JOIN THE GREEN TEAM. Modern forks are available in several sizes and shapes, and each one is designed for a specific riding style. RockShox’ Yari uses the same stiff 35mm chassis as its pricier sibling, the Lyrik. Alibaba.com offers 851 mtb front suspension forks products. The shaft or fork will usually have numbers listed on it for easy measuring. Many people enjoy using the RockShox pike series of forks – they come highly recommended, so it might just be worth the investment. There’s usually a middle ground – you can get some good models for about $300-$500 which will tick most of the boxes if you ride as a hobby. Quick Answer: The 5 Best Mountain Bike Suspension Forks; MTB Fork Reviews #1 Fox Racing Shox 32 Float SC 29 FIT4 #2 RockShox Unisex’s 30 Silver Tk Coil #3 Cane Creek Helm Air 29 Suspension For #4 Fox Racing Shox 36 Float 29 Grip #5 Marzocchi Bomber Z1 Coil Fork; Mountain Bike Forks Comparison Table Either way, you’ll want a suspension fork that irons out the harshest of trail feedback, allowing your hands to last longer on the roughest tracks. In general, bikes accept 20mm larger forks than the regular design accepts, so make sure you are measuring the forks right before purchasing a model. Meanwhile, a small coil spring sits on the end of the air spring, which is claimed to help speed up changes of direction for even more sensitivity. Reviewers report that installing this fork allows them to feel safe and stable, with jumps being a lot less jarring. Premium MTB brand Commencal have also chosen to spec Öhlins for MY2021. You can adjust the air pressure using a valve (on suspension kits that use air-suspension). This is our top pick for enduro and trail riding. It’s not quite as sensitive off the top of the stroke as its arch rival, the RockShox Lyrik, though, so there isn’t quite as much traction in low-load situations. There’s a lot to learn when it comes to the parts of an MTB and how they work together – but now you can see how important suspension is. If you’re on your bike every day, then you’re much better off investing in good-quality bike parts in general. Essentially, ‘bottom-out’ refers to the amount of resistance as you make a hard landing. Forks used to feature both v-brake mount bolts and disc brake mounts but recently all the good manufacturers ditched v-brake mounts from their mtb forks. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but we would have liked the ability to run the high-speed compression a little more open for long-run comfort. Here is a good quality entry-level suspension fork from MTB. It’s helpful to occasionally turn your bike upside down for 20 minutes or so to allow the oil to lubricate the fork leg properly. This controls how much travel is used when hitting larger impacts or landings. We’ve also ridden the 2020 Lyrik Ultimate, which offers even more comfort and puts the Lyrik further ahead of the pack. Your bike fork needs to be kept lubricated to work properly. Check out our guide on How to Find the Best MTB Tires, or our guide on How to Find the Best MTB Hubs. Again, too much can feel harsh. But the flipside is that it swallows kerb-sized rocks like a champ, which means good long-run comfort. Founded in 1974 by Bob Fox, FOX has been an industry leader for a long time, producing products for snowmobiles, mountain bikes, motorcycles, SUVs, and more. Quick release axles make it easier to remove the wheel but can be heavier and are more prone to catch on vegetation than those which require an Allen key to install. Subscribe to our newsletter and receive 10% off your first order. They’re made from Lyrca and Velcro, and they work really well at catching big lumps of dirt and mud. This gives the rider four separate knobs to tune the high/low-speed compression and high/low-speed rebound: this is great for controlling how fast you want the fork to rebound after taking a big hit. You'll often find him riding the same track ten times in a day, changing just one thing to pin down the differences. It’s worth paying a little extra for a bike with great suspension, as it can make such a huge difference to the overall feel of your ride. Seb's much happier back-to-back testing suspension on a wet Welsh hillside than riding the latest five-figure bikes on some sunny press trip - although he quite likes that too! You’ll also want enough stiffness to provide accurate and predictable steering, and enough adjustability to fine-tune the fork to your needs, but not so much that it’s a nightmare to setup. There are a few other brands you may come across, including: There are a few things you can do to keep your bike suspension working properly. With this fork, you can travel at high speeds even on a bumpy road. It’s worth spending a bit more if you do a lot of downhill riding, or if the area you ride in has a very rocky terrain. $1049 $500 The tried and true air shock built for anything. MTB forks: Mountain bike suspension forks Suspension forks for mountain bikes The fork joins the front wheel with the bike frame. However, it can get out of its depth when slamming into kerb-sized bumps or when it’s loaded up hard into hardpack turns, it isn’t nearly as smooth or predictable as its rivals. However, they also state that it can be a bit fiddly and difficult to adjust and it may take some time to learn how to do it. However, as a great all-rounder, we’d definitely recommend the RockShox Pike RCT3. View all brands Fork Material Alloy/Carbon (4) Aluminium Alloy (54) Carbon (9) Features Lockout (42) ... Fox Suspension 38 Float Factory Grip2 MTB Fork (2021) $1,199.00 (0) Fox Suspension 36 Float Performance Boost Forks. This article explains how to get a fork setup correctly. One good line of mudguards is the Race Face Mud Crutch. Is it worth spending that much? The fork’s spring sits inside one of the legs. The KRSEC rebound adjusts MTB suspension fork Silver Suspension Fork comes with a combination of silver and black. The damper dissipates the energy that is stored in the spring when you hit a bump. Coil springs resemble an over-sized biro spring, and provide a consistent, linear spring rate, but are a hassle to change to suit your tastes. It was a leap of 100 years for the cycling community. Some forks use an extra air chamber to control the progressiveness instead. How to choose a mountain bike fork: Front suspension is what differentiates mountain bikes from the rest of the two-wheeled world. You can place this fork in three positions – Open, iCandence or Lock – and these suit different types of terrain. The energy that this produces heats the oil, safely dissipating it. There were situations where the 36 was the best fork we’ve ever used, but on balance we preferred the Lyrik because it offers better traction and sensitivity. £83.26. By ‘speed’, we mean the speed that the suspension shaft compressed. The most well-known are Fox or RockShox – many bikes come equipped with their suspension kits as standard. Categories. They’re known as a leader in bike suspension technology. You’ll want high-speed compression if you are encountering hard landings, or if you’re traveling at high speeds. Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences. Mountain bike forks are pricier because they can withstand a lot of pressure during long travels, and because they are made from high quality materials that allow high and low speed circuits. A decent suspension system in a bike will balance the spring and damper to give you a comfortable ride. Or go for carbon or aero models in our range of road bike forks, including pro-level forks featuring the latest in lightweight design and precision. It’s also great at keeping you upright even if you go into steep descents. I’m afraid if you are upgrading fork suspension on a v-brake bicycle, you will have only some basic low-end forks to choose from. The restriction of oil flow when the fork moves slowly into its travel. Suspension forks are also useful because they increase maneuverability. A progressive spring is one where the spring rate (the amount by which the spring force increases per unit increase in travel) increases towards the end of the travel. At JensonUSA.com, we carry a large selection of mountain bike suspension forks from top brands including Fox Racing Shox, RockShox, Cane Creek, DVO, MRP and others. We’ve taken an in-depth look at five of the best MTB forks out there today. The forks are incredibly important – they help you to steer correctly, as well as working with the action of the spring to absorb shocks. We've tested the best long-travel forks for trail/enduro riding. MTB forks can be pricey, but RockShox has developed this as a great budget option. DT’s setup website is easy to use and before long we had a good balance with impressive small-bump sensitivity and great traction. You will occasionally need to top-up the oil or even bleed the damper – some more expensive models have a valve that makes this process very simple. This is another name for the outer tubes. A wide variety of mtb front suspension forks options are available to you, such as bmx, mountain bikes, and cruisers. We’ll also look at five of the best mountain bike forks out there today, in a variety of styles and budgets, so you can hopefully find one that suits you. Suspension forks are normally telescoping. Fork rake or offset is a key element of steering response and handling, and with the introduction of different options, can now be influenced independently. FREE Delivery on orders over £130; 9.1; Home > Frames & Forks > Forks; YOUR CHOICES. However, they do tend to be a bit heavier than their air-sprung counterparts. In 1997, the Marzocchi Bomber Z1 burst onto the scene and bucked all contemporary trends. MTB; Suspension Forks; Clear All. Thrive Themes It’s adjustable, which is a great bonus – you can switch your travel in 10mm increments with no extra parts required. They’re usually made of steel, but sometimes they’re made of titanium. An MTB fork or rigid fork is the part of the bike that connects the front wheel to the rest of the frame. RockShox was founded in 1989 and is now part of a larger corporation, SRAM. There’s a lot to learn, but don’t worry – in our guide on how to find the best MTB fork and suspension kits, we’re going to show you what you need to look for, and how each part works together to create a smooth, safe ride – even in rough terrain. FOX RACING SHOX 2020 Fork 32 FLOAT SC 29" FACTORY 100mm FIT4 Remote BOOST 15x110mm Tapered Kashima Orange (910-22-570) - 16 % Special Price €1,299.99 Not all mountain bikes have rear suspension. You’ve come to the right place. We asked Singletracks members about their favorite mountain bike fork, and based on the 2,200+ responses we received, we put together a list of the most popular forks for 2016. You can measure sag (how much the suspension compresses under the rider’s weight). MTB Bike Forks Bicycle Fork Mountain Bike Air Suspension Fork Tapered Tude Shock Pump Shoulder Control Fork HIOD CDN$520.99 CDN$ 520 . Self-equalising forks feature a transfer port which allows air to flow between the positive and negative air chambers, so the pressure automatically balances. My point was give a pro a crappy fork and it will slow them down. Of course, all of these forks are available with a range of other wheel-size, travel and offset options. It has a good balance between flexibility and stiffness, and allows for great control, with no harsh feedback on the tougher drops and bumps you may experience on the trail. The thru-axle clamps the fork onto the hub axle. It’s a good idea to check the stanchion for damage every now and then. On balance, we slightly preferred the Lyrik’s performance and it’s considerably cheaper too. The more bumps and drops you’ll encounter, the more you’re going to rely on your suspension to keep you safe and protect you from absorbing the shock that will go through the bike when it slams into the ground. Forks can vary in length, from axle to crown, and travel, which is the amount of movement allowed by the fork. You can also clean your forks with water every now and then if it’s getting a little muddy. It’s a touch lighter and cheaper too. If there is a particularly bad scratch, it could allow dirt to get inside the fork. Fortunately, it’s got performance to match. LUTU Suspension Fork Tapered Steer 140mm Travel TA MTB Bike Forks 27.5" £94.61. DT Swiss has been making suspension forks for years, but the F 535 One marks a big step up in performance for the brand. The Lyrik offers the best off-the-top sensitivity in class, and that translates into a more settled, stuck down feel and more traction when initiating a turn or pattering over stutter bumps. With an MTB, the fork is suspended by a spring – this helps to absorb bumps and shocks when you’re riding off-road. An external dust seal helps to keep mud and dirt away from the internal mechanism of the fork. On steep technical tracks the damper holds the fork up nicely too. Yes, you can put bigger forks on your bike. £19.50 postage. These forks range from the XC variety (80-120mm of travel) to trail (120-170mm) to gravity and DH (170-200mm). At JensonUSA.com, we carry a large selection of mountain bike suspension forks from top brands including Fox Racing Shox, RockShox, Cane Creek, DVO, MRP and others. RockShox Lyrik RCT Remote Solo Air MTB Fork … You’ll be the first to know about new products, exclusive offers, and more. Having a rear shock is great for very challenging terrain, as it will absorb big impacts, keeping you steady. Obviously, this is a personal choice. However, some reviewers did find that it wasn’t as well suited for bigger drops and bumps as other models they’ve tried. If you’re on a long trail riding with variable conditions, being able to adjust this on the fly is a really great selling point – you may want to adjust this before you begin a big descent, for example. Harshness through the bars caused by too much high-speed compression damping. It’s also one of the best performers, particularly over big holes and choppy unpredictable ground, where the independent high-speed rebound adjustment seems to make it more controlled and calm when returning from deep in the stroke if, like us, you’re running a lot of pressure in the spring. With the latest MTB suspension forks, road bike forks, and BMX suspension forks, all from trusted manufacturers, your bike … Compression damping is either low speed or high speed. With rear suspension kits, bottom-out control could be built into the bike. NARROW YOUR RESULTS. It takes an innovative approach to spring and damping technology and is one of the few forks we’ve tested that comes close to matching Fox and RockShox in performance terms. We hope this article has helped you know where to start – so you can enjoy your future rides. Because of the suspension fork which was specially made for the mountain bikes are the one that makes … On balance, the Yari just edges it for us. Another RockShox model, but this time it’s a little pricier. If your suspension kit allows you to adjust it, you won’t have to worry about this, as you can change it as you go along. Mountain bike suspension keeps getting better and better while options for wheel sizes continue to expand. Marzocchi is now a sister-brand of Fox, and the Z1 shares a lot of features with the Fox 36 but is designed to hit a lower price point. This is the frame of the fork, made up of the upper tubes (or stanchions), the lower legs, crown, steerer tube and thru-axle. On the downside, some reviewers thought it felt a bit cheap in comparison to other RockShox MTB forks – this is to be expected for the price, however. Bicycle suspension forks take the shock out of impacts and rough terrain, playing a huge role in responsiveness, safety, and control. We tested ten trail/enduro forks; all had 160mm travel, 29in spacing and 51mm offset to keep the comparison fair. On the trail, this does seem to work to an extent. If you have a great hardtail bike but it doesn’t have good suspension, it could really ruin your riding experience. It stores and returns energy from the tail or the rider. Price: £989 / $999 Wheel size/travel options: 27.5in and 29in (tested), both with 150mm, 160mm (tested), 170mm and 180mm travel; Weight: 2,019g (29in x … £37.02 postage. 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