MRP's Coil-Sprung Ribbon Fork - Crankworx Whistler 2017

Aug 16, 2017 at 20:51
by Mike Levy  
MRP Ribbon


I've had MRP's air-sprung Ribbon fork in for long-term testing for months now, and I've been very impressed with both the Ramp Control air system and its twin-tube damper, but it looks like the Colorado company will soon be introducing a coil-sprung version to boot. Why do I think that? Simple: there's no air valve on the spring-side, with a flat top cap in its place. Sherlock Holmes, I am not.

Coil springs are making a comeback, and suspension companies offering a coil versions is a simple way for them to have an alternative fork for a relatively small development investment. I'd bet my only dropper post that the coil-sprung Ribbon features the same chassis as the air-sprung fork that's on the front of my bike, with the only difference being inside the left fork leg. If so, I'd expect conversion kits to be available down the road, although that's speculation on my part.

If the fork is coil-sprung, does that mean that it can't employ MRP's effective Ramp Control air spring? I would have said that the answer is surely no, but there was an anodized orange dial at the bottom of this fork's spring-side leg (pictured below) that could serve no other purpose than to tune some sort of ending stroke control. My guess is that MRP has found a way to incorporate their Ramp Control system into the coil-sprung Ribbon.

MRP Ribbon
MRP Ribbon


Author Info:
mikelevy avatar

Member since Oct 18, 2005
2,032 articles

71 Comments
  • 36 0
 YASSSSSSSSSS THE STOKE IS REAL
  • 6 3
 Being a lighter rider, I'm super interested in a good coil offering. I wouldn't think twice to throw one of these on the front of my bike if I found a decent price!
  • 10 1
 also wouldnt be surprised if the orange knob was just preload not some sort of magical ramp up on a coil.
  • 8 2
 Sounds like this has put a real spring in your step......
  • 1 0
 @adrennan: that would be cool if the coil charger boxxer AKA team had a preload adjust. I have such a knob, but it's not OEM. If MRP sealed off the bottom of the stanchions, couldn't a ramp feature be implemented? Kind of like marzocchi's old air assist coil spring for fine tuning?
  • 2 0
 @Ron-C: ohlins does a preload knob on the coil forks i believe. and i think i would rather have a well tuned coil with no air involved. either way, i cant wait to try this offering.
  • 20 1
 @adrennan: I can't say too much yet, but hidden under the black cap on the spring leg is a preload adjustment. I'll let you ponder what the orange knob does, I'm gonna go ride some laps on my Ribbon Coil. Smile
  • 2 0
 @NoahColorado:

I hope this will be applied to Fox 36 and Pikes

Erik
  • 5 0
 @NoahColorado: goddammit. go play with your knob and give me a coil!
  • 2 0
 #COILAINTDEAD #FTW
  • 2 0
 @NoahColorado: I just got a Ribbon on my Megatrail, still fine tuning, but I dig it! Please tell me I can put a coil in mine in the future....plz
  • 1 1
 @NoahColorado: How abouts a 170mm 29er?
  • 1 0
 @NoahColorado:
Hey Noah- will the coil be available as an aftermarket drop in kit for current Ribbon owners? I'd love to try it.
  • 1 0
 @NoahColorado: Can I convert my Ribbon to coil down the road?
  • 4 0
 8.29.17
  • 2 0
 @NoahColorado: is when you are giving me a free sample to test???
  • 20 1
 Smart, it looks like the arch is reversed. Maybe the back is smooth like yo mama so she doesn't catch mud as bad.
  • 2 0
 You are correct.
  • 3 0
 Standard (brilliant) operating procedure for MRP. Aside from aesthetics, I don't know why more companies don't do the same.
  • 3 0
 @MTBrent: Honestly, I only thought it looked odd the first time I saw it. It's grown on me very fast and now I almost see other forks as being the ones who look backward.
  • 6 0
 I can't say enough about my Stage (it's technically a "Stribbon" as they offered to update me to the new internals for an additional $20 over the standard rebuild last time i sent it in for service!), but seeing as though I have an 11-6 on my Megatrail I feel like a coil Ribbon would be a nice match; all for less coin than buying a new Pike/36 and PUSH's ACS3.

One cool thing about the Stage, however, that I would loose if/when going to a Ribbon IIRC, is the approximately 10 mm shorter Axle to Crown than comparable travel forks from other manufacturers (My Stage at 170 mm has a similar axle to crown length as a 160 mm Pike/36).

All in all, MRP is a cool company to work with that is developing products that are very competitive with the offerings from the more commonplace brands (both in terms of price and performance). This fork is definitely on my radar as a replacement to my Stage or to use on my next new bike build!
  • 1 0
 I thought it was comparable to foxs. Fox is 6mm less than Pike A2C Afaik...nice.
  • 7 0
 I've never used any MRP suspension products. But the MRP products I have used have always been spot-on. Their customer service has also always been phenomenal. Great people I hope the Fork is as good as they are.
  • 5 0
 I put a Ribbon on my Rootdown BA and love the thing. The Ramp Control is super effective, it's nice to be able to add or remove clicks to change the progressiveness of the fork on the trail. My home terrain is more flowy and has less big hits and g-outs, so I can run the Ramp Control pretty open, I took the bike down to ride in Asheville NC and was getting super deep into the travel and bottoming out occasionally, I added 3-4 clicks of ramp control, and instantly had a more progressive end and fixed my bottom out issue. Plus the chassis is really stiff and directional. Compared to my Fox, which I held as a previous benchmark, it's as good or better, specifically better when it comes to tunability.
  • 8 0
 Now we need Rock Shox to bring back the Totem!
  • 4 0
 Still have and love Totems.
  • 9 1
 *texts Simcik*
  • 4 0
 I've just done the Tftuned coil conversion on my Pikes here in the UK. It cost ÂŁ100 on top of a standard service, so not too bad. They are now incredible rather than good and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone...
  • 6 0
 Now we are talkin' !!! Mrp Van-ribbon
  • 6 0
 Marzocchi really was too ahead of its time.What next?Titanium coils?
  • 1 1
 Wish someone made a bombproof 38mm stanchion, 180mm travel, titanium coil fork with air assist preload! Oh wait...
  • 1 0
 Can someone who knows more about this please elaborate: spring rates are critical for damper tuning. Drop in coil conversion would require going through the damper valving to get optimal performance. (I.e. damper and spring need to be tuned as a unit?)
  • 6 2
 Irony: Enduro riders are switching to coils and DH riders are switching to air (at least in the rear).
  • 8 0
 i have swaid it before, enduro races are long and rough. I mean how long was the longest stage for whistler ews? 10 minutes? that is almost 3 times longer than some wc tracks. coil will perform more consistently over longer periods of time than air.
  • 3 0
 @kiksy: ok there you go, 5 times longer than a wc downhill stage. don't get me wrong modern air suspension is amazing. but it will never be as good as coil.
  • 6 0
 @adrennan: it will never be as 'cool' as coil !!!!
  • 2 0
 @hamncheez: ayyyyyo, i see what you did there
  • 1 0
 @kiksy: yep. 4 minutes longer than the Garbo DH and I would argue much rougher too (other than In Deep).
  • 3 0
 I haven't heard of MRP, but if i can get a coil fork for my trail bike, I'm interested. I like the coils on my DH bike.
  • 4 0
 Coil goodness + ramp control! Sign me up @MRP!!
  • 3 0
 Add this with a Raze = Sploosh
  • 1 0
 I love my 2017 Stage, it's amazing and smooth. but i'd be down MRP if the coil will work on it as well .. the smooth the better
  • 2 3
 Looks great, however will your LBS work on it? A friend tried to have his MRP fork serviced locally. Had to get a special 'tool'. Once they got it, the tool wouldn't work and the LBS had to send it to CO. Took over two months I believe? This stuff has to be standard. I can get my Pike worked on in a few days.
  • 1 0
 great to see more coil forks, maybe in 3 or 4 years I can finally buy a brand new coil trail fork Smile
  • 2 0
 At first glance I thought that was an internal brake line routing.
  • 2 0
 That would be so cool, but so annoying at the same time. I'm actually getting stressed out just thinking about it....... ;-0
  • 1 0
 @jjalessi: until you choose to change forks, or get the fork serviced.
Maintenance nightmare.
  • 2 0
 If only Push had released a full coil fork!?
  • 1 0
 Ramp control on a coil sprung fork? Uh huh.
  • 1 0
 Make a 180mm version please Smile
  • 2 0
 Yes!!!!!! Finally!!!!!
  • 1 0
 What's next, pinch bolts for thru axles?
  • 1 0
 Can't wait for Push to make their own!!! LET THE GREAT EXPERIMENT BEGIN!
  • 2 3
 I liked this product the first time when it was called Push ACS-3.... Which was like 2 weeks ago.
  • 4 0
 my guess is this will be 400 bucks less and not void fox's warranty...
  • 1 3
 Wait - the air-sprung fork you're testing has no air valve? How does that work?
  • 4 0
 read again.
  • 1 0
 Smart Air Technology. Simply blow or suck air from that direction and the fork knows to inflate or deflate. Smart enough to know the difference between wind and your breath.
  • 1 2
 @Kw449: No that's not how it works.

@MtbSince84: It's a self pumping fork. To add air you bounce up and down on the front of your bike.
  • 3 5
 Looks like the lowers are on backwards !?!?!
  • 4 0
 Apparently it means less dirt getting stuck in the crown, no tire flinging mud into it
  • 5 0
 That's smart. It's a pain to get mud out of the back of arch on the Pike.
  • 1 0
 @mrbabcock: nothing a hosepipe and water cant fix ...
  • 2 2
 @KingTJ: i think the bars are turned 180
  • 2 1
 @KingTJ: nevermind, i'm wrong. just looked at their website and the exposed arch does face forward on their forks
  • 9 0
 @rocky-mtn-gman: One of the design features of this fork was exactly this ... minimize mud, weight and maintain stiffness. MRP forks are the best out there. They may not be the lightest or have the newest bling in some cases but they work better, longer and have a fantastic company behind them.

Try this with your Fox or RS ... scratch the upper, send it back, they will press it out, replace it and you will get billed ... under $100 last time I checked!!!
Or change frames and find you need a longer steerer tube ... oops ... send it back, they will press it out and replace it and bill you ... again usually under $100.
Call RS or Fox and price that there!

Want to upgrade to their newest damper ... no problem ... don't need a new fork, just get new internals.

These are forks for riders. They are awesome!
  • 6 0
 It's a love hate look for sure. Personally I think it looks bad, but Noah takes that personally as he spent lots of time designing and making it unique. That said if it works then who cares how it looks. Their stuff feels very good.
  • 3 0
 @onemind123: Yeah, it's definitely not to everyone's taste, I fell in love with it at first sight, and now I have one on my hardtail Big Grin
  • 2 0
 @dro-cfr: Huh? I've got a stage, and feel it's beautiful in a uniquely subdued way. What am I overlooking? Not the way it rides...
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