Prototype FOX Gravel fork

Saw this on bike radar. We're probably years away still, but its nice to see more and more manufactures catering to our needs. \n \nhttp://www.bikeradar.com/us/road/news/article/spy-shot-prototype-fox-ax-adventure-cross-suspension-fork-49205/

I've been wondering for a while how long it would take to see a Gravel fork.  I also wonder how long it will be before there is a full suspension Gravel bike.  As mountain bikes have evolved to have massive tires and suspension, its almost like Gravel bikes are becoming what XC hardtails used to be 20 years ago.  However, I have ridden my Mountain bike on some gravel, and the fork was pretty inactive.  Unless you run a fork pretty soft it just won't absorb much on gravel.  So I'm not sure if the weight/aero penalty is worth it except on courses that hit a lot of singletrack. The Lauf grit (however ugly it is) seems better for gravel because it has no damping, so it is more sensitive.

We're definitely not years away from this fork coming to market. I expect this to be available later this year.

How long until full suspension? Not long at all. One just needs to add a Lauf fork or the Fox fork to the Pinarello (soft-tail) gravel bike.

http://www.pinarello.com/en/bikes-2017/road/gan-gr-s-disk

I always thought the Pinarello was a Roubaix bike. Funny that it is a gravel bike, and might be a bit better than some other manufactures derivative half-assed bikes. I could definitely see that fox fork showing up on the Pinarello bike ridden by team sky on Roubaix day.

I don't really expect to see another suspension fork like the Rock Shox Roubaix SL fork that we saw 20ish years ago be used at Roubaix. Current bikes are able to have considerably more compliance built in than the (steel) bikes used back then and manufactures seem to be trying to come up with more road-specific designs that pros and consumers are more likely to identify with (see the new-ish Trek Domane and the new Specialized Roubaix which both have front "suspension").

That being said, I do expect to see more of this stuff enter the growingly-mainstream gravel bike segment as it will allow more riders to take part (e.g. endurance bikes to allow easier entry into road riding with more upright geometry - now we have suspension to allow more comfortable entry to gravel riding). Will there be much uptake for the more advanced riders? Hard to say - probably depends on the terrain and how averse to MTB the individual riders are.



Also, to be clear, the Gan GRS that bike I posted is a gravel bike distinct from the K8-S which has been advertised as a Roubaix bike. The bikes are of similar design although the geometry and presumably the tire clearance vary.

http://www.pinarello.com/en/bike-2015/road/dogma-k8

http://www.pinarello.com/en/bikes-2017/road/gan-gr-s-disk

The Fox Adventure fork is out.  A lot of info here:  https://www.cxmagazine.com/firs-ride-review-fox-stepcast-ax-adventure-cross-suspension-fork-float-32

427mm axle to crown, so its going to slack out your bike, which for some may be welcome.

I don't even have a shock on my mtb, I don't think I'll be putting one on my gravel bikes. lol! 

Looks pretty good, I suppose we will see these on new bikes soon.

But at $800....LMAO...no thanks. 

Haven't we been down this road before (yes, pun intended)???  I thought the pro's tried suspension forks in the Paris Roubaix. No??? 

Oh, the irony - buy a bike made out of a stiff, harsh material that makes questionable sense for gravel riding, pair it with an uber-stiff, straight fork made of the same material, spend enough time on the bike to rattle your teeth out of your head, and then find yourself thinking...."man, maybe I should put a suspension fork on my gravel bike to smooth out the ride?!?" 


Or, start by buying a frame/raked fork made from a nice, compliant material that will happily smooth out the chatter and bumps, and never be tempted by such thoughts of additional weight and complications...