Fox 36’s really set a new benchmark last year, and it looks like the latest incarnations are likely to raise the level yet again. The coil sprung Vanilla versions remain pretty much the same bar a few cosmetic changes, but on the air side there’s been a bit more work going on.
The original Talas version has had its travel adjuster changed so that there are now just three positions, 100 mm, 130 mm and 160mm (up from last years 150 mm), rather than the thirty thousand or so there were before. It doesn’t allow for quite as much experimentation, but it sure as hell makes things a lot quicker and easier out on the trail. This then leaves us with the forks pictured, the entirely new Float 36. This is quite simply for all of us folk who believe in the theory that if you’re having to carry it around with you, then you might as well use it all, full throttle, full travel. If you know you’d never turn that Talas knob in a million years, then save yourself £50 (and a little weight) by buying these fixed travel Floats, simple. On an even bigger money saving note, the cheaper ‘R’ version of each of these forks will save you double that amount, and unless you’re willing to put some time into getting the most out of the more expensive RC2 damping, you aren’t really going to lose out in the performance stakes despite your penny pinching antics. It’ll be interesting to see, now that they’ve got more competition than ever, if anybody manages to knock the 36’s off that top perch. Talking of top positions, with the extra 10mm of travel I now see no reason whatsoever why you couldn’t see a pair of these atop any British podium, they are that good.
Price: Talas RC2: £749.00, Talas R: £649.00, Float RC2: £699.00, Float R: £599.00, Vanilla RC2: £649.00, Vanilla R: £549.00
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Fox 36’s really set a new benchmark last year, and it looks like the latest incarnations are likely to raise the level yet again. The coil sprung Vanilla versions remain pretty much the same bar a few cosmetic changes, but on the air side there’s been a bit more work going on.
