{"id":4008,"date":"2014-08-05T07:00:30","date_gmt":"2014-08-05T07:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/?p=4008"},"modified":"2022-08-09T15:53:49","modified_gmt":"2022-08-09T14:53:49","slug":"buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\/","title":{"rendered":"Buyers guide to suspension forks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s relatively easy to pick a fork that fits your bike. Even with all the various different standards all it takes is a quick sift of the spec info.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>There are loads of different <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/suspension-forks-81180\/?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=blog-35\">suspension forks<\/a> out there. Nowadays it\u2019s not really a case of good ones and bad ones. Essentially you need to know what fork steerer type your bike frame accepts, what wheel size it takes and what wheel axle type your front wheel takes.<\/p>\n<h2>Steerer types<\/h2>\n<p>As with bike frame head tubes, the vast majority of fork steerers come in two sizes: 1 1\/8th and tapered.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4012\" style=\"width: 403px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4012\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4012 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/12692_rockshox_sid_rct3_27_5_2014.jpg\" alt=\"Tapered steerer.\" width=\"393\" height=\"424\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 393px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 393\/424;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4012\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tapered steerer<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_4013\" style=\"width: 435px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4013\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4013 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/12846_rockshox_recon_gold_tk_forks_2014.jpg\" alt=\"1 1\/8th steerer.\" width=\"425\" height=\"426\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/12846_rockshox_recon_gold_tk_forks_2014.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/12846_rockshox_recon_gold_tk_forks_2014-150x150.jpg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 425px) 100vw, 425px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 425px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 425\/426;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4013\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">1 1\/8th steerer<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Tip: you can run 1 1\/8th steerer forks in tapered head tube bikes. But you will need to buy a special adapting headset.<\/p>\n<h2>Wheel sizes<\/h2>\n<p>Mountain bike forks come in three wheel sizes: 26in, 27.5\/650B and 29in.<\/p>\n<p>If you have 27.5\/650B or 29in wheels then you need the corresponding size fork.<\/p>\n<p>Tip: if you have 26in wheels you can use 26in size forks (obviously) but you can also get away with running a 27.5\/650B fork without messing up your bike&#8217;s handling significantly.<\/p>\n<h2>Wheel axle types<\/h2>\n<p>Fork axles come in three sizes: 9mm QR, 15mm bolt-thru and 20mm bolt-thru.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4017 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/download-e1413194275693-768x406.png\" alt=\"20mm bolt-thru (RockShox version)\" width=\"768\" height=\"406\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/download-e1413194275693-768x406.png 768w, https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/download-e1413194275693-1024x542.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/download-e1413194275693.png 1110w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 768px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 768\/406;\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4018 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/QR253A00-768x520.jpg\" alt=\"15mm bolt-thru\" width=\"768\" height=\"520\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/QR253A00-768x520.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/QR253A00-1024x693.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/QR253A00.jpg 1100w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 768px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 768\/520;\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4019 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/QR281A00-768x221.jpg\" alt=\"9mm quick release\" width=\"768\" height=\"221\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/QR281A00-768x221.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/QR281A00-1024x295.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/QR281A00.jpg 1100w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 768px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 768\/221;\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Tip: if you&#8217;re shopping around for a front wheel too then it&#8217;s worth thinking about getting one that has a hub that can be converted to take any axle type available. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/brand\/hope\/\">Hope<\/a> hubs are a good bet here.<\/p>\n<h2><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4022 size-full alignright lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/replace_fork_1.jpg\" alt=\"replace_fork_1\" width=\"508\" height=\"289\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/replace_fork_1.jpg 508w, https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/replace_fork_1-350x200.jpg 350w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 100vw, 508px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 508px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 508\/289;\" \/>Disc brake mount<\/h2>\n<p>A third aspect is disc brake mount. Forks are either post mount or I.S.<\/p>\n<p>You shouldn\u2019t choose a fork based on what your current brakes\u2019 mount is though. You just need to be aware of it and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/search?w=brake%20mount\">buy a suitable adapter if one is required<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Once you know you&#8217;re steerer type, wheel size, axle type and brake mount you can quickly filter out forks that won&#8217;t fit and forks that will.<\/p>\n<p>What isn\u2019t so easy and black-and-white is choosing a fork that suits your bike and suits your needs.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what to think about&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4026 size-medium alignright lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/4886002731_06c03c8824-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"4886002731_06c03c8824\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/225;\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Travel<\/h2>\n<p>The amount of suspension movement the fork has. Your bike frame is designed to handle at its best with a specific amount of suspension travel. To keep your bike from going weird and sketchy you need to stay within the same sort of travel that the frame is designed around. Don&#8217;t put a 140mm fork on a bike intended to have 100mm.<\/p>\n<p>You can get forks with adjustable travel but bear in mind that they generally perform best when set at their longest setting. The idea of adjustable travel forks is to adjust them down in travel for steep climbs and have them at full length for the rest of the time.<\/p>\n<h2>Features<\/h2>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve got your travel sorted it\u2019s then time to consider the fork\u2019s features and adjustability.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4027 size-thumbnail alignleft lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Lockout-MTB-suspension-Fork-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Fork lock-out dial\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 150px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 150\/150;\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Lock-out<\/h2>\n<p>Fork lock-out is actually worth having on a cheaper fork because the damping will be on the basic side and consequently a bit bouncy during climbs (\u201cbobbing\u201d).<\/p>\n<p>Lock-out on more expensive forks isn\u2019t so necessary because the dampers in expensive forks are usually pretty good at reducing bob anyway. Lock-out shouldn\u2019t be needed on a fork that has sophisticated\u00a0damping inside it.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-4028 size-thumbnail lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/TL-rebound-knob-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Rebound damping dial\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 150px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 150\/150;\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Rebound damping<\/h2>\n<p>Rebound damping controls how your fork re-extends after it compresses. You can adjust how fast\/slow the fork re-extends. It\u2019s personal preference to a degree but rebound damping shouldn\u2019t be too slow (the fork will pack down during repeated hits) or too fast (the fork will bounce back at you like a powerball).<\/p>\n<h2>Compression damping<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-4029 size-thumbnail lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/rc2-hsc-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Compression damping dial\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 150px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 150\/150;\" \/>This controls how your fork compresses. Compression damping can be difficult to understand. If you\u2019re not prepared to learn about compression damping then you needn\u2019t get a fork that has adjustable compression damping.<\/p>\n<p>A lot of forks come with only one compression damping dial, often with pre-set levels of adjustment (a climbing setting, a general setting and a descending setting). This is a good for riders who want adjustability but don\u2019t want to have to work it out for themselves.<\/p>\n<p>Other forks have separate low speed and high speed compression.<\/p>\n<p>Basically, low speed compression affects how the fork compresses during low speeds and\/or low forces (braking, cornering, rider movement\/pedalling) and high speed compression affects how the fork compresses during high speeds and\/or large forces (rocks, roots, landings).<\/p>\n<h2><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-4030 size-thumbnail lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/2011_fox_36_180mm_fork13s-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Air spring valve\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 150px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 150\/150;\" \/>Spring<\/h2>\n<p>This can mean either a metal coil spring or a sealed air chamber acting as a spring.<\/p>\n<p>Air sprung forks save weight and offer more adjustability.\u00a0Air sprung forks are infinitely adjustable for all rider weights. It\u2019s a matter of attaching a shock pump to the air valve and pumping away. Shock pumps are usually supplied with the fork &#8211; but not always.<\/p>\n<p>Metal coil springs are found on cheaper forks and on a lot of Downhill forks (where weight isn\u2019t so much of an issue). Coil springs aren\u2019t very adjustable for different rider weights. If you\u2019re beyond the weight range of the supplied coil then you have to buy another coil that is suited to your weight.<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4031 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/rock-shox-rs-domain-coil-spring.jpg\" alt=\"Coil spring\" width=\"650\" height=\"191\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 650px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 650\/191;\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Stiffness and weight<\/h2>\n<p>The final \u2018feature\u2019 of forks is stiffness and strength. The fatter the legs and bigger the axle, the stiffer and stronger the fork is. It will also be heavier.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4032 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/13224_rockshox_xc30tk_forks_26_2014-768x768.jpg\" alt=\"28mm stanchion, QR axle fork\" width=\"768\" height=\"768\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/13224_rockshox_xc30tk_forks_26_2014-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/13224_rockshox_xc30tk_forks_26_2014-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/13224_rockshox_xc30tk_forks_26_2014.jpg 1000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 768px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 768\/768;\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4033 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/12658_rockshox_lyrik_rc2dh_forks_26_2014-768x768.jpg\" alt=\"35mm stanchion, 20mm bolt-thru axle fork\" width=\"768\" height=\"768\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/12658_rockshox_lyrik_rc2dh_forks_26_2014-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/12658_rockshox_lyrik_rc2dh_forks_26_2014-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/12658_rockshox_lyrik_rc2dh_forks_26_2014.jpg 1000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 768px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 768\/768;\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Fork stanchions range from 28mm up to 36mm. Fork axle range from 9mm QR through to 20mm bolt-thru. A 28mm stanchion QR-axle fork won\u2019t be as stiff as a 36mm stanchion 20mm bolt-thru fork.<\/p>\n<h2>Which suspension fork should you buy?<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Leisure riders<\/strong> should always check out the sale sections and try to pick up a slightly older model. Basic models from big brands are a safe bet. Forks haven&#8217;t changed immensely in the past few years so there&#8217;s bargains to be had with minimal negatives.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Regular riders<\/strong>\u00a0should go for a fork with a decent amount of damping adjustability. You may not currently know much about suspension theory but it doesn&#8217;t take long to learn the basics. You should have a high performance fork that can be set-up how you like it. Some sort of compression damping should be on offer. There&#8217;s no need for lock-out on decent trail forks. Adjustable travel is nice if your riding involves extended periods of steep climbing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Racers<\/strong>. XC racers may wish to forego damping adjustability in exchange for a lighter weight fork. They also may still benefit from a lock-out during attacking climbs or long drags of smooth terrain. Enduro racers should go for a fully-featured, strong-as-possible, light-as-possible fork ie. flipping expensive!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s relatively easy to pick a fork that fits your bike. Even with all the various different standards all it takes is a quick sift of the spec info.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":4038,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[68,4],"tags":[538,539,536,74,542,543,544,323,322,537,540,541,159,535,423,25],"ppma_author":[4639],"class_list":["post-4008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cycling-buyers-guides","category-news","tag-15mm","tag-20mm","tag-axle","tag-buyers-guide","tag-compression","tag-damping","tag-dt-swiss","tag-fox","tag-marzocchi","tag-maxle","tag-qr","tag-rebound","tag-rockshox","tag-steerer","tag-suspension","tag-suspension-fork","author-benji"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Buyers guide to suspension forks - Merlin Cycles Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Buyers guide to suspension forks\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It\u2019s relatively easy to pick a fork that fits your bike. Even with all the various different standards all it takes is a quick sift of the spec info.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Merlin Cycles Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-08-05T07:00:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-08-09T14:53:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/12736_rockshox_sid_xx_world_cup_forks_29er_2014.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Benji Haworth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Benji Haworth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Benji Haworth\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/83ef1d952f84e08fb7ca8d06cbf61836\"},\"headline\":\"Buyers guide to suspension forks\",\"datePublished\":\"2014-08-05T07:00:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-08-09T14:53:49+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1124,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/08\\\/12736_rockshox_sid_xx_world_cup_forks_29er_2014.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"15mm\",\"20mm\",\"axle\",\"buyers guide\",\"compression\",\"damping\",\"dt swiss\",\"fox\",\"marzocchi\",\"maxle\",\"qr\",\"rebound\",\"rockshox\",\"steerer\",\"suspension\",\"Suspension Fork\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Buyers Guides\",\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\\\/\",\"name\":\"Buyers guide to suspension forks - Merlin Cycles Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/08\\\/12736_rockshox_sid_xx_world_cup_forks_29er_2014.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2014-08-05T07:00:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-08-09T14:53:49+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/83ef1d952f84e08fb7ca8d06cbf61836\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/08\\\/12736_rockshox_sid_xx_world_cup_forks_29er_2014.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/08\\\/12736_rockshox_sid_xx_world_cup_forks_29er_2014.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Buyers guide to suspension forks\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Merlin Cycles Blog\",\"description\":\"Entertaining and useful stuff from the world of Merlin Cycles\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/83ef1d952f84e08fb7ca8d06cbf61836\",\"name\":\"Benji Haworth\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/27245ceaa787fd493b3e638c8423ba71df16bb8744b0d34d1ac58324cad66e80?s=96&d=mm&r=gd1f505ee9d995762ea07f92feb69484d\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/27245ceaa787fd493b3e638c8423ba71df16bb8744b0d34d1ac58324cad66e80?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/27245ceaa787fd493b3e638c8423ba71df16bb8744b0d34d1ac58324cad66e80?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Benji Haworth\"},\"description\":\"Benji has been around the cycling industry for over ten years now. He started in ad sales for magazines before jumping the fence over into editorial. He writes words and takes pics about pushbikes, both for his day job and in his spare time too. Bike addict. Benji\u2019s interested in all kinds of cycling but has a particular obsession with mountain biking\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.merlincycles.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/benji\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Buyers guide to suspension forks - Merlin Cycles Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Buyers guide to suspension forks","og_description":"It\u2019s relatively easy to pick a fork that fits your bike. Even with all the various different standards all it takes is a quick sift of the spec info.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\/","og_site_name":"Merlin Cycles Blog","article_published_time":"2014-08-05T07:00:30+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-08-09T14:53:49+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":1000,"url":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/12736_rockshox_sid_xx_world_cup_forks_29er_2014.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Benji Haworth","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Benji Haworth","Estimated reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\/"},"author":{"name":"Benji Haworth","@id":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/83ef1d952f84e08fb7ca8d06cbf61836"},"headline":"Buyers guide to suspension forks","datePublished":"2014-08-05T07:00:30+00:00","dateModified":"2022-08-09T14:53:49+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\/"},"wordCount":1124,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/12736_rockshox_sid_xx_world_cup_forks_29er_2014.jpg","keywords":["15mm","20mm","axle","buyers guide","compression","damping","dt swiss","fox","marzocchi","maxle","qr","rebound","rockshox","steerer","suspension","Suspension Fork"],"articleSection":["Buyers Guides","News"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\/","url":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\/","name":"Buyers guide to suspension forks - Merlin Cycles Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/12736_rockshox_sid_xx_world_cup_forks_29er_2014.jpg","datePublished":"2014-08-05T07:00:30+00:00","dateModified":"2022-08-09T14:53:49+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/83ef1d952f84e08fb7ca8d06cbf61836"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/12736_rockshox_sid_xx_world_cup_forks_29er_2014.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/12736_rockshox_sid_xx_world_cup_forks_29er_2014.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/buyers-guide-to-suspension-forks\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Buyers guide to suspension forks"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/","name":"Merlin Cycles Blog","description":"Entertaining and useful stuff from the world of Merlin Cycles","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/83ef1d952f84e08fb7ca8d06cbf61836","name":"Benji Haworth","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/27245ceaa787fd493b3e638c8423ba71df16bb8744b0d34d1ac58324cad66e80?s=96&d=mm&r=gd1f505ee9d995762ea07f92feb69484d","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/27245ceaa787fd493b3e638c8423ba71df16bb8744b0d34d1ac58324cad66e80?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/27245ceaa787fd493b3e638c8423ba71df16bb8744b0d34d1ac58324cad66e80?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Benji Haworth"},"description":"Benji has been around the cycling industry for over ten years now. He started in ad sales for magazines before jumping the fence over into editorial. He writes words and takes pics about pushbikes, both for his day job and in his spare time too. Bike addict. Benji\u2019s interested in all kinds of cycling but has a particular obsession with mountain biking","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.merlincycles.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/author\/benji\/"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/12736_rockshox_sid_xx_world_cup_forks_29er_2014.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4OgqO-12E","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":4639,"user_id":12,"is_guest":0,"slug":"benji","display_name":"Benji Haworth","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/27245ceaa787fd493b3e638c8423ba71df16bb8744b0d34d1ac58324cad66e80?s=96&d=mm&r=g","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4008"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4008\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45923,"href":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4008\/revisions\/45923"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4038"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4008"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=4008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}