HeadShok

HeadShok is a pretty amazing urban suspension fork . When compared with traditional suspension forks, its unique design absorbs bumps more smoothly and steers with exceptional precision for better all-around comfort and control. It’s significantly lighter, weighing up to a kilogram less than other forks, so it’s easier to lift and maneuver. And its low-wear, well-sealed design means it lasts longer and requires less servicing than other forks. In short, it gives you more of everything you want out of front suspension, and less of what you don’t.

When steering forces are applied, these round tubes naturally want to rotate independently of one another, so, to keep it from flexing and keep the front wheel pointed in the direction you want it to go, the legs, crown, fork arch, and hub interface all need to be quite overbuilt, which adds a bunch of weight. And nobody needs more of that, especially on e-bikes.

Next, the bushings. These are the plastic pieces that sit between the upper and lower legs and allow them to slide past each other. Bushings have a tough job. They need to fit snugly enough to keep the legs tightly connected, but they also need to be loose enough to allow the legs to slide as freely as possible. This is a difficult balancing act even without loads being applied. Once you add in steering and braking forces, the friction generated by these bushings increases dramatically, making the fork action sticky and less effective at absorbing bumps. This means the front wheel doesn’t track the ground as fluidly and controllably, and more of the bump force is uncomfortably passed on to you, the rider.

Because they are friction-generating surfaces, bushings require a fair bit of routine care to keep them from wearing out prematurely. This is compounded by the fork’s design, where the exposed upper legs channel water and debris sprayed from the tire and fender onto the seals of the lower legs, increasing wear and tear.

So, to recap, traditional forks are kinda heavy, a bit flexy, not terribly smooth – especially when under load (when you need smooth suspension the most), and inherently prone to wear.

Thirty years ago, our engineers looked at traditional forks and thought to themselves “There has to be a better way”. That better way was HeadShok, and while it has been radically revised and improved over the intervening decades, it still retains the innovative core design created all those years ago.

This “square-within-a-square” configuration means that the upper and lower parts of the fork cannot rotate independently of each other, giving you the most direct, responsive connection possible between your handlebars and front wheel. It’s a level of control you just won’t find in other forks.

Because they roll, instead of slide, they experience very little wear and, with a little grease at regular intervals, they maintain that “new-fork-feel” for its entire life. This effect is bolstered by the in-headtube design. Where a traditional fork’s legs are exposed to the elements, HeadShok’s internals are kept clean and safe inside a sealed boot, above the fork crown and fender, away from the spray and fray. HeadShok’s coil spring, and semi-open bath damper are built for ease of use and durability, requiring no set-up and very little routine maintenance. In fact, where most forks require a tear down every 50 hours or so, and a complete rebuild every 100 hours, HeadShok doubles that, with 200 hours between recommended full services. As a test, one of our engineers put more than 10,000km of daily, all-weather commuting on a fork without servicing it at all, and it held up without issue (but that was in the interest of science. Don’t do that to your fork. It deserves to be loved.)

So, if you’re looking to take your urban riding to the next level; if you’re ready to experience comfort, control, and convenience like never before; or if you’re just ready to stand out from the crowd a bit, hop on a HeadShok and prepare to be impressed. Or should we say, Shoked.