In this article I’m going to cover a broad spectrum of the very best suspension forks for trail riding. In terms of content and amount of research, it has probably been one of the subjects I’ve poured the most time into.
The reason being that not only is front suspension a very complex subject, but the breadth of difference in requirements for individual riders is extremely large, in terms of price, travel, and adjustability. Simply said one person’s definition of trail riding can markedly differ from somebody else’s, and the front suspension necessary for those particular trails can be just as different as well.
I’ve taken a broad approach to the eligible forks, with travel suitable for XC, downcountry, and light trail, upwards to those more applicable for heavy duty stuff and enduro. With everything in between as well. Since many forks either come in multiple options with respect to travel, or can be adjusted afterwards, the same type fork may cover more than a single riding discipline.
It’s not the same with damper and air spring technology. For a certain fork type those will almost always be the same. Though it’s possible to upgrade your fork later on. So it is just as important that you choose the right damper and air spring options for your needs, since they offer between very little to a huge amount of adjustability and setup options. And I’ll go into details about when what type of technology makes sense for particular riders.
Besides those two core features of front suspension, travel and damper/air spring tech, there’s a plethora of other features brands add to their suspension lineup. And I’ll dive into whether or not it makes sense to pay the extra money to obtain those features.
So with all that out of the way, let’s dive into what made it onto this expansive overview of the best suspension forks for trail riding. Enjoy.
Fox 34 Factory
Though they might have very similar looks and even share the same name the Fox 34 Factory is still a very different fork than the Fox 34 Step-Cast Factory.
The latter fork is very XC-oriented, with a focus on weight reduction (Step-Cast), tire clearance in line with the popular 2.25 width of cross country tires, up to 120mm of travel, and a FIT4 damper with optional lockout for climbing and sprinting.
The Fox 34 Factory sits much more squarely into trail territory by moving the max travel to 140mm and offering the highly adjustable GRIP2 damper, which has both high- an low speed compression adjustment (instead of only low speed). The option to dial in your compression adjustment for both high- and low speed starts to make more sense if there’s more travel to work with, hence you don’t see this damper on XC forks.
With the GRIP2 damper the Fox 34 is the first four-way adjustable front suspension in their lineup. Besides a little weight penalty over the FIT4 damper, and the fact its a bladder-less cartridge damper that holds more oil, by far the biggest difference between the two dampers is the amount of adjustability. The GRIP2 goes all-out in this respect with a 16-click dial for low-speed compression adjustment, within a 9-click dial for high-speed compression adjustment.
That immediately showcases the target audiences for this fork, since both damper options are available with the Fox 34 Factory. The 3-position lever to quickly configure your compression is incredibly easy to setup for every rider out there, and is still a fantastic option for this fork. The GRIP2 damper is the better option for quickly traversing rough terrain, and is the core reason why it makes its appearance on a trail fork.
The FLOAT EVOL (Extra Volume) air spring has a larger negative air chamber, besides the standard positive one. Aside from supporting your weight in a neutral position, the air spring offers a more linear spring curve that’s supple off the top on small bumps yet still has the support to resist bottoming out on those big hits.
The size of the positive air chamber can still be reduced as you’re used to with air volume spacers, without affecting the functionality of the negative chamber. By reducing the air volume of the positive air chamber you make the fork act more progressive, resisting bottoming out more for those of you who like to ride hard and aggressive.
I’ve already meantioned this is a much more trail-worthy partner than the Step-Cast. Besides the different damper, the Fox 34 Factory has a max tire clearance of 2.6 inches, which covers the entire range of trail tires and probably enduro as well. The orange version only comes with 140mm of travel, while the black one is also available in a downcountry-ish 130mm.
- Same name as the Step-Cast, very different but excellent fork for short-travel trail riding
- Max travel of 140mm
Fox 34 Performance Elite
The Fox 34 Performance Elite is the non-Kashima coated version of the Fox 34 Factory.
All premium front suspension has anodized stanchions to protect them, increasing its longevity and durability, and offer low-stiction, smooth performance. The Kashima coat enhances both by smoothing out the microscopically rough bumps in the anodization layer even more with the characteristic bronze coating.
As far as damper options are concerned there’s only one, which is the FIT4, which can adjust the low-speed compression in a 130mm travel fork. The entire package makes this a somewhat more affordable option for endurance XC and/or short-travel light trail bikes.
- More affordable Fox 34 for endurance XC and light trail riding
- Only comes with FIT4 damper and 130mm of travel
Fox 34 Performance
As far as entry-level goes with Fox the Fox 34 Performance is the most affordable option with 34mm stanchions, coming with 140mm of travel and the GRIP damper.
This damper further simplifies the setup. The GRIP damper is a compression-damping technology that offers 3 on-the-fly settings equating Open (no damping), and Firm damping configurations with infinite adjustment in between 3 detents. The settings can be configured with a single dial.
Furthermore it offers a 10-click rebound adjuster knob at the bottom of the damper, which means you cannot independently adjust high- and low-speed rebound. This improves ease of setup at the cost of adjustability.
With 3 settings including dedents in between, there’s still a ton of low-speed compression adjustment this fork offers. And you might argue that, for obvious reasons, a well configured GRIP2 damper improves support and stability for your mid-stroke and your big hits.
But that’s emphasizing the willingness and ability to configure your damper correctly. This much more straightforward approach to front suspension adjustability will probably suit more riders.
- Meant for the majority of riders who want a hassle-free Fox front suspension for short-travel trail bikes
- GRIP damper lacks sophistication in mid-stroke and tail-end of the travel when compared to the GRIP2
Fox 36 Factory
Probably every “best of” list concerning trail suspension has this one on its list, which is the Fox 36 Factory. And with a travel sitting in between 150 and 160mm for the black version, and 160mm for the glossy orange one, it has trail ridding written all over it.
Max rotors of 230mm, tire clearance up to 2.8 inch, and the GRIP2 option for both 29 and 27.5 wheels, means you get all the adjustment you’re ever going to need to shred basically any kind of trail. And depending on your bike and weight, this fork can also be used for more enduro-style adventuring.
Just as the Fox 34 Factory, this one with 36mm stanchions still offers the FIT4 damper as well. The FIT4 is the top-of-the-line damper for Fox’s XC lineup, so one is not really better than the other. The difference resides in its usage, and where adjustability of high-speed compression starts to make more sense.
A 160mm travel trail bike can definitely be used on hard-hitting terrain where you want to maximise your control and finetune the mid- and end stroke of your compression. It’s not to say that you can only do that with the GRIP2 damper, you can just do it in a more fine-grained way.
But you not only have the damper side to contend with, there’s also the FLOAT EVOL air spring with independently adjustable positive and negative air chambers. And on top of that, you can change the volume of the air chamber with volume spacers to change the linearity of the spring curve. Or rather, in layman’s terms, how fast the fork will stiffen when going through its travel. The less air volume the quicker it stiffens.
I guess all I’m trying to say here is that you can write an encyclopedia about the amount of adjustability you can tinker with the top-end version of this fork. It’s just mind-boggling. So to end this little review, that’s both its strength and maybe its downside.
The Factory version of the 36 is nothing short of absolutely awesome. It’s one of the very best trail forks ever made, and you can play with the configuration to your heart’s content. The specifications besides the adjustability of the fork are outstanding and will support any configuration of trail bike. It’s up to you whether you want to go for the FIT4 versus the GRIP2.
- Gold standard for trail suspension
- Price. GRIP2 might be over-specced for the majority of riders.
Fox 36 Performance Elite
It’s very interested to see that where the Performance Elite for the Fox 34 favors the FIT4 damper over the GRIP2, it’s just the other way around for the Fox 36 Performance Elite. In this case, there’s only the GRIP2 damper option. All other options (except for Kashima coating and additional rake options) are exactly the same.
What we can learn from that is what I already concluded earlier. High-speed compression adjustability, something which only the GRIP2 offers, starts to make more sense with longer travel forks. In this case the Fox 36 Performance Elite only comes in a 160mm version.
And just to reiterate. The GRIP2 damper has a total of 25 settings to configure, divided into 16 clicks for low-speed compression adjustment, and 9 clicksl for high-speed compression adjustment. And if you’re willing to spend the kind of money for this type of fork, you’re also somebody who’s willing to spend the extra time setting it up correctly.
Whether those assumptions from Fox’ sales department is true is up to you of course.
- Saving those 100 bucks you'd otherwise spend on orange lower legs and still get all the specs of a Fox 36
- GRIP2 only (no FIT4) with no Kashima coat
Fox 38 Factory
The Fox 38 Factory is a front suspension meant for enduro. Depending on the length of travel, which sits between 160 and 180mm, you can also use it as a stiff trail riding fork, especially if you’re a bit heavier. The 160 and 170mm versions only come in black, with a single orange 180mm version available.
Between each fork there’s always overlap, and besides an increase in price, travel options and stanchion width, this fork is similar to the Fox 36 Factory. So a 160mm 36 comes with the same specifications as the 39.
They both have a tire clearance up to 2.8 inch, offer a standard 44mm fork offset (and 37 and 51mm), brake rotor compatibility up to 230mm, 15x110mm axle widths, and GRIP2 with FLOAT EVOL damper/air spring combos.
If you would ever be able to notice any flex in a Fox fork, it might be the difference between a 32 Step-Cast and standard 34, and then only if you ride them like a pro back to back. However, if you’re the type of person who’s not afraid to send it, the 38 might be the go-to choice, because you’re certain there’s less flex, thus less stiction because of the increased torsional stiffness. E.g. the stanchions don’t rub as much inside the bushings.
In terms of its climbing capacity the difference between a 36 and 38 has to do with bike geometry not with weight, even though the 38 is obviously heavier. Yet nobody’s going to convince me 250 grams, which is the weight difference between the two, can be noticed.
The fork fully supports both common enduro 27.5 and 29 inch wheel sizes, which makes this the ultimate Fox enduro and downhill front suspension or long-travel trail riding companion.
- Top-of-the-line enduro or long-travel trail riding front suspension. Used by heavier riders in the 160mm version
- None except for its very serious price
RockShox SID Ultimate
With 35mm stanchions the RockShox SID Ultimate is pushing the limits of what the average person will put on their cross-country rigs, and with both 110 and 120mm of travel available, this fork is the burlier brother of the featherweight SL version.
Nonetheless the fork is still very much specced as an XC weapon, albeit a very hard-hitting one, with a 44mm fork offset, the minimal Charger Race Day Damper, and Debonair air spring. When compared to Fox 34 Factory, there’s basically no weight difference (40 grams). At least not one that matters.
On the other hand, a significantly larger max rotor size at 220mm, and a max tire width sitting at 2.6″ definitely moves this fork into trail riding territory as well.
The fork offers an interesting mix of both XC and trail disciplines, with the no-frills damper and air spring setup in a lightweight chassis, combined with trail riding characteristics. if you’re into hitting big jumps, where independently adjustable high- and low-speed compression with 130mm of travel and up are more suitable, but want a light, stiff chassis that’s still very good for climbing, and pedaling in general, this might be the fork for you.
The fork offers one of the very best mid-stroke support in an almost linear travel, which aids the rider in really using the bike as an efficient tool for getting through corners and playing on the trail.
In a way it’s more flexible than the 32 super-light, super-fast SL Ultimate, because it’s strong enough with the right amount of travel for a really fast trail bike or a plusher but slower XC one. Just to get things straight, this is not a pure trail fork, so don’t expect it to be. If you push the fork on a really rough trail, you’ll simply blow through the damper.
- Interesting mix of burly XC and light trail characteristics in an excellent front suspension for racing.
- If you only do trail riding, you might want to pick a beefier fork
RockShox Lyrik Ultimate
When you start comparing the big brands in front suspension, probably the most popular comparison is the one between RockShox Lyrik Ultimate and the Fox 36 Factory. Here’s my take on that comparison.
Although there are obvious similarities, there are a number of differences which might nudge you into the direction of one over the other. As for similarities, they both come with 140 to 160mm of travel, 15×110 axle width, 44mm rake, tapered 1.5 inch steerers and for both 27.5 and 29 wheel sizes.
The difference, besides the damper, is small as well. 35 versus 36 mm stanchions, 220 versus 230 max rotor size, 3.2 versus 2.6 inch max tire width, which you’re probably not going to need for normal trail riding, and a pretty similar weight and price as well. And you can leave your zip ties at home, since the Lyrik also features lower leg bleeders to remove pressure buildup caused by sucking air into them.
Then for a little bit of tech-talk about the damper. The RockShox Lyrik Ultimate features the Charger 3 damper, offering a 15-click dial for low-speed compression adjustment, within a 5-click dial for high-speed compression adjustment. This pretty extensive low- and high speed adjustment can be achieved without introducing additional harshness and loss of control.
The Charger 3 offers a 18-click rebound adjuster knob at the bottom of the damper, which means you cannot independently adjust high- and low-speed rebound. This improves ease of setup at the cost of adjustability. The damper does not use an expanding bladder (neither does Fox’ GRIP2), which is a more durable construction offering a lower risk of stiction and smoother fork action.
It also has more oil volume using a spring-backed floating piston to control oil flow, making it the plushest fork in RockShox’ catalog. Even more so, because both damper and air spring are offered with otherwise optional ButterCup suspension technology.
It reduces high-frequency vibrations otherwise known as “trail chatter”. This is the result of a fork not being responsive enough to handle small rocks and roots, directly translating the impacts to your body, causing fatigue, hand numbness, and even neck and shoulder issues on longer rides.
The buttercup on the damper side essentially holds two elastomers looking like small rubber pucks between a metal plate sitting within an aluminum housing, at the end of each shaft. The air spring side only has one of those pucks, with an o-ring sitting on the upper side. That’s because the air spring is much more effective on compression (downward stroke) not on the rebound (upward stroke).
They function as a suspension within a suspension, offering about 4mm of vertical compliance, taking out the smallest of trail irregularities, before the more advanced suspension technology is activated and reducing roughly (a claimed) 20% of trail chatter.
The first thing I thought as a guy having bikes with 30-year old suspension on it, was that it was nothing else than an elastomer with a fancy name slapped onto it. But it’s not, and it would be unfair to compare technologies decades apart. The only thing from a durability and financial perspective is that it definitely does add more components and complexity to the overall fork.
An air spring is made up of a shaft on which in this case a floating piston is installed, sitting between two seals. The Debonair+ air spring improves upon earlier models, by swapping out the plastic shaft for an aluminum one.
Larger volume negative air chambers for all three iterations is achieved by hollowing out the top hat of the piston. Just as with Fox’s Float EVOL air spring, the DebonAir+ larger negative air chamber offers a more linear spring curve and a reduced risk of bottoming out.
All skepticism aside, the suspension giant has outdone itself by creating the Lyrik Ultimate, which could indeed be the ultimate trail riding front suspension to dig deep into your wallet for.
- The best trail fork currently on the market
- None
RockShox ZEB Ultimate
The RockShox ZEB Ultimate is to the Lyrik Ultimate what the Fox 38 Factory is to the 36 Factory: basically a beefier model with 38mm stanchions and enduro-style travel options.
From 150mm all the way up to 180mm in 10mm increments, it means you can slap a shorter version of this heavy-duty fork on your long-travel trail bike, or choose this one over the 35mm stanchions of the Lyrik if you’re a heavier rider who’s looking for added stiffness on the roughest of trails.
Of all the brands offering front suspension, RockShox might feel the most controlled when going through its travel, gradually ramping up when needing to deal with the biggest hits. This ensures a smooth, controlled feeling while riding, with less need to throw your body around than you might be used to with earlier iterations of this fork, or other brands. Granted, the differences might only be noticeable when you’re riding different forks back to back and with a proper configuration, but it’s worth mentioning nonetheless.
I feel the ZEB is less racey and performance-oriented, lacking the high-speed rebound adjustment of the Fox 38. And unlike certain reviews might claim, more force is needed to get it started in its travel, making it more poppy and a tad more harsh on relative smooth trail conditions.
The Fox 38 progresses more lineary in the last stretches of its travel, making full use of it and maximising control when pointing the bike straight down a rock garden. This is not everybody’s cup of tea though, and the Zeb feels a bit less harsh because of it, sacrificing a bit of control for comfort on the mid-stroke for more average non-pro riding styles.
Though less adjustability in terms of clicks than the Fox 38, with 5 and 18 clicks of high- and low-speed compression consecutively, the changes between them feel distinct, especially when dialing-in the high-speed compression.
It’s always difficult to compare forks, and it’s just as difficult here. Besides ride quality, there’s also serviceability to take into account, and obviously price. Rockshox is almost allways the clear winner in the latter department, especially in regions other than North America. So that’s a big plus for this fork, which is still one of the most expensive ones in RockShox’ lineup.
In terms of longevity, I’m someone who looks beyond using a fork for just 3 years before deciding to sell his bike, and Fox’s Factory forks are both easier to service and of higher quality. And as yet, I can’t say anything about prolonged use of the new ButterCups.
By looking at the price and the ride characteristics of the fork I feel this is more the working man’s enduro and long-travel trail fork.
- More suitable enduro and long-travel trail for the average rider, and cheaper
- Lower build quality and less performance-oriented than its biggest competitor, the Fox 38 Factory. Not as supple with respect to small-bump sensitivity
Manitou Mezzer Pro
The Manitou Mezzer Pro deserves its place on this list, simply because it’s a fantastic brand making a fantastic-looking, hard-htting yet very versatile, 37mm stanchioned fork.
When talking front suspension, all the attention goes to Fox and RockShox, leaving all the other brands to work harder to get the same kind of recognition. So the big question is of course whether or not it measures up to the Fox 38 and Zeb Ultimate.
Simply looking at the specs, it does. Apart from the 37mm stanchions, the fork is offered with 140 up to 180mm of travel, so it can take plenty of abuse. It has all rake options you’d want, standard 15x110mm axle width, able to hold a 223mm rotor, and featuring the MC² damper and Dorado Air with IVA volume spacers.
I don’t usually care all that much about weight, especially not in the enduro and downhill category, but the weight of this fork at 2032 is markedly lighter than both the Zeb Ultimate and Fox 38 Factory.
A lot can be said about brands using proprietary marketing slang to denote ride characteristics of forks. Manitou coined the term IRT (Infinite Rate Tune) volume adjuster to be able to reduce air volume in the positive air chamber of the air spring with the need to open up the fork and add volume spacers. While maybe not a game changer, it’s incredibly user-friendly to finetune mid-stroke support with a higher degree of adjustability on the fly.
In less technical terms it means that for the majority of your ride (not to slow, not too hard) you can expertly dial in your ride preferences to get the most support possible from a fork within this category, with a smooth and supple ride as a result.
The Multi Compression Control (MC²) damper provides an independently adjustable high-speed compression circuit which combines with an independently adjustable low-speed circuit to offer an externally adjustable, on the fly high-speed blowoff threshold and tuning range. It offers 10 clicks of low-speed compression adjustment, and 4 clicks of high-speed compression adjustment.
Furthermore the fork has a 10-click rebound adjuster. And all MC² dampers include the hydraulic bottom out (HBO) system, which kicks in the final millimeters of travel. It’s not as nuanced and sophisticated as the most premium options out there, lacking sensitivity to smooth out the trail chatter.
The fork shines in its versatility with a starting travel of 140mm attainable without changing the air spring. With a relatively easy DIY job, you can add a number of travel spacers to get to the desired travel effectively. Maybe not as versatile for true enduro riding, the fork offers a wide application of riding styles with a user-friendly setup and incredible plushness for probably the far majority of riders.
- Incredible plush mid-stroke support with intuitive air spring tech. Versatile and beefy long-travel trail fork
- Not the best true enduro fork.
Marzocchi Bomber Z1
The Marzocchi Bomber Z1 is a front suspension borrowing heavily from Fox in terms of damper and air spring technology. It uses the exact same GRIP damper and FLOAT air spring as the Fox 36 Rhythm, so why would you want to buy this fork if the other one is available as well?
It means this is a far more affordable fork, with less options to fiddle with. Affordability is always a good thing, especially with front suspension which can be mind-numbingly expensive. And less options will probably suit a lot of riders, who don’t want to dive into the nitty-gritty of fork setup, but simply want to ride their bike.
The 36mm stanchions are made from a less stiff 6000 series aluminum vs the Fox 7000, which is something you’ll only notice on very rocky terrain and in a back-to-back test. The overall performance is excellent, if somewhat more blunt as with a properly dialed-in premium fork. Part of that is the lack of clicks or dedents in the dial to accurately know your current setting.
I know for a fact that manufacturers purposely hold back features reserved for their most exotic offerings, to be able to make a distinctive product lineup with large enough gaps in pricing for you to pick and choose from. It feels no different with the Marzocchi Bomber Z1, which can at least tag along with some of the best forks out there without the price tag attached to it. And I get the feeling people will simply pass this one along because it doesn’t say “Fox” on the stanchions.
True it doesn’t have the sophistication and all-out top-of-the-line tunability of the most expensive forks on the market, but its straightforward performance for initial travel, mid- and end stroke is applaudable, as is the price you’ll need to pay to obtain it.
- Underdog of trail riding forks. Excellent value for money obtained by repurposing Fox' techology
- Lacks true sophistication you'll find in the most expensive forks.
DVO Diamond D1
The DVO Diamond D1 is a rare beast on the trail. It’s easier to spot a Lefty than someone riding DVO suspension. That’s a shame, because the front suspension with 35mm stanchions is well-suited for the more tech-oriented DIY tuners.
Though not as well-suited to deal with true enduro and downhill riding, more flowy trails with the occasional rough stuff thrown in between is no problem at all for the fork, which comes with 140 to 170mm of travel, depending on your wheel size.
The air spring side features a negative spring you can preload to set for small-bump sensitivity using an allen key. Since it works besides support for mid- and end stroke, it’s a very easy way to get a very plush feel for the initial part of the travel. At a certain point in your travel it opens up for mid-stroke support you control with your standard air pressure. It’s an intuitive design that’s fun and easy to tinker with, and to create a pretty distinctive setup which’ll suit your trail riding characteristics.
Where the Manitou Mezzer Pro has external mid-stroke adjustability with the IRT volume adjuster, the DVO Diamond D1 focuses more on the initial part of the travel. Which makes sense since this fork sits more squarely into trail riding territory.
- Trail fork for DIY tuners. Excellent small-bump sensitivity
- Unable to beat Fox and RockShox when the going get's tough.
Specifications suspension forks for trail riding
Name | Price | Wheel size | Travel | Stanchion | Rake | Axle | Rotor size | Max tire width | Damper | Air spring | Steerer | Color | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fox 34 Factory | 949 USD | 29″ | 140mm (orange) 130mm, 140mm (black) | 34mm 7000 series aluminum w. Kashima coating | 44mm (orange) 44mm, 51mm (black) | 15x110mm (QR orange), 15x110mm (QR/Kabolt black) | 180-203mm | 2.6″ | GRIP2, FIT4 | FLOAT EVOL | 1.5T | gloss orange, gloss black | |
Fox 34 Performance Elite | 869 USD | 29″ | 130mm | 34mm 7000 series aluminum | 44mm | 15x110mm QR | 180-203mm | 2.6″ | FIT4 | FLOAT EVOL | 1.5T | matte black | |
Fox 34 Performance | 749 USD | 29″ | 140mm | 34mm 7000 series aluminum | 44mm | 15x110mm QR | 180-203mm | 2.6″ | GRIP | FLOAT EVOL | 1.5T | matte black | |
Fox 36 Factory | 1139 USD | 27.5″, 29″ | 160mm (orange) 150mm, 160mm (black) | 36mm 7000 series aluminum w. Kashima coating | 44mm (orange) 37mm, 44mm, 51mm (black) | 15x110mm KaboltX | 180-230mm | 2.8″ | GRIP2, FIT4 | FLOAT EVOL | 1.5T | gloss orange, gloss black | |
Fox 36 Performance Elite | 1049 USD | 27.5″, 29″ | 160mm | 36mm 7000 series aluminum | 44mm | 15x110mm QR | 180-230mm | 2.8″ | GRIP2 | FLOAT EVOL | 1.5T | matte black | |
Fox 38 Factory | 1249 USD | 27.5″, 29″ | 180mm (orange) 160mm, 170mm, 180mm (black) | 38mm 7000 series aluminum w. Kashima coating | 44mm (orange) 37mm, 44mm, 51mm (black) | 15x110mm QR | 180-230mm | 2.8″ | GRIP2 | FLOAT EVOL | 1.5T | gloss orange, gloss black | |
RockShox SID Ultimate | 1001 USD | 29″ | 110mm, 120mm | 35mm tapered aluminum | 44mm | 15x110mm Maxle Stealth | 180-220mm | 2.6″ | Charger Race Day | DebonAir | 1.5T | gloss blue, gloss black | |
RockShox Lyrik Ultimate | 1107 USD | 27.5″, 29″ | 140mm, 150mm, 160mm | 35mm tapered wall aluminum | 37mm, 44mm (27.5″) 44mm (29″) | 15x110mm Maxle Stealth | 180-220mm | 3.2″ | Charger 3 w. ButterCup | DebonAir+ w. ButterCup | 1.5T | gloss black, meadow green | |
RockShox ZEB Ultimate | 1159 USD | 27.5″, 29″ | 150mm, 160mm, 170mm, 180mm, 190mm | 38mm aluminum | 38mm, 44mm (27.5″) 44mm, 51mm (29″) | 15x110mm Maxle Stealth | 200-220mm | 3.2″ | Charger 3 w. ButterCup | DebonAir+ w. ButterCup | 1.5T | gloss black, matte gray | |
Manitou Mezzer Pro | 1100 USD | 27.5″, 29″ | 140-180mm | 37mm 7000 series aluminum | 37mm, 44mm (27.5″) 44mm, 51mm (29″) | 15x110mm Hexlock | 180-223mm | 2.9″ | MC² | Dorado Air w. IVA | 1.5T | gloss black | |
Marzocchi Bomber Z1 | 729 USD | 27.5″, 29″ | 140mm, 150mm, 160mm, 170mm | 36mm | 44mm, 51mm | 15x110mm QR | GRIP | FLOAT | matte black, gloss red | ||||
DVO Diamond D1 | 749.00 – 1024.00 USD | 27.5″, 29″ | 150-170mm (27.5″) 140-160mm (29″) | 35mm tapered wall aluminum | 37mm, 44mm (27.5″) 44mm, 51mm (29″) | 15x110mm BOOST | 160mm | 3″ (27.5″) 2.5″ (29″) | D1 | black, blue, green |
Johan van Seijen
FoundeR Restoration.bike
Johan van Seijen is the founder of restoration.bike. His passion for cycling in general, and restoring older bikes turned into a website to share his knowledge with a broader audience. Starting out on his father’s road bike and riding classics as the Amstel Gold Race and Liege Bastogne Liege he has shifted his attention to trail, XC, and gravel riding since. No matter how much he loves writing about everything related to cycling, nothing beats actually using his ever-expanding bicycle collection.
You might also like
The top 15 best 29 inch suspension forks in 2023
In this article I’m going to cover the best 29 inch suspension forks. To provide any semblance of coherence and not simply dump the entire premium lineup of Fox and RockShox in the same list, I decide
The top 13 best 27.5 front suspension forks in 2023
In this article I’m going to delve in some of the very best 27.5 front suspension forks. Just as with 29 inch wheels, they saw massive adoption around a decade ago, when major bike brands started supp
7 best tips on how to set up your MTB suspension
Whether you’re buying a brand new mountain bike or you find a great second-hand deal, there are a number of things you’ll need to take
The top 6 best suspension forks under 500 in 2023
In this blog I’m going to provide an overview of the very best suspension forks under 500 dollars.
Roughly 80 percent of front suspension resides in the cross-country and trail riding category, with