Section 03
The Front End
The telescopic fork asks one pair of tubes to spring, damp, steer and take the braking load. Three pieces on why that survives, what it costs, and what was tried instead.
Start here
The telescopic fork
Almost universal and structurally poor: it bends under braking and its damping fights its own suspension duty.
All of The Front End
3 pieces
- 01
The telescopic fork
Almost universal and structurally poor: it bends under braking and its damping fights its own suspension duty.
- 02
Alternatives that lost
Hub-centre and leading-link systems separate braking from suspension and keep failing commercially.
- 03
Dive
The nose-down movement under braking is geometry changing while you are using it.