Having acquired Pace’s fork business, DT Swiss has streamlined the range, added it to an expanded rear shock line and rebranded the whole lot. In an interesting move, it’s completely ditched the Pace branding – we were expecting a SRAM/RockShox style “Pace (Powered By DT Swiss)” kind of thing. Although of course, DT didn’t buy the whole of Pace, just the forks. Anyway, these are now DT Swiss forks we’re looking at.

This soon after the acquisition, it’d be unreasonable to expect massive changes. It’s mainly a question of simplifying the fork line-up and getting consistent branding across the suspension range. A welcome survivor is the popular rigid carbon fork, now called the XRR. It’ll be available in two versions. The XRR SLti has titanium reinforcing spigots at the top of the legs, an axle-to-crown measurement of 440mm and a weight of 675g. There’s als the XRR SL 29er for the big-wheeled crowd – 25mm longer and 50g heavier.

XC racers who favour suspension (ie most of them) may well be drawn to the XRC, available in 80 or 100mm travel. Both versions are the same weight (1.38kg/3lb) and have remote lockout levers and adjustable rebound damping. Stanchions are 28.6mm anodised aluminium. If you’re after more of an all-rounder, the XMC range offers forks with 100 or 130mm travel for 26in wheels (80 or 100mm for 29ers) from a chassis with 32mm stanchions. The XMC forks will take up to 210mm brake rotors and have Launch Control lockdown with adjustable threshold. There’s also externally-adjustable rebound and compression damping.

At the top of the travel tree is the EXC150, with 6in of travel and the same features as the XMC. The EXC150 also has the option of a 20mm through-axle. There’s a 100g weight penalty over the QR model, but the fork still has a claimed weight of just 1.7kg (3.7lb) – just the job if you’re assembling an ultra-light all-mountain device.

DT’s shock range is pretty well-established, and has found its way on to quite a few bikes as original equipment. The shocks have been rebranded to match the nomenclature of the forks, so the unit previously known as the HVR200 is now the EX200. It retains the innovative “hydraulic valve regulation” dial-adjustable platform damping and spherical bearings at the mounts. Options include a remote platform adjuster and the shock is available in a big 222mm eye-to-eye length for owners of Specialized Enduros and their ilk.

The XM180 shock is a simpler device, doing without the platform gubbinses and as a result losing 20-30g depending on shock length. You get a lockout lever, though, and again there’s an optional remote. If you’re really keen to shed some weight, the XR Carbon is essentially the same shock but with a unique carbon fibre air can. We haven’t come across a lighter oil-damped shock than this – the longest (200mm eye-to-eye) version is claimed to weigh just 165g, while if you happen to have a bike that needs the 152mm model you can have a 139g shock.

No word as yet on prices and availability – we’ll keep you posted.