American bike brand, State Bicycle Co, known for its wallet-friendly offerings, has released a new version of its very popular Carbon Monster Fork.

Designed with adventure and versatility in mind, the latest version of the off-road fork sports a flip chip, enabling the user to toggle between 49mm or 55.5mm offset, thereby empowering riders with the flexibility to fine-tune their bike’s handling for different trail conditions.

When I bought a Surly Midnight Special frameset to build up as a sturdy, inexpensive around-town or bikepacking bike, the first upgrade I looked for was a carbon adventure fork. The steel Surly fork looks great and has all the accessory mounts I’d want for a front rack, fenders and/or bikepacking bags. It is, however, weighty and so I acquired the original State Bicyle Co. Carbon Monster Fork because of its ample accessory mounts and decently light weight given its sub-$300 (230GBP) price tag.

If you ride a metal bike there are some significant benefits to upgrading to a carbon fork, weight reduction prime among them. Carbon fibre is renowned for its high strength-to-weight ratio and a carbon fork can shave off a substantial amount of weight from your bike. Weight isn’t the be all end all of course, but between the weight savings and the increased stiffness of the carbon fork, I’ve found that the upgrade gave my steel steed a nimbler, more responsive and more efficient ride feel.

Carbon fibre is also excellent at dampening the vibrations from the rough surface below. When riding on gravel or rough roads, the carbon fork, paired with some wide tyres, act as a shock absorber, enhancing control and reducing the impact on your hands, arms and upper body. This makes for a more comfortable ride, particularly over long distances, where fatigue and discomfort can set in over time.

Even if your bike already has a carbon fork, a bikepacking or so-called utility fork is worth considering if you’re looking to expand your bike’s versatility. Both the original and the v2 models feature six accessory mounts as well as fender mounts, offering plenty of options for attaching water bottle or gear cages and bags to free up space on the frames while keeping your load balanced. On trips that necessitated more gear, I’ve found that by using the fork mounts allows for a more modular packing system, distributing weight more evenly and improving overall bike handling—especially on uneven surfaces.