It’s funny how things can come full circle. When mountain bike suspension forks were first introduced, RockShox was the king of the hill. Their famous Mag21 fork was legendary and everyone drooled over the fold-flecked magnesium lowers and how plush 60 mm of travel felt. Ahh, the days.
Then, Marzocchi came on the freeride scene with all the grace of a 500-lb. gorilla just squashing both RockShox and Manitou out of the market. RockShox’s lone ray of hope was the Boxxer World Cup, which shined on World Cup courses and was and still is ridden by the DH man-to-beat, Steve Peat. Somewhere in between the decline, the ray of hope, the amazing success on the DH circuit and my garage, RockShox has once again emerged as (in my mind) the premiere manufacturer of mountain bike suspension forks.
About the RockShox Lyrik 2-Step
Billed as an all-mountain fork, the Lyrik boasts 160 mm travel (that’s just over 6 inches for the Metric-deprived) that’s adjustable down to 115 mm with the flick of a switch on top of the left stanchion. Unlike the U-Turn, you only get the two aforementioned settings, which should suffice for most riders and conditions.
The magnesium (they still use the stuff) lowers are burly with a noticeable bulge about 1/3 down from the top of each leg. That bulge houses oversized bushings to keep out fine dust particles and provide extra stiffness. The 20mm RockShox Maxle keeps the wheel on and tracking straight–making for uber-simple wheel removal. Post-mount disc tabs keep adjustments simple without the need for adapters.
More features of the RockShox Lyrik 2-Step
- Travel: 160 / 115 mm
- Weight 5.52 lbs
- Spring: Solo Air
- Damping: Mission Control (External rebound, high speed compression, low speed compression, Floodgate switch and internal Floodgate)
- Upper Tubes: 35mm diameter (nice and beefy)
- Learn More: SRAM.com
RockShox Lyrik 2-Step Review
As I said, I’m a believer in the latest round of RockShox forks. Having ridden a Pike 454 for several seasons, I can truly attest to the smoothness, plushness and durability of their fork designs. The even-smoother Lyrik is going into its sophomore season and looks to continue gracing many all-mountain bikes and flying off aftermarket shelves.
I’ve ridden several bikes equipped with the RockShox Lyrik since its introduction at Interbike 2006 and the latest long-term test has been on an Iron Horse 6Point that I’ve been flogging this spring. On the 6Point, the Lyrik has been the perfect balance of plushness and efficiency and let me tell you why.
On long climbs, the quick flip of the 2-Step reduces the fork down to 115 mm travel. At that setting, the front end sits down and the head angle steepened to keep your weight forward and the front tire on the ground. I found that the fork maintained its suspension capabilities while in the reduced mode. This is something that not all forks can do. Sometimes reducing the travel also means a significant reduction in the effective travel. The Lyrik feels just as squishy at the reduced travel as it does at the maximum travel.
I love how supple this fork feels. It behaves as a top-tier fork should… it’s supple on the small stuff, but moderated throughout its travel so it truly feels bottomless. Regardless of your riding style, I think you’d be hard-pressed to bottom this thing out. It ramps up nicely, but still allows you to take advantage of the entire stroke.
When pushing the fork hard, it tracks as straight as an arrow. Thanks to the beefy stanchions and Maxle thru-axle, you won’t feel the front end wander one bit. Compression and rebound adjustments are easy to do and make a marked difference in the fork’s handling characteristics.
The only downside of the RockShox Lyrik that I can see is the price. At $1049, this fork alone costs as much as many entry-level complete bikes. If you want one, find a bike that’s equipped with one, or save your pennies and get stoked for one of the best-performing all-mountain forks on the market today.
The Bottom Line on the RockShox Lyrik 2-Step
Thoroughly impressed is an understatement when talking about the Lyrik. This fork is the cream of the all-mountain crop with beefy stanchions and uber-smooth travel under all conditions. It soaks up everything in sight, ramps up nicely to give you a bottomless feel all while still providing excellent small bump absorption. If you’ve got your eyes on a new 6-inch travel all-mountain fork, the RockShox Lyrik should be the one to choose.
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