Lauf

Carbonara Fat Bike Suspension Fork

Lauf's forks have garnered quite the buzz with their leafspring design and unique aesthetic, and there may be no place that maintenance-free bump absorption is better suited than on a fat bike. Inherently quirky, the Lauf's design seems right at home on a burly frame matched with beefy tires and utilitarian frame baggage, just waiting to head off into the unknown.

With 60mm of travel provided by S2 glassfiber springs slotted into a carbon body, the Carbonara falls somewhere in between the plushly damped, heavier ride of a traditional fat suspension fork and a feathery yet uncushioned rigid option. Lauf claims that the travel is progressive, meaning it gets stiffer as it compresses to prevent bottom outs while still smoothing out the smaller bumps along the way. The leafspring design does pride simplicity and freedom from maintenance over adjustability, which means the overall feel of the travel will vary across riders and is highly dependent on rider weight.

To make up for the lack of adjustability or tuning options, Lauf offers the Carbonara in two different spring rates. This particular fork comes with the "regular" spring rate, accompanied by a rider weight recommendation of 176 pounds and up. That isn't to say that lighter riders can't ride it, but just that those under the weight recommendation will experience a stiffer ride than originally intended with this fork.