Lithic by Wolf Tooth Components' carbon bikepacking MTB fork features a compatibility-solving drop-out system
Lithic by Wolf Tooth Components has released three rigid carbon bikepacking forks for MTB, gravel, and fat bikes. The MTB rigid fork is particularly interesting as it features some unique swappable machined dropout components that should assure much wider bike compatibility.
Lithic started out as a division of the component brand Wolf Tooth Components and was charged with developing OEM components for Wolf Tooth's own bike brand Otso Cycles. Wolf Tooth has now decided to offer their forks aftermarket, branding the range of bikepacking forks under Lithic by Wolf Tooth Components.
The MTB fork is particularly interesting as it features a swappable dropout system to cover six different configurations using four different inserts.
The unique drop-out configuration means the Lithic Carbon MTB fork is compatible with both 110mm boost or 100mm non-boost spacing and post-mount (160mm rotor) or flat-mount (160mm/180mm rotor) brakes. That means the fork is not only compatible with more bikes but simplifies the switch between riser or drop-bar if you want to turn your rigid lightweight MTB into a drop-bar gravel monster truck.
Not only that but, the dropouts feature a flip chip that allows you to adjust the fork offset by 7.5mm. Switching between 51.5mm or 44mm offset gives the option of more agile handling or increasing the stability of the bike. As the flip-chip and brake mount are actually two separate components switching between the two doesn't require the brakes to be readjusted either.
The fork ships with one dropout option based on your selection with the three others available as replacement parts if required. Every individual drop-out component is available individually too in case you lose a specific part.
No bikepacking fork is complete without fork mounts for luggage and each leg features three-pack mounts that are rated to 2.5kg (5.5 lbs) per side. The fork is suspension corrected to 120mm with an axle-to-crown of 498mm with the flip chip in the 51.5mm offset (front) position and 495mm with the flip chip in the 44mm offset (rear) position. Tire clearance is generous with Lithic quoting clearance for a 29x3in tire.
The fork has a carbon tapered steerer with weights varying depending on the dropout configuration, claimed to be between 754g to 781g (including the axle).
The fork will retail for $629.95 / £560 and includes Wolf Tooth 15mm thru-axle, compression Plug, three M5 mounts on each side for carrying bottle cages or gear, and a hidden fender mount.
Lithic also has a gravel and fat bike carbon bikepacking fork, both feature three-pack mounts on each leg with a cargo capacity of 2.5kg (5.5 lbs) per side although they don't feature the fancy MTB drop-out system.
The carbon gravel fork has a 30-50mm suspension corrected axle to crown of 420mm. There is a load of tire clearance for a gravel fork with space for a 29 x 2.1in tire, perfect for riders looking to maximize comfort or grip for their gravel adventures. The fork is flat-mount and has a max rotor size of 160mm. The weight for the gravel fork is stated as 515g
The fat bike fork clears a huge 26x5.4in when using a 100mm rim. Hub spacing is 15x150mm and has a 160mm Post native brake mount but you can fit up to 203mm rotors. The carbon fat fork is claimed to weigh 740g.
The gravel fork retails for $549.95 / £490 and the fat bike fork costs $649.95 / £575.
All forks feature a two-year warranty against manufacturing defects. For more details head over to Wolftoothcomponents.com.
