Off-road rigid forks have made a strong comeback and are now available from a number of manufacturers in a variety of materials:  Carbon, steel, titanium & aluminum.  The same characteristics that make titanium ideal for many bike frames make it an incredible material for forks.  And that is especially true for long days and rough surfaces where the elongation capacity of titanium can be employed to great effect with a designed degree of flex. 

 

The primary considerations in the design of the Hoopla Fork were getting the flex right and ensuring it will be tough and durable for the long-haul.  For some cyclists it may sound downright blasphemous but we largely ignored weight when designing the Hoopla Fork.  What the ?@!&%$#>~@! you say?  True, it is oh so tempting to design a super-light, "wafer-thin" (say it with a British accent), limp noodle of a Ti fork.  That's certainly been done before, typically with disastrous results. 

 

We targeted optimal characteristics for bikepacking, gravel and light trail riding, period.  We believe the result rides for itself.  And it can even be a bit hypnotic watching the Hoopla Fork do its thing on washboard.  The Result:

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• Segmented construction is the only configuration that can meet all requirements.  Just a happy coincidence that it also looks industrial-chic.  (Is that a thing?)

• Leg tubes are both oversized and thick-walled.

• The rake is created through a combination of angular rotation of the legs and forward pitch of the crown.

• Weight:  2.4 lbs. uncut.  For comparison, the very lightest carbon Boost Plus forks are 1.6+ pounds and neither clear a 3.25 tire (some don't even clear 3.0") nor smooth chatter as well.  The $1,000 Lauf carbon suspension fork (super cool, BTW), claimed 60mm of travel, is 2.2 lbs., also can't fit a 3.0 tire on a wide rim.​