A 29er suspension fork that weighs half as much as its competitors and is 100% maintenance free? Sounds a bit too much like a dream, but one that may become reality next month when Icelandic based company Lauf begins shipping the first production models of its radical new fork design.
The Lauf Trail Racer 29 fork is way out of the box. The carbon fork has no “moving” parts and no tubes, seals or oil, gaining suspension through a unique leaf-spring system. It comes in two stiffness categories — “light” for riders less than 154 lbs, and “normal” for riders above that weight.
Weighing only 990 grams and providing 60mm of travel, at first look the Lauf TR29 appears to play the middle ground between current 29er build options that are generally either a rigid carbon for lightweight, or 120+mm of travel for comfort and control on trails.
This is one of the most creative new fork designs seen in a decade. In the 90s there were many innovations from the likes of Girvin, Amp Research and Cannondale. But nothing really stuck. Since Cannondale debuted the Lefty in 2000, there has little rethinking of the standard fork fare.
The forks will retail for $990 — one buck for each gram. Pre-orders (with a 10% savings) of the futuristic looking fork are available now, with delivery in May. We here at GJ are certainly excited to test one out. —Jason Magness
