MRP's New Dual Crown Fork and Coil Shock - Sea Otter 2018

Apr 19, 2018
by Mike Kazimer  
Banshee Legend 29

MRP had two brand new additions to their suspension lineup on display at Sea Otter this year, the Bartlett dual crown fork and the Hazzard coil shock. The air-sprung Bartlett is basically an up-sized version of the Ribbon, with travel options between 170-190mm. The fork was designed with freeride / mini-DH bikes in mind, but it will also work with full-on DH sleds like the 29” wheeled Banshee Legend that's pictured. The name is a tribute to Bartlett's Wash, a sandstone playground in Moab, Utah, that's full of natural wall rides, steep rolls, and the iconic Mushroom Drop.


MRP Sea Otter 2018
The air pressure and Ramp Control are adjusted on the left side...
MRP Sea Otter 2018
...And the low speed compression is adjusted on the right.


One feature that sets the Bartlett apart from other dual crown forks on the market is the use of a 15x110mm thru axle. That means many riders will already have already have compatible wheels, which was MRP's intent. It's easy to envision mounting the Bartlett on something like the YT Capra, Santa Cruz Nomad, or a Pivot Firebird for a weekend trip to the bike park, and then tossing the single crown back on for those non-lift assisted rides, especially considering that the Bartlett's claimed weight is only 5.5 pounds. There will be two versions, one for 27.5" wheels with 49mm of offset, and the other for 29" wheels with 51mm of offset.

MRP Sea Otter 2018
The Bartlett uses MRP's signature Outcast arch.
MRP Sea Otter 2018
Rather than going with a 20mm thru-axle, MRP chose 15x110mm spacing.

Like the Ribbon, the Bartlett uses a spring-backed IFP in its damper, with externally adjustable rebound and low-speed compression, while the air spring side has independently adjustable positive and negative air chambers.

MRP have also installed their Ramp Control cartridge, which provides speed-sensitive end-stroke adjustment. However, there's a new feature on this version – the bottom of the cartridge is threaded, allowing plastic volume spacers to be added or subtracted as needed. Basically, you can do larger adjustments to the shock's air spring curve with the spacers, and then fine tune with the dial on the top of the fork.

MSRP for the Bartlett is $1289 when it becomes available this May.
MRP
MRP has added the ability to install volume spacers to the bottom of the Bartlett's Ramp Control cartridge.



MRP Hazzard
The Hazzard shock.


MRP also have a new coil sprung shock on the way called the Hazzard. Its design is based on the company's Raze shock, with adjustable low- and high-speed compression damping, but the Hazzard has lever an additional lever for firming up the amount of compression on-the-fly for climbing.

There are three styles of spring available – standard, light, and progressive. The progressive spring ramps up 20% at the end of its stroke, a feature that will allow the Hazzard to work well even on bikes that were designed with air shocks in mind.

MENTIONS: @SeaOtterClassic


Posted In:
Reviews and Tech First Looks Forks MRP Sea Otter


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107 Comments
  • 51 1
 i am so pumped for this mrp makes really good stuff i bet this really going to force others to step up their game
  • 24 0
 Finally progressive springs!

And why swap the Bartlett? Can climb as well, I think.

Well done MRP! Some fresh wind!
  • 8 3
 Who says puns dampen the fun...
  • 3 3
 Looking forward to the volume of these puns.
  • 4 2
 I recoil from the thought of more puns

Nah just kidding. You know I'm sprung for em Wink
  • 5 3
 just get an Avalanche damper. makes the high end stuff from fox feels like hot garbage in comparison. cough midvalving cough cough. and its tuned to your actual bike and riding style.
  • 1 14
flag heavyp FL (Apr 19, 2018 at 19:24) (Below Threshold)
 I know it should be function over fashion but with that crazy backwards crown design I can't see to many people running out the door to buy these, when they MRP already have a great after market product that retro fits in a lot of other forks
  • 5 0
 @heavyp: To be thruthful, webbing in the front of the Ribbon looked odd at first, but it quickly looked totally correct to me. My Fox forks are the ones that seem backward to me now. Webbing forward makes more sense and looks just as fine as in the back.
  • 17 0
 @Brightside: yeah, I climbed ~4,000’ yesterday on my Bartlett-equipped Firebird. The geo at 185mm is the same as with my 170mm Ribbon, so it feels the same climbing other than the weight increase. Pretty ridiculous setup paired with the Hazzard and progressive spring out back. So ready for the bike park to open!
  • 3 0
 Nice, a freeride-lite version of the white bros groove and a climb switch elka stage 5, MRP seem to be keeping up with the trends and making solid products! Wish I could afford them
  • 2 0
 @NoahColorado: Love to throw one of these on my wrecker. Any plans for a coil kit?
  • 4 0
 @mopes: You’re going to put this fork on a tow truck?
  • 7 1
 I would totally change out the fork, while also changing my tires, for a rip to a park and then back for big trail pedal days. Very good idea...
  • 6 0
 Neat idea for the progressive springs to be used.
Also, are there any remnants of ye old Elka Stage 5 in here ?
  • 2 0
 this is very interesting.. opens up the coil option for many bikes..
  • 2 0
 The MRP Raze shock is the Elka Stage 5, so if this is based on the Raze it's got some Elka guts pushing oil around in there.
  • 2 0
 Should be called MRP Stage 6 Wink
  • 6 0
 15x110? Practically made for my down-country build
  • 5 0
 Waiting for my new darkside Keith.. I know it's coming especially now this fork is on the horizon.
  • 4 0
 The dark side is such a fun Bike, I’ve ridden whistler for years, on specialized demos, a carbon v10, a carbon session, and a few other bikes. Never had as much fun as I do now that I have a Darkside!!
  • 4 0
 Do I need a new headset or adapter to run the Bartlett on my Nomad 4? As in does it have a tapered steerer or a straight steerer?
Will it be available in coil?
Love MRP Smile
  • 2 0
 If you have the appropriate crown race then you should be good to go, there are plenty that bridge the gap
  • 9 0
 Usually just a crown race. The Bartlett uses a 1-1/8” steerer. There’s no benefit to using a tapered steerer on a dual crown fork, it only limits your ability to use angle and reach adjust headsets.

Cheers!
  • 3 0
 I whole heartedly applaud MRP for taking the risk & going with the 110/15 Axle it’s plenty strong & it will help with costs for us I just hope that RS follows there lead, of course they won’t, but I can hope
  • 5 3
 Is that 15 mill axle boost? Gosh that would be so stiff!
Awesome improvement!
20 mill axels are a silly thing to have on a DH fork.
What twit thought a 20 mill axle on a DH bike would be stronger and stiffer?
Thank god we have marketing to tell us what to buy.
  • 13 12
 "It's easy to envision mounting the Bartlett on something like the YT Capra, Santa Cruz Nomad, or a Pivot Firebird for a weekend trip to the bike park, and then tossing the single crown back on for those non-lift assisted rides."

No offence, but who has and extra 1300 bucks to get a product they might just use on a few weekends. Oh, and another stem.
  • 46 1
 It makes more financial sense than buying a DH bike that might see use just on a few weekends.
  • 21 5
 I do, cuz America. Hahaaa! Let the downvotes beee-gin!!!!
  • 9 1
 I would just use it all the time! Forget swapping forks. #freerideain'tdead
  • 9 0
 About 90% of those here who have a trail bike and a DH bike have "an extra 1300 bucks to get a product they might just use on a few weekends."
  • 3 2
 Easy to envision if you’re a Pinkbike editor.
  • 12 1
 A lot of people are going to be disappointed in what their frame manufacturer says about their warranty when they put a dual crown fork on an Enduro bike.
  • 4 3
 @groghunter: I doubt many people care about that
  • 3 1
 @groghunter: And they would find out how?
  • 1 0
 It’s a lot cheaper & space effective to have spare forks than a DH rig. And let’s face it, if you can afford one of those bikes with top kit you can afford a spare set of forks.
  • 2 0
 @scary1 this place confuses me..you.
  • 2 1
 @groghunter: Yeah I guess they'll have to figure that out first. The Specialized Enduro came with dual crown forks back in the day (their E150 forks with a 25mm axle) so it should work on one of these, but other than that it should say somewhere in the specs. Now of course for them to give the green light for other frames, they want to do some testing first. And destructive testing is expensive, which may not be worth it for the bike manufacturer considering the availability of long travel single crown forks these days. So in many cases they'll will probably stick to a simple "no". But just before "enduro racing" became big, you had "mini DH" (which was also a stage race format, mostly about the downhill sections) and several brands like Commencal and Morewood had specific "miniDH" bikes for that. Maybe we'll be seeing those return again? Not sure how someone choose that over something "super enduro" (all those names) but we can trust that product managers don't work in isolation. They develop something because they know there is a system available where it is going to fit. It won't just be for ten year old bikes (or the Scott Voltage).
  • 5 1
 For 1300 you can get a 26 dh lol @wpplayer18:
  • 1 0
 @vinay: my understanding is that it's less "should work, but we haven't tested it, so at your own risk" than it is "we didn't design those bikes to take fork loads from the top of the head tube like we do DH bikes" and that it could be legitimately dangerous. At least, that's the impression I got from Devinci when I asked them about doing it.
  • 1 0
 @cmscheip: problem is you need to take apart your bike twice, if you allready have a dh bike then use it. less fuss and more riding time.
  • 2 0
 @adespotoskyli: I see no problem in taking forks off to fly to the alps or any other riding destination, so why would switching forks for a weekend at the bikepark take any extra effort?
  • 1 0
 Can anyone comment on the performance of the raze rear shock (or Elka stage 5 for that matter). Looking for a high end rear shock and there aren’t many coil-trunnion options available yet. Called fox and there’s plans for a trunnion dhx2 sometime down the road...
  • 3 1
 Push can do a trunnion mount Elevensix now.
  • 2 0
 @GTscoob: haha yeah that’s a little too high end for me lol
  • 2 0
 This fork is sick but I’m still wondering if anyone knew that MRP already made a dual crown fork, the Groove. And it was a USD design. Not sure why that fork never made reviews or mtb news.
  • 1 0
 Oh & by the way 29” rims really should be laced up to a 157 rear hub but it would make massive dollar sense to have just one wheel/axle standard but we all know that’ll never happen so let’s hear it for 12/157rear & 15/110front or maybe even a new front axle/wheel of 20/120 how’s that for increased stiffness?
  • 1 0
 I was hoping they would release a dual crown version of the ribbon!! I don't want to be that guy but in all honesty I would buy it the day it's available if it was 20mm. I have 3 sets of of DH wheels I rotate because I hate fixing flats at races and the 15mm makes it a no go for me.......but if I go 29er in the future it will be my fork of choice.
  • 4 0
 I love this time of year!
  • 2 0
 funny how much it looks like Christmas here in the east. . .
  • 1 0
 any idea how the fork would perform for climbing as well? May be an option for my rune build coming up. Would be a enduro/bike park rig. And that fork may be the ticket.
  • 5 6
 I don't know about the whole swapping forks thing but I think the 15mm axle is a good idea for sure! In reality everything should have gone either 20mm or 15mm from the get go. I am also a firm believer that 15mm is plenty even for a DH fork. Heck if everything was 12x148 boost rear you could mix and match all day! I think the ideal situation (and hopefully where things are going) for the future of MTB should be 29/27.5 compatible
  • 2 0
 I've seen some bikepacking bikes that use common rear spacing on both ends so you can carry a spare rear hub.
  • 10 5
 Sorry mate but 15mm was a complete con
  • 4 2
 @russthedog: Just like 27.5 was (admitted by many in the industry) but guess what we have to live with it. I was an angry 26" for life/20mm/135-150mm guy for a while but if you look at the opportunity here for the industry to right itself things are looking better.
  • 6 0
 @yeti951SD: I agree - but if all dh bikes are already on 20mm then15mm is a step back - approx same weight and not as stiff. I understand most bikes are 15mm so it would make sense to convert dh to 15mm but this is one of the few innovations I was completely staggered by - when we went from qr to 15mm instead of 20mm. I ran 20mm trail bikes for years to stick my finger up but the industry beat me in the end.
  • 3 0
 @russthedog: exactly!

I really don't f*cking get it: why they don't do 15/20 system for the front? We have to say big juicy f*ck you to shimano and fox for creating 15mm axle disease.

There will be a time when someone new pops up on the market and will say: 36 stanchions and 20mm axle - who want one? And there will be A LOT of people who will buy it because swapping front hub is not such a big deal really.
  • 8 0
 @EnduroriderPL: Spot on. The existence of 15 mm through axles continues to baffle me. Why profess to make stiffer steerers with the conical standard and then have flimsier axles for little weight gain in a place where it doesn't really matter. Such bullshit. 20 mm for life (or until I have no choice).
  • 4 0
 Agreed, is there really such a difference between a DH fork and a 160mm enduro fork that they need a different axle width and diameter!!!!???? stop the BS!

20x110 and 12x148 standard across all bikes and leave it at that ffs
  • 2 3
 @BenPea: I get it. It was frustrating but 15mm is here and 20mm is only on DH and DJ forks for the most part. A 15mm axle is still tons stronger than the old skewer types of old. If anything enduro and freeride have proven that 15mm is plenty for even the gnarliest of riders. I think it would be cooler having 20mm but from an industry standpoint then you have a bunch of re-designing for forks and hubs.
  • 4 0
 @yeti951SD: many of us went from 9mm to 20mm 10-15 years ago, switching to Marzos, the first Pikes, Lyriks, Shermans, etc. All were 20mm and with as little as 130-140 travel in some cases. Literally nobody thought they would be better with a thinner axle. But then some bright spark marketer came up with the genius idea of shifting the standard to 15mm for trail bikes instead of going for something that would enable existing hubs/wheels to be used (a trick pulled with various components over the history of mtb). I suspect they thought that more XC types would somehow be put off by 20mm axles (not to mention the new SKUs they knew they would shift. Everyone wants something they perceive as being "for them" even if it means overcomplicating things unnecessarily. So yes, 15 mm is here and it isn't going away, but whenever I see a bare axle of that diameter I feel distinctly underwhelmed.
  • 2 0
 @BenPea: 15 exists a replacement to skewers. Back in the day you had 20mm and skewers. Now we have only through axles on suspension forks, thank god for that.
You’re all mad that they made it 15? Would you really rather still have skewers on your xc and trail bikes? While you could probably make a 20mm and 15mm axle weigh the same. The 20mm fork will always weigh more due to additional material on the dropouts, and the fact that at the time the 20mm front hub was wider and heavier also. 15mm made complete sense for replacing skewers on light XC and trail forks, seeing as 20mm was never going to get used. The only potentially more logical option would have been to use a 12mm upfront to create some cross compatability and the ability to use one size bearing in a wheel set.
  • 2 0
 @mountainyj: yeah, I don't know why I'm mad about it really. We had 9 and 20 and now it's 15 and 20. But it feels like a pointlessly insignificant difference between the latter two. True however that the Yari I tried for 2 days didn't feel flimsy. I think I have irrational 15ophobia or a kneejerk reaction to solutions to unsuspected problems.
  • 1 1
 @mountainyj: not true!!!!!

When that 15mm crap came out for the first time man from RS said: we could easily make your 20mm as light as 15mm but we have "keep up with the market" Dumb f*ck went into 15mm or bust scam. If they have opposed to that new idea we would have no problem right now.
  • 2 1
 @EnduroriderPL: except SRAM wasn’t the creator of the 15x100mm standard. Fox and Shimano created that together. SRAM later released boost spacing
  • 1 1
 @mountainyj: I wrongly assumed that reading with understanding is still there and I was wrong. When I wrote that SRAM invented 15mm axle?

Instead of don't give a shit about it they've followed and then released boost spacing.
  • 1 0
 @yeti951SD:
  • 1 0
 Aw, no more upside-down. Otherwise looking good indeed. I can't wait to find out what 190mm of MRP suspension feels like, 140 and 150 already blow my mind on my ribbon
  • 1 0
 I'm hoping that fork low speed dial isn't production, because it looks like it would be super hard to turn.
  • 4 0
 It’ll change, it is too hard to turn - especially with gloves!
  • 2 0
 Not the ideal frame to show off a rear shock.
  • 2 0
 The Legend is using our updated Raze shock, not the new Hazzard. The Raze receives cosmetic updates and quieted damping soon!
  • 2 0
 Why 51mm offset on the 29er! Why? Needs reduced offset!
  • 8 3
 Lay off the kool-aid
  • 3 0
 @mollow: Naw bruh. Riding a MOJO G16 so I know what's up.
  • 2 3
 34mm stanchioned 170-190mm dual crown? Seems like that would be a flop.

Now progressive would rear shock springs? that's something I can get behind, especially if they're compatible with other brands springs.
  • 11 0
 35mm stanchions, like certain other dual-crown forks.
  • 1 1
 @NoahColorado: Ah my mistake, I hadnt realized they moved up to 35mm with the ribbon, I thought they were all still 34 like the Stage

I still dont see many people using a dual crown that isn't a full 8" of travel anymore.
  • 5 0
 @Buggyr333: all good dude.

We just want to present another option that isn’t available elsewhere and we think fills a niche. I think these 170-190mm forks will transform a lot of bikes into gravity monsters while still preserving an appreciable level of maneuverability and precision.
  • 1 0
 @NoahColorado: Yeah, I could see that. I just think it would be way more useful and sell a lot better if it went up to 200mm, doesnt seem like too much of a stretch. That way it could fill a niche, but also be useful for the mainstream.
(I am fully aware that 190mm will work fine on a DH bike, but lots of DH riders will see it as "just" 190mm, and wont even see it as an option because of that)
  • 1 0
 @NoahColorado: You're exactly right. This is the exact fork I had wished for but, up to now, did not exist. I do---not---want OR need what all the other dual crowns offer. I need / and want EXACTLY what this fork provides : Travel adjustability from 170 to 190, relatively light weight, and of course the plush feeling of an MRP fork. So my Ribbon will be replaced by this new fork and I will have exactly what I need and want for my Evil Wreckoning as well as for my soon to arrive Pole Machine. Very smart decision to make this fork!!! Thanks being smart!!!
  • 1 0
 What's the diameter of that spring? Please tell me I can slap one on my cane creek
  • 2 1
 Finally the down-country fork I've been waiting for... Oh wait no I haven't. That was dumb.
  • 2 0
 Looking good MRP. Very impressed tup but why only 190mm max?
  • 1 0
 Nice to see MRP boxing clever! Shouting out for a coil version if they're pitching towards the bike park crowd.
  • 1 0
 The Matrix kept reloading while I was reading this article.
  • 1 0
 What the f*ck is 15mm ???
  • 1 0
 That progressive shock is beautiful... wow
  • 1 0
 I have to get my hands on that thing
  • 1 0
 wow, this MRP stuff looks amazing
  • 1 1
 Do people really swap forks to go ride a bike park???
Must be nice having all that cash...
  • 1 0
 I just swap bikes instead. Now I’m gonna go swim in my pool full of money....

With how capable the modern enduro bike is, yes it’s something people do. Lots of people swap to a heavier wheel set and tires also to keep from destroying they’re lighter nicer gear. It’s more about saving money in the long run.
  • 1 0
 Time for the Mushroom Drop!
  • 1 0
 Free Park Baker
  • 1 0
 I like the bike stand!!
  • 5 0
 Thanks! I was stumped about how to display the Legend until I had that idea. Wink
  • 1 0
 @NoahColorado: best thing on PB today. Dumb solutions are the best solutions.
  • 2 0
 @NoahColorado: available sizes for the shock? 210x55?
  • 1 0
 @rfeagan: Also dying to know this: 210x55 ?

EDIT:
This URL has available sizes:
www.worldwidecyclery.com/blogs/worldwide-cyclery-blog/mrps-new-2018-product-line-new-fork-shock-and-chain-guides
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