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SOC15: DT Swiss offering limited release, “world’s lightest” team replica suspension forks

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2016 DT Swiss OPM Race is world's lightest suspension mountain bike fork

DT Swiss has always been on the lighter side with their suspension forks, but the new DT Swiss OPM Race is claimed to be the lightest production suspension fork on the market. They say a 100mm travel 29er model is just 1,490g with thru axle and uncut steerer. For comparison, a Rockshox SID XX World Cup has a listed weight of 1485g, but that’s with 9mm skewer and 265mm steerer. The 27.5” version is 20g lighter.

It uses a full carbon crown and steerer made using TFP, or Tailored Fiber Placement, which saves a whopping 120g. It’s developed in conjunction with a Swiss company that’s in the fabric business (making mostly underwear of all things), but they have the expertise in the process, which they say resembles embroidery. This means it’s layered by machine, ensuring 100% accurate placement for all of the carbon fiber, so they can make every one with the same level of stiffness and not need to overbuild them slightly to compensate for irregularities found in hand laid fibers.

Nino Schurter has been racing it for a season with impressive results, but you’ll be able to get it soon, too…

2016 DT Swiss OPM Race is world's lightest suspension mountain bike fork

It uses their Open, Drive and Lock (O.D.L.) compression adjustments with a rebound knob on the bottom. They’ll offer a limited run of 300 made exactly like the team riders use, which will have green seals (not the blue shown here) because SKF’s motorsports racing products use green seals.

They use new wiper seals from SKF that eliminate the small coil spring found on the seals. Instead of having it wound around the outside to keep the seal tight around the stanchions, they build that into the seal itself to keep it smoother and cleaner looking.

2016 DT Swiss OPM Race is world's lightest suspension mountain bike fork

Internals are otherwise the same as their OPM forks, and pricing is TBD.

2016 DT Swiss OPM Race is world's lightest suspension mountain bike fork

DTSwiss.com

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JBikes
JBikes
9 years ago

Machine laid and mold woven carbon fiber is the future, and I welcome it.
See BMC Impec for similar tech.

davis
davis
9 years ago

It is ODL not O.L.D.
Editor’s note: Thanks for that catch. We’ve updated it

Ripnshread
Ripnshread
9 years ago

If that is not a cosmetic layer on that crown it looks sick. What are the metal type stickers on the side of the crown for? Hide what it is? Or not stickers?

Crushin-it
Crushin-it
9 years ago

likely black PU protection stickers.

Frippolini
Frippolini
9 years ago

If I remember correctly Rock Shox’s first generation SID (dating back pre 2000) was far lighter than this to call itself World’s lightest.
Anyone who remember the weights?

CXisFun
CXisFun
9 years ago

@Frippolini: those were also 26″ forks.

Ripnshread
Ripnshread
9 years ago

The old SID’s were 1290g claimed I think? But they were 28mm stanch 90mm with a small cartridge dampener called the C3 I think.

Adam2
9 years ago

@Frippolini: I’m dating myself here – yes, the SID was sick light but rode like a wet noodle. Hard corners, you could see the wheel flexing all over. Not confidence inspiring. Moved to a Marzocchi Z1 BAM soon after – 500g heavier but so much nicer to ride!

greg
greg
9 years ago

This looks related to Magura’s Carbolay stuff. Also machine made. http://Www.Biontec.ch

Andrew
Andrew
9 years ago

Carbon lefty?

JasonK
JasonK
9 years ago

The original SID had 63mm of travel. I loved mine, but my current Fox with 120mm of travel works much better. I agree with Andrew that the carbon Lefty is the lightest suspension fork that doesn’t compromise on function.

bikeduder
bikeduder
9 years ago

@jasonk and @Andrew , technically the lefty isn’t a fork. Lightest front strut,sure.

hellsheadbanger
hellsheadbanger
9 years ago

Lefty, german answer, and wr compositi all make lighter forks with the same features. Also, I believe Tune uses the same carbon fabric building technique on their blackfoot crankset.

Mikelo
Mikelo
9 years ago

BOS Dizzy – 120mm 29er – 1580 Gram – so, yeah… And you get Bos performance and more travel just for 100 grams more.

http://www.bosmtb.com/en/news/dizzy-a-new-xc-fork-with-29-bos.html

Tomi
Tomi
9 years ago

I believe my WR Compositi 29er fork is lighter. Now I don’t say it works better, I have no idea and it is my first 100mm suspension fork ever. My only baseline was an old 26″/140mm lefty,

nino
nino
9 years ago

Sorry – but the italian made WR Compositi AMT-2 forks are way lighter! 1300g uncut.
32 stanchions, 80 or 100mm travel, all carbon construction, remote lockout, 15mm through axle

The precedessor WR Compositi AMT-1 was even lighter at 1250g including everything (uncut)

wrcompositi.it

Ascar Larkinyar
Ascar Larkinyar
9 years ago

lefty forks, stiffer, better suspension and lighter. my custom self tuned carbon 100mm 29er lefty is 1156g. and it could go lower if i wanted to sink $$$$ into it.

Jan
Jan
9 years ago

l like that bike and that fork

Andre
Andre
9 years ago

Ascar, that can’t be right! This lefty of yours….that weight is with the steerer tube? I own one and I’m trying to figure it out how to drop more weight but have no clue. I agree, lefty is a killer fork! A gazillion times stiffer than dt swiss

AFS
AFS
9 years ago

These DT Swiss ODL forks are amazing. I have the alloy crown/stanchions 100mm 29er version and it is ridiculously stiff for a 32 -probably stiffer that the F34 I have in my AM bike-, the damping is way superior to the F’s and it is as smooth as a Lefty.
The swiss really nailed it this time, maybe they just need to work a little harder on the marketing, ’cause they have a winner with this fork.

jerry
jerry
9 years ago

SID with shift up engineering kit weight?

hellsheadbanger
hellsheadbanger
9 years ago

@Andre Ascar is likely using an aftermarket carbon fiber steerer tube, aftermarket damper, and light weight stanchion cover. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Machine
Machine
9 years ago

Anybody Weigh a lefty Recently…not light anymore.
I hate my SIDxx WC. Dampning is horrid. Really looking in to the DT. anyone know the MSRP yet?

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