Drift Launch First product - Fork Armour

Drift is a new bike component company based in the Southwest of England and today announced the launch of its first product: Fork Armour, a titanium protector for the vulnerable alloy lowers of the suspension forks. Fork Armour has been developed to specifically protect the lowers against uplift damage and impact damage. It consists of a titanium laminate shield, custom-formed to fit each different fork lower, and a heavy-duty vinyl graphic. It is set to retail at £45 including graphics; replacement pairs of graphics are £10 per pair. The company aims to have a wide range of graphics for riders to choose from and to keep the cost of replacement graphics as low as possible. Fork Armour is the first titanium fork protector to become available on the market that maximises the protection of the lower of the fork whilst minimising loss to the factory aesthetic. It is currently being made for following: the RockShox BoXXer 2006-2009 (74g), the BoXXer 2010s (94g), and the Fox 40s (106g). Testing at Imperial University, demonstrated that Fork Armour made Fox 40 lowers nearly four times more resistant to impacts. The company also studied the difference in the value of forks with damaged lowers and those with undamaged lowers at resale. A survey revealed that on average riders would pay £150 less for forks with scuffed lowers. Clearly there is a benefit to protecting your investment! Fork Armour offers a unique solution to riders looking to protect their lowers without compromising the aesthetic. Whilst the titanium laminate protects the lower, the graphics give it the appearance of a custom decal. If reselling the fork, Fork Armour can be cleanly removed from the lowers and will not leave any residue, leaving the surface underneath intact. Fork Armour is entirely made in the Southwest of England and utilises a 0.5mm sheet of pure grade titanium with a 3M VHB foam backing. The titanium shields are then waterjet cut from the sheet with the profile of each shield is specifically designed for the particular suspension model. The laminated components are then formed to fit the specific fork lower they were designed for. The forming process takes into account the wide variety of protrusions and casting shapes found on modern forks. This creates a 1.6mm thick precisely formed shield which is impenetrable to everything but the most extreme uses. Finally, the factory aesthetic is preserved by applying a high-resolution, heavy duty graphic to the shield. James Symes and George Taylor, founders of Drift, said: "We're really excited to be launching our first product. We've been very happy with the way Fork Armour has come to life. The idea was born as a result of riding at Gawton, where the extreme conditions have resulted in a lot of damaged forks. We were not happy with what was on the market and so Fork Armour was born. Regal Graphics have really helped us develop this element of the product and with their expertise in mountain bike decals we don't think you could get much better than Regal Graphics – we're lucky to have such a good relationship with them. Many consumers have even said that the striking graphics augment the appearance of the fork. Drift have plans to extend the range to fit other downhill and all-mountain forks. "This is by no means our only product, so be sure to watch this space, as we have some interesting ideas crystallising for example a new ultra lightweight stem and even talk of an uplift trailer that doesn't eat your bike!" www.drift-mtb.com