Ison Distribution is always a good place to stop at Core Bike, with bikes from the likes of Surly, Banshee and All City (plus own-brand Identiti and it’s new Mettle frame) but it also has a huge range of accessories and components to see. One compact but interesting stand was definitely that of MRP. Initially known for its chain guides, it has been making much more than that recently…
MRP Ribbon fork
On show was the new(ish) MRP Ribbon fork. It’s a big, chunky thing that comes in 27.5 and 29in and is intended for all that kind of hard-hitting trail riding stuff and enduro racing. Priced from £849, it’s quite an investment, but as we said in our initial look at Eurobike, there’s a lot going on here – not least the new Ramp Control system.
The reverse-moulded arch takes some getting used to, as we’re used to seeing smooth fork arches on other brands, but MRP has said that it’s been done for mud shedding. Or at least to keep the mud from being thrown up from the wheel and backing into the hollows like on a normal fork arch. How long it takes to fill from the front, we’ll have to see, but it’s good to see some thought being put in for us damper-weather riders.
MRP Ramp Control Cartridge
MRP’s Ramp Control System is designed to do away with those air-volume adjusting fork spacers or ‘tokens’. Developed originally for the Ribbon fork, MRP saw a need for it on forks from other companies. It replaces the stock top cap on the fork and does away with the whole stack of tokens idea, replacing it with an externally adjustable, 16-click system that does the work of up to four tokens – without needing to crack open the fork once it’s fitted. With 16 clicks on offer, it allows even finer tuning, with four clicks per token it replaces. If you’re a habitual fork twiddler, or you ride in a lot of different terrain – smooth trails one day, rock gardens the next, big jumps and drops the day after… then you’ll probably find the £139 entirely justifiable – and at a mere 55g, it weighs less than the four tokens it can replace.
All-City
And finally, we just liked this paintjob on this All City ‘cross/off road drop bar bike. No? Just us then?
