Absorb The Ride - LAUF Carbonara Fork - A Quick Little Review

"It looks different because it is different". That's what I've been telling folks who ask me about the LAUF Carbonara fork. (http://www.laufforks.com/)

LAUF Carbonara in white. 

There's been some gravel, some bushwhacking and some partial snow/ice-covered singletrack for my new LAUF Carbonara to prove itself and so far, it hasn't let me down. With 500 km's on it so far, it has had the opportunity to persuade me to keep it on!
Installation was straight up and simple. We had to add a spacer or two on the brake caliper bolts as the minimum rotor size is 180mm.

Perfect example of how the Carbonara takes the "Edge off" from certain types of surfaces, like this tractor tire track. 

It acts unlike other fatbike front forks, in that it offers 60mm (2.35") of "edge eating" performance. What I mean by 'edge eating' is that it takes off that extra bit of smack you get from riding on surfaces such as winter-washboard, aka post-holed singletrack, tractor tire ruts (when you live in farmland), even rough gravel roads have been smoothed out by this beast of a fork. But, at only 1100 grams, (2.4lbs), it is only 500g heavier than Specialized Fatboy's stock rigid carbon fork.

"Absorb The Ride" - It does just that and more. 

I ride singletrack, race xc marathon and love to bikepack. I feel that the Carbonara will be a perfect addition to these types of riding conditions. My only concern is that I might have to "re-jig" how I mount an extra cage on the fork, should I need to do so for a ultra-marathon or longer trip.

I haven't yet had the opportunity to really push the fork on summer singletrack, as I just mounted it a few weeks ago, with snow and ice on the ground. Some people reviewed the fork saying that laterally it is a little less stiff than a rigid. I can appreciate that comment as it is a suspension fork with some moving parts (eg the 'leaf' springs). I haven't noticed anything yet, even when mounted with my sleep system on the front of the bars.

Snowy/Icy singletrack is its favorite. 

In short, the fork has performed better than I initially thought it would. Pairing the 2.35" of travel with a fatbikes ability to stomp across nasty terrain seems to be  the perfect combination of needed suspension performance and still not weigh down the bike or alter the ride of the bike by making it sluggish, as a longer travel fork could do. And, as this is my only mountain bike, I can rest assured that be it +30C or -30C, I don't have to worry about upkeep, parts freezing or not working at all in extreme conditions.