Changing your Mountain Bike Forks is a good method of upgrading your off-road bike. Nowadays, forks typically come with suspension systems, to help with a bike's handling and maneuverability on rougher terrain. Trail 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 benefits and disadvantages, and is developed for specific surfaces and uses. Significant 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 eighty to 100 millimeters typically and are made to cushion heavy landings without too much front-end compression, enabling the rider to right away recover and continue riding. These are stable forks whose weights are directly proportional to their durability. These suspension forks are the most durable.

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 serious. With these forks, most riders tend to go with coil-sprung forks versus air-sprung ones. The coils do make the forks heavier, yet less susceptible to damage once subjected to strong impacts.

Freeride or downhill forks are 'double-crown' suspension forks which can move up to 10 inches re travel. Plenty of the forks with this technology have coil springs for more sturdiness. Freeride forks also enable the user to customise his or her ride by changing the springs, and therefore changing travel, which influences handling also. However downhill forks should not be employed in cross-country bikes, as these bikes aren't developed to withstand the pressure these forks give. Freeride forks can snap the frames of cross-country bikes.

XC cross-country forks typically have low degrees of travel, and are built for light weight. These single-crown suspension forks have, on the average, from eighty to 100 millimeters of travel. Forks built for cross-country bikes now increasingly employ air springs, wherein air pressure takes the place of elastometers or springs. Since these previously mentioned elements are no longer present or needed, the bike's overall weight is lighter. These sorts of suspension forks are also simpler to adjust. However some riders and manufacturers still use elastometers and coil-sprung forks as these require less maintenance and take more punishment than XC cross-country forks.

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

Top Mountain Bike Forks

• RockShox Domain 318IS Coil U-Turn AL Fork
• Marzocchi 55 ATA Micro 125-165mm Travel Fork
• Marzocchi 22 R 100mm Travel Fork
• RockShox Tora Race Solo Air OE 2009
• Magura Odur Fork
• RockShox Recon Race SoloAir Fork
• RockShox Recon Race Solo Air Fork OE 2009
• DT Swiss XMC Fork 15mm Through Axle
• White Brothers Rock Solid Rigid Fork
• RockShox Tora 302 Fork OE 2009