Dart 3

Brand: RockShox

The Dart 3 was the top model in RockShox's entry-level Dart family, listed by SRAM among the cross-country forks and presented on its product page as the best value in its category. It pairs a coil spring with the TurnKey cartridge, a two-position lockout with a patented blow-off valve compatible with the PopLoc and PushLoc remotes, plus external rebound adjustment; it was this cartridge that set it apart from the Dart 2 and from the cartridge-less Dart 1. The chassis is deliberately budget-minded: 28 mm chromed 4130 steel stanchions, a forged 6061-T6 aluminium crown with 46 mm offset and a 1 1/8 inch steel or aluminium steerer, and magnesium lowers with a post-mount brake mount limited to a 160 mm rotor. RockShox moved the Dart 3 from IS lowers to post mount from the 2009 model year, and in 2011 the 26-inch version was dropped, leaving only the 29-inch Dart 3.