We all talk about (or at least hear about) 'marginal gains' but do they really matter (they do!). Having the best mountain bike forks can really up your game.
Your MTB can't function without forks but they are often overlooked when it comes to upgrading parts.
The best MTB forks will make your ride smooth and really dampen those bumps so the only thing stopping you from going further, is you!
MTB forks have evolved over the years with different technology coming out, so where do you start, and is the new technology any good?
Let's find out!
What Are Mountain Bike Forks?
The fork on a mountain bike is the front suspension. It will act to support the majority of the rider's weight.
There a lot of different types of forks available, a lot of decent ones too so it's worth knowing more about them before jumping in and buying one!
You need to be aware of what fork steerer type your MTB frame will take. As well as the wheel size it can take and the axle type for your front wheel.
1. Steerer Types
Generally, fork steerers are available in two sizes: tapered and 1 1/8th.
Little bonus fact!
1 1/8th steerer forks can work with a tapered head tube bike. You just need to get an adaptor and you'll be good to go!
2. Wheel Size
There are 3 sizes of wheels for mountain bikes: 26", 27.5", and 29".
27.5" and 29" wheels will require you to get the appropriately sized fork to match.
Another little bonus fact!
26" wheels can work with a 26" fork but there is the option to fit 27.5" forks to it and it will work fine.
3. Wheel Axle
Axles will come in 3 sizes: 9mm quick release, 15mm bolt-thru, and 20mm bolt-thru.
Buyers' Guide: How to Choose the Right MTB Forks
There is such a wide variety of mountain bike forks out there that it's important to have at least a vague idea about what you're looking for.
Things like the amount of travel, shock damping ability, and weight are all important factors but there are many more.
Feeling lost? We've got you covered!
1. Amount of Travel
As you most likely already know, mountain biking has lots of different offshoots, cross-country, enduro, trail, this list goes on but you get the idea.
Let's start by looking at what the averages are:
As you can see, each type of sport benefits from a different amount of travel, so how much travel is best for you?
The concept of bike forks is relatively simple when it comes to travel. The greater the amount of travel, the better it is at absorbing impacts.
That sounds great, doesn't it? So why isn't everyone riding on forks with greater travel?
Well, the downside to this is these bike forks tend to be heavier. They have more to cope with, larger impacts, and extra leverage so this adds weight to them and this could result in low speed and general annoyance - nobody wants that!
Adding or taking away travel affects other things too. If you add 10mm of travel, this causes the head and seat angle to be tipped back by around one degree. This is perfect if you are wanting your steering to be a bit slower and stable.
If you run a suspension fork that is too long for your frame then you risk overstressing it. Not to mention the warranty will no longer be valid.
We always recommend you know your bike and its recommended travel before you start eyeing up a new suspension fork.
You can't really go wrong by upgrading your current bike suspension with a similar amount of travel one.
Having said that, it doesn't immediately rule other bike suspension forks out. There are forks out there that have travel-adjust features.
Those that do can allow you to make changes to your setup slowly (or quickly) so can be a fantastic option for riders not 100% certain about the amount of travel they want.
2. Spring Types
A large proportion of suspension forks for mountain bikes are air-spring. There are some entry-level and several top of the range forks that use coil springs.
With both air spring and coil springs, you can limit the flow of oil in the rebound circuit.
So what are the advantages and disadvantages of both?
Air Spring
MTB air fork has an air chamber in the compression circuit, this is what acts as a spring. They have a progressive spring rate.
What this means is that when the fork compresses, the air springs compress. The more it becomes compressed, the stiffer and harder it is.
Air springs used to be known for not offering a particularly smooth ride, as the compressed air pressure can make going over bumps not totally comfortable.
However various different solutions have come about. It's all about positive and negative air.
The spring can take a good hit for it to get moving. To combat this, there is negative air spring. This preloads the suspension against the positive spring.
The result? A more graceful and comfortable ride when taking on smaller hits.
Advantages
Disadvantages
However, it is all totally doable and the benefits can really outweigh the downsides.
Best For: Cross Country | Trail | General mountain bike riding
Coil Springs
The technology behind a coil spring is pretty straight forward...it uses a metal coil.
Setting up takes a little bit more time but don't let that put you off!
If you are looking to change the comfort of your ride, for a firmer or softer option, then you may find that your choices aren't as great as if you were going for an air fork. That isn't to say you won't find the perfect coil spring suspension because they are definitely out there and they're the cheaper option!
Maintenance wise, coil forks are a doddle. A few seals and some oil and you're good to go - couldn't ask for easier than that!
You generally get better traction with coil springs so you should feel safer as you're tearing down the hills.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Gravity! Coil-sprung bike forks are ideal for downhill riders, they will take you down those hills at a great pace!
Best For: Downhill | Travel Bikes
When it comes to coil types, which one is best for you comes down to personal preference and budget.
The market seems to be more in favor of air forks, rather than coil forks. The reason for this is the technology with air forks is being developed often and has become an attractive and affordable option for many riders.
There's one thing for certain though, you won't be short on choice!
3. Weight
All starting to make some sense? Good!
Now it's time to consider weight. A good thing to do think about how much strength you will need. Strength Vs weight almost.
It can be somewhat of a juggling act to get right.
Cross country riders and climbers are going to find that light, tighter bike mountain bike suspension forks will work for them.
Downhill riders will favor the extra weight and looser steering.
So it really comes down to what style of riding you as to what will suit you best.
One little tip - fork strength can be difficult to gauge and the manufactures recommendations are really useful!
4. Volume Spacers/Tokens
Volume spacers give you the ability to finely-tune your fork's air pressure.
When you add tokens, the air pressure in the chamber is reduced. This means that the pressure can be applied at high speed and the spring pressure can then be set low.
Why would you do this? It means the mountain bike suspension can sag more but the risk of bottoming out is minimal.
Removing tokens does the complete opposite.
5. Damping
What is damping?
Compression damping manages the way the suspension fork moves through travel. This is usually done so with oil, but it can be other fluids too.
As a rider, you have the ability to restrict the oil through this circuit. By doing so, you can change the way in which your suspension fork works. Even to the point of fulling locking it out!
Most bike forks have knobs or dials for you to control this follow and they're really simple to do.
When you restrict the oil flow, your mountain bike suspension will become firmer.
If you open the flow up fully, you guessed it, you get the opposite effect! The suspension fork will be free to absorb the impacts.
If you're heading down a hill at high speed, open up your suspension, especially if the terrain is technical. This will boost your traction and you'll have a great time!
Should you find yourself on smoother trials and not wanting to waste energy on the occasion "bob", then restrict the flow a little. Tighten up the mountain bike suspension forks and enjoy the ride!
What about full lockout? If you're looking to keep your suspension movement to a minimum then you can lock out fully. Great for the times when you're on-road or on some really smooth trials.
The 5 Top Mountain Bike Forks
1. Best MTB Fork For The Money: Krsec
Are you wanting to upgrade your MTB but don't want to blow the budget? You don't have to!
Better still, you can still give yourself a serious upgrade with this KRSEC fork!
With this fork, you're going to get a really good rebound adjustment structure with so much control.
Budget doesn't mean bad quality and it most certainly doesn't for these forks! They are made using aluminum alloy and magnesium alloy. Great materials and designed to last.
These forks are compatible with MTBs with disc brakes and work really well with most wheels (26", 27.5", and 29").
If you're looking for an upgrade on a budget then these could be the best mountain bike suspension forks for you.
Weight: 1697.6 g (approx)
Travel: 100 mm
Pros
Cons
Cross country rider looking for a fork upgrade? You've just found the perfect one!
The travel length from these mountain bikes forks is really impressive, at 120mm. Making it an ideal solution for those who like cross country.
Let's not forget the rebound, it's smooth! So is the dampening adjustment so your bike is in for a treat with this upgrade.
You get a manual lockout and the straight steerer tube is 28.6mm.
Disc brakes are welcome with these and will fit with ease.
Quality was at the forefront of Bolanys mind when they designed these, they are sturdy and give you a real sense that you'll be well balanced throughout your ride, even at low speed - which, let's face it, is always nice!
Constructed out of aluminum and magnesium alloy, you get a good solid feeling about the build quality. What's more, the design works to keep dust particles from getting to the traveling tube - love that feature!
Very much considered to be the best mountain bike suspension forks for Cross country riding.
Weight: 1675 g (approx)
Travel: 120 mm
Pros
Cons
Wanting to go faster downhill? Then check out these mountain bike suspension forks from MZP!
Designed to give you a smooth ride, they have 130mm of travel.
You get the ability to change the pressure lockout in the chamber and also shoulder-controlled damping structure - fully equipped to give you everything you need for your ride.
With plenty of different color options you can really stand out from the crowd - some are really quite classy too!
You can be confident of this best mountain bike suspension fork and its ability to keep you safe. A strong build with a fork leg constructed from magnesium alloy and the travel tube is made using aluminum alloy.
As far as wheel size goes, the MZP fork supports tires up to 3", and a disc brake!
For downhill riders, these are the best mountain bike suspension forks around.
Weight: 2960g (approx)
Travel: 130 mm
Pros
Cons
If you're looking for the best mountain bike fork for the trials, then do consider the Lutu!
This is a solidly built piece of kit that is highly regarded. Using aluminum for the upper tube and magnesium alloy for the lower tube, you really do get a sense of quality and strength from this fork.
What's even better? Despite that undeniable strength, it's light-weight! Absolutely perfect for the times when precision is key (when isn't it, some may say!).
You get a decent amount of travel at 120mm so if you're a fan of cross-country or hitting the mountains then it's a fantastic option for you.
Installation is very simple, with a steering tube of 215 mm long, you won't have any trouble.
To top it off, it's fully adjustable and it comes with rebound adjustment, motion control as well as lockout settings. Well kitted out!
Color-wise, Bucklos is keeping things classy. You can opt for an all-black version if you're going for a stealthy look. There is also the option of black and gold if you want to add a bit of color to your best mountain bike suspension forks.
Overall, if you're after an upgrade and you're partial to the odd bit of trail riding then Bucklos Lutu could be ideal for you!
Weight: 1675 g (approx)
Travel: 120 mm
Pros
Cons
A suspension fork that is well known to be built solidly, with a good reputation too!
You won't find one that is much easier to install than this fork and it's designed to take on heavy impacts (not that we're encouraging them!).
For those enduro riders, this fork is perfect for you. This model is designed to work with a wheel size of 26".
Pros
Cons
Final Verdict
Weighing everything up the best mountain bike suspension forks winner has to be, the Bolany!
It's a no messing about the type of product. Gets the job done, low speed or high speed, it's got you!
Forget the hype of the Marzocchi Bomber, you don't need it!
The Bolany is a brilliant piece of kit.
Common Questions & Answers
1. Which fork suspension is the best for mountain bike?
Tricky question! That really depends on the style of riding you like to do.
Your best bet is to research. Helpfully, there's a buyer guide just at top of this page - have a browse!
2. How do I choose an MTB fork?
Similar to the previous question. Without knowing your style of riding it's impossible to say but we do have a guide above to help you out!
3. Are Lutu forks any good?
Lutu forks are some of the best mountain bike forks around. We actually reviewed them at the top of this page and they score highly.