On April 7th, 2026, RockShox dropped a serious update to one of the most popular forks out there — the Lyrik. New uppers, new lowers… yes, nearly everything is revised. And that’s a good thing.
RockShox brought the swagger back.
For testing, I attached the Lyrik to my trusty Ibis Ripmo (previously a Ripley, but I updated it with a piece of masking tape and sharpie). The set up is complete with a 29” wheel and 160mm travel. The Lyrik itself is available from 140mm up to 170mm travel, for both 29” and 27.5” wheels, with a retail price of $1,259.
Before we dive in, I want to give a big thanks to Jenson USA! Any purchases you make through links on my site support the JKW channels and keep our team making kick-ass content… at not extra cost to you!
Editor’s Note:
These articles are adapted by Savannah (Handles) from Jeff Kendall-Weed’s YouTube videos for riders who prefer reading over watching. They’re written in Jeff’s first-person voice to stay true to the style and storytelling of the original content.
Rock Shox holds a special place in my heart. Yes, yes. I’m a little sentimental. It’s the Pisces in me.
As a kid growing up in the Santa Cruz mountains, RockShox was everywhere. Stickers on bikes, trailhead portajohns, local shop walls — you name it. At one point in the ’90s they held over 60% market share. What really had me stoked on it (well, even to this day), was that they were local to my roots. For over five years, they designed and manufactured forks just 30 minutes away in San Jose, CA. I’d see their vehicles at events, hear the buzz in shops, and finally in 1998 I scored my own — a 63mm travel Judy XC.
Those early forks with their noodly 28mm stanchions have come a long way (and so have these noodly legs).
Fast forward fifteen years and the re-introduction of the Pike in 2013 changed everything for RockShox. As a trail and enduro rider, that fork felt like a revolution, launching the brand to the next level of performance. That 2014 Pike — 4 lbs, stiff 35mm stanchions, 160mm travel, incredible small-bump performance, and no creaking crown — was pure trail magic. It elevated the brand in a big way.
Today the Pike has shifted to a short-travel downcountry role, and the new Lyrik steps up to fill that do-it-all trail/enduro spot in the lineup. Same 35mm stanchions, 160mm travel on this one. It weighs about 4.5 lbs — half a pound more than the old Pike — but with major gains in stiffness and it’s built for bigger wheels. The ride feel? It’s only gotten better.
What’s New on the 2027 Lyrik? Almost Everything
RockShox was quick to emphasize that the new air spring is the headline upgrade to the fork. What that means is: more air volume, including a new appendage at the base of the left fork leg. It has its advantages, and as with everything in life, a couple drawbacks too.
Once again, the truths of a bike part can be applied to the truths of life. No matter how great something seems to be, there will always be something within that greatness that is perceived as a negative. C’est la vie.
I spent quite a bit of time on the prior-generation Lyrik (on both a GT Sensor and a YT Jeffsy over the winter), so I came in knowing the old fork pretty well. On that one I was running around 78 psi at my 175 lb weight.
On this 2027 Lyrik I’m at 145 psi. Higher pressures are required, but the difference of a few PSI isn’t as significant as on older models. I think this is great — remove your shock pump to reinstall it, and a few PSI inevitably sneaks out. Now, it’s easier to get your spring rate where you need it.
No more surprise hard stops on rock rolls.
First Ride Impressions on the MY27 Lyrik
A more linear feel works great for casual riding, but if you’re hucking, doing rock rolls, or getting wheels off the ground a lot, you’ll bottom out quick. I sure did at first. Rode it stock with one volume reducer, then added the second one that comes with it after repeated hard hits. That made a huge difference.
The adjustable bottom-out (ABO) feature is a rubber jounce bumper you tweak with a 5mm Allen key. I cranked it to max, then backed off one click. Between the extra reducer and ABO, the air spring feels spot-on now. Support is there when I need it for jumps and technical stuff, but initial sensitivity stays excellent. That small-bump plushness? It’s giving serious 2013 Pike “magic carpet” vibes again.
In summary? It feels really, really good.
Remember the emphasis on the new air spring?
Tech deep dive for the curious: It’s a new twin-tube air spring design.
Smaller piston relative to shaft diameter means a closer ratio and less mechanical advantage for the spring.
The air shaft jumped from 10mm to a hollow 14mm, boosting negative air chamber volume.
Because of the twin tube airshaft, the bleeders have been moved to the fork crown.
“This is the best looking single-crown fork crown I have ever seen…. Oh, look! There’s bleed ports up here too!”
Would You Like Butter With That?
Buttercups (that elastomer decoupling that we all enjoy) are still here keeping things smooth between spring, damper, and lowers. New “dairy-driven” tech on the stanchions — dimpling at the ends that holds oil and deposits it on the bushings for better lubrication.
Sticking with the lactose theme, they’ve called this the “Butter Wagon.”
If I eat enough dairy, I get lubricated too. Whether this was intentional humor, or accidentally, well… that’s the page we’re on now.
Charger 3.2 Damper – Tuned for Light & Floaty Fun
The Lyrik runs RockShox’s latest Charger 3.2 damper. They wanted this fork to feel poppy and playful — not a heavy, stuck-to-the-ground Zeb. It pairs nicely with the new Super Deluxe shock (though the warehouse was short on demo parts, so I stuck with my trusty 2025 Fox Float X for testing).
Despite the mismatch of the two brands, the damping felt well matched.
Wait, What About High-Speed Compression?
High-speed compression, low-speed compression, and low-speed rebound adjustments. Only five clicks on HSC, but for casual trail riding it felt great out of the box. Dialing in more HSC made it harsher and less responsive than I expected. Not slower; just… not as responsive.
It smoothed out after a ride or two. I settled at click 3 — not as much control as would have been ideal, but the sacrifice in grip wasn’t worth it being fully closed.
Custom Tuning Made Easy
Shims are easily accessible if you want to go deeper, but (at least for me) life’s busy and the stock tune works well for controlled riding. Heck, I’d say that it even works fantastic. It’s only when things get super wild or I’m landing dumb, that I miss a bit of that extra edge from the competition, but it’s still plenty capable.
Sometimes less is more, and good enough is plenty.
The Lyrik reminded me why I fell in love with the 2014 Pike all those years ago.
But, speaking of competition…
MY27 Lyrik vs. Fox 36 All Mountain: 160mm GripX
I’ve been riding a bunch of Fox stuff over the years, thanks to their media camps, and it’s excellent. The new Lyrik holds its own extremely well against the current 160mm Fox 36 GripX.
- Travel options: Lyrik goes to 170mm, so it fits more bikes out of the gate. Optimized for 160, and I did not ride it at 170 yet.
- Small bump compliance: Lyric feels a touch plusher and more compliant — a big win on wet roots and loose rocks.
- Bottom-out control: The adjustable ABO is a clear win over the Fox hard stop for huckers like me.
- Axle: Easier on the Lyrik — no pinch bolt hassle.
- Post mount: Still 180mm (adapters needed… as well as on Fox’s new 38 — sigh).
- Weight & price: Similar cost, Lyrik slightly lighter in weight.
- Actual travel: Here’s where the difference comes in, and favors Fox. Fox’s 36 160mm forks generally measure 160mm of positive travel. The Lyrik at 160mm only measured about 150mm of positive travel.
I have a hunch that this is a problem for all forks with a large air volume, as the new Fox 38 I recently tested has the same issue. Both the Lyrik and the 38 felt a little short, whereas the Fox 36 hasn’t had this issue.
I would love to try a 170mm kit on the Lyrik, as I suspect it would mitigate this… plus, more travel is always a perk.
One possible fix might be to go for the longer travel air spring.
Bottom Line: What’s Your Favorite Color?
I love the small-bump plushness and everyday ease of the Lyrik. High-speed control isn’t quite as locked-in as the Fox GripX2 for eMTBs or full-send racers, but for everyday trail riding it’s easier to set up, plusher, and simply more fun to live with. Both forks are fantastic — you really can’t go wrong.
So? Pick your favorite color and ride.
Peace & Wheelies,
Jeff 🚴
As always, thanks for your support!
hank you to Jenson USA for continuing to sponsor the dream that began at Sea Otter 1998. We love dialogue, and we’d love to hear if you’ve had a chance to try out the RockShox Lyrik! How did it compare to what you previously had?
And, most importantly… what color bike frame did you match it with?
If you’d like more, come join the club over at Patreon for monthly ride videos, and if you’d like to add a little extra support to your summer adventures, you can download OnX Offroad App, using “JKW” for 20% off. I’ve been using the GPS tracking for both mountain biking and moto adventures… A huge help navigating the mountains!
