Lockable Front Suspension for Touring

[Andy_Roo]

Has anybody ridden with or got any comments about lockable front fork suspensions systems for use in touring?

It seems to me they would be a good idea for someone riding mostly on sealed roads with a little bit of off road riding. Are they reliable enough for touring?

[Kalgrm]

Just about all upper end forks these days have some form of lock-out. Some even have an automatic lock-out (a "platform").

They are certainly reliable enough to be used over a long distances on the road. They cop much more abuse in a weekend off the road than they will in a month on the road, and mine (a Rock Shox Tora - middle quality) have been going strong for more than two years now.

Cheers,
Graeme