2021 RockShox Pike Rides Higher, Leaving More Travel For Hitting Rocks

All hail the 2021 RockShox Pike Ultimate! It’s new, it’s fresh and it’s different. Not that you’d actually be able to tell that because even to a trained eye, it appears identical to the already well-regarded 2020 RockShox Pike Ultimate. It’s true – from the outside, the fork is identical. It uses the same casting for the lowers, the upper tubes and crown are identical… But, deep inside is a small tweak that RockShox reckons makes this a whole new fork worth shouting about. The same goes for the new Lyrik, Yairi and Revelation too…

The difference is subtle, but important. RockShox has changed the position of the air piston in the DebonAir air spring side so that it now rides ‘in the dimple’. (See explanation below…) 

While the rest of the fork is unchanged, for the Pike this means that the fork pressure decreases slightly (by around 5psi) for the same performance. The new fork decals will have these changes in place. The fork should also be easier to set up to the correct pressure in the first place.

As mentioned, everything else remains. We’ve been impressed with the Pikes this year and the new ones look to go down even better. The changes made last year – the Maxima Plus damping fluid and low friction SKF fork seals remain in the range. 

So here is the new and updated 2021 RockShox Pike range

2021 Rockshox Pike Ultimate

This comes in 130mm, 140mm and 150mm travel, in both 27.5in and 29in. It features the Charger 2.1 RC2 damper and 35mm upper tubes. 

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There are two offsets available per wheel size. 27.5in gets 37mm and 46mm. 29in gets 42mm or 51mm. 

It’ll come in shiny silver. Shiny black appears to be an OEM option too. 

Price is £869

2021 Rockshox Pike Select

The more affordable Pike comes in both 27.5in and 29in wheel sizes and in 130mm, 140mm and 150mm travel. 

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The damper is the Charger RC and the forks will come with the same two offsets per wheel size as the Pike Ultimate. 

Price is £679

2021 Rockshox Revelation RC

The oft-overlooked Revelation is renewed too. It features a ‘Pike-derived chassis’ as well is the new, updated DebonAir air spring. The damping is controlled by the Motion Control damper. It still features the same 35mm upper tubes as the Pike and it comes in more travel options too.

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Travel is 120mm, 130mm, 130mm, 140mm and 150mm in one offset per wheel size (46mm for 27.5in and 42mm for 29in)

Price will be £479

And all forks should be shipping to shops around… now!

for more details, visit rockshox.com

What’s the dimple?

The dimple is the small indentation in the upper tube that allows the positive and negative air chambers to equalise. The air piston used to pass this dimple as the fork cycled through the travel, allowing the air chambers to briefly equalise. By moving the position of the air piston a little further up the fork, the piston now sits around that dimple, constantly equalising the positive and negative air chambers. This makes the forks easier to set up (you don’t need to over-pressurise the forks and then cycle them to equalise the chambers) and it has the riding benefit that the forks now sit higher in their travel for the same small bump compliance, and are more ready for those big hits. 

It’s a small difference, but one that RockShox reckons is worth making a fuss about. 

Is the new DebonAir air spring retrofittable? 

This is the good news. The new air spring assembly is completely retrofittable. In fact, owners of the 2020 forks can just get the two new machined parts and fit them. Owners of previous Pikes (and Revelations) too will be able to buy a new air side assembly and fit it for this new performance benefit.

Forks are shipping now…  

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