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First Look! New 27.5″ Lauf Carbon Leaf Spring Fork Pounces Into Action

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lauf-tr275-650B-carbon-leaf-spring-mountain-bike-suspension-fork

Just one year after introducing the Lauf TR29 carbon suspension fork, the Icelandic team has shrunk the design to create the 650B-ready Lauf TR275 fork.

Like the 29er model, weight is extremely low, claimed at just 980 grams (2.18lbs). It offers a similarly short 60mm (2.35 inches) of travel, or “just enough to absorb the bumps” according to CEO Benedikt Skulason.

“The Lauf fork is designed to take a full pound off your XC hardtail mountain bike, while still offering enough suspension to absorb the bumps on your trail,” says Skulason. “We want the Lauf to feel like a rigid fork while climbing a hill, but a fast and sensitive suspension fork on the way down.”

So, no, it’s not for enduro…

lauf-tr275-650B-carbon-leaf-spring-mountain-bike-suspension-fork1

Both the TR29 and TR275 come in eight colorways and two different levels of stiffness, based on rider preference and/or weight. Other specs are a 45mm rake, 466mm axle-to-crown, tapered 1-1/8″ to 1-1/2″ steerer only, and 15mm thru axle. They’re sized for minimum 180mm disc brake rotor.

lauf-tr275-650B-carbon-leaf-spring-mountain-bike-suspension-fork

Beyond model growth, Skulason says at least two major bike brands will be spec’ing Lauf Forks on 2016 bikes. They’ll also be expanding their tradeshow presence to both Eurobike and Interbike this year (presumably with a legitimate booth this time, right guys?).

lauf-tr275-650B-carbon-leaf-spring-mountain-bike-suspension-fork

This video is from the Blue Lagoon challenge, a 60km XC race where Lauf swept the podium claiming first, second and third places.

laufforks.com

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Dude
Dude
10 years ago

That looks more like a gravel grinder than a XC race?

shafty
shafty
10 years ago

Actually THIS looks way more like a gravel grinder. I could ride that on my road bike. Why weren’t any of them on cyclocross bikes?

nightfend
nightfend
10 years ago

You know, every time I see that fork design I think: “Wow, that might work amazing, but it sure looks weird.”

groghunter
groghunter
10 years ago

I have a one word question. Damping. (It’s not really a question, it’s pointing out the massive hole in this whole design.)

Topmounter
Topmounter
10 years ago

I really really want to try one of the TR29’s. As amazing as these appear, I can’t see myself dropping $1055 without riding one first. Especially since I’ll need a new 1/2″ lower race and 15QR front axle.

Ck
Ck
10 years ago

I’d love to try one of these, but I definitely think most of my local “XC” trails have a few too many technical features that would push this fork too hard.

Runar
10 years ago

Dude, guys, Topmounter, boys and girls. This is a gravel grinder XC race. The rough sections are not in the video because they were out of truck-range. I know because I was driving the (damn) truck 😉
60km of dry, hard, wasboard, lava-mountain roads. several rough/long climbs and some very fast sections over the wasboards from hell. It is a good “intended use” video in that sense for the Lauf Fork, although it has no problems eating hits up to 1 feet or so. I should maybe throw in a link to such video right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXAS-Fzip98 showing national mtb champion Ingvar Omarsson on his way to yet another gold medal on his Lauf Fork. That being said/shown, you start thinking about changing over from the Lauf fork to your “conventional” suspension fork at the same time as you want to switch over from a hardtail to full suspension, with longer travel, damping control and the extra pound of weight (and maintenance issues) that I don’t want/need on my hardtail bike. Cyclocross and gravelgrinders, of course, but since we ourselves are more mountain bikers at heart that’s where we wanted to start. The fork comes delivered with a 15mm through axle and the $1055 includes DHL door to door shipping. Have a good weekend whatever you ride.

Kevinfromva
Kevinfromva
10 years ago

I think that came off my grandfathers R100.

duder
duder
10 years ago

“60km of dry, hard, wasboard, lava-mountain roads. several rough/long climbs and some very fast sections over the wasboards from hell.”

I guess I don’t understand “gravel grinding”. Why in the hell would you want to waste a day riding that crap instead of singletrack?

Dh
Dh
10 years ago

@duder- spot on brother.
@bike radar-what’s with the urban lumberjack hipster adds? (Frank and oak) Please no more!

Jacques
Jacques
10 years ago

This type of fork would be perfect for a fatbike! Just a little bit of extra suspension to help with the cushioning the tyres already offer. Only Rockshox is offering a fatbike fork atm, right?

Topmounter
Topmounter
10 years ago

@Runar – I said nothing about the race in question. My main rig is a 29’er hardtail w/ a carbon fork and I ride that on all sorts of trails here in the Colorado Rockies. I’ve ridden plenty of suspension forks with less than 60mm of travel when they were bleeding edge (early Manitous and RS’s). As much as the Lauf design appeals to me, I’ll need to demo one before I drop $1k+. I’m pretty happy with my current setup for 80+% of the trails I ride (I do have a FS rig). Granted it is even more expensive, I have a similar interest in the Kilo 29’er (I was always an admirer of the AMP Fork design if not their reliability).

If Lauf has a dealer or a demo scheduled in or near the Denver Metro, I’d love to take a TR29 for a spin.

Mike D
Mike D
10 years ago

The ‘damping’ is the fork rocking back and forth in the travel range after the initial hit. Watch the youtube link Runar posted–after the initial drop, the travel appears to rebound, and then give again without any additional activation force in the trail. I’ve ridden a fork with blown rebound on XC stuff… they don’t tend to track so well.

I’d have to second what @Topmounter has said: Get them to a demo day where they can be ridden and proven. Otherwise it’s tough to take a $1000 gamble on a 60mm pogostick 😉

Helgi
Helgi
10 years ago

Of cource it will rebound like that but do to the short travel it does not cause loss of control or uncomfort.
But these big hits are not what it is designed for anyway even though it can handle it…

Mike Bechanic
Mike Bechanic
10 years ago

What groghunter said. Damping is kinda the thing that makes suspension work. Otherwise you could just go with a bigger tire and save yourself a bunch of $$$. Also: Outside of them offering two versions for different weight riders (lite and regular) it doesn’t appear to be tunable spring-wise.

Runar
10 years ago

Guys, we’ll have 5 Lauf equipped bikes at the Interbike Demo, we’ll spend 2 days in Moab after Interbike, and will be going through Denver on our way back. Drop me a line to runar@laufforks.com if you want to demo one of our bikes/forks (which makes sense for sure). We’d be happy to arrange that on a good trail.
Speaking of happy, AJ Linnel is, after winning a race yesterday on his Lauf fork.
He placed 1st singlespeed, 3rd overall at the Pierre’s Hole 50/100 mile mtn bike race, seems as if the fork isn’t slowing him down at all!
Have a good one

Jason
Jason
9 years ago

why not go with a solid carbon fork and a girvin.

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