob more to tighten it, it just kind of springs back into place. So I'm trying to figure out if this is correct functionality or if there is something screwy with my fork.


I have the same fork - I believe it's settings are only On/Off. Did you try the rebound adjustment (hare/turtle) on the bottom of the fork? I usually have mine set to hare - can't say the two settings are that noticeable.


----------



## chromatix (Oct 18, 2012)

Recon is for 29" wheels right? Is it possible to use this for the 26" wheels?


----------



## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

There are models for 26" and models for 29". You could do some frankenbike stuff with mixing and matching if you wanted to, but the easy choice would just be to get the correct size for your wheels.


----------



## eighty7 (Jul 5, 2015)

jlallak said:


> Ok so I finally got the RS Recon silver tk solo air. Will get the bike back on Tuesday. Can't wait to see how it rides. Got a killer deal on a black set sold at amazon.com for $300 for only $185. Brand new, right out of the box. Craigslist is your friend.


Which one did you get? The 1-1/8" Aluminum, 1-1/8" Steel or Tapered? Thinking of upgrading my F7 too but I am not sure which would be suitable.


----------

