Initially spotted at a recent UCI cyclocross event, TRP is shedding some light on their entry into the world of bicycle forks. It may seem a little weird for a company that deals primarily in brakes to take on a component usually found in framesets, but to TRP the move makes a lot of sense. According to TRP’s Bryce Olsen, one of the primary motivations was that there simply aren’t many aftermarket options for a thru axle carbon fork. With the exception of the Whisky No. 9 carbon fork, there are very few ways to upgrade the front end of your bike to run a 15mm axle.
While the additional availability will be nice, TRP also points out that their fork should be lighter than most of the competition with a total claimed weight of 450g. That weight of course is for the 15mm thru axle version – though TRP is also working on a 12mm thru axle option. That little detail is crucial – much like TRP was on the leading edge for the implementation of road and cross disc brakes, the company feels that 12mm thru axles will soon become the standard for road and cross bikes. Eventually the forks will be offered in both standards, but for now 15mm will be the only option since it is the current standard.
Along with offering more options for the consumer, TRP also took fork design as an opportunity to better learn the relationship between disc brakes and carbon forks. Being able to study the interaction between the two and make changes to the fork has given TRP the ability to “see what they might be able to do in the future.”
Ready for a 15mm thru axle fork now? More details, plus availability after the break…
TRP points out that the graphics on the fork shown in the picture will change, but all of the features should remain as shown. Using a DT Swiss RWS thru axle system, the forks will have clearance for a 40mm tire. Due to the built in 160mm post mount brake fitting, 140mm rotors will not be applicable for the front.
The brake hose or housing will be routed through the fork leg internally, with an optimized path that ends up right at the caliper. By the numbers, the TRP fork has a 350mm 1.5″ tapered steerer, 397mm Axle to Crown measurement, and a 47mm offset. TRP is aiming to have forks available for sale by mid-February with price TBD. As for those Easton wheels shown in the photos that look like they could very well be a new (carbon?) CX wheelset? Well, we’ll have to wait on some more details from Easton on that one…
