2020 Pinkbike Awards: Suspension Product of the Year Nominees
Suspension Product of the Year Nominees
2020 was a year for suspension, with more offerings being released than flavours in an Italian gelateria. With each brand having their own philosophies about suspension and how to go about getting the perfect squish, we've never had so many options to cater for our individual bike, terrain and preferences as right now.
The coverage of suspension was also vast, with products aimed at racers and weekend warriors alike, ranging from cross-country to downhill and encompassing every single type of riding in between, with options from different brands in each category.
With such a plethora of suspension products to choose from it became clear that most of the standouts were in the fork department. RockShox's Zeb impressed us with a clear focus on hard charging and enduro racing. For the same reason, Fox's 38 is in our nominations for their take on what a stout big travel single crown should be.
While those big names may have taken a lot of the limelight this year there were new products from some of the slightly smaller brands out there. The Cane Creek Helm MKII shone through as an alternative to the mainstream and with its huge adjustability. EXT's Era was perhaps a bit more of a surprise to many and the Italian company took every bit of their suspension know-how from all the other racing worlds that they are involved in and channeled it into a fork that impressed Mike Kazimer. And finally, the Öhlins DH38 took that supple yet supportive goodness that we love Öhlins for and applied it to their updated DH38 m.1 fork.
Last year we couldn't decide on a winner and so just recognised the best suspension products of 2019. This year, though, we do have a winner that stuck its head above the rest and still leaves us a little speechless when we ride it.
Without further ado, here are the nominations for the 2020 Suspension Product of the Year.
Why it's nominated
EXT's dampers were already well known, and for good reason. The Italian company's rich history in racing at the highest level in all manner of motorsports meant that they had a hell of a lot to work with when they decided to go into the MTB world. Back in July they released their Era fork and piled the same level of engineering and development into it as they do for any other product.
They even addressed some of the problems plaguing long travel single crown forks, with an extended overlap area between the steerer and crown. They also paid particular attention to the fork's friction, not only when bouncing in the car park but also when loaded up and twisted while out on the trail, adjusting the tolerances to achieve just the right fit and backing this up with ridiculously high levels of QC and inspection on the forks during manufacturing and assembly.
The air spring featured a hybrid of coil and air springs to harness the suppleness of one with the ease in adjustability of the other. That air spring using two adjustable chambers to adjust how the fork compresses through its entire stroke and also how the mid-stroke and bottom out support builds in the travel. The damper uses a spring backed internal floating piston and a large diameter piston to have a bit more oil flow to keep the fork consistent on long runs.
All that added together to make the usually reserved Mike Kazimer gush and earned the Era a place in the nominations.
All that added together to make the usually reserved Mike Kazimer gush and earned the Era a place in the nominations.
From the first ride:
 | I'm usually not one to gush, but after six solid rides on the Era I'm comfortable saying that I've never ridden a fork that felt this good right out of the box. I've even switched bikes with a couple of riding partners mid-ride so they could experience what I was feeling, and in both instances the general consensus was “that's ridiculous.” |
Why it's nominated
Prior to 2020 we'd already seen a new fork from Fox and it didn't take a math genius to figure out what it would be called. But what we didn't know until its release in April was just what was going on inside.
With fork lengths up at 180mm travel 29" giraffe leg dimensions, Fox needed to employ some tactics to help that lonely single crown out. The upped stanchion diameter no doubt helped, but more hidden away the oval butted steerer tube added material front and back. Crowns were redesigned to help in that quest for stiffness while also being ready for the potential onslaught of huge diameter head-tubed bikes.
We also saw the return of a pinch bolt axle on a single crown and even some air bleeders on the back of the lowers to relieve built up pressure inside the lowers.
The Grip 2 damper was something we could tell from the spy shots, but one thing hidden away was the air spring design to use a smaller piston than the 38mm diameter stanchion would suggest. It also allowed Fox to use the volume around the inner tube and also in the lowers to their benefit.
Its performance on the trail was as solid as its looks without being overly stiff, and with the updated Grip 2 damper it shone through as a serious contender for this year's Suspension Product of the Year Award.
The Grip 2 damper was something we could tell from the spy shots, but one thing hidden away was the air spring design to use a smaller piston than the 38mm diameter stanchion would suggest. It also allowed Fox to use the volume around the inner tube and also in the lowers to their benefit.
Its performance on the trail was as solid as its looks without being overly stiff, and with the updated Grip 2 damper it shone through as a serious contender for this year's Suspension Product of the Year Award.
From the first ride:
| I didn't (and still don't) have any complaints about the stiffness of the 36, but the 38 does feel even more solid. One of the trails I use for testing has a nasty compression that leads into a sharp right turn, a section that puts a significant amount of twisting forces on any fork. The 38 took it without flinching, and it didn't seem like I needed to muscle it around as much as I would with a flexier fork. Two rides in and all I want to do is head out for my third, fourth, and fifth rides, which is always a good sign. |
Why it's nominated
It wasn't just Fox that was working on a long travel single crown, and with the release of the Zeb in July RockShox showed their cards. Zeb paying homage to the intrepid explorer Zebulon Pike, famous in the Colorado Springs, Colorado, area of the US where RockShox are based.
The Zeb also sports 38mm diameter stanchions but forgoes some of the bells and whistles of the Fox 38 to boost the ease of use for the rider. A simpler bolt in axle ties in with the Torque Cap fitment hub end cap surface to boost stiffness and the 200mm post mount meant that the big rotor accompanying the fork's intentions just bolted straight on.
The air spring and damper are recognisable as the DebonAir and Charger 2.1 units from the other RockShox forks, but different in their size to fit inside the larger diameter tubes. Travel options came in at a whopping 190mm and surprised me at how much fork was coming out of the box when they were delivered.
Out of that box, its ease of setup and ability to be immediately thrown down any trail you wanted impressed us hugely. Added to that, the price, weight and impressive on trail manners made for a superbly well rounded package and made it another easy nomination.
Out of that box, its ease of setup and ability to be immediately thrown down any trail you wanted impressed us hugely. Added to that, the price, weight and impressive on trail manners made for a superbly well rounded package and made it another easy nomination.
From the first ride:
| The Zeb's damper and air spring are very similar to the Lyrik, but the two forks do feel different on the trail. The Zeb has a more muted feel than the Lyrik when faced with repeated impacts, as if a thin layer of memory foam was laid over the ground. It's similar to the difference in feel between running a DH casing versus a single-ply, trail casing tire. The Zeb seems to filter out the small vibrations differently than the Lyrik, transmitting a little less trail feedback to the handlebar. There's still a very usable range of high- and low-speed damping, it just that even all the way open the Zeb seems like it takes the edge of sharp hits a little differently than a Lyrik. |
Why it's nominated
Moving away from the mainstream, Cane Creek released an updated version of their Helm fork. The MKII saw Cane Creek update the Helm to keep it up there and competitive in the ever-expanding trail and enduro segment.
It's the air spring of the Helm that sets it apart from the likes of Fox and RockShox. Despite a slightly longer setup period, the fork is manually equalized between the positive and negative chambers, but does allow some additional tinkering if you were searching for a more supple initial portion of travel.
The end stroke ramp is also adjustable via changing the volume inside the forks with the sliding piston. With everything contained in the fork it has the benefit of never needing extra parts to adjust the feel of the air spring. Travel is also easily adjustable with snap in spaces and could be altered from 140mm to 160mm.
Compared to the original Helm, the MKII impressed with its overall less damped feel and its wide range of damper adjustments and the other updates brought it right up there with the likes of the RockShox Pike as a viable alternative to the big main suspension brands. Not bad at all for only the second try and worthy of a nomination.
Compared to the original Helm, the MKII impressed with its overall less damped feel and its wide range of damper adjustments and the other updates brought it right up there with the likes of the RockShox Pike as a viable alternative to the big main suspension brands. Not bad at all for only the second try and worthy of a nomination.
From the review:
| Cane Creek's updates to the Helm make it a more viable option than ever, whether you're building up a burly little trail bike or a longer travel all-mountain rig. The ability to easily adjust the travel and the fact that the air volume adjustments don't require any additional parts only add to its appeal. |
Why it's nominated
Öhlins has impressed us in the past with their forks and shocks. What some people described to be almost a dead feeling when they grabbed it for a thorough car park test simply blended away on the trail and was soft when you needed it and hard when you needed that.
The DH38 received an update for this year, dubbed m.1, and saw tweaks and improvements all over the fork to up performance for its intended use of DH racing, which is where it has certainly proven itself. But that's selling the fork a little short, as the likes of Nico Vink also use it at Fest events, and it could actually be adjusted in travel all the way down to 120mm, giving a sturdy dual crown option for things such as shorter travel ebikes.
The DH38 saw damper improvements inspired from their RXF36 m.2 single crown fork with a new piston and low speed needle design as well as refinements in the way the system circulated oil. It uses Öhlins' three chamber air spring design. Two function as we already know as self-equalizing positive and negative chambers, but the third chamber is also adjusted with air pressure to change the build in character of the fork as it goes through its travel.
That adjustability with pressure allows for more fine tuning than with large plastic tokens, even though internally the fork can be adjusted further, by someone with the knowhow, by adjusting the volume of the individual chambers.
Four different crowns round out an impressive adjustment portfolio, and while most of the talk might have been about the DH38's adjustability, it's in its performance over the summer and autumn seasons riding that it earned a nomination. As with their other suspension products, the DH38 m.1 simply disappeared underneath you on the trail and left you to ride, focussed and fast.
Four different crowns round out an impressive adjustment portfolio, and while most of the talk might have been about the DH38's adjustability, it's in its performance over the summer and autumn seasons riding that it earned a nomination. As with their other suspension products, the DH38 m.1 simply disappeared underneath you on the trail and left you to ride, focussed and fast.
From the first look:
| For downhill racing in 2019, Öhlins sat at the top of the tree, holding both the World Cup overall and World Championship titles with Loïc Bruni. But as a company founded in racing, they don't rest on their laurels and now release their updated DH38 m.1 fork with a host of improvements on its already astounding performance that are claimed to bring more comfort and control to the rider. Designed as a race fork, the DH38 platform has also held its own in the likes of the Fest series and now even has the ability to be reduced in travel to offer dual crown options for smaller travel bikes. |
Honorable Mentions
Fox 36 Fork
The new 36 might be going a bit under the radar for most, with the 38 overshadowing its little brother. But the 36 might actually be the fork that more riders will likely have on their bikes in the coming years with its coverage from aggressive trail riding all the way through to enduro racing. It may now be the little brother to the 38 but its performance is in no way inferior. Traction is plentiful, support is there and there's options for everyone from suspension tinkerers to riders on a budget, with the 36 being a fantastic fork for that spectrum between XC and DH that we call mountain biking.
DT Swiss 232 ONE Fork
The 232 ONE fork from DT Swiss was launched as part of a complete package, including the shock and dropper post, all aimed at cross country racing and short travel riders with a big focus on bike weight. The 232 ONE fork was impressive in its quest for grams and fascinating in the details that DT Swiss went to to maintain the chassis rigidity of forks with much bigger intentions on the trail, while also maintaining a smooth and controlled suspension feel despite its short travel numbers.
Marzocchi Z1 Coil Fork
The return of a classic. And for the current coil trend, Marzocchi's Z1 coil arrived to deliver tonnes of traction and comfort without breaking the bank. The addition of the coil conversion kit also made it possible for riders with the air sprung Z1, or Fox 36 Rhythm, to move to a coil sprung fork without completely emptying their wallet. The Z1 coil melted away the repeated bigger impacts on rough trails and its smoothness helped you cling to the off camber ground and slippery wet roots.
Formula Mod Shock
Formula applied their almost coffee-capsule-like suspension tuning concept to the Mod shock. Colour coded valves can be switched out with ease, minimal loss of oil and no need for a degree and six pairs of hands, each changing the damping characteristics of the shock on top of what the adjusters would grant you. Its performance was impressive when we rode it and with Formula delivering a shock that is tuned to be in the right ballpark for you on your particular bike, the Mod shock was an interesting suspension addition to 2020.
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
There is no perfect product out there. We put our bikes through a TON of abuse so noises are to be expected. For the record I have had 20+ Fox forks over the last 10 years and not 1 with a CSU creak.
For contrast I do have to pull the bottom bearing of any Cane Creek headset every 30-45 days to clean and grease the carbon cups to quiet them down because they creak so badly.
1. You are riding to slow for a 38
2. You are riding to smooth a trail for a 38
3. Your hub engament is too big therefore not enough pawls rubbing on the hub shell
Please correct the above to stop the alarm.
Is by far the loudest fork I’ve ever used. I couldn’t care. But it definitely is noisy.
I’m on my third csu of the year, dreading when the warranty runs out
@salespunk there has been a total of zero EXT forks sent back for QC issues in the United States thus far so not sure where you are getting your info from.
And thank you so much for the kind words!
And my ERA is the best fork I’ve ever felt, hands down.
Interesting dichotomy here. Also what QC issues? Especially when the USA distributor says he hasn’t heard of any
I’ve well and truly had enough of it, missed so much riding this year waiting for a csu replacement. I’m on my 3rd or the year.
Currently saving for a new fork for when the warranty expires, I’m done with @foxracing 2nd 36 that in a row I’ve had this issue on. Only reason i have one now is that it came oem on the build.
It’s a piss take that they are fully aware of the issue and done FA to address it. When I raised this with the guy at Silverfish he was like “what you worried about they’ll keep replacing it under warranty” that’s all well and good but I can’t get back those missed rides and what happens in 12 months when my warranty expires! Jokers!
I am not saying that the EXT is bad, in fact I am considering getting one to try out. I was pointing out that issues arise with any product that is mass produced.
As for the other issues you are alleging I have sent you a PM to learn more about it. We have absolutely no knowledge of any forks being sent back to Italy for these issues and if this is true we would like to be aware of it.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS-VzI2JbrI
Just curious how close to max damping are you on the high speed compression adjustment? I would absolutely love to see a dyno of the grip 1 damper to see where the pre-set hsc setting lands in the range of adjustments for the VVC grip 2. A quick google search doesn't turn up any dyno's of the grip 1 unfortunately.
@friendlyfoe. When I had the air pressure a little under what I liked, I ended up running the HSC from in the middle, and worked my way to fully closed, which definitely helped (when it was under sprung). Now I've found my air pressure, I am running it between 5-3 clicks from closed depending on where I am riding.
That makes more sense when hearing the context. IMO, if you are running the compression fully closed and having issues, it's probably more of a spring rate set up issue. Going from 2020 Grip2s on my Dh and trail bike to the 2021, I much prefer the support of the 2021 models; they seem to still as supple, but have more support through out the travel. I also found the new 2021 shocks HSC/HSR seem to have a greater effect than the forks adjustments.
If you watch the video the issue is that the maximum amount of HSC available is less than half of what it was in 2020. So if you're running it all the way closed the issue isn't that you're not running enough spring pressure, it's that fox has drastically reduced the amount of HSC available in the 2021 model.
He also mentions in the video a number of improvements to the overall design of the 2021 that generally make it a better fork. So the fox 36/38 does have a number of improvements that the Z1 will not have gotten. The difference in the damper is minimal though between grip 1 and 2 as they work essentially the same and you're not going to get that much more HSC with the dial all the way closed than you would with the stock setting in the Z1. This is important for anyone with a 2020 36/z1 with grip 1 considering a grip 2 install, as the HSC adjuster doesn't offer a considerable amount of extra damping. Comparing 2021 fox stuff to the Z1 the overall improvements separate them more than the difference between grip 1 and 2.
products.mtbr.com/product/older-categories-bikes/2005-front-shocks/maverick/duc-32.html
/pedant
it seems they already have
The point here is that either (a) EXT grow, make some OEM sales for volume, and are able to reduce costs and price, (b) are bought/licensed by a bigger mtb company, or at least (c) provide a new idea of what a good fork is like, hopefully forcing others to up their game.
The SC Fox 40, the RS Totem and the Manitou SC Dorado!!!!
Also, it seems that Pinkbike really didn't like the Manitou Mezzer.
also, are you possibly thinking of manitou Dorado sc? shiver sc is a marzocchi thing
The Z2 should have been include in this competition for a few reasons: Value, Performance, Stiffness. For $500, there’s no short travel fork than can touch it.
The Cane Creek Coil is the sleeper fork, easily adjustable travel, stiff, good damper, and a reasonable weight for a coil fork. I think Cane Creek got a bum rap for their shock failures, but this fork is no failure. I haven’t tried the air version, but the coil version in the MK2 is a good fork and the revised damper is very functional.
On the rear, I switched from DPX2 to DVO Topaz2 and it's massive improvement.
The only product from Fox I was really happy about was Transfer dropper post.
@mikekazimer : "It was released in 2019" *ctrl-C* *ctrl-V* *ctrl-V*...
Well then, why wasn't it mentioned in 2019? www.pinkbike.com/news/-2019-pinkbike-awards-suspension-product-of-the-year-nominees3.html
Just the same thing. Newest incremental flash from Rockshox et al, plus Ohlins and EXT. Plus saying there weren't others worth mentioning.
Mike can only judge what he has in hand. It's the manufacturers responsibility to get him functional product. If they can't get a functional product to a major media outlet then why should I have confidence that they can get them to the masses on a regular basis? It's not the first time Pinkbike has gotten jacked product and had to review it.
We'll see if we can make it work in 2021, but lots of logistical issues for sure.
I see what you did there
What I loved about my Z1 and my Z1 coil was the ability to very very easily make adjustments, even between climbing and defending... which I do not do with my 36 or my 38.
Always curious what other folks do.
Worst component of the year-Crank Brothers shoes?? Will they be as delicate and unreliable as their pedals, dropper posts, wheels?? Will they be redesigned every year because the basic engineering isn’t very good?
But to me, the fact that Nino was riding a 35mm stanchion for XCO was pretty big suspension news this year.
(I've got 3 spacers, 10 psi over recommend, and compression at recommend)... so I guess I just need to keep turning up the beef more.
Yes companies like Sram and Fox, who both are what people think of when they think mainstream suspension, are certainly MORE mainstream than EXT. That doesn't mean they aren't mainstream. EXT is even specced on a couple smaller frame brands. They HAVE an actual U.S. distributor. You can find them on the PB buysell. Most people on PB are aware they exist - they're mentioned on the front page. Plenty of people have probably even seen one in person, certainly if you live somewhere where there is world class riding. Contrast that with a company like NDTuned or Fast Suspension and I would say they're mainstream.
- can I service it myself (with the tools I have or are willing to buy)
- availability and price of spares
- durability
- price of acquisition
- performance (for my purpose)
Probably more or less in that order too. Hence I ride a Magura TS8 fork. Maybe the least sophisticated fork people can think and probably the easiest to service. Implies I can ride more, perfect for me. If I were looking for higher performance and/or more tuneability, Formula seems the most sensible choice for me. I don't think I'd ever choose a Fox or Rockshox fork over a Formula. That said, I'm not looking for more "performance" and/or tunability. If my fork would break and I can't fix it, I'd probably just get a Manitou Circus at 5" travel, tune the compression damper for trail use and ride the hell out of it.
The Formula Stelva looks a nice option if you are set on coil though...?
www.pinkbike.com/news/manitou-introduces-the-sterling-edition-mezzer-pro.html
I bought the 2nd generation air piston and it's not fixed in that!
Maybe it's fixed in the 3rd, but whatever gen the photo is above... it's not fixed, better though by the looks of it.
Call them up and demand your 2mm travel back
"short changing the buyer" lol give us a break. If youre concerned get a longer air shaft
I got m fork cheap so they kept the remaining 10mm+ travel in the 1st generation fork to make up for it!
Coil conversion one day for me I think up front. Its the future.