RockShox started the bike suspension fork revolution. Established in 1989, RockShox convinced a few racers to try their first fork, the RS-1, the following year. The result was winning both the first Downhill and Cross Country Mountain Bike World Championships in 1990.
The same fork was used for both racing disciplines, boasting a mere 50mm of travel by modern standards. From the start, RockShox has been dedicated to improving bike handling, stability, comfort, and speed through suspension. And it’s what they have been doing ever since.
Ever since that first RS-1, RockShox has been keen to build forks that respond to rider needs. They have over 40 forks in their lineup, with choices for every discipline and different dampening grades within each fork line. Cross country forks include the 35, Judy, Recon, and SID. Trail forks include the Pike, Revelation, and Judy. Enduro forks are comprised of the Domain, Lyrik, Yari, and Zeb. The Boxxer is their one and only dual-crown fork ranging from 180mm to 200mm of travel. RockShox is one of the only fat bike suspension manufacturers with the Bluto. Ultimate is usually the designation for the top-of-the-line fork dampening options.
Mountain bike forks can get complicated, but they don’t have to be. One issue is naming conventions: we have a guide for that. Some have to do with terminology. And some have to do with jargon.
Rear suspension is about both kinematics and suspension technology. Rear shocks control the motion of the suspension on the frame. MTB rear shocks allowed for the creation of full-suspension mountain bikes, which opened up countless possibilities. The RockShox Deluxe rear shock debuted in 1995. That first shock was a coil spring over a hydraulic damper.
RockShox has both air and coil shocks that cover all riding disciplines. The Deluxe line is cross-country and trail-focused. Monarch, for going up and down. The Super Deluxe is primarily designed for going down. SidLuxe is an XC race shock built for pedaling efficiency. The Vivid is dedicated for DH and freeride use. Again, Ultimate designates the best in dampening performance.
RockShox has even recently released an electronic suspension program, RockShox Flight Attendant. Flight Attendant attaches to the suspension dampers, this does the thinking and tuning for you to create an efficient pedaling platform
Dropper posts have come a long way from the first design, which consisted of a quick-release lever and external spring. Rockshox has been improving the category for a long time now and currently has three distinct models. The regular Reverb Stealth has options ranging from 100 to 200mm of travel and an internally-routed hydraulic cable remote. The RockShox Reverb AXS has an electronic wireless remote with travel ranging from 100-170mm. The third is the Reverb AXS EXPLR, designed for gravel bikes with 50 or 75mm travel options and a wireless remote.
