Italian high-performance suspension brand, EXT, has finally added a fork to its product portfolio.
The company’s Storia and Arma are renowned as some of the most sophisticated coil shocks available and riders can now run an EXT front end too, with the new ERA enduro fork.
Vastly experienced in four-wheeled motorsport, EXT’s product development is driven by exhaustive research and innovative engineering.
It might not produce a broad portfolio of suspension products at graded price points, but this singularity of outcomes allows EXT's engineering teams exceptional focus. EXT’s suspension bits are not that affordable in price, but they do tend to be exceptional in ability.
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Best of coil and air - combined
The ERA is rich with features, configuring a hybrid design that combines both coil- and air-sprung characteristics within the brand’s HS3 specification fork internals.
Aware that small-bump compliance is often a compromise with long-travel air forks, the ERA has two air-springs, stacked in the main air chamber.
The larger of these two air-springs has a coil attached, which offers a much lower friction threshold, enabling the ERA fork to exhibit excellent small-bump compliance, without reducing its mid-stroke stability or big-hit capabilities in extreme terrain.
Retaining consistent damping performance on a long technical descent is often a factor of oil volume and dynamic fluid control. To this end, the ERA uses a high-volume 22mm diameter piston with separated compression and rebound oil flow circuits.
Using experience gained as a supplier for WRC teams, EXT employs an advanced material composition for its DU bushings, reduction stiction and boosting the fork's suppleness.
EXT will be producing the ERA in four travel lengths (140-, 150-, 160- and 170mm), but only in one wheelsize, which is predictably 29-inch. All ERAs feature the same 44mm fork offset. External tuneability is controlled by rebound, high- and low-speed compression dials.
As a guide to the ERA’s weight classification, EXT has confirmed that the longest 170mm travel version has a mass of 2,280g.
Although Fox and Rockshox have a structural advantage with their new 38 and Zeb single crown forks having 38mm stanchions, compared to the ERA’s 36mm chassis, the Italian fork features inarguably more progressive internals and tuning potential.
Pre-ordering for the ERA is now open and pricing is set at £1,590.
