First Look: 2017 Formula Selva Fork

Dropping straight into the red hot trail and enduro bike suspension segment, Formula has just released a new fork that aims to cater to the proliferation of wheel sizes and standards as well as the evolution of riding styles. The Selva sports 35-mm stanchions and is available with 120 to 180mm of travel, for 3 different wheel sizes - exclusively with Boost axle spacing. On this topic, Formula says "the Selva does not replace the 35 [current enduro fork], but we strongly believe that in the coming years, Boost will be the dominant standard".

All of the 3 versions of the Selva crucially come in under the 2000-gram mark, a reasonably competitive weight in this segment. As for the features, there is a lot to digest here! Formula were looking for ways to improve smoothness, when they came up with the idea of "structurally merging" the hydraulic cartridge with the stanchions and lowers, which is said to greatly reduce friction when the fork is under stress (such as during cornering or braking). The new Selva also offers a very high degree of adjustability. For example, in addition to the classic hi- and lo-speed compression adjusters, users can also easily swap out the "Compression Tuning System" to affect the overall suspension feel (from soft to firm). The CTS cartridge can be swapped out without having to bleed the system. All in all, it looks like the Selva ticks a lot of boxes on paper, and we'll certainly be eager to put it to the test to see how it stacks up with the current competition. Read on for more information and to see the new fork in action.

2017 Formula Selva Highlights

Travel (Standard): 120-160mm (Internally Adjustable)
Travel (Extended, 27.5 only): 170-180mm (Internally Adjustable)
Axle to Crown (27.5 Standard): 550mm +/- 5mm at 160mm of travel
Axle to Crown (27.5 Extended): 570mm +/- 5mm at 180mm of travel
Axle to Crown (27.5+/29): 565mm at 160mm of travel
Fork Offset (Rake): 46mm (27.5), 46mm or 51mm (27.5+/ 29)
Max Rotor Size: 203mm
Steerer Tube: Tapered 1 1/8” - 1.5”
Crown Material: Hollow Forged Aluminum
Lower Colors: Black (matt) / White (matt) / Ultraviolet (matt)
Dropout: 15QR (Standard) / 20QR (Option)
Axle Integrated Locking System (ILS): 15QR or 20QR
Stanchion Diameter: 35mm
Stanchion Material: 7075 Aluminum
Stanchion Finish: Hard Anodized Black
Damping Adjustments: Drop - In Cartridge with Internal Floating Technology
Rebound: 21 Click Adjustment
Compression High and Low Speed: 12 Click Adjustment
Compression Curve: Adjustable with Compression Tuning System (optional)
Lockout: Crown Mounted standard
Remote Cartridge Control: Optional
Spring Type: Air Spring (w/5cc Ballistol Oil)
Negative Spring: Steel (Dual Coil Technology)
Weight: 1940 grams (27.5 standard), 1945 grams (27.5 extended), 1980 grams (27.5+/29)
Availability: September 2016
MSRP: $1220 to $1275 USD

2017 Formula Selva Fork Overview (from Formula)

Internal Floating Technology

The IFT (Internal Floating Technology) is what truly differentiates our forks from any other fork. Smoothness is very important in terms of suspension performance. All forks, regardless of their stiffness, experience some kind of lateral stress while riding. This type of stress increases the friction of the internal parts. Thanks to Formula’s design, our hydraulic cartridge is structurally merged with the stanchions and lower legs. In a riding situation, our internals compensate for the external stresses placed on the fork. This causes an incredible reduction of friction.

Compression Tuning System (CTS)

The overall fork compression damping profile can be adjusted based on the rider’s needs by changing the CTS (Compression Tuning System). This set of three valve heads change the compression rate from soft (grey), medium (blue), and firm (red). Located under the low speed compression knob, the valve heads are easily switched with a simple tool without losing fluid or needing to bleed the cartridge.

Hexagon Design

The ability of a fork to resist flexing is a key factor for maximum riding precision. A fork that rebounds too fast may make riding unsafe with an overall lack of control, above all when braking and cornering. In the same way, it is important that the fork is not too stiff, because it may make riding too tiring. Many riders are skeptical about using boost because they fear the forks have too much flex and added weight. When designing the Selva we had a fundamental aim in mind, finding the perfect balance point between stiffness and flex, this is the same as our standard forks. Thanks to the Hexagon design, the natural flex of the fork has been dramatically decreased with this lightweight method. In this way, we have managed to combine the advantages of the standard boost with the stiffness of a traditional fork.

Remote Cartridge Control

RCC (Remote Cartridge Control) is an on-the-fly system that finely tunes the overall compression. In most of the forks, tuning options must be done on the fork itself or remotely by a mechanical cable rotating a knob. With our RCC, we took a completely different approach. RCC is a remote adjustment that becomes integrated into the cartridge. We give the riders the opportunity to adjust the overall compression on the trail, while riding, right from the cockpit. With RCC, the fine tuning of overall compression can be set to 13 different positions, from fully open to locked out.

Integrated Locking System

ILS (Integrated Locking System) completely improves the thru-axle design. The lever is easily removable for re-insertion at virtually any position. The ILS can be used on a rear axle that requires a tool for removal. On top of that, the ILS is designed to prevent overtightening of the front axle, making wheel removal quick and simple. For our weight freak friends, the ILS can be removed without affecting the functionality of the thru-axle (and there's a nifty little version of the ILS that incorporates a pair of allen keys).