(For MTB suspension forks) What do they mean?
A lockout is a lever or switch that allows you to manually lock the fork in either the extended or retracted position, depending on the fork. This option makes riding up hills or on smooth terrain more efficient. A thru-axle (or through-axle) is some form of solid axle that passes through the fork legs and front wheel hub instead of a standard quick-release (QR) type axle. This option can be in the form of a 15mm or 20mm (or various other types) and offers more stiffness over a similar fork with quick-release axle. Bear in mind that you will need to use a fork with thru-axle with a front wheel hub made for that axle type. That is, if you get a fork that has a 20mm thru-axle, you will need a wheel with a 20mm hub.
Lockout refers to the compression damping circuit of the damper and does the same thing whether its your fork up front or the rear shock. By activating the lockout, you activate a special low-speed compression damping which is extremely stiff. What this does is prevent the damper from reacting to light loads, only allowing for blow-off after taking a large impact. This effectively transfers more of the energy from your pedal stroke into propelling the bike. Thru-axle refers to the way in which the wheel is mounted. Again, the same applies both front and rear. In a standard quick-release setup, you have drop-outs built into the frame or fork which accept the bike hubs. You then run the quick-release skewer through the hub and use it to secure the hub to the drop-outs. In this setup, the bike actually rests directly on the hubs and the quick release only holds things together. A thru-axle configuration differs in that the bike actually rests upon an axle which passes through the hub and is then locked in place by either screwing directly into the frame or fork or by using bolts on each end. Additionally, thru-axles are larger diameter and therefore offer a much stiffer, better performing ride.
Had the same question before. The Lock out is a knob on top of the fork that is used to adjust how much travel you want. When you turn left, the travel increases and vice versa. But that only works when you have a fork that have a ranged travel. Thru Axle is kindda hard to explain. thru axle is the bar that goes and connects the fork with the hub, to secure it. It can be in 15mm or 20mm. So watch out for the fork's description because they can't be used on standard QR Hubs. The 15mm and 20mm are stronger and lighter compared to 6mm and 9mm. Good luck That was just a light description
