The manufacturers cram the latest damping technology into their top models, but the riding characteristics are still extremely different. Fox, BOS, Manitou, X-Fusion, Suntour and RockShox - which of these race forks would you recommend to your best friends?
Cup or hospital - a common saying among downhillers. And it also applies here: Our test track in the Bad Wildbad bike park is a nightmare. It rained overnight. The boulders scattered all over are slippery. Where there are no stones, there are roots and chest-high steps waiting for riders to make mistakes. A test with enduro bikes would be negligent or even impossible here. However, this is the perfect terrain for top downhill forks.
Set-up marathon
By the time we have found a suitable setting for the six forks, the stones have already dried slightly. Not all manufacturers provide adjustment tips for their models. Customers of X-Fusion, Suntour and Fox are still in the dark even after intensive internet research. Annoying. After all, up to seven parameters have to be adjusted to each other and to the rider's weight. For beginners, a book with just as many seals. Even experienced testers can take longer. RockShox, BOS and Manitou show how it should be done: exact air pressure and damping settings for different terrain and different riding abilities are part of the service here and offer a very good starting point for all three models. If you follow them, you are already in the green zone.
Starting signal
The first descent with a downhill fork is a mind-expanding experience for every mountain biker. Even if there are nominally only a few centimetres of travel between enduro and downhill suspension, they are worlds apart in the terrain. The view of the mighty crowns alone clears the mind and relaxes the nerves. If the overall package of good response behaviour, linear characteristic curve and effective compression stages is right, even the roughest descent becomes a pleasure ride.
Target flag
BOS, Manitou and Fox were our favourites, closely followed by RockShox. All four offer race-ready performance "out of the box". Suntour also does a good job, but suffers from the over-damped rebound and compression settings, which only just fit from 75 kilos upwards. Only X-Fusion needs a detention: The performance of the "Rux" was one class worse because the damping cannot effectively keep the spring work in check.
The test results of these double bridge forks are available below as a PDF download:
- BOS Idylle RaRe
- Fox 40 Float RC2 Fit
- Manitou Dorado Pro
- Rockshox Boxxer WC
- SR Suntour Rux
- X-Fusion RV-1 DH
