Lauf Trail Racer vs Lauf TR Boost Fork
For this blog post I am doing a comparison on two mountain bike forks designed and manufactured by Lauf Forks. I am going be reviewing the TR Boost and Trail Racer, they are both great forks and I am going to discuss what the pros and cons are.
The first thing that I noticed when I started to ride the TR Boost is that it is one of the stiffest forks that I have ever ridden. Compared to the Trail Racer the Boost fork has better responsiveness in corners and responds to what you want to do immediately. The Trail Racer isn't as stiff laterally as the TR Boost is and you will notice that when you are cornering hard there might be a bit of flex in the Trail Racer compared to none with the TR Boost. The 60mm of travel is the same for both forks so you wont notice any difference with your suspension.
Compared to the Lauf Trail Racer which uses a standard 100mm thru axle the Lauf Boost uses a 110mm thru axle. When I received the TR Boost fork I didn't have a 110 boost front hub and I was having a very hard time finding one. I ended up getting a 110mm adapter for my current 100mm front hub, you can check out what I used and how to mount the adapter on my YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAmBSFeQObk The difference with a 110mm front hub is a way stiffer front wheel, 10mm doesn't seem like very much but you will notice a stiffness improvement.
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| The TR Boost fork using my hub spacer |
The TR Boost is bulkier then the Trail Racer. The fork leg of the TR Boost is bigger which makes it stiffer. I didn't find that the extra bulk was anything to worry about compared to the benefits that you get.
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| TR Boost fork legs |
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| Trail Racer fork legs |
The Trail Racer comes in both 27.5" and 29" wheel sizes compared to the TR Boost which only comes in a 29er. You can still use the TR Boost with a 27.5" wheel but since it is designed for a 29er the front of your bikes geometry will change slightly. I ride on a 27.5" and I liked the TR Boost since it also adjusted my fork rake a bit which made for a smoother ride.
The TR Boost is a bit heavier then the Trail Racer. The TR Boost comes in weighing at 1100 grams compared to the Trail Racer at 990 grams. The weight difference is very minimal between the two forks and I hardly noticed any difference in weight when I rode them.
I would say that a smaller individual would fit the Trail Racer better. Since the TR Boost only comes in a 29er and it is a bit bulkier, for some people it may be too big for them. The Trail Racer is a smaller fork so smaller individuals would handle it easier.
I would say that the Lauf Boost fork is better for racing or aggressive riders compared to the Trail Racer. The TR Boost is stiffer laterally and overall gives you a stiffer and more responsive ride. If you are an avid cyclist and ride all the time but don't race as much then the Trail Racer would meet all of your riding needs.
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| The Lauf TR Boost mounted on my race bike |
Posted by, Lauf Forks Ambassador Nick Emsley
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