RockShox Reba forks were always going to be the one to beat in the short travel category, and while some have come close none have beaten it yet. The '07 Reba feels a bit terse until seals and bushings relax, but after a few rides it starts to fillet any bones out of the trail very efficiently. From that point you'll probably never notice it again either, you'll just listen smugly to others grumbling about much pricier forks that are back at the menders again.
Positive and negative air springs mean easy control of fork sensitivity and spring curve with adjustable threshold compression damping for killing movement on climbs. You can outrun the Motion Control damping if you really, really try, but it's a very rare and short lived lapse if it happens. Chunky brace and stout lower legs mean it's stiffer and more stable than most XC race forks when you're really hammering too. Despite that, even this basic Reba version is still competitively light, and you can drop travel to 85mm with an internal spacer switch.
The ergonomic PopLoc handlebar remote is a £30 upgrade or standard on the £380 Team.
