Tailfin likes to say that ‘the best bike for bikepacking is the one your already own.’ That’s been one of the driving forces in developing their Aeropack and universal rack system—even if your bike doesn’t have any braze-ons, there’s a good chance Tailfin has an option that will fit. But when it comes to the front end of the bike, suspension forks complicate things a bit. That’s where the new Tailfin SFM (Suspension Fork Mount) comes into play.
In terms of the concept of using an adapter to mount things to the fork, Tailfin isn’t claiming to have invented anything new here. Rather, in typical Tailfin fashion, they figured out a way to do things more elegantly, and apparently with demonstrably better results. Rather than using velcro straps, plastic mounts, or even straight-up steel hose clamps like you can find at the local home center, the new Tailfin SFM is a beautifully-designed clamp system with versions in both stainless steel or unidirectional carbon fiber.
Importantly, Tailfin wanted to create a near-universal clamp design that allowed for up to two cages mounted per fork leg—without slipping. That’s more tricky when you consider that you want to do it in a way that won’t damage the legs of pricey suspension forks or require so much compression that it affects the fork’s performance. The design also needed to be low profile, light weight, and compatible with any brand of cargo or bottle cage.
The result is a multi-part clamp system with one outer ‘band’ and three different bolts and spacer combinations. According to Tailfin, that makes the SFM compatible with 99% of all suspension forks that might be used for bikepacking with a 38-45mm lower leg diameter, which translates to 30-36mm stanchions. As shown above, that means the Fox 32, 34, and 36, and the RockShox SID through Lyrik.