RST “First” 29 Suspension Forks: Out Of The Box

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RST “First” 29 Suspension Forks: Out Of The Box- by Grannygear and Guitar Ted
Twenty Nine Inches has received two RST “First” suspension forks for test/review. To get a feel for the range of models here, Grannygear has gotten the 120mm through axle version that features a tapered steer tube, and Guitar Ted has received the 100mm 1 1/8th steer tube version. Let’s take a look at these a bit closer to get the technical features of these forks communicated to you….

For a little back ground on the RST forks here, please refer to my previous post, (seen here).

The First models both feature a compression adjustment knob on top of, and rebound adjustment knob on the bottom of, the right leg. The compression knob has six detents and the rebound knob has eight detents. The full counter-clockwise setting on the compression adjuster is “lock out”, but it isn’t 100% rigid at that setting. Pretty close though. The range of settings seem to make differences at each detent. That’s nice to see.

Finally, the air spring is in the left leg, and is adjusted with the typical shock pump by way of a Schrader valve which is on top of the left leg at the fork crown. The left side also features a neat little brake line retention clip located at the base of the brake arch on the front of the lowers.



Grannygear’s fork also features a 1 1/2″ to 1 1/8th tapered steer tube with the 15mm through axle as well. These features can also be had on the 100mm fork, and the travel is internally convertible. For 2012, the forks did not receive the pressure setting decals, but subsequent 2013 models will have this guide on every fork.

The axle to crown measurements for the fork are as follows: The 80mm fork is 490mm, the 100mm is 510mm and the 120mm is 530mm. Maximum recommended rotor size is 180mm. The fork offset on the First is 44mm. MSRP on the standard 1 1/8th fork is $475.00 and the tapered steer tube model with 15mm through axle adds $50.00.

Weight for the forks ranges from 4.1 lbs for the fork Guitar Ted has to 5.0lbs for the fork Grannygear has. Stay tuned for a First Impressions post coming soon, where we will show you the rigs we have mounted these to and give you our assessment of how the forks perform on trails.

Note: RST has sent these forks for test/review at no charge to Twenty Nine Inches. We are not being bribed nor paid for these reviews and we will strive to give you our honest thoughts and opinions throughout.


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