First spotted on certain Canyon Grail race bikes last year, DT Swiss quietly unveiled its entry into the gravel suspension world – but until now, it could only be bought as part of a full bike. Today DT Swiss changes that, as its F 132 One and F 132 forks are now available to buy as an upgrade to your existing gravel bike.
Suspension on gravel bikes is a bit of a touchy subject, but DT Swiss, unsurprisingly, is all for it. The brand claims that by smoothing out the ride, riders can save vital leg energy for bigger days out on the bike.
The F 132 fork is available in two builds. The F 132 One comes with a bar-mounted lockout, so riders can choose from outright efficiency or a boost in traction where needed. The cable for the lockout neatly slithers through the steerer tube, too, so it looks rather neat. This fork also benefits from the Lineair SL spring cartridge that’s sorted with negative and positive air springs, which is pretty standard on air-sprung suspension forks. Of course, that air spring is adjustable, too.
Along with that Lineair SL spring, there’s the Plaingain damper, which brings rebound adjustment to the party. There’s a range of nine clicks to play with, and the dial is found at the lower left leg.
The F 132 is the simpler of the two forks, as it doesn’t come with a lockout or rebound adjustment. Instead, it’s for those who want a hassle-free experience while taming chunk. This fork uses the very same Lineair SL air spring.
Both forks then offer 40mm of travel, and apparently a ‘small’ service is recommended after 150 hours of riding, or one year of use. To put that into numbers, DT Swiss says that should be around 3,750km of gravel riding. But if you’re putting the fork through harsher conditions, we’re told that shorter intervals are recommended.
With these forks, DT Swiss recognises that they use a taller axle-to-crown measurement. But to combat this change in geometry (if your bike isn’t built specifically for that extended axle-to-crown), both the F 132 One and F 132 are available in a choice of three offsets. By choosing the 45, 50, or 56mm options, riders can retain a similar ride feel that they might have with their standard rigid fork. But to make that choice simple, there’s a calculator on the DT Swiss website to help riders pick the best offset for their bike.
Although suspension forks come with a couple of downsides, namely the fact that they need servicing and that they add weight to the bike (up to 1,380g, in this case), DT Swiss solves the final downside – mounting points. Where rigid forks often come with mounting points on each leg, so do the F 132 One and F 132, thanks to universal mounting adapters. According to the brand, these can carry three kilos per side.
If you’re looking to smooth out your gravel ride, the top-end DT Swiss F 132 One will set you back £999.99, and the mounting adapters will add £44.99. We haven’t been told the price of the F 132 in advance, but will update when we find out.
