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SRAM RS-1 fork


The name may date back to RockShox's original suspension fork but this inverted design is an entirely new beast. Aimed at high-end XC racers and riders, it's designed to work with 29in wheels only.

Creating an upside-down' fork for a bicycle comes with a number of problems, not least of them making it sufficiently stiff without an arch to hold the legs together. The RS-l's carbon fibre steerer tube and upper legs are moulded .as one piece to increase bending stiffness The fork also has to be used with RockShox s new Predictive Steering front hub. which uses a 110mm spacing (10mm wider than normal) and sits the 15mm Maxle Ultimate axle within a 27mn diameter aluminium sleeve called the Torque Tube to further bolster steering precision and torsional stiffness.

Internally, the RS-1 uses a Solo Air spring, with the same bottom-out bumper as the new Boxxer DH fork, and a completely new Accelerator Damper cartridge. This uses a spring-loaded independent floating piston to keep air and oil separate, ensuring that the fork lockout (controlled via a bar-mounted XLoc remote) is as firm as possible - a trait all World Cup XC racers yearn for.

Travel can be adjusted internally between 80mm and 120mm (3.1-4.7in), the spring rate can be tweaked using RockShox's Bottomless Token spacers and there's a choice of 46mm or 51mm offset. At a claimed 1666g, it's 50g heavier than the SID World Cup though, and it's not cheap at 1865$. It'll be available from Jure.

PRICE 1865$









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