Weight: 2,297g (5.06lb) / 85-130mm / Coil sprung with U-turn / IS disc mount / Axle to crown: 485mm / Contact: www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk [left-hand pic]

As we’ve mentioned, the Tora isn’t a dedicated 100mm-travel fork, but if you’re on a tight budget it’s worth considering. RockShox has tried hard to keep the weight down with an aluminium steerer tube, magnesium alloy lowers and a hollow forged, 6061 series aluminium crown, but the fork stills tips the scales a good half pound heavier than the equivalently-priced MX Pro. The reason? The coil springs, steel stanchions and older lower casting, which sports both an international standard disc mount rather than a post mount and cantilever bosses. The latter are useful if you’re upgrading a bike with V-brakes, but they’re ugly if you’re not.

Of the six forks on test the Tora had a plush showroom feel and at slow speeds felt pretty good, but if we stormed into anything at speed there was a definite spike in the damping. The rebound damping didn’t seem to be that effective either — you can ride this fork hard if you’re skilled but if you’re not it doesn’t inspire confidence nor offer much in the way of a safety net. For such a heavy fork it’s also surprisingly flexible and clattery, especially in rocky terrain.

Like the Float and MX Pro, the in-built travel adjustment means you’ve got an element of future proofing, however, a big question mark still hangs over the Tora in terms of durability and whether the seals can cope with UK conditions. The Tora is good value but it rides its weight and looks out of date in this company.

Mbr rating:7