First ride: New Formula Josh Bryceland Edition Selva Fork

The CTS system is innovative in that it only takes a few minutes to change a valve – if a rider ends up buying this limited edition fork (only 100 are being made) and then realizes they don’t ride like Josh, it’s fast. procedure to install one of the two standard CTS valves that are also included.

The Selva Bryceland edition is available with 170 mm of travel for 29” wheels and is priced at EUR 1,514. My test fork with the axle installed weighed 2020 grams. Selva is backed by a 2-year transferable warranty, as well as Formula’s 10-year support promise, which states that every product they manufacture will have parts, spares and support available for 10 years.

Details of the fork

Along with the custom CTS valve, the air-souped Selva has a new, larger-volume air chamber intended to give the fork a more linear spring curve. This version of the Selva uses a negative three-stage coil spring under the positive air chamber, where the springs become stiffer toward full extension to prevent any noticeable lift. Formula CTS valves and Neopos volume spacers are the two components that ensure the fork doesn’t end harshly.

For those unfamiliar, Neopos are volume dividers made from foam rather than the hard plastic that is commonly used. This foam compresses as the air pressure inside the positive chamber increases, which creates a more gradual final stroke ramp. However, it acts as a volume spacer, so its removal may still be necessary to achieve full travel depending on the fork setup.

The recoil knob is in the typical spot on the lower right leg and has 18 clicks of adjustment. The tool-free quick-release lever on the thru-axle is removable; once removed, the shaft can be tightened or loosened with a 5mm Allen key.

Ride Impressions

I started with Bryceland’s CTS valve installed and the fork inflated to 65 psi per Formula’s recommendation. I set off on one of my usual test laps, a ride that includes a good mix of jumps, slides, berms and some steeper, more natural trails. In other words, a mountain bike ride.

Not that I had any doubts before, but that trip reinforced the fact that no, I’m not Josh Bryceland. The formula definitely achieved its goal of having a soft, supple initial shock and then plenty of support after that, but the extreme rise meant I was only using about 140 millimeters of travel, and that was on a ride with lots of hard drops and G -outs that would have used almost full travel in my typical setup. The softer initial part of the ride meant I wasn’t turning around, but the deeper rise in the ride was very, very noticeable – it was like running into a packed wall, and no matter how hard I pushed, I couldn’t pass.

Time to replace the CTS valve with something better suited to a mere mortal. I tried both the orange and gold valves, eventually settling on the spacerless gold valve as my favorite all-around setup. As it turns out, Formula says the valve is the one preferred by 75% of their customers. If I were on an e-bike, or knocking out bike park laps at high speed, I could see going with the orange valve, because of the extra mid and bottom support it provides. With the gold valve, the fork had excellent top end grip and nicely built support throughout the travel.

Formula’s CTS system makes it easy to experiment with different setups and is a smart way to give riders a wide range of significantly different fork configurations. With Bryceland Selva, I can’t help but wonder if this is the final push for this model before something new comes out. Don’t get me wrong, it works very well; apart from the rather loud recoil noise, I have no complaints about its performance, it is only partially overshadowed by the newer offerings from Fox and RockShox.

The Selva posts are still 35mm, and while the chassis was certainly stiff enough for my 160lb weight, I could see bigger riders gravitating towards the stiffer 38mm options out there. The flip side is that the Selva weighs around 300 grams less than a Zeb or 38, which is a significant weight saving – something to keep in mind for riders who are tired of their enduro bike weighing as much as a downhill bike.

Bleed valves would be a nice touch, and I also don’t think the lockout lever is necessary on a long travel fork. However, I wouldn’t consider either of those deal breakers, and for riders interested in trying something a little different, the Selva is worth considering.