Cheap suspension forks often feel absolutely awful. Suntour’s Radion, on the other hand, is a usefully controlled and adaptable performer for those with a limited upgrade budget.
You can’t expect the plushest performance for under £200 and it's not that supple over small bumps. There’s some backward and forward bushing knock if you rock it too, but it’s been perfectly reliable through several months of dusty and dirty weather.
Unlike many cheap forks, which come up short, the Radion actually gets 3mm more than the advertised 100mm of travel. The adjustable air spring is progressive enough to collect big stuff rather than blowing straight through the travel.
Travel can be switched to 80 or 120mm internally if you don’t mind a bit of disassembly. The adjustable rebound damping is consistent enough to suck up steps and other trouble with no obvious spikes, clunks or topout.
The Remote Speed Lock compression damping lever is a neat low profile switch that works well for climbs and roads. Despite steel stanchions and steerer the Radion weighs in at a bearable 2,056g when cut to fit. The chunky legs and brace mean it steers well and there’s even a 15mm-axled version for £209.95.
