It started out as a light trail fork but the Reba has edged into the XC market as racers look for more stiffness.
The Reba Team can be switched between 85 and 100mm of travel by moving an internal spacer; you have to strip the fork but it's doable at home.
Our test model runs RockShox' Dual Air spring system (it's also available coil sprung), which uses a positive and negative air chamber to create an infinite range of adjustment - you vary air pressure in each chamber depending on the ride characteristic required. It's simpler to do than to describe! There are external rebound compression adjusters and a Flood Gate control to set the threshold at which the lockout mode will be overridden. Lockout can be controlled using an optional bar-mounted PopLoc switch.
We took the Reba on an all-day climb-a-thon and really enjoyed the ride feel. Granted, the fork feels heavier than a RockShox SID XC, but the moment you begin to descend, you forget about the weight. The Reba feels twice as happy to hit ruts at speed and take on squareedged hits. The result is a plush, smooth fork that just gets on with it. It's a doddle to understand and no trouble to live with: simply wipe it down after riding, service it annually and it'll last years.