RockShox

Pike RCT3 Solo Air 150 Fork - 26in - 2017

If the six-inch fork market is a fruit vendor's cart on the set of a mid-90s action flick, then the Pike RCT3 Solo Air 150 Fork is the 26-inch leading element of a high speed chase. Ever since it arrived on the scene, the Pike has been blowing up expectations for what an enduro fork can do, and this particular hot rod's six inches of travel and 26-inch wheel size make it ideal for redefining established lines by combining the brute, bottomless force of six-inch travel with the agility of 26-inch wheels in order to rethink what's possible.

The Solo Air fork ditches the adjustability of the Dual Position Air version in favor of a single 150mm travel position. You lose the ability to drop the front end of your bike by a couple of centimeters to make it more aggressive on the climbs, but for some, the extra weight saved (about 50 grams) and the complexity saved is worth it. While still a comfortable climber, thanks to the Charger damper's adjustability, the Solo Air really shines on the steepest and most technical downhills you can stomach.

That's not to suggest the Pike is as inflexible as the anti-cavalry spear-like weapon for which it may very well be named. Its settings can be dialed by the three-position RCT3 charger damper, which lets you choose discreet amounts of low-speed compression in the Open mode. It also gives you two other settings, Pedal and Lock, which are pre-tuned for a plush platform that maintains efficiency across moderate trail furniture and a lockout for non-techy climbs and fast fire road transitions. RockShox's Rapid Recovery feature indulges the Pike's terrain-gobbling tendencies by keeping recovery between hits short, so you'll always have that cushion, even during multiple successive bumps.

While we're of a divided opinion about the name, Power Bulge is code for a reinforced lower leg and oversized bushing, which further increases stiffness without increasing stanchion size. The Pike also includes a PSI menu printed on the side, so you don't have to turn to your smartphone to find the proper inflation levels for your weight and the terrain.