2019 Levo Sektor Forks - Any good?

[Boosted]

Hi Guys.

I’d welcome feedback from any 2019 Levo owners that are running the standard Sektor forks.

Are they any good ?

Are there any key issues / problems with them ?

Do they flex allot or track OK?

Any arm pump issues?

I ride mostly single track on the South Downs and occasionally trail centres and am trying to decide which Levo to buy. The forks are a key element in my decision making process as the standard Levo is more cost effective, however the forks are only 32mm I believe?.

Thanks in advance.

 

[All Mountain Coaching]

Not found any problems with the standard forks. See my many comments on other threads.

 

[MattyB]

Search is your friend...

Search results for query: Sektor fork

If you are a beginner/intermediate rider like myself it is probably fine, but a number of commenters (including @All Mountain Coaching) commented it doesn't have the best damping and can feel a bit harsh.

What isn't up for debate is that on almost every other £4k bike you will get a better damped, more rigid fork than on a Levo. You pays your money and all that...

 

[LukeTurner]

If you are doing lots of singletrack i'd recommend going for the Comp with the Revelation fork.

Whilst the Sektor will be fine on most trails, the Revelation will definitely feel a lot more 'premium' in terms of ride feel.

 

[All Mountain Coaching]

..... Or, get the base model, sell the fork for about 275 and get some pikes for about 550. That'll only cost you 275, whereas the comp model with be £1000. You'll have a better fork than comp, same as expert and save some coin.

 

[MattyB]

Have yours sold then?

2019 Rockshox Sektor RL, Debonair, 27.5+/29" Boost, 150mm: £275 - EMTB Forums

I’m not sure how desirable these really are as an aftermarket upgrade, even if they are ~£400 new. Most people seem to want to go higher up the range than Sektors.

 

[R120]

I think the problem is that the majority of people who are looking to upgrade their forks are also the kind go people looking for top end forks, I don't rally think there is much of an aftermarket market so to speak for the sector and its ilk, unless you looking at building up an old frame or a winter bike.

 

[MattyB]

...I don't really think there is much of an aftermarket market so to speak for the sector and its ilk, unless you looking at building up an old frame or a winter bike.

...agreed, and those building up an old frame are probably not expecting or wanting to pay £275 for a “secondhand” fork.

 

[All Mountain Coaching]

Sold them twice, but let down by arseholes. Third time lucky...

Been offered 200 plenty of times.

Your get my point though. Why pay a £1k spec upgrade just for a fork. When you can spend a few hundred for an even better fork.

 

[R120]

Yeah I totally agree with your point, even without selling the fork you could but a base Levo you could and probably spend another 1k on top by hunting around on-line and fit a top end fork and decent dropper, and some other bits.

When I did my hardtail it cost me £1100 to get a Fox 36 Factory Grip 2, Factory Transfer Dropper Post, new stem, bars, pedals, grips and saddle, all of which I found deals on.

 

[Doomanic]

Been offered 200 plenty of times.

I’d be happy with that to be honest.

 

[outerlimits]

My 150mm Reba will do what I ask of it, and I have just come from a 150mm Pike. The Reba has 32mm stantions and the Pike 35. I find the Reba flexes a little more, but really not that noticeable and i’m Pushing 250lb.
The Reba is basically a SID and will take a charger damper upgrade if you wish, tho only in 100-120 travel.
The Sektor has the motion control dampener like the Reba but can’t be upgraded. The latest Sektor also has Debonair, but if you are a big guy like me it’s not beneficial, and is better suited to the normal lighter rider.

 

[Doomanic]

The latest Sektor also has Debonair, but if you are a big guy like me it’s not beneficial, and is better suited to the normal lighter rider.

Hmm. I’m a heffer too and I was considering the debonair upgrade for my Yari forks. In what was is it not beneficial?

 

[outerlimits]

Hmm. I’m a heffer too and I was considering the debonair upgrade for my Yari forks. In what was is it not beneficial?

Debonair increases the air chamber volume which for lighter riders is great as it makes the fork feel more plush. A heavier rider requires more support and therefore a reduction in air chamber volume. This is why heavier riders fit spacers to forks, reducing air chamber volume and making the fork more resistant to bottoming out.
For a heavier rider to have a Debonair fork and fit spacers for better support, negating the need for Debonair in the first place.

A small volume air chamber at 100psi as opposed to a large volume air chamber at 100psi. The smaller chamber is going to provide more support, and larger (Debonair) is going to provide less support, for the same pressure.
So a Debonair air spring will require say 150psi to provide the same support as a normal spring at 100psi.
The lower pressure will make the spring lighter on the initial stroke and ramp up quicker to give support. Thus a more progressive spring.

I hope this makes sense, I have probs repeated myself 3 times
Lol

As a heavier rider a Debonair upgrade, would infact be a downgrade.

 

[khorn]

Debonair increases the air chamber volume which for lighter riders is great as it makes the fork feel more plush. A heavier rider requires more support and therefore a reduction in air chamber volume. This is why heavier riders fit spacers to forks, reducing air chamber volume and making the fork more resistant to bottoming out.
For a heavier rider to have a Debonair fork and fit spacers for better support, negating the need for Debonair in the first place.

A small volume air chamber at 100psi as opposed to a large volume air chamber at 100psi. The smaller chamber is going to provide more support, and larger (Debonair) is going to provide less support, for the same pressure.
So a Debonair air spring will require say 150psi to provide the same support as a normal spring at 100psi.
The lower pressure will make the spring lighter on the initial stroke and ramp up quicker to give support. Thus a more progressive spring.

I hope this makes sense, I have probs repeated myself 3 times
Lol

As a heavier rider a Debonair upgrade, would infact be a downgrade.

I'm a heavier rider like you and I kindly disagree with your layout of the Debonair upgrade. The reason why us heavier riders need more tokens is the fact that we need a a more progressive setup. A larger air volume at the very beginning of the suspension stroke will provide equal benefits to light as well as heavier people, hence providing a more plush feeling over smaller bumps. I did the Pike/Debonair upgrade to my Revelation fork and I actually had to remove 1 token. Also, the fork became so much more sensitive to small bumps and completely removed the harsh feeling of my stock Revelation fork on my Levo.

Ass to back it up I was in a dialogue with Rockshox regarding upgrading my Monarch rear shock as I had to run pressure close to max and that gave me a very harsh ride and not using more than 50 % of the stroke. Their advice was to get hold of their bigger air can for the shock in order to provide more air volume.

Karsten

Karsten

 

[ccrdave]

well I disagree I fitted the debonair spring shaft to my 160mm lyrics and there was a noticeable improvement in small bump sensitivity and the fork just felt plusher.
I was raising the travel from 150 to 160 so it made sense to try and see what would happen. I am very pleased with the results.
I run my lyrics with one more token than standard and I am 107kgs

 

[ccrdave]

Ha Ha @khorn posted at the same time, looks like our results match!

 

[outerlimits]

Going to have to run more tokens in a larger volume air spring than a smaller volume air spring to get the same spring progression.

So i’ll go back to my original statement that the Debonair upgrade is not well suited to the heavier rider.

If however someone can find that the Debonair spring also increases the negative air chamber volume. Then the story changes as this would be the only way to make it feel more sensitive and small bump compliant. That, and an upgrade in seal technology.

 

[khorn]

Going to have to run more tokens in a larger volume air spring than a smaller volume air spring to get the same spring progression.

So i’ll go back to my original statement that the Debonair upgrade is not well suited to the heavier rider.

If however someone can find that the Debonair spring also increases the negative air chamber volume. Then the story changes as this would be the only way to make it feel more sensitive and small bump compliant. That, and an upgrade in seal technology.

It does not take a lot of knowledge to know that when you compress a bigger air chamber it takes a longer stroke to achieve the same absolute pressure. Anyway I do follow the recommendation that official Rockshox support gives.

So in the end I still kindly disagree with your statement and that is backed up by my own experience as well as others.

Karsten

 

[outerlimits]

No worries
I’ll consult my go to guy @Gary, for all things technical.
Happy to be proven wrong, if it makes you learn and grow.

 

[Gary]

Not sure why you've lit up the @Gary beacon @outerlimits

I've no idea where to even start.

A small volume air chamber at 100psi as opposed to a large volume air chamber at 100psi. The smaller chamber is going to provide more support, and larger (Debonair) is going to provide less support, for the same pressure.
So a Debonair air spring will require say 150psi to provide the same support as a normal spring at 100psi.
The lower pressure will make the spring lighter on the initial stroke and ramp up quicker to give support. Thus a more progressive spring.

Why are you even comparing particular pressures between completely different volume chambers at all?

a few basic facts about mtb air springs:

• chamber size/volume alters spring curve
• The amount chamber size alters by (travel) also affects spring curve
• Good spring support can be achieved from any volume chamber by simply running an appropriate supportive pressures irrespective of it's curve.
• Spring curve determines how the spring behaves when compressed AND returning.
• it's not only rider weight that determines what spring curve suits them better.
• An average weight strong agressive fast skilled rider will benefit from a more supportive fork than an overweight trundle about in the woods wheels on the ground everywhere rider will.
  then there's personal preference.
• some riders will want ultimate small bump compliance while others might simply want as linear a spring rate as possible. Most folk fall somewhere between those extremes.
  
  
  
• All tokens do is reduce chamber volume - See all of the above

 

[outerlimits]

Not sure why you've lit up the @Gary beacon @outerlimits

I've no idea where to even start.



Why are you even comparing particular pressures between completely different volume chambers at all?

a few basic facts about mtb air springs:

• chamber size/volume alters spring curve
• The amount chamber size alters by (travel) also affects spring curve
• Good spring support can be achieved from any volume chamber by simply running an appropriate supportive pressures irrespective of it's curve.
• Spring curve determines how the spring behaves when compressed AND returning.
• it's not only rider weight that determines what spring curve suits them better.
• An average weight strong agressive fast skilled rider will benefit from a more supportive fork than an overweight trundle about in the woods wheels on the ground everywhere rider will.
  then there's personal preference.
• some riders will want ultimate small bump compliance while others might simply want as linear a spring rate as possible. Most folk fall somewhere between those extremes.
  
  
  
• All tokens do is reduce chamber volume - See all of the above

Haha, you’ll skool me one day Gary .,.

 

[Gary]

Evary dayz a skool day
keap on lernin