RockShox Turn Coat Review

For dirt jump and slope style riders there has always been the issue of figuring out how to route the front brake line. You could run a really long front break line; I have done that before, and have a complete mess of cables. The usual alternatives are to use a BMX over sized star nut or modify a regular one and route it through a narrow hole and have the line stick straight up out of the steer. RockShox has come out with a solution, enter the Turn Coat.

Read on,




These other options are not that bad if you are running a mechanical up front brake as the lines are simple to route and relatively cheap to replace. With today’s bikes and brakes very few people run mechanical brakes, nearly everyone runs hydraulic. With the hydraulic you have to cut, remove the line end crimp and re-bleed the system every time you need to get your fork off or change something in the cockpit, which is time consuming and can add up in costs. With this system you still have to detach the line at the lever, but you do not have to cut the crimp on the end to have it fit through the narrow hole, saving time and money. Also after one too many cuts the brake line may need to be replaced, as it is no longer the desired length. If done carefully and correctly the line can be detached and reconnected without having to be bled.

The device itself is simple. Consisting of an aluminum tube, 4 bolts (2 long, 2 short), and 2 caps. It tightens the headset by pulling up on the bottom of the steer and pulls down like a normal star nut cap on the top of the steer, compressing everything. For those who remember the headlock system it is very similar or how Chris King tensions their 1.5" headsets.

I originally ran this system as just a headset retention unit on a new bike with a new fork and headset. Most of the time a new bike's headset will become lose as everything breaks in. I never had to touch or adjust anything after my initial set up. During the course of a month I rode everything on my 6-inch travel Morpheus Loki. Downhill, jumps, drops; even 50/50 cased a few things. Never had my head set slip. Craftsmanship is top notch and everything lines up and threads together beautifully.

The system itself is simple and clean. Without the break line routed in a standard fashion, I've had several people ask me what it was hanging out the bottom of the steer tube.



RockShox Turn Coat Details:



At just over double weight, 68 grams for both caps, center rod, and bolts (one short, one long) of a standard star nut, bolt and cap, (29 grams), and nearly the same as an oversized star nut, bolt and cap at 59 grams.

Installation can either be one of two ways; easy and not quite as easy. If you are installing it on a new fork, you are golden, as it will easily mount. The system will not work with a star nut pre-installed in the steer. I installed the Turn Coat on just that style - Star nut already in and it can be a pain to remove the star nut. With some forks the star nut can simply be pushed down and out through the bottom of the steer, which is not a huge head ache. With me this was not the case. I had to remove the star nut out the top as my steer tapers on the inside and is far too narrow at the bottom and the star nut would become lodged. The easiest solution I found is to drill the center threads out until the middle has been removed leaving you with the two round stars. Tap one side of the first star with a punch and hammer, turning it on its side. Once on its side it can be easily extracted with pliers. Repeat for the second.


The installation of the actual device is simple; much less complicated than installing a new star nut. Have your fork in the frame and have all your head set parts and spacers set the way you like. Once installed it will be difficult to remove the spacers and change stack heights as the front brake line will be routed through them. Pre-install the bottom bolt to the center rod, and place it up the lower steer. Depending on your steer tube length you will have to figure out either to use the long, short or combination of the short/long bolts (both included) to secure it in place.


The system worked as intended, looks clean, and is simple to use. There is not much you can knock on it. You can always knock the weigh as everyone wants parts to weigh less, but RockShox has done a great job with this product and it’s a must for any slope style or dirt jump bike.

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