Cane Creek Helm 29 launches a year after the 27.5in Helm debuted. The 29in Helm offers even more adjustment. Fork fettlers rejoice!

>>> Cane Creek Helm Air fork review

Now big wheelers can get their hands on one of the most coveted forks on the market, the Cane Creek Helm. It’s not a cheap fork. Nor is it a ‘simple’ fork. The Helm is a fork aimed squarely as suspension tweakers and tinkerers. If you like to swap volume spacers as frequently as your undies, and you know what to do with your negative air chamber, read on…

Cane Creek Helm 29 need to know

• The Cane Creek Helm 29 will come in both air and coil versions
• 35mm stanchions
• Both feature longer damper cartridges
• Both have 51mm fork offset (no on-trend shorter offsets for Cane Creek at the mo)
• The crown have been roomied enough so that 27.5+ tyres will fit as well as 2.6in 29in rubbers
• Travel is adjustable between 130-160mm
• Shorter travel settings have larger negative chambers so will be plusher off the top
• Damping (oil volume) remains unaffected by travel setting.
• 10 positions of high speed compression
• 20 positions of low speed compression
• 15 positions of low speed rebound
• 9 positions air volume reduction (no accessories needed)
• SRP £950.

Below is our original story from last year about the launch of the Cane Creek Helm…

New enduro fork called the Cane Creek Helm

Known for their Double Barrel rear shocks, Cane Creek are diving into the world of suspension forks with the 140-170mm travel Helm.

Cane Creek are not entirely without history or a footing in the suspension fork world. They helped fabricate the original RockShox RS-1 when that pioneering product began to take off.

This new fork reminds us of Öhlins’ forks. Partly because of the stealth black with gold accents and partly because it reminded us of those Cane Creek’s Double Barrel shocks that were made in partnership with Öhlins.

D-Loc 15mm axle.

Cane Creek Helm specification

• Travel factory set at 160mm. Optimised for 140-170mm of travel. Can be adjusted (internally) from 170mm down to 100mm. You get 2x 10mm spacers in the box.
• 35mm stanchions.
• 15mm thru-axle.
• 15mm x 110 Boost spacing (can be spaced down to fit non-Boost forks.
• 44mm offset.
• High and low speed compression adjustment.
• Low speed rebound adjustment.
• Positive and negative air springs.
• Internal adjustment for tuning the ramp-up (or not) of the end-stroke.
• Closed cartridge mono-tube damper.
• 2,070g claimed weight.
• Clearance up to 2.6″ tyres.
• $1,100 list price (no UK price as yet).

That’s a nice blue.

There’ll be a limited number (300) of ‘Launch’ models in a zinging blue colour. The regular Helm forks will be in matt black.

10mm travel adjust spacers.

Volume adjustment

The accessory-free volume adjustment will be of real appeal to a lot of riders; “With an accessory free, 8-position static piston the HELM can be dialled in to handle any trail and any rider“, say Cane Creek.

Air volume adjuster.

How do you adjust it? “Helm’s air spring curve is adjusted internally by an indexed rod and static piston assembly, no additional parts need to be purchased/installed to perform this change [referring to rival methods such as RockShox Bottomless Tokens]. Air volume can be adjusted by removing the air valve assembly out of the left leg of the fork using a 30mm wrench and moving the static piston up or down the indexed rod to achieve the proper spring curve.”

Why no use of Double Barrel tech?

Cane Creek explain: “Helm is a completely new product from Cane Creek, and therefore has a different approach to damping relative to our Double Barrel technology. Due to the leverage ratio of your bikes frame design, a rear shock can experience around 3 times the amount of force the rear wheel experiences. Whereas the forces applied to the front fork are not amplified by a linkage or pivoting system, the fork and wheel movement are directly connected by a 1:1 ratio.”

Twin air chamber design

“Give your bike the advantage it has always wanted. HELM’s unique air spring system provides unmatched ride quality, traction, and accessory-free adjustability.  The high volume air chambers allow for instantaneous off the top suppleness, superior mid-stroke support and unbelievable tracking.

“Staying true to Cane Creek’s ideology: #EveryRideIsDifferent. Our engineering team isolated both the positive and negative air springs; enabling the rider to independently control the air pressures and feel throughout the entire stroke of their fork.”

How is the negative air pressure set?

“During inflation through the air valve on the left leg of the fork, an additional step is required for properly setting sag with appropriate negative air pressure. Charging the air valve only adds air to the positive chamber of the air spring. To inflate the negative air chamber, charge the air valve of the positive chamber at the top of the fork, a button on the bottom of the left leg opens a valve and transfers air from the positive air chamber to the negative air chamber.”

How is the negative spring pressure adjusted?

“Because the two air chambers are isolated, the rider can set different air pressures in the differing chambers for the desired feel. First, inflate the positive air chamber, then press the negative air chamber equalizer button. Once the two air chambers have the same amount of pressure, either increase or decrease the amount of air in the positive chamber. The negative air chamber will remain at the original psi relative to the change in positive air pressure.”

What about 29ers?

Cane Creek: “29 inch tire size Helm forks will be available in the future.”

YouTube videos

Cane Creek appear to be in the process of uploading videos to YouTube. Here’s what’s on their page at time of writing…

Air volume adjustment

D-Loc axle assembly

Setting sag

Internal travel adjustment

The nature of this ‘product launch’ is a bit odd. It almost feels as though Cane Creek are trying to do it by stealth or something!

Anyway, great to see another fork alternative on the market. Looking forward to having a test rid eon one soon.