2024 RockShox SID, SID SL, and SIDLuxe
Travel Options:
- SID SL: 100 and 110 mm
- SID: 100, 110, and 120 mm
Wheel Sizes: 29’’
Available Offset: 44 mm
Stanchions:
- SID SL: 32 mm
- SID: 35 mm
Stated Weight:
- SID SL: 1,352 g (SID SL Ultimate, 110 mm travel)
- SID: 1,476 g (SID Ultimate, 120 mm travel)
- SIDLuxe: 246 g (SIDLuxe Ultimate, 190 x 45 mm)
MSRP:
- SID SL: $689 – $899
- SID: $789 – $999
- SIDLuxe: $439 – 509
Intro
RockShox has now updated their entire line of top-tier “Signature” forks within the past year, with a new SID and SID SL launching today, following the Pike, Lyrik, and ZEB last year and the BoXXer DH fork last week. And there’s a new SIDLuxe rear shock to go with the updated XC forks, too.
SID and SID SL Forks
Both the SID and SID SL get updated an updated chassis, with the 35 mm and 32 mm stanchion diameters (respectively) carrying over from the prior-generation forks. The SID sees bigger overall changes, with the stanchions being lengthened by 25 mm to provide full overlap with the lower bushing at topout. RockShox says that this makes for a stiffer chassis with less friction due to better-managed side loading under impacts.
The Ultimate versions of both the SID and SID SL get additional machining on the crown to reduce weight and RockShox says that they’ve made some additional subtle refinements to the SID SL chassis to pare out a little more weight. In total, RockShox’s claimed weight for the SID Ultimate is a tad lighter than the prior-generation one (1,476 g vs 1,537 g); the SID SL Ultimate has gained a handful of grams, from 1,326 g to 1,352 g. Along with the more performance-oriented updates, both the SID and SID SL get an optional new “Blue Crush” finish on the Ultimate versions (black is also available).
The SID tops out at 120 mm of travel, and is offered in 110 and 100 mm options as well; you can now get the SID SL in a 110mm-travel version in addition to the 100 mm one that was the lone travel option on the prior-generation SID SL. The SID also gets an optional bolt-on fender, but the SID SL has to make do without. The SID’s lowers get the bolt-on plastic adapters to make wheel alignment easier if using a non-Torque-Cap wheel, while the SID SL maintains Torque Cap compatibility but forgoes the adapters. You can, of course, run a standard Boost 15 x 110 mm wheel in either, but it’ll be marginally trickier to align on the SID SL.
Charger Race Day 2 Damper
The higher-end Ultimate and Select+ tiers of the SID and SID SL both get a new damper called the Charger Race Day 2 (in versions sized for their respective chassis, but otherwise sharing the same design and features). Like the Charger Race Day damper that it replaces, the Charger Race Day 2 has adjustable rebound and a lockout switch, but it adds an optional third position to the lockout lever, providing a firmer (but not fully locked out) “Pedal” mode in between the “Open” and “Lock” settings. If you’d prefer the older, simpler two-position arrangement (without the Pedal mode), that’s still an option as well, though the two- and three-position versions of the dampers are entirely different, so you’ll need to swap the full cartridge if you want to swap between the two.
Both are available in versions with either a handlebar-mounted remote or with a switch on the top of the crown to select between the modes, but once again you need to swap the entire damper to swap between the two. The two-position remote damper uses the same 10 mm cable pull as the prior version; the three-position one needs 7 mm of cable pull between each position (14 mm total) and RockShox offers new versions of their TwistLoc grip-shift-style remote for each. Both are available with a smooth or textured grip and can be set up to operate the fork, shock, or both simultaneously. If you’re running a remote tied to both the fork and shock, you’ll need to match the number of damper positions on both, but you can, of course, mix and match with the lever-actuated versions.
The versions of the Charger Race Day 2 damper in the SID Select+ and SID SL Select+ are functionally the same as the Ultimate-tier ones, but with less machining on certain parts (which is what saves a little weight on the Ultimate variants). RockShox says that the Ultimate-tier version is the lightest fork damper on the market and that the new dampers can be retrofitted to the most recent prior-generation SIDs and SID SLs. The Charger Race Day 2 damper upgrade kit retails for $269 / €319 / £289 for either the two- or three-position version.
The less-expensive SID and SID SL Select get a Charger XC damper with the same two- or three-position switch and remote or non-remote options; the damper used in the base SID and SID SL is called “Rush XC” and gets all the same options as well. RockShox is sparing with the details on the more basic dampers but says that they actually primarily differ from the higher-end Charger Race Day 2 in terms of weight and that the damper performance is generally similar across all three.
DebonAir+ Air Spring
The SID gets a new air spring design, which RockShox is once again calling DebonAir+ (as they do in their longer-travel forks, from the Pike up through the BoXXer), but the SID version differs substantially in its design from the other iterations. It’s still an air spring with self-equalizing positive and negative chambers, but the SID DebonAir+ spring uses a coil topout spring (instead of a rubber bumper), which RockShox says makes for more supple initial travel, in conjunction with a new bigger negative air chamber. The SID’s negative chamber is now 50% bigger than the prior-generation one, and the positive chamber volume has been increased by 16% as well — made possible by the newly lengthened stanchion providing a bigger housing.
Unlike the DebonAir+ springs found in RockShox’s longer-travel forks, the SID version forgoes Buttercups (little vibration-isolating rubber pucks at the bottom of the spring and damper shafts) in even the top-tier Ultimate versions, because RockShox says that their movement compromises the true lockout that the SID offers. The new DebonAir+ spring is not retrofittable to prior SID generations.
The SID SL’s spring design carries over unchanged from the prior generation. Both the SID and SID SL use the same Bottomless Tokens for spring volume adjustment as the prior models.
Details: SID Forks
Specs
- Stated weight: 1,476 g (SID Ultimate, 110 mm travel)
- Travel options: 100, 110, and 120 mm
- Wheel size: 29’’
- Offset: 44 mm
- MSRP: $999 / €1,199 / £1,069 (European prices include VAT)
- Damper: Charger Race Day 2
- Spring: DebonAir+
- MSRP: OE only
- Damper: Charger Race Day 2
- Spring: DebonAir+
- MSRP: $789 / €939 / £839 (European prices include VAT)
- Damper: Charger XC
- Spring: DebonAir+
- MSRP: OE Only
- Damper: Rush XC
- Spring: DebonAir+
Details: SID SL Forks
Specs
- Stated weight: 1,352 g (SID SL Ultimate, 110 mm travel)
- Travel options: 100 and 110 mm
- Wheel size: 29’’
- Offset: 44 mm
- MSRP: $899 / €1,079 / £959 (European prices include VAT)
- Damper: Charger Race Day 2
- Spring: DebonAir+
- MSRP: OE only
- Damper: Charger Race Day 2
- Spring: DebonAir+
- MSRP: $689 / €819 / £739 (European prices include VAT)
- Damper: Charger XC
- Spring: DebonAir+
- MSRP: OE Only
- Damper: Rush XC
- Spring: DebonAir+
SIDLuxe Shocks
RockShox has given their SIDLuxe rear shock a makeover to match the updates to the SID and SID SL forks. In keeping with the forks, the SIDLuxe is offered with either a two-position or three-position lockout, in either remote- or lever-actuated versions, with a rebound adjuster in the mix as well. There are three different remote cable attachment variants available to better fit a wider range of bikes (plus the non-remote lever version). If you want to convert your new SIDLuxe from the three-position version to the two-position one (or vice versa), a kit is available for $54 / €54 / £59 in remote- or lever-actuated versions. The upgrade kits are only compatible with the new 2024 versions of the SIDLuxe and can’t be retrofitted to older models.
RockShox also offers two different air cans for the SIDLuxe, saying that the Solo Air version offers a more linear spring curve, while the new DebonAir+ version is more progressive. There are two different volume spacer options for the new SIDLuxe (large and small), both of which are new, in order to work with the revised air piston, and can only be used individually (i.e., only one or the other will fit at a time).
As with the Select+ versions of the SID and SID SL, the SIDLuxe Select+ is offered OE only (i.e., only as part of full bike builds) and has the same performance and features as the Ultimate version, just with less machining, reportedly resulting in a slightly heavier weight (and no “Blue Crush” finish option). RockShox says that they’ve retuned the damper to flow more oil and blow off into the high-speed circuit more readily in Open mode for a cushier ride, and multiple compression tunes are available for all three damper modes (if equipped, or both on the two-position version). They also say that they’ve worked with the respective frame manufacturers to develop specific tunes for the following list of bike models:
- BMC Fourstroke (2021+)
- Canyon Lux TR (2022+)
- Mondraker F-Podium (2020+)
- Mondraker F-Podium DC( 2022+)
- Santa Cruz Blur (2022+)
- Santa Cruz Blur TR (2022+)
- Specialized Epic Evo (2021+)
- Transition Spur (2020+)
- Trek Top Fuel 2020–2022
RockShox doesn’t list the full range of sizes available in the SIDLuxe, but we’d assume that it’s similar to the prior-generation version, which was offered in metric sizes up to 210 x 55 mm eyelet and 185 x 50 mm Trunnion mount, plus all standard sizes below that. We’ll confirm with RockShox and update when we hear back.
SIDLuxe Models:
- MSRP: $439–509 / €539–609 / £479–539 (European prices include VAT)
- Spring: Solo Air and DebonAir+ options
- Damper: RL and RLR versions
- Adjustments: Rebound, lockout
- MSRP: OE only
Spring: Solo Air and DebonAir+ options
Damper: RL and RLR versions
Adjustments: Rebound, lockout
Some Questions / Things We’re Curious About
(1) How does the performance of the new SID, SID SL, and SIDLuxe differ from the prior generation versions on trail?
(2) Who’s going to be best off going for the new three-position versions of the SID family vs. sticking with the two-position ones?
(3) And how different do the SID and SID SL feel, given their differences in spring design and chassis size, but not-that-dramatic weight difference?
Bottom Line (For Now)
RockShox has given the SID, SID SL, and SIDLuxe a significant overhaul and we’re curious to see how the updates pan out on the trail. We’re working to make that happen (but need to nail down the ideal test bike) so stay tuned for more to come.