Boost? I thought it was a chocolate bar…

We’re afraid it’s another new standard: this one’s a good one though, and well worth considering when choosing your next fork or bike. Boost is a new dropout standard designed to widen the hubs on your wheels, growing the rear axle by 6mm and the front axle by 10mm.

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Why should I care?

It’s a good idea because wider dropouts means wheel builders can increase the space between the hub’s flanges — where the spokes attach to. Wider flanges offer a wider bracing angle for those spokes, giving a stronger and stiffer wheel… which is a good thing.

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Will my next bike or fork come with Boost?

If you want it to, yes. There are plenty of bike companies out there using Boost already — Whyte, Trek, Specialized, YT to name just a few — and both Fox and RockShox make compatible forks. If you’re moving on to the new Plus wheel size you’ll also reap the benefits of Boost technology, as it gives more clearance for the wider (up to) 3in tyres.