The Best Gravel Suspension Forks | 6-Way Mega Test

Gravel suspension is a growing market with new designs appearing faster than commenters can call them pointless.

If you’re looking to upgrade your bike with a gravel suspension fork, we’ve done the testing so you know which to buy and which to avoid.

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:17 Gold Standard - RockShox RUDY Ultimate
01:29 Closely Followed By - Fox 32 TC Factory
02:43 Best Budget - KS GTC
03:46 Lightest on Test - Lauf Grit
04:51 Best for Rough Terrain - MRP Baxter
05:55 Not Worth An Upgrade - Cannondale Oliver Lefty
06:51 What About Geometry?
07:36 Alternatives to Suspension Forks
08:20 Outro

Hottest Pro Gravel Race Bikes Of The Traka

9 Of The Best Gravel Bike Upgrades

Watch This BEFORE You Buy New Gravel Tyres

Top 10 Budget Road And Gravel Bike Upgrades

Are Wider Gravel Tyres Faster?

Listen to the BikeRadar Podcast

Follow BikeRadar on our social media channels:

BikeRadar is supported by Mountain Biking UK and Cycling Plus Magazine –For more information and to subscribe please visit

For more content like this see our latest subscription offer –

[frantzs]

I considered all the options and double wrap handlebars should do. Cost of my new bike Triban RC520 was 20 euro more then budget option fork.

[galenkehler]

The best gravel fork is a 80/100mm 27.5" mtb fork. You can get them for a fraction of things with the "gravel tax", and you get an actual usable travel. You can fit a 700x45c tire, and run a bit extra sag for a super plush feel. Minimal geometry difference, but improves most bikes off road, and most have lockout

[Outback]

Invested in the Rudy fork. Depends, If you call a gravel ride down a local canal path probably stick to a rigid fork. If you want all out performance on every grade of gravel and don't want to feel like you're shoulders and neck have been put through a mincer after 40 mile might be worth a think. Also Gravel specific forks are what they are "specific" Which means they won't completey knock the geometry out on the bike. So putting a gravel fork on your gravel bike isn't turning it into a mountain bike it's transforming it into something very capable in a multitude of different situations. You can't always pick the best line in a gravel race and most probably will have to put in 600 watts to get back on to the bunch if you don't. But when you have the option to take a not so good line to keep on the front wheels... Completely changed the ride quality and capabilities of the bike. In my eyes costly but definitely worthwhile if you're considering.

[marksandoval]

Once you start adding suspension to a Gravelbike, you might as well get a full-sus XC bike and install a set of Gravel tires. A Specialized Epic World Cup or a Trek Supercaliber, both with about 80/100mm travel, would make an excellent Gravelbike. My personal Gravel bike is 110/120mm travel Epic Evo with 700x47 Specialized Pathfinder Pro Gravel tires. I didn't really want that much travel but it was what I could afford when it was on sale.
I would like to see Gravelbikes come with tire clearance for wider tires. A Gravelbike with lightweight fast-rolling 29x2.4(700x61) Gravel specific tires is what I would like to see.

[PentagonalAntiprism]

Let me check my crystal ball: "the best gravel fork of 2030: RockShox SID 100mm" 😂

[IIISentorIII]

I recently did buy a Stumpjumper Expert new for 3000$. It has a 140mm FOX FLOAT 34 Performance Elite grip 2 damper and 130mm FOX FLOAT DPS Performance Elite on it.

So I guess paying 1000$ for 40mm makes sense! 😁

[trroland]

Why is the new Cane Creek inverted fork not in this comparison? 🤔

[ViktorNavotny]

Using the Rockshux Rudy, paired with a suspension seatpost, super comfortable

[WDMandre]

Just get new Fox 32 gravel fork with 40mm for astonishing 370€- what a black friday deal. Going to instal it today :D

[Rob-zfcv]

Can also consider some of the secondhand or NOS older hybrid forks available from the likes of Suntour. You may need to change lower headset to fit, but it'll save you a bit of money overall.

[Dr.Schlitz]

Can you pair a suspension fork with a 650b wheel in the front and a 700c wheel in the back on a non-suspension corrected frame?

[XavierBetoN]

I'd love to have LAUF fork that's also compatible with 32" wheel, It'd smooth my ride as I find regular suspension isn't reacting fast enough, or requires mass dampeners for the same effect but they're dead weight for me considering same could be achieved with way less parts.
But man they cost a kidney and a half, I'd love to get a Lauf if they weren't.

[alainpfammatter]

What about the new cane creek gravel fork? Pitty you didnt test it.

[martinhotan]

Aren‘t you missing out on the Cane Creek fork ???

[CarsandBikes]

I have the Lauf, MRP, and Fox forks in this video and like the Lauf with a Redshift stem and the MRP that allows me to run bottle cages and 50mm wide tires...

[jeanbravo]

Great video!!!, and how about the suntour GVX? Is a great gravel suspension a little bit heavy, I think suntour could improve the weight, but overall i am very happy with it.

[jonathanzappala]

The comparison I want to see is the best vs a xc bike vs the fork your bike has now.

[guillermoguillermo]

I bought the Fox TC32 today : 399 € (with delivery), at a german website. Thanks for the vidéo. 🇨🇵

[cgmlcs]

I own a Cannondale Topstone Lefty and it’s not enough travel for the dirt roads I ride in Michigan. Potholes and washboard overwhelm the lefty.

[ERHMidvalley]

Why not just improve the old school canodale head shock suspension? Change to Carbon headshock supension is much more lighter than this ..