Manitou presents Magnum suspension fork for 27plus

27plus tires also require new parts to function optimally. Manitou has developed the "Magnum" especially for this purpose: a suspension fork suitable for 27 and 29plus tires. The MULEfüt-50SL wheels from Sun Ringlé, which were also developed for plus sizes, come from the same corner.

After twelve months of development, suspension specialist Manitou presents its new suspension fork for plus-size tires - the Magnum. Its chassis is Plus standard-specific and not simply a widened 29-inch version. It is available for 27plus and 29plus with 48 and 52 millimeter offset and offers space for tire widths of up to 3.4 inches. In the 27 version, it is available with 80, 100, 120 and 140 millimetres of travel, while the 29plus fork is limited to 120 millimetres of travel.

The Magnum also has the QR15 Hexloc axle which, however, clamps a 110 millimeter hub (100 millimeters normal standard). This means that the rim is supported more broadly by the spokes, which provides more stiffness and should make the wheel more durable.

The Manitou Magnum: designed to get the best performance out of bikes with plus-size wheels

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In terms of suspension, Manitou relies on the proven air system of the "Dorado" downhill fork, which is also used in the "Mattoc" enduro fork. However, the Magnum is given a specific air volume so that the fork functions optimally. This is because tires with a larger air volume develop completely different forces than 2.35-inch tires, for example. The air chamber of the Magnum also contains a four-part spacer tower, in which one sealed spacer marks the size of the air volume. Depending on the position of the sealed spacer, the volume is larger or smaller. The fork therefore behaves linearly or progressively (image below).

The first forks are expected to hit the market in May.

Plus rolling stock
Sun Ringlé comes with plus-size rims in 27.5 and 29 inches to match the Magnum fork. To provide better support for the wider tires, the MULEfüt 50SL rims come with an inner width of 44.4 millimetres and an outer width of 50 millimetres. At 13.8 millimeters, the rims are made of 6061 aluminum and are visually closer to those for fat bikes than to conventional rims. The weight is 618 grams for the 27plus rim. 655 grams for the 29plus rim.

Sun Ringlé's MULEfüt-50SL rims are tubeless-ready compatible. Their rim bed is optimized to make the tires easier to inflate. The plus tires should hold better thanks to the elevations in the rim well and thus fold away less.
Sun Ringlé offers its own tubeless kit with valves, nylon rim tape and self-adhesive rim tape to match the rims.

In addition to the rims, Sun Ringlé offers the SRC hubs in 110 millimeter width with 200 grams for the front wheel and 148 millimeter width with 315 grams for the rear wheel. The same hubs are also available in all other standards. These run on sealed cartridge bearings and are compatible with Sram's XD bodies for 1x systems.

With rims and hubs, it makes sense to also offer complete wheelsets. The MULEfüt 50SL rims and the SRC hubs are each connected with 32 Wheelsmith DB14 spokes and Wheelsmith Brass nipples. The 27plus wheelset weighs 2,220 grams and the 29plus wheelset 2,300 grams.