RockShox ZEB Ultimate £969

Adjustment LSC, HSC, LSR, air-spring pressure, air-spring volume (spacers) Travel 150 190mm (650b, 29in); travel change requires new air shaft Offset 38/44mm (650b), 44/51mm (29in) Weight 2,297g (29in, 170mm)

Like the RockShox Pike and Pike’s Peak mountain, the ZEB is named after American soldier/explorer Lieutenant Zebulon Pike. It’s designed for long-travel bikes and big terrain, with 38mm stanchions and increased bushing overlap relative to the Lyrik. This gives it an edge in terrain filled with shoebox-sized square-edged hits or rough compressions, where it’s a little more predictable and composed, transmitting less vibration to the handlebar.

It has a similar problem to the 2021 Lyrik though, in that it doesn’t settle into the first part of the travel as smoothly as its Fox rivals, and at the same time, has less support in the mid stroke. This means it can’t match the traction and consistent ground-hugging feel of the Fox 38 when clattering across rough sections off the brakes. It doesn’t hold itself up under braking quite as well either, so it sometimes dives through the middle of its travel more readily. Adding compression damping helps it stay higher in its stroke in some situations but sacrifices suppleness. At 85kg, we found 66psi provided the best compromise between traction and support. We also removed the preinstalled volume spacer to allow us access to more of the travel, but still rarely used more than 85 per cent of it. While the mid stroke is softer than the Fox 38’s, we found it harder to access the last part of the travel.

Mid-travel suppleness and long-run comfort are excellent, though, and it swallows up chunky technical terrain and big hits brilliantly. Most of the time, it’s tricky to differentiate the ZEB and its pricier rival, and it has an edge over everything else here for rocksmashing. So if that’s your cup of tea and you can’t afford a Fox 38, it’s a good choice. www.sram.com