The new ZEB is destined to be RockShox’s new fork for eMTBs and it also comes in a special eMTB version. With its thick stanchions and its beefy looks, it is sure to match the style of most eMTBs quite nicely. Can it deliver on the trail?

The new RockShox ZEB is designed for eMTBs. It offers 160–190 mm travel (for 27.5″ and 29″ wheels), uses 38 mm stanchions, weighs 2,274 g and costs € 1,089 for the Ultimate version.

The most important details of the ZEB summarised in one paragraph

Over the past few years, our bikes have evolved in leaps and bounds. Geometries have become more radical, wheels bigger, brakes more powerful and batteries significantly larger and thus heavier. We’re riding a lot faster than we used to and the demands on the bikes have increased accordingly. With the brand new ZEB, RockShox have added a new fork to their lineup that’s supposed to meet the demands of eMTBing or full-throttle action in the bike park. It has 38 mm stanchions and new lowers. The bridge of the ZEB has been moved further outward to offer more clearance for the crown, oversized head tubes and for mudguards.

The new RockShox ZEB is said to be around 20% more torsionally stiff than the Lyrik
The striking design of the lowers immediately catches your eye
In order to make room for the large, internal batteries, down tubes and head tubes have grown ever bigger in recent years. The ZEB has a big, machined crown to match the oversized tubes of eMTB frames.
The RockShox ZEB comes with a 1.5” tapered head tube, but it will also be available with the new 1.8” standard, as seen on BULLS and ROTWILD.
Cable routing and chassis are similar to the BoXXer downhill fork
The new RockShox ZEB uses a 15 mm Maxle thru-axle. As such, it’s compatible with most enduro wheels. There won’t be a version for 20 mm thru-axles.
If you want your forks as stiff as possible, the ZEB is compatible with torque caps
The ZEB has a mount for 200 mm rotors and is approved up to 220 mm. Nice!
RockShox offer an optional fender that gets bolted to the back of the bridge
RockShox have also made a Fender for the ZEB which gets bolted directly to the back of the bridge, but it wasn’t yet available at the time of testing

The forks internals rely on proven RockShox technologies. As such, you get the DebonAir air spring with a large negative chamber. The ratio of positive to negative air pressure has been specially adapted to suit the ZEB and is somewhere between the Lyrik and BoXXer. In addition to the DebonAir air spring, there is an additional ZEB model that uses the Dual Position air spring. It features a knob that you can turn to lower the ZEB by a full 3 cm. This would allow you to get up steep and technical climbs a lot more easily. The RockShox Charger 2.1 damper in the Ultimate flagship model we tested is the same as on the Lyrik. It’s been adapted for the bigger chassis, offering high and low-speed compression settings as well as adjustable rebound.

The ZEB comes equipped with the familiar DebonAir air spring assembly. However, the equalisation dimple in the lowers has been moved up. This eliminates the need for an extended foot nut like the 2021 Lyrik.
The ZEB relies on the same Charger 2.1 damper cartridge as the Lyrik. This offers both high and low-speed compression settings.
As usual, the rebound speed can be adjusted at the bottom of the fork. The tortoise and the hare – everyone understands that.

The RockShox ZEB at a glance:

Wheel size: 27.5″ and 29″
Travel: 160, 170, 180 and 190 mm for both wheel sizes
Air spring: DebonAir and Dual Position
Damper: Charger 2.1 (Ultimate/Select +); RC2 (Select); R (eMTB)
Offset: 38 mm (27.5″), 44 mm (27.5″ and 29″)
Stanchion diameter: 38 mm
Steerer tube diameters: 1.5” and 1.8”
Weight: 2,274 g (29″/170 mm/Maxle Stealth/19 cm steerer tube)
Price: € 758 – € 1,089, depending on the model

What’s the inspiration for the name, ZEB? It’s related to the Pikes Peak mountain situated just behind RockShox’s development headquarters in Colorado.

RockShox ZEB – what was the inspiration for the name and what does it mean?

Right behind RockShox’s development headquarters in Colorado you’ll find the infamous Pikes Peak mountain. The eponymous summit of the RockShox Pike, now also serving as the inspiration for the ZEB. The four-thousand-meter peak was first summited by Zebulon Pike, eponymous hero of the mountain itself. Zebulon was shortened to ZEB and that’s how RockShox got their inspiration for the name.

Stiffer and more precise, but still comfortable

A major goal in the development of the ZEB was to increase the stiffness of the fork and thus its precision. Besides the thicker stanchions, this has been achieved primarily with the new lowers and the machined fork crown. While adding stiffness, RockShox didn’t want to completely sacrifice comfort. The 29″, 180 mm travel ZEB is about 20% more torsionally stiff than a comparable Lyrik model and about 7% stiffer laterally, but it is only about 2% stiffer fore and aft. Our first ride review goes into more detail of how that affects handling on the trail. The oversized, machined crown is particularly important for use on eMTBs. Most other suspension forks on eMTBs make a creaking noise when subjected to high forces such as hard braking. Our Orbea Wild FS test bike no longer creaked after switching to the ZEB. We’ll have to ride it for a bit longer to find out whether the ZEB will start to creak after a while on the trail.

The main difference between ZEB and Lyrik is the added stiffness. In addition, the ZEB is available with up to 190 mm travel while the Lyrik “only” goes up to 180 mm.
The thicker stanchions are only one aspect of the fork’s added stiffness as the new lowers also play a major role.
Lyrik or ZEB? A lot of you will be asking yourselves this question. What we can say for sure is that the upgrade is particularly worthwhile for aggressive riders!

eMTB, Select, Select+, Ultimate – The ZEB models in detail

Like the Lyrik and Pike, the ZEB is part of the RockShox’s Signature series. The range includes the Select, Select +, Ultimate and a somewhat simplified eMTB model. The ZEB models differ primarily in the damper they’re equipped with. The € 1,089 ZEB Ultimate comes equipped with the Charger 2.1 damper, giving you high and low-speed compression settings. On top of that, the Ultimate also features an anodized fork crown and the signature Slab Gray colour. The somewhat more affordable Select+ makes use of the same damper, but without an externally adjustable high-speed compression setting. It is available exclusively to bike manufacturers, so you’ll only be able to get it on a complete bike. At € 869, the ZEB Select costs € 220 less than the Ultimate model and comes with the lower-end Charger RC damper, which doesn’t allow you set the high-speed compression either. The two ZEB eMTB models come with the Charger R damper which is somewhat simpler to set up. The compression is set at the factory, only leaving you the rebound-damping to play around with. For the air spring on the eMTB model you can choose either the DebonAir or Dual Position Air. However, all models come with SKF seals and Maxima Plush damping oil.

The main difference between the various ZEB models comes down to the damper and its adjustability

Can I only use the eMTB specific ZEB models on my eMTB?

All ZEB models are suitable for use on eMTBs with the ZEB Ultimate also topping the range here. The two eMTB models are primarily intended to reduce complexity and price and therefore make use of a simpler damper. There will also be a model with
the Dual Position air spring. This allows the fork to be lowered for super steep and technical climbs. This not only improves the riding position but also puts more weight on the front wheel and thereby keeps it on the ground. RockShox have simply taken the existing Dual Position air spring from existing models and adapted it to fit the ZEB. Another exciting option is the version of the new ZEB with a 1.8″ tapered steerer tube, which will be available alongside the standard 1.5″ tapered steerer tube model. To help the fork match the look of your bike, it is also available with different crown diameters. However, according to RockShox, there is no difference regarding stiffness as it only serves to make the fork crown sit flush with the ever beefier head tubes of the latest eMTBs.

We tested the RockShox ZEB Ultimate on the Orbea Wild FS. But it doesn’t only cut a fine figure on eMTBs, looking just as good on hard hitting analogue enduro bikes

First ride review of the new RockShox ZEB Ultimate

We had the opportunity to test the new RockShox ZEB extensively on a variety of trails over several weeks. Among other places, in the bike park in Oberammergau, where we were quickly able to find a good basic setup thanks to their lift. We also took the ZEB to the Reschenpass, Kronplatz, the Tweed Valley and Tuscany.

Finding the correct setup is essential when testing a new fork
Larger air chamber = less pressure. A difference of only a few psi makes a big difference here
The ZEB also allows you to easily adjust the progression using tokens
As the name suggests, our Orbea Wild FS test bike likes it rough. Besides 10 PSI more pressure, we also added volume spacers.
We completed the first tests of the new RockShox ZEB together with our sister magazine ENDURO in the bike park Oberammergau. They were obviously happy about the lift.
The various trails offered the perfect conditions to find a good basic setup, which is very quick and easy with the ZEB
Our favorite trail: the Fichten Schreck

Setting up the RockShox ZEB is very similar to the Lyrik or Pike. We immediately noticed that it requires less pressure due to the larger diameter and volume of the air spring. A table on the lowers helps you figure out your base setup. As with most RockShox forks, you should add 10 PSI to what’s recommended for your weight due to the added weight of the eMTB, since it’s based on calculations for analogue bikes. If you want to dig deeper into suspension setup, we recommend taking a closer look at our detailed setup guide. We rode the ZEB with almost 12 PSI above the recommended pressure and with 2 tokens in the air chamber. Depending on your riding style, the trail and your preference, your setup may vary significantly. When pumping up the fork, the positive and negative air chambers automatically balance each other out. Unlike previous models, equalisations doesn’t take place at around 20% sag, which means that we were able to dial in the pressure without having to compress the fork and bounce around on the bike.

“E-Bikes add 10 PSI” the table of recommended pressure settings is aimed at analogue bikes. So we add significantly more air than our colleagues from ENDURO.

If you do the classic parking lot test with the new RockShox ZEB and push on the handlebar without standing on the bike, you’ll be suprised. The fork feels firm and doesn’t immediately give way. This is due to the changed characteristics of the DebonAir air spring, which also features on the new 2021 Lyrik. The update is reverse compatible, so you can upgrade your existing Lyrik if you have the older model. With the new air spring, the fork stays higher in its travel and doesn’t automatically sag a few millimetres, due to the new position of the equalisation port at the end of the travel. When you get on the bike, that overly firm feeling initially disappears.

The difference is hardly noticeable on flowing trails. You only notice the added stiffness with high G-forces in hard turns.

On the trail, the ZEB responds sensitively and generally stays nice and high in its travel. This means that your bike’s geometry isn’t compromised even on steep descents and with hard braking, the fork never wallows. The fork also performs well in fast berms and hard landings, only using as much travel as required, offering good traction and plenty of reserves. The differences in the clicks of the damping settings are clearly noticeable on the trail. Especially with the high-speed compression, the ZEB can quickly be adapted to suit different trails. Fast bike park tracks with big jumps? Turn the HSC up by 1 or 2 clicks. Natural trail with massive roots? Then leave the HSC open. The rebound also offers a big range of adjustment for all riders of different weights and was able to generate lots of traction during our tests.

If you hit roots full throttle while grabbing the brakes and turning, you can clearly feel the added stiffness.

This where the ZEB shines! The new RockShox always stays on track through nasty compressions.
When braking over roots, cornering and with hard, fast hits, you’ll notice the added control
In steep passages, the ZEB remains high in it travel and the front end doesn’t wallow

Compared to the Lyrik, you can feel the advantages of the ZEB especially when you’re demanding a lot of the fork. In corners or when braking hard as you’re going over roots.

RockShox Lyrik or ZEB – What are the differences?

Lyrik or ZEB? If you’ve been asking yourself this question, we’ve got a clear recommendation.

During the course of our tests, both light and heavy riders could feel the differences between the Lyrik and the new ZEB. The increase in stiffness can be clearly felt on our Orbea Wild FS on almost all trails. The associated precision and control is particularly evident in steep terrain or when going hard and fast. For example, when you hit roots at full speed, grab the brakes and then turn hard into a berm. When it comes to aiming for and staying on the fastest, roughest and most direct lines, the ZEB has the upper hand over the Lyrik.

Big battery = big fork. The RockShox ZEB copes well with the added weight of eMTBs even on steep descents.

However, especially on lighter eMTBs and on flatter trails, the Lyrik Ultimate also performs excellently and the added flex provides a bit more comfort on long descents. The noticeably stiffer ZEB requires significantly less physical effort to keep on track through the rough stuff, but you’ll feel it pass more vibrations on to your hands. As soon as the trails become rougher and, above all, steeper, there is always so much weight on the front wheel that the beefier ZEB can fully exploit its advantages over the Lyrik.

The ZEB is the better eMTB fork. It offers more precision and control at high speed and in steep terrain. For light eMTBs and a very relaxed riding style, it isn’t absolutely necessary

Our conclusion on the new RockShox ZEB

The brand new RockShox ZEB is a worthwhile upgrade for most eMTBs. The stiff and beefy fork is a better match both in terms of eMTB looks and performance. You’ll notice the increased control most clearly on long-travel bikes and with an active riding style. With two affordable eMTB specific models in the range, there’ no denying RockShox’s target group.


For more information, visit sram.com


Did you enjoy this article? If so, we would be stoked if you decide to support us with a monthly contribution. By becoming a supporter of E-MOUNTAINBIKE, you will help secure a sustainable future for high-quality cycling journalism. Click here to learn more.

Words: Photos: Christoph Bayer