Trail riders on 120 to 140 mm 29ers who want a supple, supportive and highly adjustable fork they can tune to their weight and terrain.
The Pike has been RockShox's trail fork for more than two decades, and the current Pike Ultimate is the most refined version yet. This one is set up for 29 inch wheels with 130 mm of travel and a 44 mm offset, a great match for short-travel trail bikes and aggressive cross-country builds.
The heart of it is the Charger 3.1 RC2 damper. Compared with the original Charger 3 it's noticeably more supple off the top, with a wider range of adjustment, so you can keep it plush on rough descents and still firm it up with the high-speed compression dial. ButterCups in the damper and air spring take the edge off trail buzz, and the DebonAir+ spring holds you up in the mid-stroke when you're pumping and cornering.
The chassis is stiff and precise: 35 mm stanchions, magnesium lowers, a hollow forged crown and Torque Cap dropouts, at a claimed 1,887 g for the 140 mm version. It ships with no volume spacers fitted, a bolt-on fender and Torque Cap adapters. Start with the pressure chart on the fork leg, then fine-tune with tokens and the compression dials.
Charger 3.1 RC2
Independent high- and low-speed compression plus rebound, with a broader range than before.
ButterCups
Damped pucks reduce hand-numbing chatter on long, rough descents.
DebonAir+ spring
Easy breakaway, strong mid-stroke support and tunable end-stroke with Bottomless Tokens.
Stiff 35 mm chassis
Magnesium lowers, hollow crown and Torque Cap dropouts keep steering accurate.
Travel you can change
Swap the air shaft to run 120, 130 or 140 mm as your bike or riding changes.
Ready to fit
Includes Maxle Stealth, a bolt-on fender and Torque Cap adapters for standard Boost hubs.
Suspension
Chassis
Wheel and brake fitment
General
Charger 3.1 RC2 damper
A sealed, spring-backed damper with separate high- and low-speed compression circuits that don't interfere with each other, plus rebound. The 3.1 update moves more oil when low-speed compression is open, so the fork is more supple, and offers more support when you wind high-speed compression on.
ButterCups
Rubber-damped pucks at the base of the damper and air-spring shafts that soak up high-frequency trail chatter before it reaches your hands. RockShox claims a 20% reduction in vibration.
DebonAir+ air spring
Tuned positive and negative air chambers give an easy start to the stroke, solid mid-stroke support and a higher ride height. Add or remove Bottomless Tokens to change how progressive it feels at the end of the travel.
Low-friction bushings and SKF seals
An updated bushing package and SKF wiper seals, lubricated with Maxima Plush suspension oil, keep the fork moving freely over small bumps.
Torque Caps and Maxle Stealth
Oversized dropout contact adds stiffness with Torque Cap hubs, and adapters are included for standard Boost hubs. The Maxle Stealth axle sits flush for a clean look.
Great for
Maybe not for
This fork needs a tapered head tube, a 15x110 Boost front hub and a 180 mm or larger front rotor. Check your frame maker's recommended fork travel and offset before ordering; we can confirm fit for your bike.
Setting it up
Start at the pressure shown on the fork decal for your weight and put both compression dials in the middle. The DebonAir+ spring doesn't need a separate sag procedure; aim for about 20 to 30% sag and adjust from there.
Keep it serviced
Clean the stanchions after every ride. RockShox recommends a lower-leg service every 50 hours and a full damper and spring service every 200 hours to keep it feeling this good.
The suspension brand that helped create modern mountain biking.
RockShox is an American suspension brand founded in 1989 by Paul Turner. Its first fork, the RS-1, was ridden to world championship wins in 1990 and helped make front suspension standard on mountain bikes.
RockShox became part of SRAM in 2002 and is based at SRAM's facility in Colorado Springs. Today it makes forks, rear shocks and dropper posts for everything from cross-country racing to downhill, with the Pike, Lyrik and ZEB as its core trail and enduro forks.
