By Author's Note—The print version of this column appearing in Bicycling Issue 4 lists the Trust Message fork's price as $2,700. That was the correct price when the magazine went to our printer. Soon after the issue went to the printer, Trust reduced the cost of the Message to $1,975. The column appearing here is updated to reflect the Message's new price.
As Bicycling's gear editor, I'm expected to have all the answers—or be able to find them. But every once in a while, something comes along that flummoxes me. Not because I don't understand how it works, but because it's not immediately clear to me if it's actually better—or if it just took a wildly different path to get to the same result.
The $1,975 Trust Performance Message trailing-suspension fork is one of those products. Rather than having smaller-diameter upper tubes that slide into larger-diameter lower tubes, the way most telescopic suspension forks work, the Message suspends the wheel on a linkage—one link above the axle, one below. Trust claims, among other benefits, better suspension performance, sharper steering, and improved stability.
But evaluating suspension forks is difficult because they have to accomplish many things at once. They have to simultaneously steer your bike while maintaining traction, speed, and rider comfort. Plus, what works for one person might not work for another. For the majority of mountain bikers, it really comes down to what offers the most control works best with a certain riding style, delivers the most confidence, and is the least punishing on long rides.
Three Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Suspension
I've been using the hell out of the Message and doing all the right things: riding the same bike on the same trails, swapping between the Message and a telescopic fork; using Trust's recommended settings, and trying variations of my own; and getting different impressions from other testers. One tester expecting magic in exchange for the high price said, "The promise of constant handling and steering that comes with the design was overshadowed by the lack of suppleness at the moment." But another rider said, "My mind is actually blown by how good it feels."
My verdict: Steering precision is remarkable, and the front end sticks to the ground in a way I've never experienced with another fork. The axle path keeps the bike's trail more constant as it moves through its travel, which means the bike's handling stays consistent as the fork cycles.
In contrast, a telescopic fork gets shorter as it compresses, reducing trail and putting a bike's steering characteristics in constant flux. With the Message, the bike felt more stable and provided better front-end traction when braking heavily into turns and steering through them. Telescopic forks, on the other hand, steer quicker exactly when you don't want them to.
While it seems this should translate to "game, set, match" for the Message, it's not that simple. The Message's damping is stiff, on the edge of harsh. After a three-hour ride, my arms and shoulders were sore. And according to Strava, any performance benefits I feel don't translate to faster times on my favorite trails.
Three Awesome Telescopic Trail Forks
I question myself when I'm not 100 percent sold on a product that seems to have all the answers. Especially one that was developed by an impressive team of people who seemingly should have all the answers. I love that the Message exists, and I think it has promise, but I can't recommend spending double the price of a Fox 34 or RockShox Pike for a product that's just, well, different. But with some evolution and (another) significant price reduction, however, it could be a legitimate disrupter in the fork game.
Pros
- Near-constant trail for improved stability
- Awesome steering precision
Cons
- Twice the price but not twice the performance
A gear editor for his entire career, Matt’s journey to becoming a leading cycling tech journalist started in 1995, and he’s been at it ever since; likely riding more cycling equipment than anyone on the planet along the way. Previous to his time with Bicycling, Matt worked in bike shops as a service manager, mechanic, and sales person. Based in Durango, Colorado, he enjoys riding and testing any and all kinds of bikes, so you’re just as likely to see him on a road bike dressed in Lycra at a Tuesday night worlds ride as you are to find him dressed in a full face helmet and pads riding a bike park on an enduro bike. He doesn’t race often, but he’s game for anything; having entered road races, criteriums, trials competitions, dual slalom, downhill races, enduros, stage races, short track, time trials, and gran fondos. Next up on his to-do list: a multi day bikepacking trip, and an e-bike race.
