Skip to main content

RockShox Pike RCT3 Dual Position Air fork


ROCKSHOX’S PIKE IS a genuine game changer across all wheel sizes and versions. The 35mm stanchion chassis is accurate even in long-travel 29er formats and absolutely nailed in 26in and 650b guise. The new Maxle Lite screw-through 15mm axle is excellent, and accurate air pressure guides and sag markers make set-up easy.

The slippery Fast Black stanchions, Charger damper and progressive air spring offer super-supple small bump response for outstanding traction that seems to physically reach out and grab grip just when you think the front wheel is sliding away from you. Push your weight forward though and you rail around corners on a well supported mid stroke that still reacts in a balanced and consistent way to ripples and rocks. The already excellent bottomout control can be user tuned with optional Bottomless Tokens progression change spacers and the position sensitive Rapid Recovery rebound damping handles big hits and braking bumps better than most full-on downhill forks.

The Dual Position Air spring lets you switch between 130mm and 160mm of travel (5.1/6.3in) using a leg-top dial. It’s no less controlled and consistent than the Solo Air version, though the fixed-travel fork is 100g lighter and cheaper.

The Pike is slightly heavy and some of our testers would happily trade the three-position (open/pedal platform/lockout) RCT3 compression lever for separate high- and low-speed adjustments but overall performance is still sensational. You even get first-service spares and a shock pump in the box, making this the undisputed enduro racing champion.

Travel 130/160mm
Weight 1,935g
Length 555mm
Wheel sizes 26in, 650b (tested), 29in (140mm Solo Air only)

PRICE: 1329$








Popular posts from this blog

KONA SHRED

With a reputation for no-nonsense ruggedness and a background in the always progressive and punishing riding of Canada, Kona have been building hardcore hardtails for longer than almost anyone else. The Shred is the most expensive bike on test but it’s a proper trail tank.

RockShox Pike 26

Waaaay back in 2002, RockShox revolutionized the suspension world with the release of its Psylo range of forks. The forks came with 30mm stanchions, a lockout/compression adjustment, the travel was adjustable from 80-120mm, and......wait for it, they came with a quick release 20mm through axle.

Sam Reynolds' Polygon Collosus N9

WHO IS SAM REYNOLDS? Hailing from South East England, Sam Reynolds is one of the UK's top freeriders, specialising in dirt jumping and slopestyle. But with mates like World Cup downhiller Brendan Fairclough, he also likes to get up to speed in the hills, where he's been introducing the Collosus to some colossal jumps, gaps and drops.

CANYON NERVE AL 8.0

  S ince their entry into the UK market a few years ago, Canyon have made a name for themselves as purveyors of well-made bikes that exhibit often extraordinary value. The secret (or catch, depending on your point of view) is that the brand don’t have dealers – they ship bikes directly to your door.

Cannondale Trail SL 29 SS

The fat aluminium tubes are a constrast to the skinny items seen elsewhere in the test, but this rigid Cannondale uses them to create one of the most old-school - and lightest - rides here.