It all started with the tensioning strap of a snowboard binding. Simply strapped between the brake bridge and fork crown, any downhill fork could be tamed. The 15 centimetres of suspension travel became five, the front of the bike lowered and the bike rode uphill with ease. The first levelling was complete. Pioneers Andi Felsl and Stephan Albrecht used this method years ago to climb the steepest ramps in their home region of Tegernsee.
Years later, Felsl and Albrecht founded their company Bionicon and attempted to market the system, which had since blossomed into a high-tech air levelling system. About two years ago, Rock Shox came onto the market with the U-Turn system - the first mass-produced levelling system.
Nobody really knows why it was only two years ago - because levelling is the most logical invention for mountain bikes since the suspension fork. Only in this way can both riding conditions - uphill and downhill - be mastered without compromise. Uphill, the front wheel rises later because the body's centre of gravity is shifted forwards and downwards. Downhill, you enjoy maximum suspension travel and a high front end for optimum control of the bike.
U-Turn hit like a bomb. And when everyone realised how simple and effective the design was, many a fork manufacturer could only look enviously at the market leader. Of course, they immediately patented the system. Since then, the development kitchens have been buzzing. A good system must have a large adjustment range, should still offer good suspension performance in all spring travel ranges and should also be easy to operate or even be operated while riding. After Rock Shox, Marzocchi and Manitou ventured into the levelling project. Votec and Fox only recently followed suit. And so it was only now that we were able to put together a test field with ten forks and seven different systems - a completely new fork category, so to speak. In particular, the new adjustment systems from Marzocchi (ETA), Votec (Airjust), Magura (Flight Control) and Fox (Talas) are about to give the familiar designs from Rock Shox and Co. a run for their money.
A new fork category means new test criteria. But what does a good levelling fork have to do?
1. the appropriate lowering of the fork
2. the adjustment of the spring characteristic
3. the adjustability
The suspension forks in this test:
Answer Manitou Black Elite 80/100 Sherman Firefly, Fox Float RLC Talas, Magura/Rond Quake CP 125, Marzocchi MX Pro and Z1 Freeride and Freeride SL, Rock Shox Duke SL U-Turn and Psylo SL, Votex GS 5 Airjust
