Looks like the ZEB is getting a little brother. New to the Rock Shox family, the Domain adds another fork with a 38mm chassis to the ranks, but this time with an eye on affordability.
Like the ZEB, the Domain uses a massive 38mm chassis to address the needs of more aggressive enduro bikes and e-MTBs – just with 6000 series aluminum upper tubes to keep the price down. As suspension travel gets longer and heavier e-MTBs get more capable, increased stiffness is needed out of the front end to keep the confidence level high.
Along those lines, e-bikes take this to the extreme with the new 1.8″ “SuperTaper” steerer. All of the after market Domain forks will be sold with the standard 1.5″ tapered steerer, but OEMs will be offered the larger 1.8″ tapered spec to fit upcoming e-MTBs. There will also be three different crown sizes to better match modern bike frames. The standard OEM and after market option will be 59mm, but there will be a 63 and 69mm crown size for OEM-only forks. That 69mm crown is the one that will fit the 1.8″ steerer. These larger crowns better match frames with large section head tube and downtube junctions so it doesn’t look like a tiny fork on a huge frame.
Similarly, the fork arch juts out a bit further in order to clear larger head tube on full bottom out. That aggressive arch will clear tires up to 2.8″ wide without fenders.
When it comes to sizing, the Domain will be sold in both 27.5 and 29″ wheel versions, and in 150, 160, 170, or 180mm travel options.
All forks are short fender compatible and include a zip-tie fender. The fork is also compatible with the premium ZEB bolt-on short fender which is sold separately.
After market Domain forks will be sold with the Motion Control RC damper with Maxima Plush damping fluid providing rebound and compression adjustments. On the air side, you’ll find a DebonAir air spring which can be tuned with up to three Bottomless tokens. For those who want to upgrade the damping of their fork down the line, the Charger 2.1 RC2 ZEB Damper upgrade kit is compatible with the fork and sells for $330.
Due to the intended nature of the Domain, Rock Shox went straight for the 200mm direct mount brake. The fork is also capable of running 203mm or 220mm rotors with the correct adapters.
Now for the best part – the price. At $549, you seem to be getting a lot of fork for the money.
