Forks are essential bike components: they connect the front wheel and the handlebar to the rest of the bike and so allow the bike to turn.
The fork provides a bike's stability, comfort and riding performance, so it is useful to know the characteristics of forks to choose the right bike.
The main materials used for MTB forks are steel, aluminium and carbon, or a combination of these materials. Each material offers specific advantages in terms of strength, lightness and vibration damping.
Rigid fork or suspension fork :
There are rigid forks, notably used on road bikes, but you can also find rigid MTB forks.
Some MTB forks are fitted with a suspension system; these suspension MTB forks are designed to absorb shocks and improve riding comfort by damping vibrations. There are two main types of suspension: coil spring and compressed air.
The travel of suspension MTB forks is the maximum distance the fork legs can move when compressed. MTB forks generally have more travel for better shock absorption on rough terrain, whereas road bike forks generally have shorter travel or no suspension at all.
It is important to match your fork's travel to the type of riding you do: for intensive use such as downhill or freeride, you need plenty of travel to damp shocks and offer optimal comfort on rough terrain. For riding on less rough terrain, reduced travel of 100 to 120 mm is preferable to optimise performance.
Fork dimensions can vary in length, which affects the height of the bike, and in rake, which influences the bike's handling. You can therefore find 29-inch MTB forks as well as 26-inch MTB forks or 27.5-inch MTB forks.
The main fork brands :
Rockshox forks
One of the most popular brands in the world of MTB forks, with a wide range of Rockshox forks.
FOX forks
A renowned brand specialising in bike suspension, Fox forks offer top-of-the-range performance for MTBs and road bikes.
SR SUNTOUR forks
A popular brand offering a wide range of forks for a wide range of bikes, from MTBs to road bikes and city bikes. Suntour forks are known for their good value for money.
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