Buyer’s guide to RockShox suspension forks | Trail, enduro, XC, downcountry forks and more explained

We explain every RockShox suspension fork and the brand’s key technologies

By Finlay Anderson

Published: Wednesday, 29 March 2023 at 12:00 am

RockShox has been at the forefront of mountain bike suspension forks since the early days of mountain biking, releasing the first-ever telescopic fork, the RS-1, in 1991.

Since then, the brand has come to dominate the market, alongside Fox suspension forks.

In this article, we take a look at all the mountain bike forks in the RockShox stable, explaining the technology and intended use case that sets them apart.

RockShox suspension forks

The RockShox mountain bike suspension fork range covers every mountain biker’s needs.

There are 13 models in its range, offering everything from triple-clamp downhill forks with 200mm of suspension travel to super-light forks designed for cross-country racing.

You can skip to specific models or our tech explainer at the end of this article by hitting the links below:

RockShox ZEB

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The RockShox ZEB Ultimate fork has a DebonAir+ air spring and a Charger 3 RC2 damper.
Steve Behr
  • Intended use: Enduro
  • Travel: 150, 160, 170, 180 or 190mm
  • Wheel sizes: 27.5 or 29in

The RockShox ZEB is the brand’s flagship enduro fork. Built around stiff 38mm stanchions, it’s aimed at riders and racers who need maximum stiffness and travel from a single-crown package.

Sitting at the top of the range is the ZEB Ultimate, often found on some of the best enduro bikes on the market. Specced with a DebonAir+ air spring and the new Charger 3 RC2 damper, this fork also benefits from RockShox’s ButterCup technology, and premium SKF wiper seals and Maxima Plush damper fluid.

The ZEB Ultimate also features Pressure Relief Valves on the fork lowers. Rounding out this flagship package is a machined and anodised crown for durability and weight reduction.

The ZEB Select+ shares many features with the flagship ZEB, including the DebonAir+ air spring, Charger 3 RC2 damper and Pressure Relief Valves, but it misses out on the vibration-damping ButterCups and machined crown.

The ZEB Select is specced with a DebonAir+ air spring and the more basic Charger RC damper. The rest of the technology is carried over from the Select+ model, apart from the Pressure Relief Valves, which can be retrofitted if desired.

The entry-level ZEB shares the same DebonAir+ air spring as its higher-end counterparts. However, it gets RockShox’s new entry-level Rush RC damper for easy low-speed compression and rebound adjustability. The rest of the internals are borrowed from the ZEB Select.