RockShox Pike DJ 2019 Fork

(discontinued)

The Pike DJ is extremely lightweight, even more so if you replace the stock axle with a Maxle stealth. and cut the steerer. Even a few years ago, the idea of a sub-4 pound fork that's more than stiff and resilient enough for freestyle applications was laughable. The tapered steerer and 35mm stanchions add a tremendous amount of chassis stiffness. Relative to the previously ubiquitous 20mm through-axle (which many companies besides RockShox accompanied with pinch bolts), a 15mm axle that can screw freely in and out is theoretically less stiff. Overall, this fork's chassis is far better than straight steerer DJ forks such as the Circus Expert , DJ1, and Argyle RCT. It's less stiff than the Manitou Circus Pro and the FOX 36 831, however it's also lighter than either. Unfortunately, after about a year mine developed a creak at the CSU (which was replaced under warranty) and a year after that, the RockShox Maxle Stealth I added aftermarket snapped.

Like most high-end forks, it uses an air spring on one side and an oil damper with adjustable compression and rebound. In addition to the external adjustments, there's the option to add bottomless tokens to increase bottom-out resistance which is particular useful on short-travel forks. This fork feels good at a wide range of settings, from fast rebound to slow, open compression and locked out. After about a year of use, I somehow broke the damper (it was replaced under warranty), and subsequently I had the seals pop out of the lowers while running within prescribed limits. In all cases, warranty coverage was comprehensive however it does raise questions about durability. 

The MTB freestyle market is so small these days that it's unreasonable to expect manufacturers to develop application-specific fork chassis. At the same time, the proliferation of hub, wheel size, and steerer standards has reduced the ability of the rider to adapt non-DJ forks to suit. The current crop of retuned Enduro forks entails some necessary compromises. While the tapered steerer reduces compatibility with some extremely popular high-end frames, it adds structural benefit and at this point is ubiquitous elsewhere. The 15mm axle is again a necessary compromise to gain access to the Pike platform. 

The Pike DJ's light weight, relative stiffness, and highly adjustable air spring and damper make it an extremely popular choice at the top end of the Dirt Jump, street, skatepark, or slopestyle market, just like the previous-generation Pike ten years ago. Ultimately it suffers from similar flaws despite massive improvements in every area. At the moment, it's one of the best options and if you're a lighter rider it is probably perfect.