Bikes are getting slacker, built with longer travel, and running bigger wheels and tires. It’s no surprise then that suspension forks are also needing to bulk up in order to keep the front ends planted. Often, that also means that forks are getting crazy expensive – unless you’re talking about something like the new Raidon from SR Suntour. While still marketed as a “price point” fork, the Raidon gets some serious improvements which should make it an awesome choice for riders looking for a quality Boost 29er fork that won’t absorb all your savings…
Getting a bump from 32mm to 34mm stanchions, the Raidon follows the rest of SR Suntour’s forks as they move the current platforms up a size. That means that forks that were previously 25.4mm are now 28mm, forks that were 32mm are now 34mm, etc. That’s big news for a product like the Raidon which is SR Suntour’s best aftermarket seller by sales volume.
Built with 6000 series aluminum stanchions and a forged crown, the 29/27.5+ suspension fork runs a Boost 15 x 110mm Q Loc² QR TA and post mount 160mm brake tabs.
Equipped with the same air spring as more expensive forks, the difference in price comes down mostly to different materials. Things like the bushings being steel backed vs. aluminum backed with Teflon. The fork still run s a nitrogen charged sealed cartridge damper for easy service and is available with a remote or crown mounted lockout. Like other forks the fender is removable, and weight is said to be 2200g.
The best part may be the price at just $360, you seem to be getting a lot for your money. It’s even less if you take advantage of the SR Suntour upgrade program which is good for 25% off a new fork with a serial number from a current SR Suntour product on your bike.
