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RockShox 35 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.

When it comes to hitting bigger hits, there's a demand for bigger forks. That's where the 35 Gold comes in, the perfect size to take big hits but not hitting the wallet big. Our friend, Matthew has been riding the fork. Check out what they think!

Overview

I’ve always been a man of few words, and never thought I would be the one to write a review like this. Honestly, a part of me always thought the “customer reviews” on Worldwide Cyclery were just a marketing ploy written by staffers. When I saw the email from Worldwide Cyclery asking me to however, it got me thinking on how much of a difference the fork upgrade made for my bike, and I felt inclined to write a review.

I have upgraded various smaller components over the years, but nothing has made even close to the impact this made. I own a 2018 Giant Trance 3, and had been looking to upgrade the stock fork for over a year, but didn't want to spend close to half the value of my bike on a fork. The 35 Gold RL comes equipped with the same debonair spring one would find in a pike, but at a much more budget-friendly price point.

Although the stanchions are the same diameter as the stock fork on my Trance, the quality of travel is leaps and bounds better.

Set up right out of the box is very simple thanks to Rockshox’s tuning iPhone app. It gets you pretty close with PSI and rebound based on body weight, and I found myself sticking to the recommended settings with no need to adjust. Truth be told, this was a huge upgrade over the stock fork, and was made evident on the first ride I took it on. Reveille Peak Ranch in central Texas has a mixture of everything, from large jumps to technical descents. The fork is burly enough to handle the chunkiest of downhill trails, but at the same time I never found myself reaching to close the compression on climbs. It’s incredibly plush and absolutely eats up trails.

But I think the most important factor of it is when I am riding I am not constantly thinking about it. In my opinion, that is the measure of a great bike component. It is something you can put on and not have to worry about again. And by that, I mean it has only enhanced the overall riding experience for me, it is not something I am consistently thinking of or complaining about on rides. To date, it has handled absolutely everything I have thrown at it with ease, and I couldn’t be more fired up about the purchase.

One final advantage is the simplicity of service. I like to take on everything DIY and the stock fork on my bike had very little to no information online about regular maintenance. A simple Youtube search for service instruction gives you all the tools you need to maintain the 35 Gold RL.