
Mountain bike front forks with suspension revolutionized the world of mountain biking almost two decades ago. They made the rough terrain typical of most bike trails much easier to ride while helping to minimize wrist and arm fatigue. In the time since their introduction, nearly every bike manufacturer has included these forks as standard equipment.
Today, suspension-style mountain bike front forks can be found in a variety of configurations, by a variety of different companies. For most forks, an average travel of 100 to 120 millimeters is considered standard. However, there are specialty shocks available that can have up to 200 mm of travel.
Solid mountain bike front forks are still available. They are primarily used for commuter bikes and by those that prefer the “old school” tradition. They are also much less expensive than today’s suspension-style forks.