RockShox launched its Flight Attendant electronic suspension system last fall, effectively providing a sneak peek of the new features now found in the new battery-free versions of Lyrik, Pike and Zeb.
These pressure relief valves and ButterCup vibration absorbers entered the line, and there’s also a new Charger 3 shock absorber that uses a spring-loaded IFP instead of the bladder-style shock absorber that RockShox used during almost a decade.
RockShox has been working to prevent too much overlap between different fork models to make it easier to choose the right option. That’s why you won’t see a 120mm Zeb or a 190mm Pike – horses for courses, as the saying goes.
Details of RockShox Lyrik Ultimate
• Intended use: trail / enduro • Displacement: 140, 150, 160 mm • 27.5 “or 29” options. • 35mm Frames • Displacement: 44 m for 29 “, 37 or 44 mm for 27.5” • Air Spring with Volume Separators • ButterCups Vibration Dampers • Pressure Relief Valves • Colors: Black , heavy meadow • Weight: 1980 grams (178 mm director with starnut and shaft) • MSRP: $ 1,107 • rockshox.com
As it stands, the Pike comes with 120, 130 or 140 mm of travel, the Lyrik has 140, 150 or 160 mm and the Zeb goes from 160 mm to 190 mm of travel. I tried the 160mm, 29-inch version of the Lyrik Ultimate, which sells for $ 1,107. CHARGER 3 SHOCK ABSORBER The new Charger 3 shock absorber is very different from its predecessor due to the use of an internal floating piston with spring (IFP) to treat the oil that moves when the fork is compressed. Previously, an expansive rubber bladder was used to perform this task. Why the change? According to RockShox, the new design made low- and high-speed compression circuits as independent as possible.
Now, RockShox is far from the first company to go with this design, it is very common in the motorcycle world, and Fox has been using a spring-loaded IFP in its GRIP shock absorber for years, but although the general concept may be similar. , there are. different differences between the internal operation of the shock absorbers. One feature that RockShox includes is a stepped “silencer” piston head. The staggered shape affects the flow of oil, reducing turbulence and the amount of noise the fork makes when compressed or bouncing. I never found the previous Lyrik to be too noisy, but this new version is remarkably quiet; in fact, I’d say it’s the quietest fork I’ve ever ridden.
In terms of settings, the Charger 3 shock absorber has 15 clicks for low-speed compression adjustment, 5 clicks for high-speed compression, and 18 clicks for rebound adjustment. The concept of independent high- and low-speed compression adjustments moves a lot, but this is not always entirely true: at some point, the low-speed compression adjustment begins to affect the damping of low-speed compression. ‘high speed and vice versa.
However, according to RockShox, they have come incredibly close to having truly independent adjustments: in a pivot chart there is no change in the damping of the low-speed compression when the high-speed compression dial is completely closed. , and there is less than a 5% difference in high-speed compression damping when the low-speed dial is completely closed. In other words, pilots should be able to turn these buttons to the liking of their hearts without worrying about one influencing the other.
MMM, RANTOLALS
ButterCups are one of those features that make so much sense that it’s amazing that we haven’t seen them used before in the world of mountain biking. They are located on the Ultimate level forks, they are small rubber discs that are located at the bottom of the air spring and the axles of the shock absorber, where they act as the first line of defense against high frequency vibrations. (RockShox says they reduce these vibrations by 20% compared). at a fork without them).
Rubber discs can wear out over time, so it is recommended that you replace them as part of a 200-hour service. It is also possible to operate only one Buttercup and get at least some of the benefits of vibration damping: this scenario would occur if a pilot upgraded only the air spring or the shock absorber of his 2023 fork that he had not yet had. equipped.
LEND AIR
The Debonair spring has been readjusted and the position of the strut hole has been changed to match the positive and negative chambers. As with the previous Lyrik, changing the amount of rise in the final stroke is as easy as removing the top cover from the air side (once deflated, of course) and then screwing in one or more plastic volume dividers. .
NEW CHASSIS, NOW WITH PRESSURE RELIEF VALVES
If you’ve ever slipped a zip tie behind the dust seal of a fork, you’re probably familiar with how much air can end up at the bottom over time. This trapped air can affect the performance of the fork, making it difficult to complete the journey. With pressure relief valves, this is no longer a problem and the occasional push of the buttons lets the trapped air escape. Again, this is not a new concept in the world of mountain biking: Fox, Manitou and others have adopted it before, but it is useful, especially if you are doing a lot of bike rides or going somewhere with major elevation changes. .
The forks of the fork were also remodeled to increase the amount of torsional stiffness. Personally, I didn’t find the previous version missing in this department, but the new version is said to be 20% stiffer.
Ultimate models have longer and shorter cushions than Select and Select + models in order to reduce friction during high impacts and G exits. higher and lower, but I guess there must be some features that separate them from each other and the promise of improved performance and less friction on the sleeker model. is a strong selling point.
ON THE TRACK
RockShox recommends 75 psi for my 160 pound weight, which turned out to be a good starting point. I ended up dropping a small amount, settling at 73 psi. That gave me 28mm, or 17% drop. It does not normally measure fork drop during setup; I prefer to go for the feel and then adjust as needed based on the behavior of the fork on the road. I ran a total of zero bottomless tiles and didn’t feel the need to add any during the trial period.
I started the trial period with a day of bracketing in the same loop, testing each of the compression settings in order to feel the differences. The clicks are well defined, and I’ve found that the full range can be used, even if it doesn’t match my preferences. By that I mean I could close the low speed compression and high speed compression all the way and still go down the track without fear for my safety or my hands exploding the bars.
My happy place ended up being a touch in the middle for both high and low speed settings, which is how RockShox intended it. When the trail conditions were loose and slippery, it would remove low speed with two clicks, and for firmer trails, such as those at Whistler Bike Park, it would increase low-speed compression in two clicks. These changes made enough of a difference to be noticeable without drastically altering the ways of the fork.
Speaking of ways, the new Lyrik is incredibly well composed. I mentioned earlier how quiet it is, this is not directly related to performance, but it is very satisfying to be shot down the road and just hear the sound of the tires instead of drinking oil and beating with every impact. There are more things than the sound of silence, however; the Lyrik is also a very, very comfortable fork.
This shot became clear during my time at Whistler Bike Park. It’s still early in the season, so the brakes on the brakes haven’t reached their full potential yet, but there were still enough repeated high-speed impacts to get an idea of Lyrik’s response. Those quick chatter shots are where Lyrik really shines, and that was the key difference between him and Fox 36 with which I made consecutive turns: the 36 couldn’t take advantage of the hectic sections of the road. just as Lyrik did. I would still put the EXT Era at the top of my chart in terms of initial sensitivity, but that bifurcation is almost double the price of the Lyrik, so it’s not exactly the most uniform comparison.
I was able to use the whole trip when it was justified, but I never experienced any hard ends, and this without installing any volume spacer. As for the stiffness, I didn’t find the previous Lyrik missing in this department, and that’s true with this new version. We’ve seen a wave of 38mm forks on the market over the last few seasons, but for the vast majority of riders I would say the rigidity of a Lyrik (or a 36 for that matter) is more than adequate. I rode with compressions as hard as I could, landed deep with lots of jumps and did all sorts of thick trails with quick changes of direction, and not once did I think “If only my fork were stiffer … “. I’m not a Clydesdale, but I’m willing to bet that the rigidity of the Lyrik will reach the sweet spot for a wide range of riders.
DURABILITY
So far I have spent two solid months in Lyrik. It’s not enough time to comment on long-term durability, but it’s 100% leak-free and crunchy, and there’s no set of caps to talk about: it still works as well as the day it was installed. I will update this review if anything changes.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE? ROCKSHOX LYRIK ULTIMATE VS FOX 36 FACTORY
Fox 36 is Lyrik’s most obvious competitor: RockShox and Fox are the most specific brands these days, so it’s worth taking a moment to confront the new Lyrik with 36.
PES
On my scale, the Lyrik Ultimate weighed 70 grams less than the Fox 36, with 1980 grams compared to 2050 (both forks had a 178mm steering wheel with a star nut and an installed axle screw). This is…