The O.D.L fork from DT-Swiss presented a year ago comes with a 2015 mid-season upgrade - as a limited edition. This includes the same technical features as before, such as the Open Drive Lock damping system. The suspension travel can also be selected from 100 and 120 millimetres for the 27.5 and 29-inch versions. In contrast to last year's O.D.L, the Limited comes with an upper unit - steerer tube and crown - made of carbon. This saves DT Swiss around 90 grams. With the expander, axle and unshortened steerer tube, the fork now weighs 1,480 grams.
Nino Schurter rode this fork in tests last year and has been using it successfully in races since the start of the season.

Black and white meets color: the green SKF wipers stand out clearly in color together with the SKF and O.D.L stickers.

The stem comes in the tapered standard and is designed to withstand loads, which is why it is visibly thicker at the front and rear by a few centimetres than on the side. The inside of the stem also has additional reinforcements to ensure that it has the same safety reserves as the aluminum stem and crown despite its low weight. DT Swiss also provides the exposed areas of the crown with thick LTD stickers, which also serve to protect the outer fibers.

Fork parts from the knitting machine? Sounds like a joke, but it's true and even contributes to safety.

The special thing about the steerer tube and crown is that both parts are manufactured in Switzerland using a new process. Similar to BMC's Impec production machine, the steerer tube and crown come from a knitting machine. This allows DT Swiss to ensure that the same quality comes out of the machine for every piece. As a result, there is no longer any risk of the carbon layers being laid incorrectly by hand, which can lead to a loss of stiffness and safety.
The shaft and crown are manufactured as individual parts and then glued together.

Production in our own hands
In the course of DT Swiss putting their own development know-how into the steerer tube and crown, the entire fork production will be taken into their own hands in the future. Not in Switzerland, but at DT Swiss in Taichung, where the company has its own people, machines and production lines. The Biel-based company wants to eliminate the quality problems it has had with its forks in the past. This includes complete quality control, from the components when they are delivered through to final assembly.The O.D.L-Limited will be available from June 2015, limited to 300 units, as its name suggests. DT Swiss is offering these in a first edition as a race replica. This means that the fork comes in the same design as its factory riders Nino Schurter, Moritz Milatz and Nathalie Schneitter ride. This exclusive special version also comes with the dirt wipers from the motorsport company SKF, which have been fitted to the fork for the first time this year, in a special green color. Green is the official racing color of SKF.

Racing through and through: the green dirt wipers are designed to reduce friction in the O.D.L Limited fork.

At CHF 1,290, the O.D.L-Limited is in the same price range as its competitors. Where the Limited once again stands out from last year's O.D.L is in the lockout. This already comes off the shelf with the remote system, which enables lockout operation from the handlebars. With last year's fork, the system also had to be purchased as an upgrade. The reason for this is that DT Swiss sees the Limited fork mainly in racing, where hardly anyone does without the remote lever.

www.dtswiss.com