# Rockshox Recon Gold vs Reba



## dollabills (May 4, 2007)

Building up my Vassago Bandi and decided to go with a suspension fork cause I'm not getting younger and am coming off a full sus 26.

I am trying to figure the differences between the rockshox reba and the recon gold. I am already over budget and was hoping that I would be alright with the recon (Gold Solo Air), but it seems like everyone is running the reba. 

Anybody have experience with the recon... I can't seem to find out much about it.


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## Captain_America1976 (Mar 15, 2005)

The Recon is taking the place of the old Tora solo air. I rode a Tora for about a year. It's a solid fork, for a good price. The Reba is lighter, and more tunable. For a budget the Recon should be fine.


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## car_nut (Apr 5, 2010)

For the cost of a Recon Gold, I'd also look into a Manitou Minute/Tower Pro.


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## mtroy (Jun 10, 2005)

car_nut said:


> For the cost of a Recon Gold, I'd also look into a Manitou Minute/Tower Pro.


Ditto.


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## dollabills (May 4, 2007)

car_nut said:


> For the cost of a Recon Gold, I'd also look into a Manitou Minute/Tower Pro.


I don't think they compare. Isn't the Manitou Tower a coil shock? Isn't it less adjustable? I don't know enough about shocks to say, but to me it looks like a toy with the way Tower is written on it - top to bottom in a wacky 3D shadow font. JMO.

I looked at it, but didn't consider it further.


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## car_nut (Apr 5, 2010)

Looks are of course up to the individual, but it is generally considered every bit as good as the higher spec'd Reba's. It's also a very light and stiff chassis. The Tower Pro is essentially a Minute 29er which always received great reviews in Absolute+ form. The prior rev damper (Absolute) had some issues, but the Absolute+ is considered one of the best(better than a Reba according to some).

The Tower Pro uses a combination of coil and air for spring. It is less progressive than a typical all air system which means it is much more plush on medium and smaller hits. The downside is that bottoming might be more of an issue if you do lots of really big hits. If you are on the heavier you would want to change out the spring, but that is a cheap and easy swap.

At the $400 price point I think the Manitou Tower Pro beats the Recon Gold in virtually every way except perhaps looks. Some people will say the same even when comparing it to a Reba with two exceptions: No tapered yet and the Manitou 20mm requires a wrench.

The only reason I ended up with a Reba is because I found one on closeout at almost the same cost as the Minute and wanted a tapered steerer. At the current prices that Reba's are selling for, I'd consider the Manitou a no-brainer.


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## nitrousjunky (May 12, 2006)

dollabills said:


> I don't know enough about shocks to say, but to me it looks like a toy with the way Tower is written on it - top to bottom in a wacky 3D shadow font. JMO.
> 
> I looked at it, but didn't consider it further.


First, you know you can remove the decal, right?

Second check Ebay also, High Intensity Bike shop has been selling the New 2010 Tora 29s on there for about $150. (I have no affiliation with them, just pointing out an option if your already over budget).


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## mtroy (Jun 10, 2005)

dollabills said:


> I don't think they compare. Isn't the Manitou Tower a coil shock? Isn't it less adjustable? I don't know enough about shocks to say, but to me it looks like a toy with the way Tower is written on it - top to bottom in a wacky 3D shadow font. JMO.
> 
> I looked at it, but didn't consider it further.


Yeah...that is how I judge all my forks. By the decal.


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## dollabills (May 4, 2007)

Damn, you guys are tough. I can't have an opinion about the graphics?  You must work for Manitou or something.

You're telling me I should buy tower, take off the stickers, buy a new spring and swap it out with the stock one... in the time and cost of this I could already be riding the other fork.

As far as I can tell from the rockshox website, the only difference between the recon gold and the reba is the dual air feature.

How come Manitou, doesn't even acknowledge that the tower even exists? There is no mention of the tower anywhere on the website and it's been out for a year! 

Does anyone have anything to say about the recon?


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## jdizzy8 (Jan 11, 2011)

I've been riding on the recon for 6 months, and I love it. I find it very easy to adjust, as it took me no time at all to set it up for my size (6'3" 235lbs). I've been on a couple of friends bikes and I feel like my Recon is a solid unit and does what ever I ask of it during the ride. You would be happy with a Recon IMO. Hopefully this helps and good luck to you.


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## mtroy (Jun 10, 2005)

dollabills said:


> Damn, you guys are tough. I can't have an opinion about the graphics?  You must work for Manitou or something.
> 
> You're telling me I should buy tower, take off the stickers, buy a new spring and swap it out with the stock one... in the time and cost of this I could already be riding the other fork.
> 
> ...


I don't think I am telling you anything except you made a foolish statement...dismissing the fork as one that "does not compare" just because of the looks. I am not too crazy about the looks either, frankly.

The Recon TK Gold I have ridden is a fine fork. It even has the remote lockout, etc. Good value, but the action on the Manitou Tower fork is a notch above IMO. Not night and day, but still....pretty good for a toy fork.


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## J3SSEB (Jun 1, 2009)

+1 for the Recon. Don't know much about the other forks but there's nothing wrong with the Recon Gold TK solo air.


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## car_nut (Apr 5, 2010)

Sorry if you took my post as harsh, that certainly wasn't how I meant it. The Recon is a perfectly fine fork. I also have a Tora 318 single air which is essentially the same as the Recon and have been perfectly happy with it. My issue however is that the Recon TK version comes with a pretty primitive damper for a $400 fork. 

If you aren't paying the current street price for these, then please disregard my post. Otherwise, all of the Rockshox forks are selling close to retail right now as compared to being 30-40% off not too long ago. The Manitou forks on the other hand are still at the same price and the Tower (edit)Pro is considered the competitive equivalent to the Reba. You can pick the fork up for $375 and the firm spring (referred to as ride kit) goes for a ~$25. It's very easy to change out or you can pay your LBS another $25 to do it for you. 

It's not that the Recon is a bad fork, it's that the Manitou at the same price is a far better fork in virtually every way. It's lighter, stiffer, more plush and has a far better damping system. If you can't get over the looks of it, then that's one thing. From a technical standpoint though, it's the Manitou by a mile.


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## texasnavy05 (Sep 9, 2010)

my 260 lbs have put about 600 miles on my recon gold tk, and i am digging it. previously i rode a float, and the recon isnt quite as plush with small bumps but imo its better in the mid range.


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## REDMASTA (Jul 29, 2011)

Sorry to dig up an old thread I'm looking at the exact same two forks and didn't want to start a new one on the same subject.

I can see specs wise that Reba RLT is "better" than the Recon Gold. Dual air, more adjustable, lighter.. My question is which one is stronger? I know that in some cases the lighter components are not always as strong and can't take the same beating. I'm not gentle on my bike when I ride so I'm looking at picking up the one that can handle more abuse vs shaving weight. Thanks!


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## HalFliP (Mar 15, 2009)

Just built up a Bandi myself(1x10) Been riding my '11 Tower Pro for like 4 months now. Got a ProDeal on it and swapped out to an X-Firm spring. It is a solid choice and worth every penny. For the price(even at retail) probably the most solid choice for quality, ease of use and tuning(spring swap take like 10 min) and ride quality. ABS+ is a great platform.

I took a razor blade and removed the Tower logo myself.....now I have a great fork at a great price and it looks sweet too.


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## outlaw1776 (Jul 28, 2011)

Thanks for all the info, been looking at this for my current build too. Good info.


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## thekrow4jc (Apr 2, 2006)

I"ve been on a recon gold for 6months now. I ride some gnar trails in rocky, mountainous British columbia and it's a stellar fork for the budget. Sure it lacks some of the tuning features a reba has, but I'm a set it and forget about it (aside form add air every so often) kind of rider. If you want a good preforming fork for a budget build, recon is the trick.


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## FujNoob (Dec 20, 2009)

Recon for 4 months now with no regrets. Suits me and how I ride.


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## Carloswithac (Feb 6, 2012)

I, too didn't want to start a new thread on this. I'm currently running the XC28 that came with my bike and don't know how long it will last.Which would be the better buy out of these two forks when mine bites the dust?

I mostly ride fast single track with some rock gardens here and there. Not into big jumps or anything. 

Thanks, 
Carlos


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## hsakkire (Mar 6, 2010)

I have owned a bunch of Reba's in both first and second generation configurations. I currently have a Team and an SL (2009's). They're easy to service and work well overall, I think they're good forks. My Team model developed a leak which was easily solved with a seal kit and rebuild but that was after a couple years of use as well. They do require regular maintenance and I change fluids regularly and perform all repairs and maintenance.

I'm looking for a new fork as the steerer tube on the SL is a little short on the current bike. As much as I like Reba's, I can't justify their current pricing. I'm probably going to buy a Tower Expert. It uses an actual coil spring versus the air spring in the Pro. The only downside, for some, is that it weighs .5 pound more. But, I don't know of any air spring fork that can perform as well as a coil. Despite the Rebas adjustability, you must make compromises on small bump compliance versus big hit damping. They're no different than any other air fork in that regard. the really cool part of the Expert is that you have a low pressure air assist to help with sag and big hits. Plus, it comes in black. I really don't want a white fork 

Most of the mid to upper level forks today perform very well. I would imagine that the Recon is a solid fork with the solo air damper. Basically, RS is picking the compromise for small/big hit compliance for you whereas the Reba requires you to set the negative air pressure. A lot of folks find this to be problematic. So some may prefer the Recon over the Reba for ease of setup. 

Good luck with your decision.


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## h2otaco (Aug 5, 2010)

If you are on a budget go find a Manitou Tower Expert, or for $70 more, a pro. It's a far superior fork. I don't like the recons, I think they feel cheap and very linear where the Tower feels like a much nicer fork with good damping and a much more progressive stroke.

Rebas or Sids, on the other hand, I like better than the Tower. The Neg air allows you to tune the progressiveness of the stroke without using a damper that can be blown through and that's the highlight of the RS air shocks.


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## beejieweejie (Dec 23, 2009)

im 6'3" 200lbs riding a bander with a recon gold tk set at 120mm travel. i am running the pressure WAY below where it says to, around 75-80psi (when 100-120psi is where i "should" be) to deal with the numerous small roots on my local trails, doesnt bottom out... also, i do notice a lot of linear/front to back flex in the fork...


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## FujNoob (Dec 20, 2009)

bjleydic said:


> Iam running the pressure WAY below where it says to, around 75-80psi (when 100-120psi is where i "should" be) ........ also, i do notice a lot of linear/front to back flex in the fork...


Ditto on the lower pressure and same on front/back flex. I found a much more comfortable ride around the 90psi mark.


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## andrwplsn (Aug 1, 2011)

i love my recon! its good to see that you fellas are running them at lower pressures! I just set mine to the 120 setting today and the compression ramped a ton! i know this is kinda a double post so here is the link to my original. http://forums.mtbr.com/29er-components/rock-shox-recon-rebuild-771799.html


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## justwan naride (Oct 13, 2008)

Bringing the topic back from sleep, would you consider the Recon (gold RL100mm is the one I'm interested in) a flexy fork? I know it's essentialy an upgraded version of the Tora, which is supposed to be very stiff for its price/class. I'm currently on the latest incarnation of the Judy 2 which came stock on the bike (ancestor of the Dart/XC28 for the younger crowd) and while it performs adequately for a low end unit, it flexes like a noodle. 
I understand that almost anything will be an upgrade compared to it's 28mm steel stanchions but I hate flex with a passion. I've tried a Tora TK coil and didn't feel any flex whatsoever, but in terms of plushness it didn't feel any better than the Judy, hence my consideration for the recon solo air RL with motion control damping. 

I'm 69kgs (that's about 152lbs) and the bike is a 2007 Giant Terrago with trail/allround fun setup (short stem, wide bars, 2.3 front tyre). The weak link is currently the fork.


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## TaupoRider (Jan 6, 2012)

I've had both shocks. I hated the recon but love the reba. You can tune the reba much more


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## myt72 (Jan 6, 2012)

How did you get your recon tk to 120mm travel?


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## GelatiCruiser (Oct 11, 2012)

myt72 said:


> How did you get your recon tk to 120mm travel?


Follow the link in the post, but i dont think you can get it to 120mm.


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## Mr.Quint (Mar 22, 2012)

Yes you can get it to 120. I've done it. Take it apart and take out the spacer. 

Warning though, it will get more flexy. I prefer the longer travel, but my tire will rub now from time to time. Makes me want a new fork.


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## zeuz83 (Nov 21, 2013)

I just closed a deal on a Recon Gold TK for $250.00!!! Brand new in the box from an ebay user who received it with his new Trek and swapped for a FOX before even installing it. I will be receiving it probably next week and will be posting results as soon as possible.


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## zeuz83 (Nov 21, 2013)

Look what just arrived! Cant wait to set it up and test it!









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## cpfitness (Nov 19, 2012)

Hate to steal your thunder but there was a buy it now or best offer on eBay for 299. I offered 199 and they accepted!

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## zeuz83 (Nov 21, 2013)

Holy!!! Awesome deal!!! Enjoy it bud...


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