I have been riding with a Rock Shox Pike solo air 160mm on my Turner Burner since last year. I originally choose this fork because it works great straight out of the box, is light but stiff and is also pretty easy to service. Although the fork works very well, I have never been really happy with the low speed compression adjuster. If you want the fork not to dive too much under braking or when the trail gets steep, you have to nearly fully close the knob, which affects the grip in the wrong way. I also have no use for the pre-set compression setting which allows you to lock the fork (the best way to hit the descent with a still locked fork in my opinion).
So I was pretty excited when Fast Suspension announced their new compression kit for the Pike. Very similar to their DH offering, it is essentially a "proper" compression piston with 24 clicks for low and high speed fine tuning. The kit is machined/assembled and fitted in-house in Brittany.
The result on the trail is amazing ! It feels very similar to a DH fork, to the point that the rear suspension (and sometimes the rider) struggles to keep up when the trail gets rough. You get a fork which stays high and is very confidence inspiring, but without compromising the grip. It obviously takes a bit more time and patience to find the "sweet spot" but it’s definitely worth it ! So if you’re looking to improve the way your fork works and have no interest in the lock out option, go for it ! You won’t recognise your fork afterwards.
My "Fasted" Pike.
