Changing your Mountain Bike Forks is an excellent method of upgrading your mountain bike. Nowadays, forks usually come with suspension systems, to help with a bike's handling and maneuverability on rougher terrain. Mountain bicycle forks are classified according to the technology incorporated in them. Some bike forks include 4X and Jump suspension forks, Freeride / Mountain suspension forks, Freeride / downhill, XC suspension forks, and Cannondale Lefty's. Each kind of suspension fork has its own advantages and downsides, and is developed for particular surfaces and uses. Major sides of suspension forks include travel, which is the measurement for the movement of a suspension coil from action to rest.

Jump and 4X forks are sometimes short travel, coil-sprung forks. The coils move from 80 to a hundred millimeters normally and are made to cushion heavy landings without too much front-end compression, enabling the rider to straight away recover and continue riding. These are stable forks whose weights are directly proportional to their sturdiness. These suspension forks are the most sturdy.

Freeride Lite or Mountain suspension forks travel more than cross-country forks, with movement up to around six inches at maximum. These forks are expectedly heavier than other fork types, rendering lockout even more significant. With these forks, most riders have a tendency to go with coil-sprung forks as opposed to air-sprung ones. The coils do make the forks heavier, yet less susceptible to damage once put through strong impacts.

Freeride or downhill forks are 'double-crown' suspension forks which can move up to ten inches re travel. Plenty of the forks with this technology have coil springs for more durability. Freeride forks also enable the user to customise his or her ride by changing the springs, and therefore changing travel, which influences handling as well . However downhill forks should not be used in cross-country bikes, as these bikes aren't developed to resist the pressure these forks give. Freeride forks can snap the frames of cross-country bikes.

XC cross-country forks usually have low degrees of travel, and are built for light weight. These single-crown suspension forks have, on the average, from 80 to one hundred millimeters of travel. Forks built for cross-country bikes now increasingly employ air springs, whereby air pressure takes the place of elastometers or springs. Since these aforementioned components are no longer present or required, the bike's overall weight is lighter. These kinds of suspension forks are also easier to adjust. However some riders and makers still use elastometers and coil-sprung forks as these require less upkeep and take more punishment than XC cross-country forks.

Cannondale Lefty's and Headshocks have more moderen suspension fork technology, which integrates all mechanisms inside the frame of the bike. The fork is reasonably trustworthy, with some higher-end variants coming with lockouts for simple adjustment. These forks generally result in more respondent handling, with active suspension and better traction.

Top Mountain Bike Forks

• RockShox Tora 318 Solo Air Fork OE 2009
• RockShox Revelation 426 Air U-Turn Fork
• RockShox Recon Race SoloAir Fork
• Magura Wotan Fork With Dual Remote
• Marzocchi 888 RCV 200mm Travel Fork
• RockShox Tora SL Coil Fork
• Marzocchi 888 RC3 WC 200mm Travel Fork
• Marzocchi 55 ATA 120-160mm Travel Fork
• RockShox Recon Race Solo Air Fork OE 2009
• RockShox SID Race Fork with Pushloc