Big brown paper parcel pleasure ruled this afternoon as we received one of the first production units of Pace’s new Pro Class 2 fork, and the nice new box it comes with.

We’ve plugged the fork into our long suffering Cove Stiffee testbed and we’ll be out riding it as soon as our lights have charged. Expect first impressions shortly but if you can’t wait till then, here are the technical basics.

The Pro Class 2’s use ‘traditional’ Pace construction with magnesium dropouts (including disc mount) and carbon sliders enhanced with a stiffer carbon lay up. Magnesium bridges are used front and rear with optional integrated bolt on V brake mounts. Steel stanchions are used for stiffness but they aren’t titanium nitrided gold like the origina Pro Class forks. The PC2’s use a totally new, more sculptural CNC’d hollow crown, with press fitted cold forged steerer. A lot stiffer and stronger for it’s weight and no more faffing about with a slide on spacer to carry the bottom headset race.

The internals are a similar chromed silicon steel spring stack to the Evo 3, with an open chamber oil damper in the right hand side which is adjustable for compression and rebound. Travel can be swapped simply from 100mm to 80mm or back again by shuffling the springs and spacers about. Greaseports on each leg inject grease into the bushings and the forks feel fairly plush from the box, despite the twin wiper seals. Pace’s normally take aout 20 hours riding to really get themselves settled in though, so we’ll have a better idea about them in a week or so.

Pace have been so busy getting these forks into production they’ve had no time for preparing adverts and launch hype, but the PC2′ will be arriving in the shops at this very moment. Their major competition is Rock Shox’s Psylo fork, but at £399 they’re well priced for the handbuilt quality.

Like we said, expect first impressions and full test as soon as we’ve put the hours in.

This fork completes the new trio of RC38 Air Force II race fork and RC31 rigid carbon fork, with the innovative low maintenance long travel ‘Invert’ fork due soon. Pace promise their website will be updated shortly too.