36 SL: Fox launches the little brother of the legendary fork

Die Fox 36 SL, der kleine Bruder der legendären 36.

In 2005, Fox introduced the suspension fork model 36. The massive fork was regarded as the benchmark for enduro forks and stood out with its high stiffness and relatively low weight. For the 20th anniversary of the fork, the US suspension specialists are launching the 36 as an SL version for the first time - stiff, light and with up to 140 millimetres of travel, designed for trail use. But the classic 36 is also new, with a stiffness similar to the 38.

For trail bikers looking for a lightweight but powerful suspension fork, the new Fox 36 SL offers the perfect combination of stiffness and weight savings. At just 1755 grams (with 29 inches and 140 millimetres of travel and Grip-X cartridge), it is 20 percent more torsionally stiff than the smaller Fox 34. It is designed to significantly expand the capabilities of modern trail bikes.

Optimized for suspension travel of 120 to 140 millimetres, the 36 SL offers the ideal balance between stability, low weight and great suspension properties. Among other things, the fork crown and fork bridge have been optimized to increase torsional rigidity, but not the weight.

Improved suspension

Thanks to its design, the Float Glidecore air spring ensures particularly smooth operation over the entire suspension travel. A 20 millimeter increase in bushing overlap further reduces friction and improves responsiveness. The Grip-X damping ensures that the front wheel also maintains good contact with the ground.

The fork now comes with a type of lockout on the fork crown, which guarantees more efficient pedaling when you need to get a bit of road behind you. The new trail fork also has bleed valves that allow easy pressure adjustment, for example after many meters of altitude.

The Fox 36 SL is available for 29-inch bikes and with suspension travel from 120 to 140 millimetres. Just like the original 36, the air spring top cap can be removed using a standard Shimano cassette tool. In addition, the new mudguard attachment ensures improved durability and aesthetics.

Specifications Fox 36 SL

Wheel sizes: 29 inch

Suspension travel: 120mm, 130mm, 140mm

Fork offset: 44mm

Axles: Kabolt SL

Brake rotor diameter: 180 to 203mm

Air spring: Float Evol Compliant

Head tube: 1.5 inch tapered

Starting weight: 1755 grams (29" 140mm Grip X)

ridefox.com/36-SL

Die Fox 36 SL, der kleine Bruder der legendären 36.

Steif, stark und lediglich 1755 Gramm schwer.

Um die Luftkammer zu öffnen, reicht eine Kassetennuss von Shimano.

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New 36: almost as stiff as the 38

Fox is not only launching the lightweight 36, but also taking the classic 36 to the next level. The fork was once the enduro fork par excellence, but at Fox it's now the 38. The 36 has made a name for itself in the all-mountain sector and has now been optimized for this. And since the demands on the material are also increasing on tours, the new model has some 38 genes. Among other things, the stiffness has been increased by 20 percent, which raises the steering precision almost to the level of the Fox 38. The redesigned triple clamp not only improves torsional stiffness, but also reduces weight and optimizes the look thanks to strategic cut-outs.

The newly developed Float Glidecore air spring is also used here. This ensures smooth suspension with a floating air spring core by decoupling the stanchions from the air cartridge. This allows the fork to work more smoothly even at high speeds and under heavy braking loads. Compared to the 36 SL, the bushing overlap is a further ten millimetres larger, which should have a particularly positive effect on rough terrain.

Two possible damping systems, two wheel sizes

The revised Grip-X2 damping enables finer tuning, while the Grip-X damper offers a lighter, easily adjustable alternative. Improved bypass channels on the inside increase sensitivity to small bumps and prevent pressure build-up, while the newly designed bleed valves allow easy pressure adjustment.

Fox 36 is available for wheel sizes 29 and 27.5 inches and covers travel from 140 to 160 millimetres. The weight of the twentyniner fork with 160 stroke and Grip-X cartridge is 1920 grams.