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Helm MKII is our highly versatile mountain bike fork, well suited for downcountry, trail, and enduro bikes. We designed it to be super plush while still feeling supportive, and it can adapt to just about any way in which you want to ride it.
It’s the missing puzzle piece when your bike feels outgunned and harsh on rough trails – giving you the confidence to charge into chunky sections with less hesitation.
With zero additional parts, Helm can be setup with anywhere from 120mm to 160mm of travel. It also has a large range of air spring and damper adjustments, where each position represents a meaningful change – making it easier to dial in a setup you love.
29 inch Helm forks come in a gloss black finish with matte black stickers and 27.5 Helm forks will come in a matte black finish with gloss black stickers.
Looking to add some color? Check out the Helm MKII Air in Chroma Studio.
Orders containing suspension are made to order and ship in 5-10 days.
All 29″ fork returns are subject to a 20% restocking fee.
All 27.5″ forks are final sale.
Limited Edition: Check out our full collection of these highly sought-after Helm forks.
– Jim Bland, World Cup mechanic
| Weight | 2080 grams |
|---|---|
| Damping | High Speed Compression, Low Speed Compression, Low Speed Rebound |
| Spring | Double-Air spring system. High volume positive and negative air springs |
| Stanchion Diameter | 35mm |
| Minimum Brake Rotor Size | 180mm. *If you are using a Hope Tech brake on a Helm fork, you will need to use a 200mm rotor with appropriate adapter. |
| Travel | Optimized for 130-160mm of travel |
| Travel Adjustments | Internal, 10mm Increments (160mm down to 130mm) 2 Travel spacers included |
| AXLE / SPACING / OFFSET | "D-Loc" 15mm Bolt-on thru axle / 15mm x 110 BOOST spacing / 51mm and 44mm |
| Max Tire Size | 64mm wide by 749mm tall (29) / 75mm wide by 739mm tall (27.5+) |
The Helm MKII is our first major revision of the Helm fork lineup and improves on its predecessor in nearly every way.
Fully Revised Damper Tune
New SKF low friction wiper seals installed in the castings.
Redesigned Air Spring
Technical Documents
Verified Owner
Verified OwnerNice fork, but don’t care for neg chamber filling process. Not sure if or how much air is transferring to the neg side when pressing the valve. Would rather have another shreader valve to fill the chamber.
Verified review - view original
Verified OwnerHelm MKII was purchased to pair up with the Cane Creek AIR IL that I have on my REEB SST.
I purchased the 150mm but I’ve also ridden the 140mm version. This shock is the best riding shock I’ve ridden, it has a great small bump damping effect but can handle the big drops and jumps with ease.
Definitely take time out to learn about how to set up this fork, it functions differently than other forks.
My only criticism is the price point and only because I feel many other riders would choose this shock if the price comparison was better when weighing it against FOX or DVO.
Even with the price I’d recommend this fork without hesitation.
Verified review - view original
I have a 5010cc Santa Cruz trail bike yr 2020. I was using an older Pike fork with the air spring upgrade set at 140mm which is what Santa Cruz recommends. I’m short and heavy with a lot of muscle. I hit the scales at 200lbs. I like 27.5wheels. I ride my MTB twice a week almost every week for the last 10 years. I live in the SouthEast most of my trails are black or blue single track. On occasion I hit the bike park with the same bike. A quiver of one. I needed a fork upgrade. The Pike was beating my hand, arms, and shoulders into hamburger meat. I was starting to develop carpal tunnel on my arm. After reading a lot of reviews and watching YouTube reviews I came to the conclusion that you really can’t trust some of the reviewers because large manufacturers have incentive programs that impact the bias the reviews. I decided to give Cane Creek 27.5 Helm II a try. First the fork was on sale. 2nd I met someone that owned a HelmII fork and he loved it. After watching the YouTube video, the Fork was easy to setup . After I got it dialed in, I’ve been able to set it and forget it. What impresses me about the HelmII was the ride quality. Much more forgiving than my pike. My hands don’t get numb anymore, my carpal tunnel went away, and I’m riding faster into the corners because the fork tracks the turns better. I adjusted my technique on technical climbs because the fork is softer. I have to climb a lot on my trails and the adjustments are minor. The trail chatter was significantly reduced, I ride more aggressively, and I am loving my fork. Very happy with my purchase. In the future, I’m planning on buying an enduro bike and the HelmII will be a part of my next build.