BOS Suspension Idylle 2013
Reviews / Forks
26,430
At A Glance
BOS Suspension have been turning heads in the MTB world for some time now, and rightly so. The French outfit have some very sexy products with some exceedingly sorted internals. The Idylle is their do-it-all DH triple crown fork, it uses a coil spring and sits alongside two other forks in the range that have air internals. The fork ships with three springs, so you can set it up according to rider weight straight away. The medium spring is already fitted and should be good for riders ranging from 60-80kg. In terms of tuning, the fork is rather basic, a nod to it’s price point, and offers just compression and rebound adjustments, these are tuned using a screwdriver. Preload can be adjusted by removing the top cap of the fork and adjusting the spacers.
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Tech Heads
BOS Biodegradable Oil
200mm Travel
26inch Wheels
3200grams
Straight Steerer
20mm Axle
36mm Stanchion
570mm Height
On the Trail
These forks are really hard to describe, nope, scrub that, simply put they are the best DH forks we have ever had the joy to ride. I really can’t convey in words how capable they are. If you have a downhill bike and you want to step it up to the next level then seriously consider adding these to it.
I guess I had better explain… The first inch of their travel is like nothing we have ever experienced, there is absolutely zero stiction. You can compress that first inch with just one finger pushing down on the handlebars, and they stayed butter smooth for the entire duration of the test. The progression then ramps up as the fork compresses, but it then has this almost surreal ability to decompress almost instantly. You could put that down to the rebound setting firing them back at you, but it isn’t. You don’t feel them forcing your bars, or wallowing, they just respond with a lightening sensitivity that has to be experienced.
They replaced a set of Fox 40’s on the Trek Session 88 we tested and just blew the entire test team away. The difference was stark and they were still stiff and direct in terms of steering, despite the more modest stanchions.
Before I carry on gushing I should probably point out a couple of not so good points, tuning is a real pain in the ass. Ideally you need a stubby flat head screwdriver and a bit of fiddling about to tune the compression located on the bottom of the fork leg. Rebound is slightly easier, but it still needs a screwdriver on the top right stanchion. And having to dismantle the fork to set the preload is frankly ridiculous…
However, and it is a big however, once set up the fork is sublime and there is no getting away from that. If you generally set your fork up and leave it, regardless of terrain this tuning issue won’t be a problem. If you like to tinker then having to use tools rather than a dial might become a pain.
Overall
Did we mention just how good this fork is yet? Try one, you won’t be disappointed, it’s simple to use, once it is set up, purely as there aren’t any dials to fiddle with! It will suit the plug and play style rider and put simply it’s arguably one of the best DH forks on the market right now.
Buy Forks onThis review was in Issue 25 of IMB.
For more information visit BOS SuspensionRelated
By Rou Chater
Rou Chater is the Publishing Editor of IMB Magazine; he’s a jack-of-all-trades and master of none, but his passion for bikes knows no bounds. His first mountain bike was a Trek 820, which he bought in 1990. It didn’t take him long to earn himself a trip to the hospital on it, and he’s never looked back since. These days he’s keeping it rubber side down, riding locally and overseas as much as possible.
