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.
The Shout’s axle-to-crown measurement is 580mm, but Trust says it can replace traditional forks with a wide range of axle-to-crown heights. The Shout’s 178mm’s of contour travel doesn’t equate to the same travel on a traditional fork; it ideally replaces 160-180mm telescopic forks on 29ers and 160-170mm forks on 27.5” bikes. Another unique thing about this fork is that since it has no lowers and no arch, it can run either 27.5”, 27.5+ or 29” wheels. Max tire clearance is 29 x 2.6” or 27.5 x 2.8”.
The Shout has air springs in both legs, and its single damper is a twin-tube thru-shaft type designed by Trust themselves. The air springs conveniently use the rider’s body weight in psi as a setup starting point.
The Shout has three compression modes – Open, Medium, and Firm. Firm mode offers two nifty features; First, the fork remains soft and supple until it hits 20% sag, then gets firm through the rest of its travel. This allows you to enjoy a supportive pedaling platform while maintaining small-bump sensitivity and front wheel traction as you climb. There’s also an integrated high-speed blow-off valve so sudden impacts can still be softly absorbed when you’re in Firm mode. The Open and Medium modes offer independent low-speed compression adjustments. Riders can adjust these settings by turning two allen key bolts located inside the fork leg.
Rebound is adjusted via a typical tool-free dial found inside the linkage on the drive side. The Shout also uses air volume spacers, which Trust calls ‘Huck Pucks’, to adjust bottom-out resistance. Up to five pucks can be installed in each fork leg without any special tools. Using two allen keys, riders can release the lower link and air spring assemblies from each leg and add/remove the Huck Pucks.
The Shout’s legs, crown and steerer tube are a one-piece unit made from carbon, designed to be stiff and strong with minimal fore/aft flex. The linkage arms are carbon as well, whereas the pivots, damper and air spring internals are made from aluminum. The front axle is a Boost 15x110mm (Torque Caps are also compatible by removing a neat little bolt on spacer), and the steerer tube is tapered. The Shout has post mounts for a 180mm brake rotor, but can run up to 203mm. The fork weighs in at 2170g including the axle.
The Shout comes with a lifetime warranty on bearings, a crash replacement guarantee, and a recommended service interval of 250 hours. It is designed in the USA and manufactured in Taiwan. It will be available from retailers worldwide and online as of September 16th. MSRP is $1975.
