Alongside frame geometry and tyre choice, suspension is without doubt one of the most important performance aspects of the modern mountain bike. Sure, there are many components that come together to keep your wheels chugging along, but quality suspension is the difference between chugging along and tearing the trail apart. You can have the coolest rear derailleur and the shiniest stem in the world, but it means absolutely zilch if the suspension on your bike is performing poorly.
Combining the light weight of a short-travel cross-country race fork with the damping performance and big-hit control of a longtravel downhill fork, the modern trail fork is a remarkably capable thing. Thanks to advances in chassis, damper and spring technology, today’s mid-travel suspension forks are better than they have ever been. They’re lighter, stiffer, more adjustable, and far smoother. And as we’ve found, they can provide a significant upgrade that will transform the ride quality of your bike.