Those with a keen eye for bicycle developments will have taken note of the rise in gravel bikes – road bikes with wider tyres, relaxed geometry and a go-anywhere attitude. When it comes to crossing loose, rough roads, their slacked-out angles give stability and confidence while wider treads aid grip and comfort. However, when things get really bumpy or roughness is maintained for a prolonged period, fatigue and discomfort aren’t far away.
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Mountain bikes have been equipped with suspension for a couple of decades now, to help control impacts, boost comfort and improve grip on harsh terrain, and with gravel bikes now up to the task of tackling less than smooth roads it’s no surprise that suspension is (slowly) starting to appear.
There are currently two gravel suspension forks on the market: the Lefty Oliver (found on the innovative Cannondale Slate), which provides 30mm of hydraulically damped suspension, and the Lauf Grit, which we’ve been riding for a few months now.
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The Lauf Grit also has 30mm of travel, but other than that and how both the Grit and Oliver have distinctive looks, the similarities end.
Lauf Grit design
The Grit has a carbon main body with two carbon lowers, which are attached to the main body by 12 glass-fibre leaf springs. The wheel sits on a bolt-thru-axle between the lowers that moves in relation to the upper and provides the suspension.
Lauf has previously launched a couple of mountain bike and fat bike forks, and the concept for the Grit is the same. The 30mm of travel the Grit has is 1.8 times stiffer than that found on the Trail Racer, Lauf’s engineers tell us. On the bike this means that, while there’s a little bit of bob when pedalling hard out of the saddle, for the most part the fork feels very neutral.
Lauf Grit performance
Lauf Grit out on the trails
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
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