After catching everyone’s eyes with their first linkage-driven fork called the Message, Trust Performance has just added a longer travel model called the Shout. Aimed at aggressive trail or enduro riders, the Shout offers 178mm of contour travel versus the Message’s 130mm.
Trust claims their trailing multi-link fork has several advantages over a traditional telescoping unit. Namely more stability, better traction and more consistent control over the bike. Despite releasing the Message just last year, Trust says they’ve been working on the Shout for almost four years now. In this article we’ll cover the Shout’s details and specs, but check out my first ride review article for initial impressions of how it rides.
Details and Tech Specs:
Trust describes their design as a ‘trailing multi-link front suspension platform’. One of the main benefits of the multi-link fork is not having stanchions, which inherently have much more stiction than a pivoting linkage. Using a linkage also gives the fork a measurable leverage ratio, which Trust’s engineers can reference to fine-tune the fork’s leverage rates throughout its travel range.
The other significant difference between the Shout and a telescopic fork is that the Shout provides 178mm of contour travel as opposed to moving upwards only. Its unique axle path allows the wheel to simultaneously move rearward and upwards upon impact, meaning the wheel is able to ‘trace’ bumps in the trail. Trust says this maintains more tire contact and produces better overall traction.
The Shout’s contoured axle path also minimizes the steepening of your head tube angle and the effect of a fixed offset as you dive deep into the travel. It actually increases the bike’s trail measurement as the fork is compressed, which provides more stability when you’re pushing hard through big bumps or corners. Minimizing the change to your head tube angle keeps your bike’s geometry more consistent, so your bike handles more predictably regardless of where you are in the fork’s travel.
