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#17
10-22-2018, 11:35 PM
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i have one on my eriksen...also rode one on a couple other frames for testing purposes, and have another in a box waiting for a frame i built to come back from paint...needless to say, im a pretty big fan for gravel purposes.
you dont notice it all that much until the road gets very rough, and even then, its subtle, more of a fatigue-reducer for your upper body on long days in the saddle than enything else. as far as the early comment about flex is concerned, i have not noticed anything like that at all, it feels very solid and planted to me on every type of road you can imagine. i even rode one in a couple cx races that included extended sections of single-track mtb trail. weight penalty is there, its about twice the weight of a high end carbon disc fork, 900 vs 450g - not a huge deal breaker for a gravel bike, particularly if you are just riding recreationally. its a big price to pay for an experiment, no doubt, but if you arent in a hurry keep you eye on ebay, they sometimes show up there secondhand. 
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#18
10-23-2018, 06:23 PM
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I've never had any problem riding bikes with the old RockShox Paris-Roubaix suspension forks that weigh just over two pounds and had about 30mm of travel.
They're air and damping adjustable, low on maintenance and hold up well. The lateral stiffness is commendable as well. But for normal road riding, just isn't needed, and there is some bob while riding out of the saddle. They offered a model with canti bosses and greater tire clearance, but both versions are long out of production.  
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#20
10-23-2018, 09:16 PM
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#21
10-23-2018, 10:51 PM
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I.e., it remains topped-out until an impact compresses it. But on big, sharper bumps, it takes the amplitude out of the impact, like the bump was nothing. The fork is slightly plusher, seems to have a short-travel "negative" spring that keeps the air pressure from topping it out against a hard stop. It does bob during hard, steep climbs while out of the saddle.
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#22
10-24-2018, 07:28 AM
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Not sure if everyone is aware of this, but Fox and MRP have both released limited travel forks for the gravel/adventure crowd. No idea how they compare to the Lauf, but I'd guess they feel more like a real suspension fork but with much less travel. I imagine they are heavier than the Lauf as well.
https://www.cxmagazine.com/firs-ride...-fork-float-32 https://off.road.cc/content/news/fir...sion-fork-1174 Then there's the Cannondale Lefty Oliver... I'm guessing we will see more forks in this category, and they will get lighter and better performing.
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#23
10-24-2018, 07:39 PM
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#24
10-25-2018, 10:10 AM
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Something that hasn't be mentioned is that fitting a suspension fork to a bike designed for a rigid fork will have a major change on the geometry (and handling) of the bike. The Lauf Grit fork is about 30mm longer than typical gravel bike rigid fork. This will slacken the head and seat tube angles by about 1.5 - 2 degrees, and raise the BB by about 15 mm. It will also shorten the frame's reach and increase the stack (by an amount proportional to frame size, but typically in the range of 10 - 15 mm). The slacker head angle will also likely change the trail dimension, although this will depend on the current fork offset.
Years ago, tried a RockShox Paris-Roubaix fork on my road bike. Although it did provide some cush the front end, I found that the geometry changes had a more deleterious affect on the ride than any benefit of the extra shock absorption. Shock forks really work best on frames designed for them.
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#25
10-25-2018, 12:28 PM
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Is that 30mm unloaded, or an estimate of the added height after sag from a rider weighing xxx pounds getting on the bike?
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#26
10-25-2018, 12:57 PM
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#27
10-25-2018, 02:56 PM
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Honestly, not my thing for gravel at all and even talked my 70 year old uncle out of front suspension for gravel and got him on a Fargo Ti and let the tires sort the washboards. He is happy. That said, I do like bringing a knife to a gun fight and kind of dig short travel forks for real off road riding so if singletrack is in the mix, could be fun. I still ride my Serotta Odile 26er with a short stroked 75mm SID and its a blast for XC.
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#28
10-25-2018, 03:07 PM
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That's a good point about fork length affecting geometry. A lot of gravel bikes are coming with forks in the 400 to 405mm A-C range, and those would be good candidates for a Lauf. If your current fork is more like 380mm, than I think it's a no-go. I think the Fox and MRP are even longer, in the 425mm range, so those need a frame designed around them.
I have no plans for suspension for my gravel bike. My latest bike was actually designed for a 425mm fork, but the only suspension I'm currently using is nice cushy 27.7x2.35 tires! If somebody gave me a Lauf fork i'd be happy to try it out, but I'm not spending that kind of money for an experiment.
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#29
10-25-2018, 03:15 PM
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When I converted my late 90s Litespeed Unicoi to a 1x10 drop bar bike, I left the Rock Shox SID fork on there. It's worn but functional, I think it was 80mm travel originally. It weighs under 1200g. The steel disc fork on my Anderson weighs just under 1000g, and a number of steel disc forks weigh as much as the SID. So the only reason to change would be to a carbon disc fork, which would easily save over a pound, but I'd be giving up a fair bit of comfort and control on the trails (I use the bike for getting around, which is mixed trails and pavement and dirt roads.)
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