When DT Swiss acquired Pace's fork business back in 2006 it didn't do a great deal with it for a while - new names, new graphics, not making rigid forks any more and that was about it. Behind the scenes there was more going on, of course - DT Swiss was rather sensibly sorting out production of what it already had before embarking on creating anything radically new.
We're promised lots of new stuff this Spring, though, with the new XRC100 Race Limited Edition first out of the blocks. Although quite clearly recognisable as a fork formerly known as Pace, the XRC100 is packed with newness. For a start, there's a carbon fibre steerer and crown assembly, featuring internal carbon reinforcing ribs inside the hollow sections.
The sliders are all new too. The XRC100 is disc-only, and the freedom of not having rim brakes to accommodate means a smoother interface between (rear-facing, naturally) arch and the sliders themselves. At the bottom are lightweight magnesium dropouts, one of which takes a postmount caliper.
At 1,250g the 100mm travel Race LE is 130g lighter than the regular XRC100, already a light fork. And despite sticking with 28.6mm stanchions, DT Swiss claim that the crown/steerer/stanchion and slider assemblies are stiffer and stronger than most of the 32mm competition.
You'll need a fairly well-stuffed wallet, though - when the XRC100 Race becomes available in April you're looking at £985, or £995 with a remote lockout. Find out more at www.dtswiss.com or www.pace-racing.co.uk.
