MRP Ribbon Air Fork

(discontinued)

The Ribbon offers more adjustability and performance than any other fork on the market while still coming in at a relatively light 4.2 lbs for the 29 version. With the FullFill negative/positive air springs you can dial in the amount of suppleness you like, using less air in the negative chamber to make it firm off the top or more air to maximize small bump compliance. Then with the Ramp Control you can dial in the progressivity, so you can have a fork that's super supple off the top but resists bottoming out on big hits, or go the other way and make it firm for pedaling, but able to use full travel on more moderately sized trail features. Being able to adjust the ramp without tools is invaluable too, as you can adjust mid-ride if you find yourself hitting larger than normal features, or if you find yourself not using all the travel; that's something you can't do with tokens. Then there's the twin-tube damper with low speed compression adjustment that ends up using less pressure than other, simpler designs for greater control and support throughout the stroke. Oh yeah, don't forget that the travel is adjustable from 120mm - 160mm for the 29er version and 140mm - 170mm for the 27.5.

It took a couple rides for me to get this fork dialed, but now I can't believe how supple yet supportive it is and how well it still manages to handle big hits. Stiffness is more than adequate, and the outcast arch design looks cool and doesn't fill with mud like every other fork. It also has pressure relief valves for bleeding off pressure in the lowers that develops from heat or elevation changes. To be honest I've yet to use them and feel a difference, mainly because the fork just always feels so damn good. But I've definitely encountered this problem with other forks, so it's good to know it's there.

Bottom line, this is a fork that brings the competition to the big guys in the suspension market, and ultimately surpasses them with a product that has no drawbacks and has a competitive weight and price to boot.