Changing your Mountain Bike Forks is a good method of upgrading your mountain bicycle. Nowadays, forks usually come with suspension systems, to help with a bike’s handling and maneuverability on rougher terrain. Mountain bike forks are classified according to the technology incorporated in them. Some bike forks include 4X and Jump suspension forks, Freeride / Mountain suspension forks, Freeride / DH forks, XC suspension forks, and Cannondale Lefty’s. Each kind of suspension fork has its own benefits and disadvantages, and is developed for precise surfaces and uses. Heavy aspects of suspension forks include travel, which is the measurement for the movement of a suspension coil from action to rest.

Jump and 4X forks are typically short travel, coil-sprung forks. The coils move from eighty to a hundred millimeters on average , and are made to cushion heavy landings without too much front-end compression, enabling the rider to right away recover and continue riding. These are stable forks whose weights are directly in proportion to their durability. These suspension forks are the most durable.

Freeride Lite or Mountain suspension forks travel more than cross-country forks, with movement up to around six inches at maximum. These forks are expectedly heavier than other fork types, rendering lockout even more important. With these forks, most riders have a tendency to go with coil-sprung forks versus air-sprung ones. The coils do make the forks heavier, yet less subject to damage once the subject of strong impacts.

Freeride or DH forks are ‘double-crown’ suspension forks which can move up to 10 inches in terms of travel. Many of the forks with this technology have coil springs for more sturdiness. Freeride forks also enable the user to customize their ride by changing the springs, and therefore changing travel, which influences handling as well . However DH forks shouldn’t be employed in cross-country bikes, as these bikes are not developed to resist the pressure these forks give. Freeride forks can snap the frames of cross-country bikes.

XC cross-country forks sometimes have low degrees of travel, and are built for light weight. These single-crown suspension forks have, on average, from eighty to 100 millimeters of travel. Forks built for cross-country bikes now increasingly employ air springs, whereby air pressure takes the place of elastometers or springs. Since these previously mentioned components are no longer present or required, the bike’s overall weight is lighter. These kinds of suspension forks are also better to adjust. However some riders and manufacturers still use elastometers and coil-sprung forks as these need less maintenance and take more punishment than XC cross-country forks.

Cannondale Lefty’s and Headshocks have newer suspension fork technology, which integrates all mechanisms within the frame of the bike. The fork is quite trustworthy, with some higher-end variants coming with lockouts for simple adjustment. These forks sometimes result in more reactive handling, with active suspension and better traction.

Top Mountain Bike Forks

• Marzocchi 66 RC-3 1,5 180mm Travel Fork
• Salsa CroMoto Rigid Fork
• Marzocchi Bomber MX LO Fork 2009
• RockShox Tora Race Solo Air OE 2009
• RockShox Tora SL Solo Air Fork
• Marzocchi 44 120mm Travel Fork
• RockShox Sid Race Fork OE 2009
• RockShox Tora Race Solo Air 29er Fork
• RockShox Tora 302 Fork OE 2009
• RockShox Argyle 302 Fork

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