Four years ago, RockShox debuted the revamped Pike, a fork that helped set the standard for how a trail / all-mountain fork should perform. The Pike's popularity saw it spec'd on an incredibly wide array of bikes, everything from aggressive hardtails all the way up to 160mm enduro machines, and for good reason – it was smooth, reliable, and easily tunable to suit anyone from a beginner to a seasoned pro.
When the Lyrik burst back onto the scene in late 2015 it began to replace the Pike on some of those longer travel bikes, thanks to its stiffer chassis and the fact that it was available with up to 180mm of travel. For RockShox product manager John Cancellier, the introduction of the Lyrik meant that it was time to revisit the Pike and transform it into a fork that sat squarely in the 'trail' category.
RockShox Pike Details• Charger 2 damper
• Boost spacing
• Clearance for up to 2.8" tire
• New DebonAir air spring
• 180mm direct brake mount
• Travel: 120-160mm (27.5"), 120-140mm (29")
• Weight: 1841 grams (140mm 27.5" model)
• Available: April 2017
• Price: $875-1000 USD
•
www.rockshox.com
The name may be the same, but the new Pike has seen significant updates in order to shave weight and improve its performance, all without losing sight of the traits that made it so popular in the first place. There's a revised Charger damper, new Boost-specific lowers that provide room for up to a 2.8” tire, and even the amount of effort it takes to turn the compression dial has been altered. The travel options have also changed slightly, with a maximum of 160mm for 27.5” wheels, and 140mm for 29” wheels.
Charger 2 DamperThe latest version of the Charger damper still uses an expanding bladder to handle the oil that's displaced when the fork is compressed, but the shape of the sealed bladder has been changed. Similar to what was first seen on the
new SID, when the fork is fully extended the bladder is in an hourglass shape, which creates more room for oil expansion within the confines of the stanchion tube.
Bleeding the damper (something RockShox recommends doing every 200 hours) is now easier than ever, with a port halfway down the cartridge that accepts the same fitting used for a Reverb dropper post. The new bleed procedure does require removing the damper completely from the fork, but on the plus side, you don't need to take any knobs or small parts off – it doesn't look seem like it will be too much of a hassle.
The amount of effort it takes to turn the compression knob has been reduced, an achievement that makes it possible to run a handlebar mounted remote. Although remote lockouts aren't that common in North America, apparently there's a sizeable demand for them in Europe, and now thanks to the reworked damper, RockShox can heed those cries.
The result of turning that compression dial has also been changed, with a new compression tune that's intended to make the middle setting more usable. Previously, the three settings felt like they could be classified as Open, Firm, and Really, Really Firm. Now the difference between the open and the middle setting isn't as drastic, making it more feasible to use it for more than just fire road climbs or spinning on the road out to the trailhead.
Along with the new compression tune, the rebound tune was also updated. RockShox added a greater range to the circuit, which means lighter riders should be able to achieve the rebound speed they want without needing to have the fork custom tuned.
ChassisThe outer appearance of the new Pike isn't drastically different from its predecessor, but the arch does have a more angular shape, and there's now clearance for up to a 2.8” tire, providing plenty of room for riders interested in experimenting with different widths. Whatever your feelings on the subject, Boost spacing is here to stay, which is why the new Pike is designed specifically around that standard – it simply didn't make sense to redesign the lowers for two different axle spacings. The lowers were also modified so that the air volume remains consistent no matter the wheel size. In other words, if you normally run two tokens in a 27.5” Pike, you'll run the same number in a 29” bike, something that previously wasn't the case.
Ride ImpressionsRather than traveling to an unfamiliar location in order to give the new Pike a try, this time I was able to get in two solid days of riding in on my local trails in Bellingham, Washington. A 140mm 29” version was installed onto a Trek Fuel EX, and after setting the air pressure and low speed compression it was time to ride.
The verdict? The new Pike felt nearly identical to the old one, and that's a good thing. There was plenty of support to keep the front end from diving when dropping into steep sections of trail, and enough suppleness to take the edge off when plowing through tangled webs of roots. Did I notice the increased negative spring volume? Honestly, I didn't, but keep in mind that the trails were saturated by the previous week's rain storms - when your tires are sinking into the soft ground it's tough to accurately judge a fork's breakaway force. All the same, the fork delivered the predictable, familiar performance that I've come to expect from a Pike. It's one of those forks that just works, with minimal fussing around needed to get it dialed in. I did give the middle compression setting a try a few times, and found that it was indeed much more usable - on the previous Pike I rarely used that setting, reserving it for smooth climbs, but now I can envision using it for more rolling terrain or technical climbs, and switching to the fully open setting for the descents.
Once we get our hands on a Pike for a long term review we'll take a deeper dive into exactly how it feels on the trail, its durability, as well as how it stacks up against its competition. For now, the takeaway is that the new Pike hasn't lost any of the traits that made it so desirable in the first place.
Wait, There's More...
Return of the RevelationThe new Pike may be stealing the spotlight, but there's another fork in the lineup that's going to become a common sight in the near future – the Revelation. Similar to how the Yari is the more wallet-friendly version of the Lyrik, the Revelation is positioned as a less-expensive Pike.
The lowers are the same as the Pike's, but the Revelation uses straight walled aluminum for its 35mm stanchions, rather than the tapered wall aluminum found on the Pike. The Revelation also relies on RockShox's Motion Control damper rather than the Charger 2. Those cost saving measures do incur a slight weight penalty of roughly 110 grams, but they also allow the Revelation to retail for around $300 less than the Pike.
Revelation Details• Motion Control damper
• 35mm stanchions
• Boost spacing
•Travel: 120-160mm (27.5”), 120-140mm (29”).
• Weight: 1951 grams (140mm, 27.5")
• $650-720 USD
Lyrik
Many of the features found on the new Pike will also carry over to the Lyrik, and along with the Charger 2 damper, the Lyrik receives new top caps, and clearance for up to 2.8" tires.
• Charger II damper
• Boost-only chassis, 2.8” tire clearance
• DebonAir air spring
• Up to 180mm of travel for both 27.5” and 29” models
• MSRP: $1030-$1180 USD
RS1
The RS1, RockShox's eye-catching inverted fork aimed at the XC / marathon crowd, gets a Charger 2 damper as well, along with a new 130mm option for 27.5" wheels.
• 100-130mm (27.5"), 100-130 (29")
• Charger 2 damper
• Tapered carbon steerer
• Weight: 1573 grams (120mm 27.5")
• MSRP: $1680-1750 USD
MENTIONS: @SramMedia
I f*cking feel you so hard.
I bought a talas 36 two days before they released the new one, and I knew it was being released but you can't argue with a pro deal. Still, my new fork charges without doubt, But there's still a void.
"I could hang myself with all the bad Christmas neckties I've found in the dump!"
daddy wasn't there, peace /\w/\
- Feels the same.
- Middle setting feels more usable.
- Fork cap uses cassette tool to take off.
- Easier to bleed damper cart.
I got a '16 version for about $500.
I do wonder what the DebonAir looks like. I fear it's just the dimple being further up the stanchion.
Plus if you still want to shoot sparks for 15min you can save some money buying a smaller socket! Win win!
@Happymtbfr it's much harder to strip or deform this interface compared with a hexagonal, exterior interface. consider:
1. all these parts are aluminum, so deform easily
2. when you're applying torque to this interface, the thin material of the top cap is supported by the rest of the stanchion, & the torque is pushing outwards into that reinforcement. Also a cassette tool has 12 contact points to distribute the load. The raised hex style interface has only 6 points of contact, & unlike a traditional bolt head, most of the material in the center is removed for the air valve, & since it's an exterior interface, the force is being directed into that unsupported area.
3: Since the topcap is a very small percentage of the fork volume, there is ample space to provide depth to the tool engagement, if you use an internal interface(a topcap a few millimeters deeper is easily engineered around to maintain desired air spring volume.) An external interface like a hex has to be as short as possible, because there is limited clearance between the crown & the downtube(& even worse, it varies between bikes, so you have to make it as small as possible, you can't optimize to the application.)
4. everybody has a cassette tool. Not only do most people not have a dechamfered socket, they have a regular socket that looks like it should work fine, & SRAM encourages people to pull the topcap repeatedly to tinker. Unless you happen to know how weak that interface is, & that a regular socket can destroy it, you're unlikely to find out until you destroy one.
The entire reason a cottage industry of unchamfered sockets has sprung up for these top caps is because a top cap using an external hex has to compromise every feature that makes a hex interface strong (a solid interior, deep enough engagement to allow a standard socket to work, & a strong enough material to resist stripping.) & it doesn't use the advantages of the application (the extra support of the stanchion walls) to increase the interface's strength.
If someone wrote a book called "Rules for not doing a shitty job of designing tool interfaces" rule 1, on page 1, would probably read: Don't make an interface that ignores the strengths of the application, compromises every strength of the of the desired interface, & requires a special tool, but appears to support one of the most common tools in a toolbox, which will, in fact, destroy your part.
edit: well that turned into a novel
Anyhow, @groghunter convinced me that the situation could be improved and I am now converted to the Church of Cassette Tools! Sometimes one has to recognise the value of existing standard interfaces and do what one can to broaden their use, specially in the bicycle industry!
If It's a park tool you can tap out the guide pin with a punch. Worked on mine.
Absolutely not.
I suspect the difference in feel is bigger than this article portrays.
Thanks, industry...
I cringed when I read
"Along with the new compression tune, the rebound tune was also updated. RockShox added a greater range to the circuit, which means lighter riders should be able to achieve the rebound speed they want without needing to have the fork custom tuned."
Anyone who knows anything about suspension, knows tunes for a wide range of rider weights is a major compromise to riders of all weights. And the original pike was alread a huge compromise
Pike is stiffer, I'll give you that. I have never felt that the mattoc wasn't stiff enough. Mattoc update coming out soon too
Why dont you call anymore?
Sincerely,
26"
Ph 559-0559
Well done.
2017 Rockshox "Boost is the only standard ever"
The lyrik is a great fork, but the increase in stiffness from the pike isn't as 'night and day' as the difference between the pike and the fox 36.
Still, I'll be getting some lyrik 170 29s, me :-)
But boost only screws up a straight upgrade...now you need a new wheel/hub...RS just missed a bunch of sales
I solved with loctite 603. it's ok for 6 months.
If it is creaking between crown and steering unit, RS will sort it as warranty replacement. But it could take ages.
But the biggest question remains - did they fix the one thing that the Pike really needed to have fixed? Can the new Pike survive a full season without a visit to RS service facilities? I mean that was really the only problem with the last Pike. It was a great fork, when it worked. I guess we'll have to wait to find out.
I'd love to get a RS-1 for my wife's Trek Stache as it'd clear a 3.0's, be way lighter than the stock Lyric, and look fantastic. But alas that would mean getting new wheels built up...
Oh well maybe rev 3 in 2019 will be lighter and use standard hubs. #fingerscrossed
3 New lowers with Maxle Travels of 100 / 120 / 150mm and all travel options in between offered.
Great little range of forks.
I'll probably switch over to using a Gripshift for the rear lockout after this season as it looks cleaner and will allow me to run the shock in all 3 positions unlike the stock fox 2 position remote.
You can maybe achieve that with spacers.
Oh, and in response to your comment that it adds benefits: For wheels I think it just trades some strength in one direction for another. And shouldn't wider forks be less torsionally stiff unless you add material? Boost seems like a trade off to me, not a strictly better deal.
Also, my finances are fine thanks. I didn't say anything about not being able to afford it. I said I would have it with no complaints. I'd also have a slice of cake with no complaints too. Just because I would do those things doesn't mean I immediately want to.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpCnGDzZEHc
Any word as if the compression knob will still be stupidly hard to clock with the damper on most units? I just happen to have serviced a lot of the old Pikes and this step sucks half the time.
There has hardly been a new 26" build from a single manufacturer for the last 5 years, there just isnt a market for it anymore.
Hopefully I can just buy the new Charger 2 damper and drop it into my Pike.
Do the new boost lowers fit current boost pikes or did they change the leg spacing with .5 mm just to f..k with us?
Old Pike 150 275: 1861g
Old Lyrik 275: 2005g
New Lyrik 275: 2040g
My guess is that SRAM backed down on the travel of the Pike in order to shed weight, and the Lyrik has been bulked up to allow the 29er model the stretch to 180mm.
Still requires use of a zip tie i guess...
Now, where's steel spring option/Totem/whateva?
Twice the size twice the fight
What about those of us running 3.0? I run 3.0 on my Yari, have changes limited tire width size?
No more 160mm 29" Pike
Same as fox, why go for a 160mm 29er 34 when the 36 has such a small weight penalty?
Are you saying a pike is flexy? I've ridden almost every fork out there, I don't notice a difference in any single crown fork >= 35mm stanchions
I'd maybe agree with 160mm I guess should step up to the big boy forks, however I know plenty of trail 29ers that would be the type to use a 150mm fork (usually with a bit less travel in the back) that would have something like a pike or a fox 34.
And for the record the weight difference between a similar 34 and 36 is about half a pound. I don't call that a small weight difference.
If you do need the longer travel 29er fork you are probably riding some aggressive stuff and will enjoy the extra stiffness.
The modern 36 is listed at about 0.4lbs heavier than a equivalent 34, I chose the 36 over the 34 personally as at my weight and riding style on a 29er wheel I put performance / stiffness over the small weight increase, no regrets.
Which makes sense really.
Sram is compagny so they need to sell something, this is just the society but the fork is maybe not worth.
(That's just my point of view #brokenenglish)
I am not saying you will have issues with your pike, great fork, but people are really pushing 29ers now more than ever and fork and wheel stiffness can be an issue with bigger wheels, especially under bigger / more aggressive riders.