RockShox Lyrik Ultimate Charger 2.1 RC2 Suspension Fork [Rider Review]

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for. 

RockShox has a wide variety of suspensions forks designed to make you ride faster and have more fun. The Lyrik is aimed right at that trail/enduro crowd which is why our customer decided to put one on his Yeti SB130 build. Check out this review to hear what he thought of the RockShox Lyrik Ultimate fork!

Overview

When it came time to pick a fork for my latest SB130 build, I have to be honest, I went way into the weeds. I had a spreadsheet and everything analyzing everything from weights and adjustability all the way to color choices and location of manufacture. Having worked for a shop in Southern California for a few years, I had the fortunate opportunity to ride a few nice forks from several different brands for extended periods.

Being in SoCal and believing I was somewhat fast had me buying into the idea that I always needed Fox since they were typically on the top steps of whatever event. The old adage “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” holds true here. However, I couldn’t help but feel like things weren’t as good as I wanted them to be. Things always felt a little over dampened in the high-speed compression particularly. The fork was always composed and I had zero issues with my Fox forks but I just had difficulty finding that sweet spot of support, control, traction, and ability to use full travel when needed. I think the greatest realization I had was I don’t need a race day tune.

I am not scorching the trails at EWS pace nor am I a heavy rider. I’m just a dad cruising the trails and enjoying my time outdoors! This all in consideration turned me from anything that has a damped, race day type tune. I’m looking a little more for comfort these days as well as understanding my local trails are a little slower and more technical and would benefit from good traction and travel I can access at a lower speed while still staying supported and up in the travel. This seems to be the definition of what most reviewers experienced with the newer Rockshox gear. Receiving the fork, I expected a premium product with fit and finish and was not disappointed. The fork is cleanly executed with all controls giving a clean clear click and everything looking and feeling like a high-end item.

Installation went the same as any other fork with no issues. Install the crown race, measure your length, cut the stem, install the star nut, and move on to setup. Sram makes available a setup guide online that had me dialed within a click either way on the damper and maybe 1-2 PSI on the air spring. Initial setup couldn’t have been much easier. It is something to note that RockShox forks with the new air spring equalize air pressure at full travel rather than near the sag point. I was not aware of this at first and was surprised when I began bouncing on the fork to balance the chamber pressure between negative and positive and could never hear air moving as I had come accustomed to hearing. Within the first few yards on the trail, I could tell I was on to something choosing the RockShox Lyrik.

First Impressions

Even fresh out of the box, the initial movement of the fork was extremely sensitive when rolling over the first few roots near the trailhead.

The first couple of little g-out crossings and turns were met with a quick recovery. Technical bits showed the fork to stay high in its travel and active, maintaining the geometry and helping me to keep that essential momentum to clear the awkward jaunts while not packing down.

Dialing the fork in was pretty uneventful as minimal adjustments were made from the base settings when sessioning a segment to test changes. The adjustments allow for a wide range of usable and noticeable changes and the fork still functions extremely well when not in the sweet spot on settings.

Final Thoughts

All in all, I am extremely satisfied thus far with the Lyrik and am looking to possibly swap the rear shock out to match with a Super Deluxe. As always, Worldwide provided an excellent experience purchasing and fast, trouble-free shipping! Any questions I may have are always promptly answered. These guys rule!