Pinkbike Poll: Which Alternative Suspension Manufacturer Has the Best Chance of Challenging RockShox and Fox's OE Dominance?

Aug 12, 2020 at 11:14
by Mike Levy  
Picture yourself standing in the local shop. You have money to spend, and have narrowed it down to just two bikes. Neither of them would hold you back while you do whatever type of riding you do, and maybe one's a bit less expensive while the other one looks way better. Either way, regardless of the brand or intention, there's a pretty good chance that the bike you leaning towards comes with either a RockShox or Fox fork.

Yes, that fork probably works really, really well, especially if you're looking at a high-end bike. On the other hand, it'd be more interesting if another suspension manufacturer broke the original-equipment dominance of The Big Two. So, who's your money on?


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There are good reasons why RockShox and Fox are the top dogs, and it's far more complicated than a challenger simply needing to make a fork that out-performs the status quo. First of all, if it were "simple" to make a fork that works well, let alone better, this wouldn't be a hypothetical poll. And even if it works really, really well, it needs to keep doing it for a long time, probably while not being maintained in the slightest.

Oh, and don't forget that thousands and thousands of them need to be assembled, each one loaded with tiny parts made by different people and different machines, some from outside suppliers who may or may not meet your deadline or quality-control expectations. And remember that shocks would need to be made as well... That's just the tip of things, too; being as large as RockShox and Fox are presents far more difficulties than if they only needed to manufacture a few thousand 36's or Pikes.

So with that in mind, which alternative suspension manufacturer has the best chance of challenging the OE rule of RockShox and Fox?


Which suspension brand is most likely to test RockShox or Fox's original-equipment dominance?

*Marzocchi isn't on the list as they're owned by Fox



Author Info:
mikelevy avatar

Member since Oct 18, 2005
2,032 articles

381 Comments
  • 249 4
 Suntour - If they really wanted to. They are HUGHE in terms of suspension parts manufacturing. I suspect they are not pushing their house brand products to not cannibalize the market of their manufacturing clients too much.
  • 93 3
 Suntour are literally the only company large enough to really challenge the status quo. They are the makers.
  • 11 0
 Currently testing a Durolux and triair shock, it looks pretty solid. And definitely the only one that can produce enough oem stuff.
  • 8 0
 Aren't Suntour already spec'd on a bunch of bikes already? Rocky and Norco come to mind for bikes they are spec'd on.
  • 11 0
 The RC2 PCS forks are really outstanding- the faster you go the better it works
  • 99 0
 They're fighting the stigma of their low end products too. They are almost two companies; one with the cheap oem shit we all hate, another with forks that can go toe to toe with rockshox at significantly lower prices.

Yet for as much as we bitch about prices of bikes, most on here are willing to pay the brand name premium and won't consider a Suntour fork.
  • 29 0
 @Weens: I run a durolux and a triair on my enduro. The durolux is the stiffest and most plush fork I ever owned. No complaints about the triair either. Only negative thing I can think of is that people think you are crazy for wanting to ride Suntour. Haha
  • 5 0
 @brdfrb: same crazy here, triair is so plush...
  • 11 1
 @brdfrb: just got a TriAir myself. With enough air in to get the proper 30% SAG I can make the rear suspension work just by pushing down gently with a finger on the saddle. Couldn't believe it at first.
  • 3 18
flag bxxer-rider (Aug 14, 2020 at 14:48) (Below Threshold)
 @southoftheborder: that'll be because a triair is actually a monarch plus with debonair.
  • 16 0
 Been on Suntour for years now. Not only are their top model forks amazing but, so is their customer service
  • 26 1
 @Weens: there is a solution to this- launching another brand that is exclusively high end to avoid the negative associations. Audi and Lexus come to mind as successful in this.
  • 9 0
 @Weens: It's not that I'm unwilling to try their stuff, it's just that I buy complete bikes with suspension that is good enough for me that I have no desire to look at alternatives
  • 5 0
 @Weens: I use a Rux 38 and it's incredible. I would not change it for another fork for how it works. For how it looks though...
  • 14 2
 @bxxer-rider: actually the triar is a dvo topaz, the dvo topaz uses a bladder for its damper whrre the suntour uses an ifp, the ifp isnt as sensitive as a bladder based setup but the difference isnt really noticeable in my opinion having been on both and the ifp is far easier to bleed
  • 1 0
 Exactly my thoughts!
  • 15 1
 @bxxer-rider: it's actually a DVO Topaz, but with an IFP instead of a bladder in the piggyback. I've opened mine and the sealhead was DVO green.
  • 5 0
 Suntour. Best bang-for-the-buck in aftermarket forks, too. And relatively easy to service yourself (well, my buddy does mine). I have a Durolux on my trail bike and an Epixon on my commuter.
  • 6 2
 @Weens:
I tested a Durolux fork before buying a Fox 38. It is a really really good fork but it is not as stiff as a 38. A little bit tricky to tune and has a very silly axle and awful graphics. Easily a competitor for the 36 and Lyrik.

If they put just a little money into marketing and polish they could compete with the big two.
  • 21 14
 ppl who vote DVO and not suntour is hilarious... literally the same thing
  • 4 0
 @nouseforaname: Tenneco purchased Ohlins a couple of years back. With revenue over $8B they certainly have the means to rival the others.
  • 3 2
 I have a very nice Auron but if they want to compete they need to have a better set up guide than the owners manual. I can even find rebound or compression initial settings.
  • 14 2
 Fox has shit the bed. Maybe the 38's are decent but my new commencal needed warranty on both the dpx2 and 36's in the first month of owning. Bushings and CSU packed in, no idea what happened to the shock but the damper stopped working. Won't buy fox for a quite a while.
  • 3 1
 @Cowboi: yeah, the new stuff is top notch. The DPX2 was not good.
  • 3 10
flag farkinoath (Aug 14, 2020 at 20:34) (Below Threshold)
 @blob425: A DVO Topaz is literally a Monarch Plus with a bladder and a better air can though. The Triair is therefore just a Monarch Plus, not a Topaz with an IFP.
  • 1 0
 @Poachninja: so you mean DVO
  • 11 23
flag jomacba (Aug 14, 2020 at 22:25) (Below Threshold)
 @nouseforaname: Öhlins are owned by Tennaco, a fortune 500 company with a revenue of 8.599 billion USD.
The very same company that led to the ultimate demise of Marzocchi.
Provided they don't fall victim to the same mistakes that plagued Marzocchi, id say Öhlins are the only real competition against the likes of Fox and Rockshox. Let's not forget racing pedigree and the impact racing has on the mountainbike world. When was the last time you saw SR suntour on a WC podium? Go ahead I'll wait.
The only reason this wouldn't happen is if Öhlins chooses to stay in the high end side of things, and sacrifices the OEM market.
  • 56 0
 @jomacba: I do believe that Tracey Hannah is the current WC champ; she is running SR Suntour suspension.
  • 27 0
 @jomacba: "When was the last time you saw SR suntour on a WC podium?" Haha! I hope you're kidding 2019 Overall and World Champ winner Tracey Hannah rides for them!
  • 7 44
flag jomacba (Aug 15, 2020 at 0:00) (Below Threshold)
 @Rubberelli: Ah shit, your right. Sorry I don't follow the women so much. Regardless, my point still stands, despite that detail.
  • 8 5
 @bxxer-rider: why the f*ck then the monarch plus with debon shit air felt like a brick in the ass? Get lost rockshox fanboy!
  • 11 1
 @bxxer-rider: check your verdict before you claim shit. Sr Suntour is the parent company of DVO so the triair is a topaz with a floating (low friction) piston instead of a bladder design. And we all love dvo for being a performer on the trail and if the trail. Sr Suntour products perform extremely well, you only pay the weight penalty and some twisted heads on each trail head you rock on. Most riders get speachless when they try them.
  • 5 1
 @uccprince: Tenneco also bought Marzocchi back in the days where they where hughe. And managed to drive them into the ground. If oehlins would start to focus on the average rider, maybe an option. But their products are designed mainly with racers in mind. Way to harsh to ride long descends.
  • 15 1
 @jomacba: last year... Tracey Hannah won the overall on the RUX, SR SUNTOUR has also a bunch of XC wc wins under their belt. It's just that they talk quiter to protect their customers (some fox forks are made by them)
Sr Suntour is by far the biggest suspension maker in the industry. So the so called big two need to keep up with Suntour not the other way around.
  • 8 0
 @jomacba: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Hannah
Appears Sick Mick podiumed in ‘16 & ‘17 at WC Cairns + ‘18 Crankworx NZL
  • 4 1
 @Poachninja: even closer to home would be TRP, that being the high end brand to Tektro's OEM.
  • 9 0
 @jomacba: "Lets not forget racing pedigree and the impact racing has on the mountainbike world". This was important at the time when you put your comment together and seems to be a pretty significant detail in the point you were making...up until the point you were corrected by others. Is it any less significant now you know that there is actually a WC champ riding SR Suntour?
  • 3 0
 @downcountry: We sold a lot of bikes on dpx2 shock, me, and my friend use it as well with no problems.
  • 1 0
 @lightone: maybe no problems, but have you ridden non-Rockshox shocks with the same MSRP? The Suntour, DVO and Manitou shocks are a level above.
  • 1 0
 @Uchwmdr: don’t knock till you’ve tried it
  • 2 0
 @uccprince:
Or scrap it like they did to Marzocchi...
  • 2 0
 @jomacba: no, it doesn’t actually. It was build entirely on a fact that was instantly fact checked...
Thankfully, no one wasted anytime waiting.
  • 1 0
 I run a Suntour fork that came on my 4X bike, I expected it to be cheap but when I pulled it apart the internals all looked very high end. I quite like the 15mm axle as well, it's definitely the easiest I've ever used.
  • 1 0
 Regarding topaz and triair, I've read somewhere that outside of bladder vs ifp, the internals are different aswell.. basically the triair should be overall more simple. Can anyone confirm/refute this?
  • 1 0
 Here in the US, I only see suntour and rockshock in pretty much all bikes. With suntour being in most of them. Most entry level bikes with suntour and intermediate level with both suntour and rockshock. High end stuff I see Rockshock and fox. Suntour not much. I have no clue how it is in Europe or Asia market.
  • 3 0
 @mrmikebikes: I had no idea until I read your comment that SR Suntour manufactures everything for DVO. Wild.
  • 3 1
 @arna86: No, because my point was not based on what I had incorrect. My point wS to say that Ohlins financial backing is easily one of the largest in the industry, if not the largest.
  • 2 0
 @ondreja: when you open up the triair for aircan service you’ll find a lot of green parts......
  • 2 0
 @brdfrb: Paint it black and put a fox sticker on it. Problem solved.

Suntour's high end forks are very good. If I needed to swap my fox for whatever reason, I would just go best bang for my buck and that would likely be Suntour or Manitou.
  • 8 1
 @DangerDavez: they will know it’s not a fox because there is no creaky CSU Wink
  • 12 0
 Not quite, two different companies. @mrmikebikes:
  • 1 1
 @Weens: there is nothing wrong with suntour. I recently got a suntour dh fork and was quite surprised at how well it ride. The problem becomes and I think this is where most girls fall down is longevity and consist feel. While the suntour felt great for the first few ride after about the 5 or 6 time to the bike parks it was hurting my hands it was no where as plush. Where as the fox 40 was stiffer and more consistent in the way it felt and reduced hand pain. Also I had found out that suntour does most of dvo's machining for there forks.
  • 2 0
 @Poachninja: what trp is to tektro
  • 1 0
 @nouseforaname: also Giant has a 34mm fork for their oem, which I suspect could become many different brands oem, could maybe be a catalyst for Suntour to drop the gloves too.
  • 1 0
 @uccprince: they have the means, but they've demonstrated that they don't care about the mtb market once already.
  • 2 1
 I think they know they have the recruiter, entry, and beginner's market cornered. Do I think they could make high end forks, yes. Do I think they will, no. The competition at the high end would mean less profit, and increased spending on RnD so its not good business. They should push their trade up program more as most people have never even heard about it.
  • 2 0
 @Xavier-dh25:

Great thing on suntour is, FAST offers their new cartridge for suntour forks as well.
Forks are stout and spare parts available and cheap, while customer support is really goid as well
  • 1 1
 I have a Suntour Auron, great fork and would take it over Fox and especially Rockshox.
  • 1 6
flag liam-fillinger (Aug 16, 2020 at 8:17) (Below Threshold)
 @nouseforaname: but everything they make is garbage
  • 2 0
 @nouseforaname: this town is full of dumb reminders
"Having a good time, can't you tell?"
hang up the phone and then I calm back down
"Miss you, I hope you're doing well."
  • 1 0
 @Liamfillinger: care to elaborate?
  • 1 2
 Keep in mind that suntours are lubricated via grease, not oil. If you put oil into damper side you will blow up cartridge.
  • 1 0
 @Poachninja: yeah but Durolux doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.
  • 5 0
 @Sshredder: I know the name sounds like a durable condom, but I prefer that to a fork that keeps creaking like I'm using that durable condom on an old bed...
  • 4 0
 @Mac1987: nothing instills less confidence than a fork sounding like an old bed frame.
  • 43 3
 It’s a stupid question to ask PB public. How the hell do we know?
If it was phrased - what we would pick rather than OEM equipment that’s different
Or even what would people like to see as alternative options, but to think anyone could comment on how brands pick and choose there OEM through deals and who currently is making inroads into that or has the capability is just stupid clickbait
  • 6 2
 I ride Manitou and Trust, wife rides Fox.

Best shock I’ve ridden is the Manitou Mara Pro, got two, they beat anything on the market, even witj aftermarket upgrades.

I think Vorsprung or Push could build a better fork than the other guys, but they’d lose money, so it’ll never be.
  • 1 0
 It's just a popularity contest - "apart from Fox and RS, what suspension would you buy" is the question they are really asking. Whenever one of the other brands gets an OEM deal, like ohlins on some of the specializeds or BOS on YT a few years back, some people use it as a reason NOT to buy that bike, but no-one is buying the bike because of the suspension.
  • 37 0
 Only a manufacturer big enough to be able to handle smaller profit margins per unit will be able to compete. You have to get them put on stock models. Period. It doesn't matter if your stuff is better and you sell it for less. The fact is the large majority of riders are not going to replace whatever fork/shock comes on the bike with something aftermarket.
  • 11 0
 I agree. I think that it has to be someone expanding into the high performance realm rather than trying to extend down to the pricepoint range. I also don't see someone like Ohlins or DT Swiss being interested in being a middle/lower market brand as "premium" is part of their brand identity.
  • 2 0
 @SpokeGuy: True, but then again, most Öhlins forks & shocks I've seen in the wild have been OE specced on the bikes they were on. They might not rival RS and Fox overall, but in their price range, Öhlins might be able to take over some marketshare.
  • 1 0
 @NickBosshard: yep I have never seen anything Öhlins on a trail that wasn't spec'd on a Specialized. And from what I hear from my friends who ride the stuff, its no better than high end Fox or RS, so I'm not sure people are going to switch to it that often.
  • 30 0
 I call BOS being the least likely. No bike company is going to touch them with a 10ft pole, after their "absolutely no support" track record. The product is basically garbage as soon as it needs a service or parts.
  • 33 0
 They have my fork since last october for a warranty csu replacing. I literaly had to beg them to do more than simply look at the fork and charge me 370eur for the process without even opening up the bloody thing and check its internals. Now they dont even answer any emails, but i have an invoice about a ~200eur sum for "warranty" service. Never ever had anything like this with ANY warranty pricess i had to go with. I'd strongly advise to NOT touch any of their products.
  • 4 0
 @moferenc: I feel for you! Found a rear shock (new) with a really nice price, but didn't drop my hard earn cash due to comments like yours!
  • 3 0
 @moferenc: This is sadly the case with several Bos forks I have owned or know of. Amazing product let down time and again by their non-existant customer support.
  • 3 0
 @moferenc: I kinda feel like taking a screenshot of your comment and submitting it to them... or would that cause trouble?
  • 3 0
 Their service restrictions make mass market impossible.
  • 7 0
 It's a shame - I had a Deville and it was amazing. I was lucky enough not to run into any issues with it though.
  • 4 0
 BOS Deville was the best fork I've ever owned. I'd 100% buy one again - if I could.
  • 2 1
 BOS and Ohlins are the best brands IMO. The main issue with BOS is they are a small company and they didnt think about training and support. It is mainly the case in North America, the best thing is to get the seals or after market one and service your fork yourself.

The same thing with old Marzocchis and Magura forks and brakes in Canada (Vancouver Area), nobody wants to touch it.

I drove few rally cars with BOS suspensions they are amazing. The same thing for Ohlins on the Renault Megane RS.

I think BOS is more focus on rally racing than MTB, for what i remembered they won few WRC titles with Loeb and Citroen. The DS3 and the Yaris used to have BOS shocks.
  • 1 0
 @Ba1rog: I think evetyone reckon BOS is great. That ain't the issue. The problem is with support, or aftersale role. From what I've seen is close to non-existance, and that alone, moves away any desire to buy something, even if they are "la crème de la crème"!
  • 1 0
 @Ba1rog: BOS is definitely the greatest performer out there, but they don't have enough capacities to make big production as Fox or RS
  • 2 1
 @Ba1rog: Every time MTB suspension comes up, Ohlins always comes up as “the best”. Truth of the matter is, their motorcycle/motor sports success hasn’t translated to bicycles. Their forks just aren’t as good. I’ve ridden some Ducati’s that were out of this world running Ohlins front and rear, but every Ohlins sprung MTB I’ve ridden was mediocre at best. Which brings us to “give them time, they’ll figure it out and dominate”. What actually is, and what can someday be, are 2 entirely different things.
  • 2 0
 @SlodownU: does that include the RXF 36 M.2 (which appears to get great reviews)?
  • 1 0
 With the decline of Bos, which I put down to their lack of support (I was lucky, but there's often no smoke without fire), I am thankful that other companies are stepping into the fold though - EXT, Push, etc.
  • 1 0
 BOS mtb seems done, which is too bad. They used to sponsor a lot of WC teams and freeriders but I can't think of a single rider now sponsored by them. Vinny T was the last hold out I think in 2019, but he now rides marzocchi. I liked my idylle much more than my boxxer.
  • 1 0
 Yep BOS support is garbage. Had to beg them to send seals for the idylee DH fork to Whistler, they manage to send seals that are too small somehow (as they only have few forks on offer anyways). Takes 2 weeks for them to send the correct size and thankfully they did; because they are taking a 14 day vacation in the middle of the summer season....

The fork and shock were stock on a rocky mountain maiden, which makes rocky mtn look bad as a Canadian company they stocked a bike with parts that cant be serviced in Canada.
  • 2 0
 I am still racing on my old BOS Deville but I got lucky with not CSU issues. I use fox seals and service myself. Not really a good model for expansion but an awesome fork. I think they should sell their tech to Suntour and then we have a winner!
  • 24 1
 Suntour could do it if they wanted to, but they would need to rebrand the higher end forks so that they wouldn't get associated with the pogo sticks that come on sporting good store bikes. Ohlins can do it more realistically for the higher trim level bikes.
  • 6 0
 Sponsoring Rampage and WC DH winners does help give it some high end image, I'd say. I'm not sure how their XC athletes perform but the 4X athletes also used to be right up there.
  • 16 1
 Perhaps they could make them black and green and use a three letter ancronym?
  • 8 1
 Sad part is their "pogo sticks" on sporting goods bikes are actually decent for what they are. The XCM that they spec on the around $600 mark is actually pretty good. It still has an air damper, and if you are riding within the limits of that bike you would be more than happy. Its not like there are the forks that get put on real bikes, high end suntour forks are pretty good, and they even have straight steerer and dropout options.

Its just another brand that falls victim to the elitism of cycling.
  • 3 0
 @matadorCE OR just make their partnership w/ DVO official and strike up a deal to combine into one company that can take on RS & Fox - DVO sticks to upper mid & high end, Suntour for the low end.
  • 2 0
 @RonSauce: Unless they changed the forks, XCM is a coil shock that only has preload adjustment and weight about as much as the bikes that are put on. A few years ago Suntour did push to get their higher end forks more visibility but it never got real traction in the market; i remembered they even had an upgrade program where you could trade in your xcm and get an air fork for a reasonable upcharge.
  • 2 0
 @matadorCE: its heavy as hell. It does have virtually zero adjustability. It also allows you to have 500 dollars worth of fun on a 500 dollar bike. I'm not suggesting putting an XCM on your Yeti, I'm saying when it comes to bottom dollar you can have some fun on that fork. Suntour doesn't get enough credit for putting smiles on faces.

As for high end Suntour they aren't bad, they are capable of finishing races under pros and are good enough for me.
  • 1 1
 @RonSauce: Finishing races is an understatement. Tracey Hannah WON the 2019 UCI WC DH OVERALL.

@ninjatarian : That sounds like the Marzocchi/Fox deal and I think it would be a bit of a shame. Marzocchi is capable of producing top level componentry and the same goes for Suntour.
  • 2 0
 @vinay: Some big differences- Fox & Marzocchi used to be separate high end brands with no association. When they combined, Marz lost some of the things that made them special like their open bath dampers.

DVO & Suntour, however, are already a joint entity and have been from DVOs start. Suntour (although capable) is not really known for anything special, so it’s not like something significant is going to be lost if they just made the partnership official.
  • 2 0
 @ninjatarian: Ah, never realized DVO had been a joint entity with with Suntour from the start. I was aware Suntour did production for them but I considered that more a paid service than that they were a single business. Just like production companies like Superstarcomponents and Nicolai also make parts for other brands. I thought DVO was an independent brand from a few ex-Marzocchi engineers who wanted to do their own thing, but obviously (as small as they were) had to outsource production.
  • 3 0
 @vinay:
Pretty sure they are not the same company. SR Suntour just builds their physical components as DVO is not a massive company with their own individual factory. Seems to be a very common practice, just like Genio in Taiwan building numerous frames, like RAAW, Privateer and the Grim Donut.
  • 2 1
 @vinay: I never said they were they same company. I said they had a partnership and that they *should* combine into one company.

My understanding is Suntours involvement w/ DVO is much deeper than merely making some components for them like they do for other companies. Not only do they manufacture finished products for DVO instead of just parts, they also lent engineering & development expertise to DVO. So an official partnership would not change too much for either brand, which was essentially my point.

DVO regarding Suntour: “They have also been with us every step of the development process and we have modified some of our technical details to fit within their manufacturing and assembly process...”“... SR Suntour will install a dedicated production line to assemble the complete line of DVO products (forks and shocks).”
  • 20 0
 I have actually been thinking about this a lot lately. Brands like X-fusion and DVO made a big splash when they were first few seasons they were out but i've seen it slow, especially X-fusion. The roughcut damper was pretty great, the Vengeance was one of the better freeride single crowns of its time and the RV-1 is a great downhill fork. Where did that momentum go?

I think of all the brands above cane creek and ohlins have the biggest following outside of the big 2 + marzocchi since its under fox. Manitou seems to be swinging for the fences with their new line and it would be great to see confidence return to their line.
  • 4 0
 I've been running Xfusion for about 8 years, and love them. I keep wondering if i should swap out my coil Vengeance to run some bigger rubber, but then i think I'll never find the plushness in another fork.
  • 2 0
 @freeriderayward: I had an air vengeance and it was great for it's time. I'd run them again if they came back swinging with an updated coil/rough cut damper.
  • 9 0
 Yep, X-Fusion has the products and price point to disrupt the big two. I also wonder why they didn't get over the hump.

For one pretty bad branding and marketing. Terrible company name that sounds like garbage you'd find on a bike in Walmart.

Maybe if they'd found the right marketing approach early on they could have established a Volcom/LibTech/Evil kind of vibe, highly functional alternative product for the underground hardcores who know better, sponsor some anti-hero type pros, etc ...
  • 4 1
 For x-fusion the answer is easy...their products are perfect, but if you service them yourself, you void warranty.
  • 1 0
 X-Fusion dampers are decent. I had a Slide 29 and I remember impressing me through rough stuff. I bought a CTD and some O2 shock as a backup for my Spark. The CTD felt like a weird bag of gimmicks whereas the 120 dollar O2 felt very natural and fun.
  • 17 0
 SRSuntour makes a full range of product. Never understood why the get judges on there basic entry level. That’s like saying XTR shifts as good at tourney....

They have full carbon World Cup XC forks and Rampage winning DH forks...
  • 6 0
 And DH championship winning forks.
  • 24 8
 DVO is probably the only one ATM. The only way you can challenge "dominance" and not just have a good, but not massive business like Fox and RS is for OEM Bike Brands to actively put your suspension on your bikes. I have seen this with DVO but not the others beyond one offs on DJs.
  • 22 2
 They had problems scaling up to even what they offer now...
  • 5 2
 @NorCalNomad: For sure, but I imagine that is all small suspension companies. I am not saying that they have any chance of actually establishing themselves as a player the size of Fox or RS, but I think it is most likely out of all of these brands. Obviously they will also need to get their supply chain and quality control dialed.
  • 3 3
 And ohlins
  • 2 0
 Edit: Actively put suspension on complete builds.

Brain cloud kind of day.
  • 49 0
 @HB208, don't forget, SR Suntour manufactures DVO's products - that should help with the supply chain / QC.
  • 4 1
 @mikekazimer: That's a good point. I would imagine they would start manufacturing their own products or doing their own contract manufacturing with manufacturers in Asia (as opposed to contracting through another suspension company) if they really reached the size of a Fox or RSs. At least, you would imagine that wold be the most efficient and cost effective way, other than maybe having your own facilities.
  • 7 0
 @mikekazimer: sure but dvo's look good...
  • 9 4
 I absolutely LOVE DVO forks... But there is no way, as a company, that they could provide forks for a full product range of a major bike company. They have ran into issues with the few forks they offer now, be it manufacturing QC issues (metal shavings like crazy) or product availability issues (notice how many Ripmo AFs have random color DVO forks as they have pulled everything they can from the shelves). DVO is a very small operation who contracts manufacturing to SR Suntour, and would need to at least double their in-house staff as well as negotiate dedicated higher-quality manufacturing at SR Suntour.
  • 1 0
 @pnwpedal: I'm sure they will get it worked out. It isn't an easy time to be a small company given the impact of COVID on the demand for bikes.
  • 6 0
 I mean not as major as DVO on Giant's as OEM, but Gorilla Gravity does MRP as OEM on some of they're offerings.
  • 3 0
 @HB208: bike demand totally exploded
  • 3 2
 @HB208: I hope so, the issues I saw were well before COVID impacts so they were caused by other factors. The crew at DVO is great and I love their product.
  • 1 0
 @pnwpedal: Agreed, LOVE the forks, not so much in love with the shock...
  • 5 0
 Loved every DVO product I've had and there customer service is excellent.
  • 2 0
 @pnwpedal: It's almost surprising no one with a pile of money hasn't stepped onto this field to take someone like DVO to the next level. It would be a bit of a risk but if you could take 1/3 of market share would probably be worth it.
  • 5 0
 Yeah, data point: Got a 2019 transition sentinel XO with the Fox 36 Performance Elite, AKA 2nd best Fox and after so much tuning could not get it to feel good at all. Went to Phils trails system in Bend, OR, not known for extreme terrain and my wrists ended up hurting after a 20 mi ride.

Got an Onyx SC installed, set up with manual specs and the bike felt like another bike. Plowing over chunky tech at Sandy Ridge like it was nothing, tuen up the LSC and it was like a rigid fork.

Going back to Bend and Bachelor, chunky black diamond lava tech was mellow on trails like Rattlesnake and Last Chance, it soaked it up like it was nothing.

Highly impressed.

Much love Bobby Acuna!!!!
  • 7 2
 @pnwpedal: gotta agree here. I like my DVO fork, but the company feels a lot like it's run by Carlsbad industry bro brahs. Solid support if you call them up and get through, but tech info is sloppy or not available online or elsewhere. The need to invest in creating user support content. Doing so would go a long way toward making DVO as a company come off as not just cool but fully professional. Frankly, it would be easy to out do Fox and RS in this department, and would differentiate DVO as the suspension brand that really wants to connect with users. Start a cult and before long everyone wants to join ...
  • 3 1
 @mikekazimer: dvo is sr Suntours premium brand... They have funded the whole brand and guys which were left after this mighty Italian suspension maker went bankrupt... Sr Suntour was the maker of marzocchi at that given time and marzocchi was in debt by sr Suntour... So dvo is the marketing high end brand of the volume
  • 4 0
 Both Manitou and X-Fusion had their stuff on OEM bikes (Cube and Ghost for example). Nowhere near the numbers of Fox and RS though. And they were always on the middle level bikes, with the high end ones running (gasp) Fox and RockShox. This in turn made people believe that Fox and Rockshox were upgraded compared to Manitou and X-Fusion. I've seen people 'upgrade' their Manitou Minute to a Rockshox Recon and be surprised the performance sucked...
  • 6 0
 @HB208: a shimano drivetrain / DVO combo spec is something I’d love to see become a lot more common. Pipe dream but it’d be an interesting move if Shimano acquired/partnered with DVO to help compete with the juggernaut OEM combo that is SRAM/Rockshox
  • 1 0
 @BamaBiscuits: This! I have sent both companies (+Hayes) mails with explaining them that something is coming and they need to act fast.
Only Hayes answered, and only demanding I remove bad reviews from their site.
  • 3 0
 @BamaBiscuits: The new Ripmo AF has deore drivetrain with DVO squishy bits. if I lived somewhere with more elevation I would have alread bought one.
  • 1 0
 @OpeSorryAbootThat: yeah that’s the example that was coming to mind. And I’m the same. That’s an amazing bang for your buck combo.

Would be great to see that spec become more common at a base level instead of bottom-tier Fox/RockShox stuff and the horrendous SRAM NX/SX
  • 2 0
 @BamaBiscuits: ooooh, that's a good idea. The Fox/Shimano combo is somewhat common but I am not aware of any formal relationship between the two companies, and the decision is most likely made at the complete bike product manager's desk.
  • 1 0
 I have DVO forks and they really perform are easy to service. good support. i think if they moved away from everything being green they would compete.
  • 13 0
 I noted manitou because they used to be right up there and their current products are prettty much neck a neck with the big 2 and they already make a nice selection that go in all/most markets.

I just put a very used mattoc on my kids bike and I'm really impressed that a 4 year old fork that looks so beat can still function so well.
  • 6 0
 Main reason I chose Manitou is that just like SRAM, they're able to offer an OEM package and they offer forks for all disciplines and price points. They currently just don't offer drivetrain stuff but Hayes did buy the PeteSpeed gearbox from B1 (which I think is quite similar to what Honda supposedly used) so if the market eventually tips that side then Hayes has something to offer and SRAM doesn't (other than Hammersmidt 2sp drivetrain or to put a geared rear hub in a box like everyone did fifteen years ago).

Formula can be found OEM on some European brands like Alutech but it is rare outside of that. I think Formula is quite an exciting fork as you have a lot to play with, which does give some confidence that you should eventually be able to make it suit your preferences. So yeah, if I'd be in the market for a complete bike Alutech ends up quite high up the shortlist simply because of their OEM spec (Formula, BikeYoke...) but I get that as unlike SRAM, Manitou and Fox their spectrum is a bit more limited, they'd probably won't cut it as a OEM supplier for the big brands.
  • 5 2
 I agree on the Manitou choice. I have a number of their forks (helps my riding team had a deal with them) and I have no complaints other than they were either slightly ahead of the curve (first production 29er DH fork) or slightly behind the curve (the new Mezzer is just too little, too late and already behind the curve in features).

It seems they sort of found their niche with the kids line, although it also seems keeping those in production for the OEMs has come at the expense of their other forks.
  • 6 0
 I voted Manitou as well, they have wheel, cockpit and brake components to off as a package, not to mention their suspension is top tier. DVO are nice and have a good product line up as well, but a lot of teething issues with their stuff
  • 7 0
 @IanJF: I'm curious what about the Mezzer seems behind the curve. Like the Mattoc it doesn't line up perfectly to the other brands' offerings, being between the 36 and 38 for instance. And it may be 'too late' as it took them a while. But features-wise it doesn't seem to be missing anything. Full disclosure: I own one.
  • 7 0
 @estayton: the mezzer is stiffer than both the 38 and the zeb. It also works amazingly as far as i know. And it is cheaper. Where the hell is the behid the curve here? Stiffer, lighter, works as good and even better for very huge riders, has bleed ports, has fender included in price and is prettier. And it is cheaper than both options??
  • 4 0
 @Uchwmdr: it is 1mm too small! ;-)
  • 4 0
 @IanJF: The Mezzer has features Fox and RS don't offer at any price. It is an excellent fork and covers a large swath of applications.
  • 2 0
 @estayton: You are probably right. The Mezzer does look good and I was really hoping to get one for my Megatower - I was constantly pinging our Hayes rep for when a long travel 29er fork was coming. For better or worse, I ended up with a Cane Creek Helm instead, which has been a good fork although finicky to set up. I've had many Manitou forks over the years, including a '14 Mattoc, a '16 Machete (which I felt worked well, especially for the price), and still have a '17 Magnum. My "damn..." moment came earlier this year when I bought a new bike that came with a Fox 34 Factory SC. That fork feels amazing with minimal adjustments since the initial set-up.
  • 1 0
 @vinay: I agree, Formula forks are excellent, their quality and performance is superb. And they already do supply some OE and they will supply more in the future. In addition to Alutech other brands that OE spec their forks (and some now / soon also their new shock!!!) are:
- SUNN Bikes
- Ghost Bikes
- UNNO
- BMC
I'd love to see more smaller OE specing Formula on their bikes!
  • 13 1
 Probably DT Swiss. They have the economical muscles and a big enough organisation to actually be able to do it if they wanted to. A company like EXT or Intend is never going to do it, it's just not what they are about. Surprised to see so many votes for Öhlins as well, I would guess they are happy to sit in the premium aftermarket niche rather than churn out mass volumes.
  • 13 0
 Well given Ohlins is an actual suspension company with an existing manufacturing and supply chain capacity it probably makes the most sense. Notwithstanding their earlier models had shortcomings they've come a long way and did manage to be speced stock on Specialized's high end models.
  • 2 0
 @Ktron: And now on few Commencals as well
  • 4 0
 @Ktron: but I think the ”problem” with Öhlins is that they probably never will release something too fit a tighter budget.
  • 3 1
 @Ktron: Good luck working with Ohlins USA. That is a deal breaker for me!
  • 1 1
 @Fpalm: Actually, when I was shopping for forks earlier this year, I was surprised to see the prices that the older RFX 36 EVO's were going for in the UK. They can be had with custom tunes for £750 which isn't too bad at all.
  • 12 0
 Really sad to see Manitou as an alt brand- back in the day it was the big four. RS, Fox, Manitou and Marzocchi. Marz died and got absorbed, Manitou has been limping for 10-15 years.
  • 3 0
 Manitou and Fox barely overlapped in the top tier fork market. By the time Fox made its first fork, Manitou was already well on its way to becoming a second tier brand. Fox's entrance into the fork market just sealed the deal.
  • 11 0
 To be honest I’m not too worried whether any other manufacturers can break the OEM duopoly - I juist think it’s important that there are lots of alternatives and lots of clever improvements along the way Smile
  • 2 1
 Valid point, he who innovates the most wins, caveat emptor...
  • 5 0
 @AlphaRonin: If only it were true that they who innovate the most win...
  • 2 0
 @AlphaRonin: Nikola Tesla disagrees with you.
  • 1 0
 That's fine as long as you don't mind buying frame only lol. And good luck if you want aluminum.
  • 6 0
 Manitou Mattocs with the Dorado damper. They have done so well, I got a pair of Mattocs and I wasn't happy initially then I rode them and wow. I shit you not they are in the same performance ballpark as my Fox 36 and BOS Devilles at nearly half the price. Kudos Manitou keep it up. I used to love my Magura Wotans and Menjas back in the day. Dual arches and plush as hell, they need to bring them back
  • 7 1
 Hayes group could offer OEM packages able to challenge the stablidhment. Manitou suspension is top notch (I own a Mattoc), as are Hayes recent brakes for what I've read. Complete that with ProTaper and two brands of wheels.
Definitely wouldn't consider all that second tier when buying a new bike.
  • 6 0
 Well, being at the top of the list doesn't mean you're making the best products. Fox and RS are producing suspensions that suits their very large clientele. Their suspensions are full of compromises and far from performing well stock for a picky rider. A smaller manufacturer will always have the advantage to be able to stay true to it's suspension performance's vision without having to compromise too much.
  • 5 0
 I'd like to see DVO do it. Ohlins shat the bed with their Specialized Enduro OE chance in '17 & '18 but seem to be improving. I haven't seen SR Suntour being specced on any quality bikes yet but they have a large manufacturing capability so they could actually support the chance. Not sure the other two could.
  • 5 0
 DVO shat the bed with giant’s one-year-only 2019 OE spec as well. I’ve heard of fewer issues now that they’ve moved on to ibis, though.

The suntour aion had some good OE spec as well. No two forks sounded or felt the same, but the good ones were really, really good for the price. It’s just that the foxzocchi stuff for a few bucks more is a lot more consistent, and the suntour spec seemed to fade away between last year and this year.

But...there’s definitely something to be said for the parts availability and service directly from Fox and SRAM. Lots of roadies run zipps cause they can keep them going for a really long time and still get fill factory support. The boutique brands gotta catch up.
  • 1 0
 Ohlins gets a lot of positive press from the Specialized downhill team running their stuff, but I was listening to a podcast where a world cup guy said that the stock Ohlins stuff wasn't good and he couldn't get any support from the company. wonder how much is personal preference vs. not riding what Bruni rides
  • 5 0
 SR Suntour is probably the only one who could do both large scaling and competitive B2B pricing, but most riders associate the Suntour name with forks on cheap bikes at sporting goods stores and entry-level bike shop bikes. I'm sure most bike manufacturers are aware of this negative connotation. I do a see market for SR Suntour to OEM mid-tier models for some brands. Think a Bontrager fork on a Trek or Syncros fork on a Scott. Giant has already started shifting the supply of some mid-tier models to their own in-house forks.
  • 3 0
 Which is odd, nobody craps on Shimano for putting cheap drive trains on Walmart bikes. Why aren't they stigmatized? Or GT for that matter.
  • 4 2
 @RonSauce: because shimano didn't spend 30 years only making shite and then try to move up. They made some of the best, as well as offering the cheap stuff. It's the exact same with rockshox vs suntour.
  • 3 0
 @inked-up-metalhead: so its just bitterness towards the fact that they have been the only decent entry level option for 30 years?
  • 2 4
 @RonSauce: no, it's the fact that they've got a reputation and an image that's gonna be almost impossible to shake. It's like a budget car brand coming out with a super car. Why would you even consider it when you can have a ferrari for the same money? There's a level of knowing your place in life. Maybe they should look at doing what tektro did with trp, or toyota with lexus and start a higher end offshoot company/department. From what I know it's worked pretty well in both instances mentioned, and there are more than just them.
  • 3 0
 Or like DVO?
  • 1 0
 @inked-up-metalhead: are you saying that's a wrong way?
Man you got me fired up!
What is wrong with humans today? What got into you?
How can a company that hussles to put life long forks on every single MTB in the world get this much hate?
Shouldn't we all support that approach?
  • 1 0
 @inked-up-metalhead: O.G. Suntour was arguably the best in the game during their pinnacle (long before Mt. Tam birthed the mountain biking we know today); they literally invented the parallelogram derailleur and indexed shifting we still use. It's only been last few decades since SR bought them that they focused on higher volume, lower tier options and lost innovation. People forget they still make world class stuff if they want. IIRC, the BH team rode Suntour forks several years ago and won both a World Championship and Olympic Gold.
  • 1 3
 @8088yl0n: what? That makes very little sense. They don't hussle, their forks aren't life long, they're a massive company that churns out crap that appeals to companies trying to make a cheap bike. Their best stuff isn't the worst I'll admit, but the majority of stuff with the sr suntour logo is crap.
  • 7 0
 Ohlins is now owned by Tenneco, Same guys that tanked Marzocchi. I'm counting them out. Couple that with their being financially over-leveraged...
  • 1 0
 Ohlins will stay in the high price market option only, as they do in motorcycle suspension.
  • 4 0
 If DVO can streamline their production/supply, they have a shot. The product works and is different enough- it's unique without being too wild or too involved for an "average" rider. I'd also say SR Suntour or X-Fusion, but they have an image problem. Maybe they could do a Tektro/TRP sort of deal- the product is good enough, but the associations with the entry-level product definitely hurt them.

Most of the more niche or high end manufacturers have great products, but they're very unique and complicated, which comes with cost and risk as far as OEM spec goes.
  • 6 2
 Honestly? None. Theres a problem with all the others listed, and that's either they're too high end to be seen on 2k bikes, or they're too budget to be seen on 8k bikes. Fox and rockshox are the only ones who really have top end forks but also produce £200 forks.
  • 4 0
 Suntour make a full range but support isn't like SRAM or Fox. That said they are improving support, they are improving marketing and their products are creeping up the OEM market with the Radion and Aion forks specd. I haven't seen their premium products on anything though.
  • 3 3
 @MrDrynan: yeah but the image man. Do you want a suntour fork on your 8k carbon superbike? I know I don't. It's why they can't compete, too many shit forks for too many years to be taken seriously. There's a similar problem in the car industry, BMW can't sell 100k cars, because at that price you buy a porsche or Bentley or Aston Martin, because when you spend that much you don't want the same badge as someone who's spent 20k.
  • 3 0
 Manitou has a broad product line with better fork options at every price point than Fox or Rock Shox. They are just lacking the massive hype machine. I removed Fox Factory parts from my bike to go with Manitou shock and fork and it's a significant improvement, plus I have to endure less goobers ogling my bike in the parking lot.
  • 4 0
 It's going to be hard. I remember X-Fusion made a real big push almost a decade ago and made some AWESOME stuff. Maybe Manitou just because they use to be the third big player.
  • 3 0
 Surprised that Formula is not appreciated that much, it’s probably not tested from many. This is by far the best fork I’ve ridden, saying this after tried the latest Fox and RS offerings. DVO is also amazing fork, use this on my hard tail. I’d imagine Ohlins is up there but never tried it.
  • 2 0
 Formula is appreciated and is OEM on European brands like Alutech, but it is pretty high end and I don't think they offer an XC fork. Big bike brands want to deal with as few different parties as possible so if a single party offers a wide variety of forks and shocks across different pricepoints, that's a huge plus. If they also offer brakes, cockpit parts, drivetrain...
  • 2 0
 Agree, the current offerings from Formula are excellent and we should see more OE spec of brakes and forks on more smaller brands than we currently do. The CURA brake range is excellent, the performance of the forks second to none. Anyone offering an Enduro bike or ENduro-E bike should consider their brakes and forks, and now having a coil shock, it might just help that little bit to get ful suyspension spec on a couple more bikes. SUNN bikes already spec fork and shock on some 2021 models... hopefully it is just the first of a few more brands...
  • 3 0
 DVO for the win! I wish I could say I've ridden half these options...but I do know the stiffness, creak-freeness, and initial stroke buttery smoothness of my budget DVO Beryl fork and my 4 year old Topaz make their approach to suspension design a winner in my book. As an ex-small biz owner in the action sports arena here in California I have a lot of pride in their achievements and support any efforts for DVO world domination...if that's even something they care about LOL. Let's see Mike and Mike and Dan and Sarah test em all!!
  • 3 0
 Ohlins bicycle project is like a red headed step child to them. I've had a few of their coil shocks and they were good. Their air stuff is complete garbage! They don't know how to do air bicycle suspension and honestly I don't think they care...
  • 1 0
 I keep hearing only great things about rxf 36 m.2 and ttx air.
  • 1 0
 I love my coils. But I agree, bicycles aren't going to make them money. They probably spend more money printing out meeting notes than they make selling a TTX.
  • 5 0
 Fox is leaving the door wide open with their (still) creaky crowns and shocks that need a damper service way too soon. They’re the Alpha Romeo of the bike world.
  • 2 0
 As mentioned so many times here, the more niche high end products, will probably challenge fox and rs, and have together probably done so already on the aftermarket market. Suntour could probably if they wanted but one could argue that they already have by producing many of the parts for the high end products that already challenge fox/rs on the high end. And they dominant the bicycle industry as a whole if we include lower end products. Manitou, they was part of what we called the big four (or 3, before fox entered the bike market fully), one could also draw parallels to ext and Öhlins from where fox started, and look at fox now.

So, Manitou is my best bet, they already have a solid portfolio that could be transferred to oem and they have a full range of products in all price category's. I guess all they need is one hell of a key account manager
  • 2 0
 I knew it would be ohlins...
Let me tell you why it shouldnt be: Their products are expensive, its extremely hard to find replacement parts for them (hard to service at home), they have very limited information available on their MTB products as far as manuals go, their website is garbage, and based on my experience the stx22 leaks air, and the RXF36 just sucks.
Fox, Rockshox or DVO on the other hand, have reasonable prices for good forks, you can find seal kits for them anywhere (you could build an entire DVO fork or shock just from parts found on their website), they have comprehensive manuals (fox has exploded veiws of tons of their products which is really nice).
So until Ohlins figures out the MTB side of their company, there's a reason so many other brands are better than them.
  • 1 0
 Hasn't Ohlins since published manuals and how to videos?

Also aren't the stx22 and RXF36 superceded now?

All the Ohlins hate appears to be on old superseded products. Looks back 4 or so years and you'll find a bit of hate towards Fox products
  • 1 0
 @sambobcat: The support has improved...but that isn't saying much. It is pretty damn horrible.

That said, I love the Ohlins coils on my bike. But the support sucks.
  • 7 0
 Manitou till I die!!
  • 3 0
 Kind of a shame xfusion doesn’t have any us distribution or updated the vast majority of their product line in at least 5 years. Their design philosophy is great and their products were cutting edge when they dropped.
  • 4 0
 Suntour for their sheer size. I reckon all the others are way too small. To make it work they had to make their products more appealing though.
  • 4 0
 They forgot giant...a company the likely has the resources to match fox and RS. I skimmed the article...so if I missed an explanation...sorry
  • 1 0
 Yep, they slept on Giant. They've already released their first round of OE forks, and will only go more in.
  • 3 1
 OHLINS. With a pedigree of high performance racing shocks used in motorsports, not all that different from the start of FOX, I think these guys have a sporting chance if they can just figure out how to make their products more visually attractive. I have no doubt the performance is top notch. Ohlins has been a top tier brand in motorsports for decades, they're frequently used in supercars and hypercars and are often seen in endurance racing like Le Mans or even F1. Its pretty hard to dispute a track record like that. I would be inclined to guess that they're probably involved in the desert racing world too such as BAJA 500 and 1000 or even the infamous DAKAR rally, and I'm certain they're used in WRC. I do wonder why KING Racing Shocks hasn't jumped on the mountain biking industry bandwagon yet since they're a big competitor against FOX in other markets.
  • 1 0
 Their profit margin is so tiny in MTB, it is a waste of their time.
  • 2 0
 None. To challenge Fox or RS you need to be big on the OE market. SR Suntour is the only one who could really handle that load. I don't think bike manufacturers are in a hurry to spec anything besides RS or Fox though because sales might take a hit on their bikes. Most of the riders that want something besides Fox or RS aren't buying pre-assembled bikes to begin with.
I would say based off of other markets, ohlins technically *could*. But they aren't quite there yet with mountain biking.
MRP if they could handle the capacity could be a force in the aftermarket sales though. Good product, good customer service and the ready to shred thing they are doing where they cut the steer tube, install a star nut and crown race before sending it is pretty cool for the people that don't want to spend a lot on tools.
  • 2 0
 I would imagine that SR Suntour is probably already sitting in the #3 spot right now. Slowly but surely the word is getting out that their mid range and higher end stuff is pretty decent for a lot less money. If they would chop their bottom tier stuff out of their line up and only offer halfway useful products I think their image would improve enough to truly compete with the big dogs.
  • 2 0
 Though I don't think MRP will make a run at the big two from a business perspective, I do think they could capture some of the higher-end OEM market. The Ribbon Air is an incredible fork and converted me back to air after 20 years on coils.
  • 2 0
 They already come on several high end fellow Colorado brands. Revel comes to mind. I fuckin love my Ribbon Air. Same or better quality as Fox Factory, yet easier to service and dial-in the settings.
  • 2 0
 @the-lorax: Same here. I test-rode a Reeb Sqweeb (V2) with a Ribbon Air on the front of it set to 160mm. Loved it so much that I bought the frame and the Ribbon to work up my own build and haven't looked back since!
  • 2 0
 DVO is actually muscling in on the highend market. You see them on the expensive builds, not as a curiosity, but as a performance part. That's what Fox is afraid of. If they can keep it up we will start seeing a third contender
  • 2 0
 Realistically none of these brands are gonna be oem on any large bike brands as the risk is just not worth it. Maybe on smaller more neich bike brands where the customer actually knows the spec better and would appreciate the advantages of a better fork from ext, formula, ohlins or Manitou rather than avoid the bike cause the stanctions aren't gold
  • 6 5
 This isn't about "best aftermarket fork", this is about "which fork maker will challenge the two main fork corporations for OE fork sales" and the answer to that is "none of the above".

I don't see any of the brands listed being specced as OEM forks in any significant numbers. DVO comes on Ripmo AFs, and Guerrilla Gravity offers MRP, and I'm sure there are a couple more small examples that I'm missing, but otherwise most complete bikes are Fox or Sram. And rightfully so... I wouldn't want to stake the success of my complete bike product line on a small fork maker who may or may not deliver enough product on time to get my bikes in shops. And these fork makers need to offer a full product line, from entry level to pro level. None of them are at that level yet.

If any of those alternative companies can really ramp up production and get solid reputation and brand recognition for their forks, they will stand a chance of moving up into the fork big leagues. Manitou might stand a chance, we'll see how the Mezzer holds up. Ohlins may be able to spec forks for high-end models but they need more options to move down-market. Suntour needs to get rid of their cheap junk reputation and offer some really good forks to move up-market, and they might so stand a chance.
  • 2 0
 You are being downvoted unfairly. You are absolutely correct. MRP, DVO and Manitou make better products than either Fox or Rockshox in my experience, can’t speak to BOS or Ohlins etc. But that doesn’t matter, product managers have to take the safe route for both product availability as well as recognition.

Ohlins is currently the closest to being a commonly specced part on the high end due to their partnership with Specialized. Suntour already has a solid OEM presence in the big box to lower end bike shop bike. They also make a ton of parts for other manufacturers but they don’t have the cachet of Fox or the full OEM package provided by SRAM.
  • 1 0
 @cueTIP: haha thanks, I'm used to being unfairly downvoted on PB... Logic and reason aren't always appreciated in the comments. But yeah, in this case the fork spec on a complete bike is more of a business decision than anything else. It has to be looked at from that perspective. Suntour has the capability to provide product on time and in large quantities, but would need to earn a place at the table for top-end race worthy forks before being considered "one of the big guns" for suspension. Ohlins has the quality, but would need to bump up their production and offer more models. Who knows if these other manufacturers even want to make changes to compete...
  • 2 0
 I wish x-fusion was specced more often. I was in love with my roughcut damper until boost came along and off it went. The 34 i have now is terrible in comparison but i dont have $1k for a new one.
  • 3 0
 Formula Selva Coil. It seems that Formula forks aren't ridden by many people. I have had various forks and the Formula C is the best by far.
  • 2 0
 Same here
  • 1 0
 Yup, the current range of Formula forks with their single air, dual air or coil fork options is excellent. Plus, you can convert from air to coil etc if you want to try out other internals. Awesome they will have a matching coil shock for the coming season too, hopefully t gives them the in on some OE spec, already specc'd on SUNN bikes for 2021 which is great to see. The CURA brakes also fly under the radar, well priced and great performance, very happy with the whole current range in their lineup.
  • 1 0
 Ibis drank the green kool aid and is speccing DVO as standard fork (Onyx) and shock (Topaz) on Ripmo 2 and Ripmo AF models now. Fox Dpx2 no longer available on Ripmo, but can up grade to x2 and 36. Also Onynx std spec on HD5. Ibis seems to have picked. I would like to try dvo, but have seen mixed reviews.
  • 1 0
 It's more a matter of marketing and presence than the actual quality and functionality of the product. Your average bike buyer usually isn't a discerning PB reader who"s super keen on a >$800 product .... so of course the OEM market will determine who dominates. Even my peers (mostly experienced riders) will make purchases based on value and not agonize over the minutiae between comparable products.

RS will always offer the broadest product line while Fox will cater to the higher end, first time dentist purchases. Right or wrong, they are brands that average Joe are familiar with and associate with 'real' mountain bikes. In this case badging matters.

That said, I would put my money on Manitou and SR Suntour (I own a Duralux and several Manitou products) as contenders in the mid-tier value market. Suntour will always dominate the lower end OEM.
  • 1 0
 As far as OE volume, I think Suntour, Manitou, DT Swiss, amd Cane Creek all have the capacity to compete with Fox and Rockshox. None of the others have the capacity to compete. This is a completely different story if you are talking the high end OE market though. Then, I'd say MRP or DVO (I'm an MRP fanboy, personally). I'd love to see more from Xfusion and Manitou, though. They both seem to have largely dropped off the map.
  • 2 0
 Cane Creek definitely do not have the same capacity as RF and Fox. Cane Creek are a pretty small outfit in NC. Those guys are super dedicated to quality, and build everything in house. Personally I think they are committed to higher quality assembly than RF or Fox. I wouldn't want to see them lose than to up the numbers of products sold.
  • 1 0
 Most of brands like Ohlins, DVO etc are much more expensive then Recon/Sektor/Revelation from Rock Shox. And I suppose real majority of people of the world who like MTB are not going to buy 500$+ forks. So it's mostly Suntour and Manitou who give people access to quality and affordable forks for all kinds of riding from XC to non-copetitive All Mountain/Trail riding to Dirt Jumping wich, I suppose is most popular MTB activities
  • 1 0
 If anyone can do it, that would be SR Suntour. Not just because they are the largest OEM for bike suspension, but their own products are quite good as well. Their Auron fork is pretty comparable to a Rockshox Pike, Marzocchi Z1 or Fox 36, but at a significantly lower price. Also, DVO is owned by and all their products are manufactured by SR Suntour.
  • 5 0
 Ohlins at the top end, sr suntour for oe
  • 5 4
 I've never seen a single Formula, DT Swiss, EXT, or BOS here in Colorado. MRP and DVO are probably the 2 most common small brands I see on the trails, plus the occasional Ohlins, Suntour, Manitou, or Cannondale. I put a Manitou on a budget hardtail build, and I would not buy another, especially now that you can get the Marzfoxxy forks for nearly the same price.
  • 9 1
 So you’d buy a lesser fork because it’s the same price as the mezzer? Weird thought process
  • 4 4
 I don't think you ride enough if you haven't seen those forks. Should spend less time on here and more time pedalling
  • 2 2
 @mtb-scotland: I have not ridden the Mezzer. My Machete is not very good. Was terrible when I first got it and eventually found the factory assembly had left a big glob of grease in the damper oil.

Feels much better after cleaning the grease out, but still not anywhere near the performance of a Pike or 34. I'd buy the Marz Z2 instead if I was building the same bike with the same budget today.
  • 2 0
 @dthomp325: you're comparing a low end Machete with a Pike or 34? The Mattoc is the 34/Pike competitor and is leagues ahead of the Machete (and in my experience to the 34 also). This is like saying you'd never buy a Lyrik because the Recon Silver was shite...
  • 3 0
 @dthomp325: you realise the machete is a budget fork not in the same class as a pike. maybe you should compare it to a sektor
  • 1 0
 @Mac1987: yes, I am talking about budget forks. Why would I buy another Manitou when I can get a Marz Z2, a much nicer fork for a couple bucks more?
  • 1 0
 @dthomp325: maybe where you live. Where I live a Marz Z2 is more expensive than a Mattoc. And that's an easy choice...The thing is, you're slamming a brand because their low end fork doesn't perform as well as another brands' mid- to higher-end fork. That's hardly fair.
  • 2 0
 @dthomp325: because its heavy 34mm fork, with little to no adjustment.

if you are talking about budget forks why compare it to a pike?
  • 1 1
 @Mac1987: In the US the Machete is $400 and the Z2 is $500, the extra $100 is a no-brainer for a much nicer fork or you could pick up a used Pike or 34 for the same price and be better off than you would with the new Manitou.
  • 2 0
 @dthomp325: don't look at MSRP but street prices. I bought a Mattoc Pro from Bikewagon for $300. That beats both by a mile. They can still often be had for $450-$500.
Machetes start at $250 or $350 for the model with ABS+ damper. Between a $400 Machete and $500 Z2, I'd also choose the Z2. But I'd still far prefer a Mattoc and wouldn't discount a whole brand because of one model you didn't like. My Fox 32 TALAS 150 RL was crap, but I wouldn't then say that all Fox forks are therefore crap (they are way overpriced and a bit overrated in my opinion though).
  • 1 0
 Manitou had a visible OEM presence in CRC brands (Ragley & Vitus) the last couple of years. DVO tried to enter the OEM market by cooperating with Giant to spec on their high end builds, but it didn't last long. They even produced the Saphire 34 specifically for the Trance 29. They now have the Ibis thing running. X-fusion used to be spec'ed on various Specialized models in the past, not so lately. Cotic uses them on their base builds. My guess is that we're going to see a lot more Marzocchi builds in the near future. From what I see Rock Shox dominates the entry-mid level market right now, but I think their older products in these categories were of better quality.
  • 2 0
 SR Suntour, Manitou and in some way DVO.

Öhlins have a reputation of high end suspension, and won't release a cheap product that they aren't satisfied with.
Same for EXT and so on.
  • 7 6
 Problem is not with brands, problem is with ppl. North Americans especially. They LOVE everything black/white,... ford/chevy, democratic/ republicans, stihl/ husquarna , vanilla/chocolate,...etc,...

In europe ppl are much more likely try different brands, but thats not enough for the manufacturers to make the change....

I had try Ohlins fork (the one which was recalled in 201Cool and I had 0 issues with it, and love that thing, unfortunately because of the recall, Specialized switched back to the other two brands, and thats pretty much it.... unfortunately.
  • 3 1
 As an American... I couldn't agree more dude. It is tremendously annoying to hate one brand and shit another... without even trying it. It is an ego issue too.
  • 2 0
 Dvo hands down. Best guys to deal with and GREAT products. Having tired a decent amount of stuff I always end up back with their stuff. I can’t fathom why you’d wanna be on anything else
  • 1 0
 I recall a dozen or so years ago when almost the only shock option on a production bike was FOX

We’ve come a long way.

Chances of market dominance:
1. Suntour
2. Öhlins

Some of these companies need to start sponsoring high profile racers/riders.
  • 1 0
 Dvo onyx is one of the best feeling forks. Customer service is amazing. Love the home service and information availability. Had fox 36, grip 2 coil. Tried onyx single crown, and didnt miss the fox. Dvo off the top is what swts it apart. Even if they are producing parts through suntour, they have done a great job. Dvo seems to be more involved to end consumer in my experience. Ive brought my bike to them, and they have helped me every time on the spot. They have done an awesome job helping people service their products at home for minimal cost.
  • 1 0
 Motion France. Lol. Just kidding, they're pretty much as boutique as you can get though. I don't know, I could see them being a huge company if the idea caught on though, and they probably have exclusive rights to everything. I would buy one personally if they weren't so expensive, and they fit my bicycle. If the new idea blew up, I could see it, but it probably won't, as have so many other proprietary designs fizzled out in the past. It would have to be so strong, I honestly don't see it happening, versus companies that have been designing them for so long. If anything, they'd get bought out like any other up, and coming company.
  • 1 0
 X-Fusion and suntour would be tied for first, if we're talking companies who could compete with Fox and Rockshocks on volume. Ohlins and DVO would be tied on the performance side of things.


Random tangent here, but Rockshox Red, Fox Orange, and DVO Green are so ugly and played out at this point,,, Barrrrfff! If anyone is serious about your $600-$1500 fork, they already know about the specs and looks. The over-the-top, look- at-me colorways are super unnecessary, and probably hurt sales because they are too loud and hard to match. $.02
  • 1 0
 Suntour will need to rebrand for higher end models if they want to have any chance at taking on the big boys.. they make some decent products but nobody spending decent money on a new bike will consider suntour as they associate it with basic 400 bikes with suspension that seizes up after using in rain or cold or 4 weeks whichever happens first!!
  • 1 0
 Manitou simple because they are part of the Hayes group which can offer a more complete package to bike manufacturers in terms on OEM builds.Hayes brakes, Manitou suspension,Answer components, Sun Ringle wheels. At one point in the early 2000s they were a huge player in the OEM market. They have been there before and are best equipped to rise again. Not saying it will actually happen due to the stranglehold of the other 2 players. Being involved in downhill racing for close to 20 years, I have written lots of their stuff in the past and most of it was pretty good. But not all of it LOL. The Sherman forks and Travis forks????
  • 1 0
 Ohlins is much bigger and with far more suspension experience than any of these other companies. All the others are just babies in comparison, and they don't have the resources to make suspension like Ohlins does. It also helps they're backed by Tenneco Inc, an $8 billion a year company.

DVO, which is in second place, doesn't even make $10 million a year. Compare that to Ohlins, who makes 20x that figure, earning almost $200 million, which puts it on the map against Fox.
  • 1 0
 I voted DVO, just because I feel like their name recognition is better than Suntour. I have yet to ride either product , but have basically heard great things about "both". Right now I think the two best deals on bikes out there are the Ripmo AF and the Fezzari Delano base build. Both come with DVO suspension at a pretty killer price.

I have personally used quite a few forks from many companies. Right now I am riding an Ohlins RXF 36 EVO Coil (upgrade from original RXF), MRP Ribbion Coil, Lyrik Ultimate, Fox 34 SC, Manitou Minute Pro.
Up until a few months ago I also had a 32 SC and Manitou Mattoc Expert.

These are just recent forks I can speak of and I have to say that the Ohlins has been the best feeling fork to date. Even though it is a few years old it is just the most supple, yet supportive fork I have used. The MRP follows that and then the Lyrik. The Lyrik feels pretty good for an air fork, but I would love to test out the Mezzer and 36 some time.

Overall I have found Manitou to have the best feeling forks, but they always seem to have some tiny thing wrong with them and they do take a little more fiddling. I have never had issues with their CS like someone mentioned. Always fast response and helpful. Same with Ohlins. I don't even think you can contact Fox or RS directly.

MRP is even better and I like supporting a local company.
  • 1 0
 Ohlins, thats what I have been eyeing up! Went from the OG Marzocchi, to Fox, then to RS, and now looking to go with Ohlins. Marzocchi since its absorption to Fox has not been my cup of tea, bought a (cheap) Bomber C1 Coil, for my wife when we go to the Bike Park, and it has become a PITA - leaking, and developing side x side play (worn out) and its not even a year old. Their CS is horrible.
  • 1 0
 2006ish time frame --- we took apart a 888 --- tons of SUNTOUR hardware inside the fork... that was back when Zoke was absolutely dreadful -- we bought six 888's back to back to back, etc --- each and every one of them had issues we had to warranty. it was insane. we stopped selling them for a while. the only kool thing was that the 888's came with a cool gun-sack looking bag..... if it wasn't saturated by the fork oil that leaked out while in the box. not overly impressed with DVO's -- their finish isn't that great. paint chips if you just look at them funny. I guess they function fine but, the finished product is just so-so IMO.
  • 1 0
 I still find it odd that Rockshox made it out of the 90's. They were so outgunned by Marzocchi in the consumer arena that it seemed impossible for them to recover. Right up until 2006 Marzocchi were pretty much the only sensible choice if you had to actually pay for your own stuff. Difficult to figure out what went wrong.
  • 2 0
 If I had a million pounds I'd give it to Alan Millyard to mass produce the HyperRide 2 and come up with a similarly out-there fork.
  • 1 0
 SR Suntour is contender and is all over cheap OEM bikes. The problem is they are associated with cheap bike parts. Ohlins has the cool factor but they need to offer something a little more simplified for the average rider.
  • 1 1
 None of them, not ohlins nor DVO. This is a stupid post, irrelevant. On the manufacturing side, it’s a no brainer. Unless these companies start selling their top tier line for half the price, and people will still think that something is wrong for being cheaper than fox or rockshox
  • 1 0
 Seems like people voted for who they wanted to be successful as opposed to who can take on Fox and Sram. In that case SR Suntour has the technical ability and the financial muscle to do it.
  • 1 0
 Probably no-one. It will take a major shift in technology or innovation that disrupts the market, or a market that is growing very quickly and can easily accommodate more players.
  • 4 0
 I want it to be EXT - their stuff if so sick.
  • 2 0
 I think EXT hands down makes the best stuff out of anyone on the list and for sure should be picked up as a high end OEM option but they will never have a chance to "take over" the big 2. This is mainly because they have absolutely zero interest in making a cheap or low end damper. If they don't feel like their product is going to be the absolute best on the market they won't release it.
  • 2 1
 Suntour would probably get a lot bigger if their entry level forks weren’t trash. They have their upgrade program but new MTBers outgrow those bikes and end up getting something specced with RockShox of fox.
  • 6 1
 Marzocchi all day long
  • 3 0
 Dvo DVO hands down is better than them all and easy to self service not like Fox and Rock Shox
  • 1 0
 If you think DVO is better than them all then I can tell you definitely haven't tried them all. Lol.
  • 1 0
 @mixmastamikal: have you seen the forks on my bikes I think I know what good suspension is DVO and Avalanche suspension forks are pretty top-notch... Fox is ok and RockShox really blow unless you dump money into them
  • 1 0
 @kawin20: I see you are mainly comparing to the big 2 not the entire field. That makes more sense to me. Was thinking you were saying DVO is better than Intend, EXT, Ohlins, Formula, Etc. and I doubt you have tried all of those.
  • 1 0
 The best suspension combo I would love to have is an Intend fork and EXT shock. EXT shock is amazing,just touching a bike with it,you can feel is another hole world of performance.
  • 2 0
 I have that maverick. It's a good light trail fork. I wouldn't push it any harder than a rockshox revelation but it's fun and it's cool to have something weird.
  • 1 0
 Who knows. Suntour have been in the business for decades. I remember when their group sets were on par with Shimano, SRAM didn't even exist. Then they pulled out of high end parts, but they seem to be steadily coming back.
  • 1 0
 I vote for Formula. Super impressed with their Selva fork range with their CTS valve system and Cura brakes and can't wait to try out their new shock being launched in September!
  • 1 0
 Suntour and RST probably already own the lions share of OE fork spec below a certain price point. Even if the Fork DOESN"T have their name on the side, there is a good chance they made it anyway.
  • 2 0
 BOS makes great stuff which is among the best quality suspension out there. I loved their stuff until I to service it.
  • 3 1
 umm...


how tf are so many ppl voting dvo??

or is that the long johnny shot????????
  • 1 2
 Unless you are on a WC Team / FOX and Scram are Utter sausage Factory Mass Produced FN SHIT !
Both companies suspension always fail , then go take it back under warranty . See how helpful they are not .

Full credit cos I have know ideas on how they run a business like that and get away with it !!!
  • 2 0
 Swapped my Lyrik & Super Deluxe for DVO Diamond & Jade X on the Canyon Strive. Goes good ????
  • 1 0
 The one that has their customer service dialled. I would love to have said Bos as they work fantastically, but it is sheer impossible to find local support
  • 1 0
 Swapped my whole suspension set up. Went from Rockshox Lyrik, Vivid Air and Vivid Coil to DVO Onyx SC and Jade Coil. Couldn't be happier. Much better performance.
  • 3 0
 I want a review DVO ONYX DC 29 VS FORMULA NERO R 29 VS FORMULA NERO C 29
  • 4 1
 i'd still like to vote for marzocchi, please
  • 3 0
 Bring back the Halson Inversion fork! Elastomers FTW.
  • 1 0
 Andreani have been bringing back elastomers!
  • 1 0
 The original Halson fork rode really well for back in the day! But it had bad design choices- all the offset was in the crown (= high rotating weight when turning the fork), and the brace was heavy as hell. They also claimed that unsprung weight was lower than on a conventional fork, I'm 100% sure that that was not the case what with that boat anchor brace and aluminum (vs Rock Shox' magnesium) lower legs. I also broke the second generation fork.
  • 3 0
 SR Sountour - they manufacture more then RS and fox together
  • 1 0
 That's because they manufacture parts for basically everyone.
  • 2 3
 It's too late. That's the problem with the free market, it eventually gets functionally monopolized. There's no way for any manufacturers to dethrone Fox and Rock Shox because Fox is part of a gigantic sports equipment holding company and RS is owned by a gigantic SRAM. The only way it would happen is realistically if Giant wants to take it seriously, or other bike manufacturers bringing stuff in-house. But they get good enough deals through OE sales that it's not gonna be a high priority given the complexity of the business.
  • 1 0
 Bought a DVO Diamond this year and the customer service was awesome to deal with in answering my set up questions. That alone will take them far.
  • 3 0
 Manitou seems to rule the dirt jump market with the Circus.
  • 2 0
 Unless Giant is speccing it on their low to mid range lines, then you won't be challenging the big two anytime soon.
  • 1 0
 None of the above. Magura. They have the build and ride quality,just don't seem to want to invest. In fact it seems the last 10 years it's almost all about the brakes.
  • 1 0
 Man, my Cane Creek db air is so good. Makes my 115 mm Smuggler feel like it has a plush 130 out back. Incredible product. Look forward to them bringing more stuff on-line.
  • 1 0
 For mass market, none of the above, for performance, Intend, EXT and Ohlins (after a couple years theyll get better at loose surface suspension) guaranteed
  • 1 0
 DVO guys are the ones who built Marzocchi I believe. they know what needs to be done to get it done. But I don't think going main stream is in their long term business model.
  • 1 0
 I dont know..as a casual rider.. i just feel safer to go with something like Rock Shox because i know i probably will have spare parts for years to come.
  • 2 0
 The first company to make an A- level, easily serviceable fork with a CSU that never, ever creaks.
  • 1 0
 I love my cane creek db in-line coil, but they are definitely a boutique brand with a big-brand capability. Fox 36 with Push ACS3 is the OEM conversion everybody needs.
  • 1 0
 Look at what ever brand is on the cheapest mass produced bikes. Those $600 bikes.

That is the brand that *could* compete. I am guessing mostly SR.
  • 1 0
 SR Sun tour for mass production and availability but..... If it was buying a new rig Ohlins hands down
  • 2 0
 Rapid suspension Technology for life.
Got it?!
  • 1 0
 I'm very pleased with my Suntour Auron. One of the best forks I've ever used.
  • 3 0
 Lefty forever.
  • 2 0
 Lefty....thought I‘d see more puns
  • 1 0
 True disruption hardly ever comes from the established players, so why isn’t Trust on this list?
  • 2 0
 They kinda went bellies up with the covid-19 lock down.
  • 2 0
 in terms of quality: manitou
in terms of marketing power: dont care
  • 1 0
 Got a Ohlins rfx 36 on my bike. What an awesone product and different way of thinking for a product.
  • 2 0
 People voting ohlins are a joke
  • 5 3
 DVO have my vote, Don’t Vote Ohlins
  • 3 4
 Why not? Ohlins are definitely better then DVO nothing against DVO they just aren't as good, although more affordable
  • 1 0
 @Bikerdude137: customer service at ohlins is crap and Maintanence on their product is barely available
  • 3 1
 Ohlins, dvo, ext, formula and dt swiss In that order
  • 1 0
 I’ve been burnt by FAUX/SRAM so Much that I’m willing to try Formula and EXT in the future
  • 6 6
 If Manitou could swallow their pride and put the arch back up front they just might have a chance. Until then they’re gonna be the weird kid on the bus.
  • 11 0
 They won’t do that because their design has functional advantages over a forward arch. When they can have equivalent stiffness to a Fox 38 with smaller stanchions and weigh 400 grams less it isn’t really debatable.
  • 5 3
 @cueTIP: I know that. Anyone who has done any research knows that. Doesn’t matter if it’s 13% stiffer if it’s 30% dumber looking though. People aren’t going to want to buy them and they definitely aren’t going to get spec’d OEM as people are often aesthetically guided in their purchases. I can’t think many product managers are jumping at the chance to put weird looking forks on their bikes to compete with all the standard design Fox and RS equipped brands.
  • 2 0
 Agreed they look weird. Functionally great but we are visual beasts and form and function both matter. This comes from a Manitou Circus owner. Great fork but always though it just looks a bit off on my DJ
  • 8 0
 I personally like the look of the rear arch and appreciate the engineering behind it.
  • 1 3
 @Brownsworthy: The Trust forks had way more engineering than the Manitou forks. Did you appreciate those as much? Do you own a Manitou?
Look I’m not saying they don’t work. I’m saying they don’t look normal and that will a negative effect on sales. Most people don’t want odd things, they want the cool things that fit in with the others.
  • 6 0
 @mrpfp: I can’t speak to the other guy but I can speak to both the Manitou and Trust forks.

I demoed a trust fork for a month last year and the barrier to entry for that fork was not the unorthodox looks as I got a ton of compliments, it was the middle of the road performance and $2000 price tag. Given a few more iterations I think it would have gotten there but it didn’t.

This year I swapped out my Fox 36 Factory for a Manitou Mezzer. When I had the 36 I never had a single mention in the lift lines or on the trail. This year I’ve been to Whistler, Silverstar and Panorama as well as weekly trips out to Moose Mountain and West Bragg Creek. I have had at least one rider per day stop to mention how cool it looked and what it was.

Next to even a 38, the Mezzer looks absolutely baller. The reverse arch is not that noticeable, what people notice is the massive amount of exposed stanchion that makes it look like it’s got even more travel than it does. Hell the looks are one of the reasons I chose it.
  • 1 0
 @mrpfp: yeah, rode an R7 on my Heckler for 7 years with no worries it's now on the wife's bike still going strong and have a 2020 Machete pro. I certainly do appreciate the trust but it's something that is out of reach for most.
I don't like to fit in and prefer something different why care what others think if it works for you go for it.
  • 1 0
 I‘d like to see Manitou or MRP making it. But i guess Suntour is the only one with the capacity to step things up.
  • 4 1
 Trust.
#dontstopbelievin
  • 2 0
 I really think that you can get much more sophisticated performance through their approach. I'm upset that it didn't work out for them.
  • 2 0
 There's probably an alternate universe where Trust is leading in the pack of challengers here right. It's a timeline where all bikes use telescoping forks. #RickandMortySeason5
  • 2 1
 "Picture yourself standing in the local shop" . mmm, unlikely unless I need a cable or tube etc.
  • 1 0
 Suntour already beats Fox and RS on OEM bikes as far as sales and numbers go.
  • 3 0
 Giant. Just wait.
  • 1 0
 Will we ever see dorados with a world Cup team? It would be so cool to see inverted forks on the podium
  • 1 0
 Ed Masters team Bergamont(before he was on Pivot) use to run Dorados. Some privateers and smaller teams do as well.
  • 2 0
 Girvin forks........hahahaha
  • 2 0
 10000% DVO. No idea why so many people chose Ohlins...
  • 1 1
 Swedish gold for the win! Oh wait yeeaah, they've done that a few times....
  • 1 0
 DT Swiss based on their supply chain
  • 1 0
 It's all rubbish until you drop an avalanche open bath kit in .
  • 1 0
 The new RST Stitch fork is rad! 38mm stanchions, coil spring. Simplicity.
  • 1 2
 Bos without a doubt. Hands down the nicest fork ive evee road, and the quality is impeccably good. Way nicer than my previous boxxers
  • 2 0
 i love formula
  • 1 0
 Intend is toooooooo expensive
  • 1 0
 I'd really like to try EXT but $$$$$$$
  • 5 4
 Best fork is Rockshox with Push internals.
  • 1 0
 DVO have my vote, his forks are great, I have DVO on my DH and ENDURO..
  • 4 2
 PUSH
  • 2 1
 Why would someone downvote Push? The ElevenSix is awesome as is the ACS3.
  • 1 0
 @Marcencinitas: "Which Alternative Suspension Manufacturer Has the Best Chance of Challenging RockShox and Fox's OE Dominance?"
  • 1 0
 what about Avalanche and Emerald and White brothers?
  • 1 0
 They don’t really make full forks
  • 2 1
 All you saying PUSH, THEY DON'T MAKE FORKS!
  • 2 0
 They make forks better!
  • 1 1
 Ohlins 100%. Best dh fork and rear shock I’ve ever ridden. Far better then my last Fox 40 (2020 grip damper) and boxxer.
  • 1 0
 Ohlins won’t ever challenge fox or rock show for OEM specced components. They just don’t have the manufacturing capacity. It doesn’t matter if they are the best they still won’t manage it
  • 2 0
 Don't really care
  • 1 0
 Specialized. Or maybe ohlins if spesh buys them.
  • 2 0
 That ain’t ever happening
  • 1 0
 lol, Spec doesn't even make most of their bikes. If any these days.
  • 2 1
 why is everyone saying DVO? They already tried and failed.
  • 1 4
 Being a fan of a suspension maker is not the same as a suspension maker having what it takes to grow and compete.

DVO doesn’t make their own stuff, thank Suntour for that pleasure. So yeah, add all the DVO votes to Suntour and you have a clear winner.

I think DVO fans buy for the colors and the name, kinda like Hope and I9 fans.
  • 13 0
 We make all our stuff, our factory is inside SR Suntour but we design, engineer, control our supply chain as well as assemble all our suspension.
  • 1 0
 @DVOSuspension: I think the fact that DVO builds their stuff INSIDE someone else's factory tells you they will never compete against people like Fox and RS.'

That's fine. I am on Ohlins and they couldn't, and shouldn't, ever compete with RS and and Fox. That would just devalue their parts.
  • 1 0
 @JSTootell: DVO is a small-ish company with designs that aren't always easily implemented. Making high end suspension products takes a pretty massive investment in manufacturing, no matter what company it is. Why would they spend massive amounts of money building their own factory, which has upkeep requirements and staff requirements, when they could build a contract with a giant like Suntour and save tons, building a better product at a lower cost to the consumer?

Suntour has the manufacturing side covered because they've been making parts for well over 50 years. It wouldn't make sense for DVO to reinvent the wheel with their own manufacturing plant as a smaller company; they're putting the cash toward development and design rather than tooling and manufacturing, at least for now. That makes perfect sense to me.
  • 1 0
 I want ktech to get into mtb.
  • 1 0
 DVO for sure. Better value per dollar.
  • 1 0
 Why doesn’t Showa or KYB make MTB suspension? Have they ever?
  • 2 0
 The Honda RN01 downhill bike ran Showa suspension. Honda does own Showa suspension though.

Side note: Even though Honda owns Showa they still bought Ohlins suspension to run on their factory MotoGP bikes.
  • 1 0
 I vote for Avalanche, Risse and Curnutt.
  • 2 2
 There's this company called Push, maybe you've heard of them?
  • 1 0
 Calling ' Kashima'
  • 2 1
 DVO hands down
  • 1 0
 SR Suntour
  • 2 1
 DVO is the real deal.
  • 1 0
 maybe they can get on board with a company like giant and get a shot......oh wait
  • 1 0
 @RonSauce: Or Ibis.. oh wait..
  • 2 0
 @Trouterspace: ibis sells maybe 1/10 of what giant sells and even that is most likely overstatement.
  • 1 0
 @Mondbiker: It's still a popular bike brand with very well loved models offering small brand suspension that's not Fox or RS on their bikes. No one said Ibis = Giant. Not sure what your point even is?
  • 1 0
 Ohlins is coming!
  • 1 2
 Manitou makes some great stuff but their customer service is so bad.
  • 3 0
 I have not found that at all. Dealing with both the US head office and the Canadian service rep I’ve had nothing short of incredible service from them.
  • 1 0
 Their US customer service has been excellent for me.
  • 3 4
 MRP - Made in the good ole US and A! Matha fuacka!
  • 4 0
 Assembled in Colorado while the major components are manufactured overseas - it's the same with Cane Creek in North Carolina. Hell, SR Suntour probably make parts for both of them also.
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