Dual position air, solo air, coil, rebound: what do they mean about forks?

Asked by: Ann Light

What does Solo Air fork mean?

Solo Air spring



This is the standard air spring seen on RockShox forks. It’s called Solo air because you only need to add air to a single valve and the spring will equalise the negative chamber by itself. At one point, they had a Dual Air spring that required you to do this via a second valve, hence the name.

What is Dual Air fork?

dual Air technology provides the rider with a tremendous range of setup and tuning possibilities for their suspension fork, using air positive and air negative springs. Positive springs support the weight of the bike and the rider.

Which is better air or coil fork?

If you ride cross country, stick with air forks – they are easier to use, and provide good performance across all but the extremes. If your bike takes some big hits and impacts, use a coil fork – they are stronger and you cannot beat the coil setup for bigger hits.

What is RockShox Dual Position Air?

Dual Position technology gives you the ability to adjust your forks travel up to 30mm without affecting its small bump performance. With a simple turn and click you can switch from climbing mode to bombing downhill with confidence.

What are Coil forks?

What is a Coil Fork? Coil forks use a metal coil spring to provide resistance. The coil is made from either steel or titanium. Coil forks have a linear spring rate. This means that the force required to compress the spring increases constantly throughout the fork’s range of travel.

What is fork offset?

Fork offset is the distance between the front axle and the steering axis of the fork. The diagram above shows how the front axle is offset so it is forward of the steering axis. This offset is measured in millimeters. Its purpose is to adjust the amount of ‘trail’ in the steering geometry.

How does rockshox solo air work?

Rockshox Solo Air Technology: The enlightened Solo Air design allows you to ad air to your fork through a single schrader valve, filling both the positive and negative air spring chambers. This creates a perfect equilibrium with the air pressures of your fork.

Are coil shocks better for heavy riders?

Yes, coil shocks are better for heavy riders. They make it easy for your biking on bumpy or cracked roads. The coil shocks generally hit large jumps along with rock gardens too.

Why are air forks better?

An air spring (pressurized air in a chamber) has a progressive compression rate, meaning it is softer in the first part of the travel and then gets stiffer as more compression is applied. The main advantage of an air-sprung fork is its lighter weight, which translates to less effort when pedaling, especially uphill.

Can you convert coil forks to air?

So, going back to the original question of whether you can change from coil to air: for the vast majority of suspension brands that we’re familiar with, the simple answer is no… sorry. With the exception of the Ohlins RXF 36 coil, where the air spring is enclosed within a separate cartridge inside the fork leg.

Which is better air or spring suspension?

The conclusion: Air-ride suspension is not superior to spring ride. Not only are air-ride suspensions more expensive to purchase and maintain, which could translate to inflated expense to the shipper, but more importantly, they do not guarantee superior ride quality.

Are coil shocks less maintenance?

Coil-over shocks require less maintenance. For one, they’re more durable.

How do I use air fork?

Quote from video: The longer your travel the more sag you'll likely. Need you can determine your sag by sitting on your bike with all your gear on and pushing this ring to the bottom.

How does rockshox solo air work?

Rockshox Solo Air Technology: The enlightened Solo Air design allows you to ad air to your fork through a single schrader valve, filling both the positive and negative air spring chambers. This creates a perfect equilibrium with the air pressures of your fork.

Are KTM air forks good?

KTM AER MX1 Air Fork Revalve featured in Motocross Action Magazine. Regardless of what a small handful of naysayers believe, the WP AER air forks on the 2017 KTMs and Huskys are the best production air forks ever made. They are simple to set up, easy to live with and well damped; however, no fork is perfect.

How does an air fork work?

Quote from video: End you have an air tube that goes in there air tube has a piston it has a top out bumper. And it has a lower part that's held in place by a circlip. Basically it's that simple.

When did KTM go to air forks?

2017

2017 – Worldwide, KTM’s MX (and four-stroke cross-country) models were fitted with WP’s 48mm AER air-sprung fork.

Do air forks leak?

ALL AIR FORKS CAN LEAK AIR, WHICH MEANS THEY CAN COLLAPSE



That depends on the fork’s design. If the fork relies on air pressure in an outer chamber (which puts pressure on the fork seal), then yes, it is possible for a damaged fork seal and/or chrome slider to lead to a partially or fully collapsed fork.

Do air forks have oil?

Rather than do what’s required with conventional forks (that is, bottom the fork out and then carefully measure oil heights), all you need to know with the AER is that there’s 200ml of oil in each leg. Pus the oil contained within the WP air fork’s outer chamber is purely for lubrication.