This article originally appeared on BikeRadar
At this year's Sea Otter Classic, DT Swiss showed off an ultralight version of the current OPM O.D.L. suspension fork. Aptly named the OPM O.D.L. Race, the new fork gets a slick carbon fibre crown and steerer tube that brings the total claimed down to a staggering 1,480g (3.26lb) for a 100mm-travel 29er model – and that's including the 100x15mm thru-axle.
Unlike carbon fibre upper assemblies from other companies, DT Swiss isn't making the crown and steerer as a single unit. Instead, DT Swiss moulds them separately and then bonds them together. DT Swiss has a novel construction method for the crown called Tailored Fiber Process, where carbon fibres are mechanically embroidered onto a substrate before it's all cooked in a mould. According to DT Swiss, this makes for more consistent parts than when individual swatches are placed by hand.
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The unique texture comes from DT Swiss' proprietary TFP moulding process
DT Swiss' carbon fibre upper assembly also differs from some of its competitors in that the crown and steerer aren't actually moulded as a single unit but rather formed separately and then bonded together after the curing process. Regardless, the switch to composite construction certainly saves a lot of weight, dropped 120g over the aluminium parts on the standard OPM O.D.L. fork.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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