New Rock Shox Lyrik Review

RockShox is throwing a new Lyrik into the ring. This fork is so packed with new tech that we had to ask: does anyone actually need it? We didn’t settle for marketing hype—we tore the fork down and put it on the stiffness test rig against the Fox 36. Is the new Lyrik just an incremental update, or the new gold standard for e-MTBs and enduro rigs?

What feels “precise” out on the trail has to be provable in the lab. Too many suspension and fork tests still end up being all about subjective feel. We wanted to know what’s really behind the catchphrases from the marketing decks, so we built our own test rig to measure stiffness.

To put the new Lyrik’s numbers into context, we also ran a current Fox 36 as well as the Rock Shox Zeb through the same protocol. That’s the only way to get data you can actually do something with in the end.

Although the Lyrik runs slimmer 35 mm stanchions than the Fox 36, it’s noticeably stiffer. Brake stiffness in particular is key: the less the fork flexes back under hard braking, the less the bushings bind internally. The result is more sensitive small-bump compliance when things get rowdy.

When it comes to torsional stiffness, opinions differ. Our take: for pinpoint steering, a stiff fork is simply better. And you’re still not in that “too harshly stiff” territory.

The price of stiffness: the Lyrik weighs about 125 g more than the Fox 36. That’s not something you can ignore, but on the overall weights of all-mountain and enduro bikes, it’s still a reasonable trade-off.

We tore the fork down completely to get a handle on the “software” (the internals). This is where the real innovations are hiding:

RockShox uses small dimples in the stanchion tubes. As the fork compresses, they actively move oil upward to the bushings.

The effect: A consistent oil film reduces friction and—more importantly—wear. This massively extends service intervals. It’s the technical answer to Fox’s oil channels, just achieved through a different design approach.

Just like on the dual-crown BoXXer, the air piston now runs in its own sealed unit inside the stanchion.

Why that’s smart: The piston has a smaller diameter. Less diameter means less seal contact area and therefore lower breakaway force (stiction). RockShox is knocking out the last inherent sources of drag here—especially since the fork runs at noticeably higher air pressure, making friction a smaller factor (percentage-wise) as the fork compresses.

Instead of manipulating the entire spring curve with air-volume tokens, the ABO system delivers a tunable mechanical bottom-out stop. Using an Allen key, you can dial in how much the fork ramps up in the last few millimeters to keep hard hits from blowing through the travel. That makes setup a lot more intuitive and straightforward.

The air volume in the casting has been increased to minimize unwanted compression as the fork cycles through its travel. Plus, the bleed valves (pressure equalization) are now conveniently placed in the fork crown for easy access.

Because the whole system (casting and air spring) is now running ultra–low friction, RockShox was able to dial in a firmer damping tune (Charger 3.2). The fork delivers more support and control without feeling harsh or dead.

Especially user-friendly: the setup has been simplified. There are fewer clicks than you might be used to from, say, Fox, a clearly marked middle position, and no overly complicated high- and low-speed rebound adjusters.

The adjustment range sits right where it matters. The clicks are noticeable—especially when you roll two clicks at a time—but you also can’t totally mis-dial the fork. RockShox picked the upper and lower limits smartly to reduce the risk of a bad setup.

MSRP prices for suspension forks are usually of limited value, since the fork you’re talking about most often comes spec’d on a complete bike anyway or doesn’t actually go over the counter at MSRP. Still, we’re listing the fork’s MSRP here as a point of reference.

More important than the MSRP of the top-tier fork for most riders is which technologies can also be found on the more affordable forks. The full-on feature fireworks are truly only available on the Ultimate fork. The cheaper versions make some pretty clear compromises for now:

None of the technologies or individual components can be retrofitted to older forks. On top of that, RockShox is also running new dust wipers and a new (thicker) fork oil for the new generation of forks to cut stiction and bring friction down.

The fork usually steals the spotlight when it comes to suspension, but Rock Shox has also been dialing in the rear end. The Rock Shox Super deluxe shock is getting an update as well—though it’s not quite as extensive as what the fork received.

The air can has been enlarged, also under the Linear XL banner. The HBO (hydraulic bottom out) feature to protect against harsh bottom-outs remains on the shock.

Overall, just like with the fork, the goal is to differentiate from main competitor Fox with a significantly lighter, more straightforward setup (fewer adjusters, smaller adjustment ranges, clearly marked dial positions, sag indicator on the stanchion).

We rode the Super Deluxe shock together with the new Lyrik fork on an Orbea Occam LT and can confirm the features are beyond reproach. The shock nails the balance between lightweight construction and trail performance with ease.

That said, everyone should be aware: retrofitting a shock isn’t exactly plug-and-play. Because even if you order it in the correct eye-to-eye length and with the right stroke, many brands spec a custom “tune” on the OEM shock that you don’t always get in the aftermarket. In some cases, a higher-end shock can simply match a rear suspension kinematic worse than a lower-end unit that came stock.