It may take some time, but RockShox is now ready to introduce the all-new 2023 Pike, Lyrik and ZEB forks.
All three forks have been designed from the start and feature a brand new chassis, a brand new shock absorber and a completely redesigned air spring. There are also many additional features.
RockShox says it all comes in an attempt to improve traction, strengthen control and maintain the dynamic geometry of the bike, along with improving rider comfort.
If you’re not familiar with the RockShox range, the Pike brand is for the “new school rider”, the Lyrik is for the “workhorse for all mountains”, and the ZEB is for “the toughest enduro tracks in the world”.
While RockShox has been a bit quiet lately, the launch of the electronic flight attendant suspension system in 2021 should have been the biggest clue to what’s going on behind the scenes.
This is because they included the new chassis, complete with the new pressure relief valves at the rear of the lower legs.
And while the ZEB looked very familiar, the Lyrik stewardess equipped looked more angular and cut than the current model and was clearly a sign of things to come.
Five things you need to know about the all-new RockShox Pike, Lyrik and ZEB forks
- The Ultimate and Select + forks will feature the new Charger 3 damper, which allows external compression at high and low speeds and rebound adjustment.
- All models receive the new RockShox DebonAir + air spring
- The pressure relief valves are already located on the lower legs (they are muffled in the lower two models of the range, but can be purchased after sale)
- Ultimate-level forks get a new longer package of bushings to help lower friction, as well as “ButterCups” that reduce high-frequency vibration
- RockShox has introduced new travel brackets for each model, with Pike now offering 120-140mm, Lyrik 140-160mm and ZEB 160-190mm
So what has RockShox done with these steady regular visitors, who are often among the best mountain bike suspension forks?
RockShox says this is the “sum of its parts” approach to redesigning these established models, so while there are many technologies for attracting titles, the details you can’t see probably make the biggest difference.
There’s a lot to cover, so immerse yourself in the whole story – or you can move on to our impressions of the first ride of the 2023 RockShox ZEB Ultimate.
More stories about the launch of RockShox in 2023
Brand new RockShox Charger 3 shock absorber
Very clever machining and serious time and effort have been invested in the development of the new interior parts of the RockShox shock absorber. Mick Kirkman / Our media
Let’s start with the new Charger 3 shock absorber, which is available on Select + and Ultimate forks in the Pike, Lyrik and ZEB series.
In this regard, all three forks are available in four versions, where the base and Select models receive the new but less adjustable shock absorbers Rush RC and Charger RC, before the Select + and Ultimate models switch to Charger 3. We reviewed the full range of 2023 RockShox Pike , Lyrik and ZEB towards the end of this story.
RockShox claims that its ultimate goal with Charger 3 is “to reduce the roughness that reaches the rider’s hands, which leads to complete control and confidence of the rider.”
To do this, RockShox set about creating a completely new shock absorber.
The Pike, Lyrik and ZEB 2023 forks have been completely refurbished. Mick Kirkman / Our media
The design of the bladder presented in the previous fully sealed Charger 2.1 shock absorber has disappeared. Instead, the Charger 3 shock absorber uses an IFP (internal floating piston) with a support spring.
The closed-cartridge Charger 2 and 2.1 design uses a bubble to help release air and oil into the system. When compressed, the oil displaced by the shock absorber of the fork expands the bladder. As the fork changes direction (and enters the rebound phase), the oil is pushed back out of the bladder as it contracts.
The bladders work well and are non-frictional. As we all know, friction is the enemy of suspension sensitivity, so the less there is, the better.
However, RockShox believes that there is room for improvement and IFP design seems to be the best solution.
RockShox has created an all-new Charger 3 RC2 shock absorber, moving to a spring IFP that replaces the bubble design used in the Charger 2.1 shock absorber. Mick Kirkman / Our media
In the Charger 3, when the fork is compressed, the IFP is pushed up as the oil is displaced by the shock absorber piston. The coil spring behind the IFP is then actuated by applying pressure to the piston in the opposite direction, trying to force it back to its original starting position. During the process, this helps to push the oil into the rebound circuit.
IFPs are most common in the rear shock absorbers (although SR Suntour’s Fox GRIP and R2C2 fork shock absorbers use a similar design, as does the RockShox Charger RC shock absorber on the Select model’s forks in the new range).
However, they are usually supported by a high-pressure nitrogen charge. Using a relatively light coil spring instead of a nitrogen charge means that the IFP seal does not have to be tight enough to do its job (maintaining the seal), which in turn helps reduce friction.
The new system may also be “self-draining” – something the bladder design can’t do. Over time, lubricating oil from the lower parts may enter the shock absorber. In bladder design, this change in oil volume can change the pressure in the system, leading to attenuation discrepancies or even worse.
RockShox even made a better bounce regulator. Mick Kirkman / Our media
In the case of the Charger 3, when and when this happens, the shock absorber is able to clean excess oil and maintain the correct volume of oil.
Now it is also completely silent. The previous generation wasn’t exactly noisy, but the raspy sound you may have heard before when bouncing was now muffled by – and that’s a clever name, right here – something called the “muffler.” This better controls the flow of oil and thus keeps everything pleasant and quiet, according to RockShox.
Overall, RockShox says the switch helps IFP produce more consistent back pressure on the system and create a more reactive and consistent shock absorber.
Independent adjustments
The latest Charger 3 RC2 compression adjustment dials are a serious set. They are well completed and offer very defined indexing. Mick Kirkman / Our media
One of the biggest topics of conversation here is the proposed adjustment of the shock absorbers (we will talk about the spring later).
The new Charger 3 offers both high and low compression speed adjustment (top of the fork leg as before), along with a bounce that can be changed from the outside.
The dials are thicker and more pronounced than the previous Charger 2.1, and the markings are slightly different, providing a better indication of where the average settings may be.
These changes include a bounce control that just looks and feels a little better finished and more enjoyable to use.
When it comes to adjustment, there are 15 low-speed damping clicks, five high-speed attenuation clicks and 18 rebound damping clicks.
According to RockShox, compression adjustment can now work completely independently, making fork adjustment easier and more accurate than ever. Mick Kirkman / Our media
RockShox says these adjustments are truly independent of each other and make a significant difference in the riding experience. This means that in theory you can change the depreciation at low speed without affecting the depreciation at high speed.
Open the shock absorber and RockShox switched to using machined metal parts that are said to be more accurate, though more expensive to manufacture.
More importantly, the new high- and low-speed valves are said to be the key to how the settings can work individually.
The charger 3 uses two separate valve assemblies to control the compression adjustment ranges for high and low speed damping.
There is also more oil flow, which is said to be measured more accurately through the two separate valve structures. RockShox says this larger flow of oil now passes through the high-speed valve first before moving to the low-speed unit.
By maintaining the correct amount of oil flow through the two circuits over the entire range of high and low speed compression control, in theory both can change independently.
Compatible with RockShox Charger 3 shock absorbers
RockShox has limited fork movement options for the Lyrik, which is now 140 to 160 mm. It gets a brand new chassis as well as brand new interior elements. Mick Kirkman / Our media
Before moving on to the other new features of the fork, just briefly about compatibility.
The Charger 3’s shock absorber will only fit in 2023 RockShox Pike, Lyrik or ZEB forks (those that don’t currently have one can be upgraded) or 2021 (and newer) ZEB forks.
In its current form, only the Ultimate and Select + forks have a Charger 3 RC2 shock absorber, while the Select forks will have an existing Charger RC damper (which also uses IFP design).
The base level forks use the Rush RC shock absorber.
RockShox ButterCup technology
Just as we saw with the forks equipped with stewardesses launched in 2021, ButterCups are small rubber bumpers that sit at the bottom (inside) of the lower legs and help reduce high frequency / low amplitude vibration. Mick Kirkman / Our media
For the first time we saw ButterCups, introduced within the fork-equipped forks launched in 2021.
This new technology from RockShox is housed in a small kit located at the base of the air spring and shock absorber shafts, inside the lower fork legs. Inside this module there are rubber bumpers that provide 4 mm vertical alignment / breakage.
The idea of ButterCups is to absorb high frequency vibrations with low amplitude – the kind of things we would probably call buzzing on the track …
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