Fox 38 Factory Fit Grip 2, 180 millimeters, 29 inch

The most important facts in a nutshell
With the 38, Fox presents the long-awaited enduro race fork with 38 millimeter thick stanchions. Much of the technology comes from its little sister, the 36. The completely redesigned fork crown with an elliptical shaft inside is intended to dissipate forces better and filter out more vibrations. A floating quick-release axle compensates for the tolerances of the hubs so that the stanchions and fork tubes are perfectly aligned. This reduces friction to a minimum.

The vent valves at the rear help to release unwanted air pressure in the bars. This can occur due to intensive use or as a result of changes in atmospheric pressure. Fox has redesigned the inner workings based on the 36 to reduce friction.

First impression
The suspension fork looks massive and perfectly finished. As usual with Fox, all the adjustment knobs work with a precise click. The supplied manual is simple and easy to understand, making it easy to carry out the basic setup. The settings for the rebound and rebound damping are divided into high and low speed. The progression can be varied with a volume spacer in the left bar. At around 2350 grams, the 38 is only imperceptibly heavier than other enduro forks with 160 millimetres of travel.

In use
Even on the obligatory parking lot lap, you notice how finely the fork responds. This is no different off-road, in the SAG range you can really feel that the friction has been reduced. Nevertheless, the fork hardly bobs at all, even when pedaling out of the saddle. Once you hit the first trail, the increased stiffness becomes noticeable. The bike can be steered very precisely and no matter how rough the terrain is, you can hold your line with ease. Even the heaviest braking maneuvers don't upset the fork. It can happen that you are riding faster than usual and then stray from the ideal line. As a rule, this doesn't matter, you simply steer in the desired direction, the Fox swallows what's in the way and off you go down the valley.

The end progression of this 38 is very high even without volume spacers. Light riders will not be able to enjoy the full travel. The fork absorbs most of its energy in the range of 12 to 15 centimeters and only dips lower in the event of extreme compression or a botched landing. If you weigh over 85 kilos, you will be able to use the full travel. If the fork runs tougher after a few thousand meters of climbing, this is no cause for concern. Simply release the pressure via the bleed valves on the rear and you'll be on your way smoothly.

Conclusion
The Fox 38 Factory Fit Grip 2 is a thoroughbred enduro race fork, made for rough terrain and use in the bike park. There it shines with the best take-up qualities and very precise steering behavior. This primarily benefits heavier riders and those who only use the brakes in an emergency and like to let it rip. The rougher the terrain and the higher the speed, the more the suspension fork shows its advantages. On moderate bike tours, a 36 is sufficient.

Recommendation
The setup specified by Fox will suit most riders. Light bikers are well advised to set the fork with about 5 percent more SAG than usual and ride the low-speed compression wide open.

Note
This test report refers explicitly to this 38 model. A recently ridden Fox 38 Float Factory E-Bike+ with 170 millimeter travel left a completely different impression. It has noticeably less damping ex works and a later end progression. When we asked Fox, they confirmed that the e-bike forks have a lighter compression damping. This makes them more suitable for lighter riders.

Price: CHF 1598.00

www.foxracingshox.de

Fox DHX2 Factory

The most important features in brief
Fox has made the following innovations:

- New stem coating and seals for reduced friction
- New valve arrangement: transition between low-speed and high-speed more homogeneous for more grip
- Stiffer stem with more overlap to the piston, this counteracts lateral forces
- New compression valve with eight clicks
- Lockout with its own oil circuit
- Varible Valve Control (VVC)
- New end stop made from microcellular polyurethane
- Indexed spring preload plate: prevents loosening at minimum spring preload
- Shorter reservoir for greater frame compatibility

First impression
Honestly, a shock with a steel spring has a completely different "appeal" than one that is only damped with air. It exudes a touch of motocross and rally feeling - especially with such a bright orange spring and the precisely processed adjustment options. With an installation length of 230 millimeters, the scales stop at 870 grams: The DHX2 is therefore almost twice as heavy as certain air suspension elements. But after the first downhill, you won't care.

The SAG is set via the preload of the steel spring, compression and rebound are adjusted with an Allen key. The Fox instructions guide you to the ideal setup in just a few steps.

In use
As you would expect from a coil shock, it responds extremely sensitively. If the bike rocks uphill, simply switch the platform lever and the suspension becomes much smoother. When using the Arc8 Extra test bike, this was only necessary when pedaling and on rough climbs. The platform function reduces the oil flow and the bike climbs more efficiently over steps and the spring is less compressed.

The 160 millimetres of travel on the test bike ride like a downhill bike with more travel. Downhill, the DHX2 absorbs the smallest and roughest bumps efficiently, even long washboard-like braking bumps are no longer noticeable. The rear really levels the ground. The suspension feels soft and you get little feedback from the ground. The traction is unbeatable, the rear wheel is always in contact with the ground. If you push off for jumps, it's effortless. The landings are soft even if you hit the ground differently than desired, as long as you land with the wheels.

In combination with the 38 mm fork at the front, there are hardly any limits. The limiting factors are your own riding technique and fear. With this potent suspension combination, you can suddenly ride lines that were previously unthinkable.

The basic setting recommended by Fox will suit most riders. If you tweak it yourself, you should know what you are doing, otherwise performance will suffer. Once you have optimized your fine-tuning, you will benefit from a very potent suspension system that not only proves itself on descents, as longer uphills are no problem thanks to the platform function.

Conclusion
This shock is clearly designed for enduro and downhill-oriented riders. In terms of downhill performance, the "Fox DHX2 Factory" shock is hard to beat. If you're tackling a lot of vertical meters, you're better off with an air-sprung shock like the X2. Not that the DHX2 climbs badly, but more pedaling energy is lost due to the steel spring.

The only disadvantage is that you can only adjust the suspension settings with tools. Once you've found your perfect setup, it basically suits all types of trails and there's no need for adjustment.

Recommendation
People under 65 kilos can ride with almost open low-speed compression without any loss of performance.

Price: CHF 919.00

www.foxracingshox.de

Fox Float X2 Factory 2pos

The most important facts in a nutshell
The top model of the Fox air shock has also undergone some innovations:

- Main piston with increased oil flow
- Progressive bottom-out bumper
- Higher overlap of the shaft guides for metric lengths
- High-speed compression and high-speed rebound with eight clicks each, now identical number of clicks for all Grip2 forks and X2 dampers
- Revised compression ratio, maximum pressure: 300 psi
- High-speed rebound now with Variable Valve Control (VVC)
- Linear damping characteristics for better fine-tuning and more control on quick successive hits
- Same damping as the DHX2
- Damper shaft with new, low-friction and extremely durable coating
- Improved seals with less friction
- Shorter reservoir for greater frame compatibility

First impression
The X2 shock is massive, it is only 130 grams lighter than the DHX2. As with the other two Fox Factory suspension elements, the workmanship is extremely high quality.

In use
Here too, the Fox manual helps you to achieve the basic setup within a minute. In direct comparison to the DHX2, you can easily feel the breakaway torque. The air shock runs a little less smoothly than the coil version, but has significantly less friction than its predecessor. This is only noticeable when pushing the suspension when stationary. You hardly notice it while riding, as the forces are too great.

It takes time to fine-tune the shock absorber. The crux of the many adjustment options. However, anyone can tune their desired setup in all areas. The X2 can be ridden as linearly as a steel spring shock or you can achieve high end progression with lots of volume spacers. Fox advises choosing the settings so that the rubber ring on the piston slides up to the Kashima imprint in the event of a big bump. This leaves enough reserve for an "emergency". This scenario has proven itself.

The X2 shock provides good feedback from the ground and you always know what the rear wheel is doing. Even when you are deep in the suspension travel, it still swallows strong compressions without catapulting you off the bike. Jumping is done with a lot of "pop", it absorbs hard landings well, but not as smoothly as the DHX2. It feels a little firmer than its predecessor, but perhaps this is also due to the tune of the shock we tested. Even on descents of 1000 Elevation loss without a break, only a little heat is generated and the performance remains constant.

On the Arc8 Extra, we only needed to reach for the platform lever on long asphalt climbs, where we occasionally switched to pedaling in the saddle to relieve the strain on our backs. The pedaling movements are well supported and the climbing characteristics of the bike are optimally supported.

Conclusion
The Fox Float X2 Factory 2pos is a high-end air shock that is in no way inferior to its steel spring counterpart in terms of performance. It is a question of preference for a damping characteristic, but not of performance. Its area of application is clearly geared towards downhill and enduro, where it can develop its full potential.

Recommendation
For use on trail bikes or for bikers who prefer a more leisurely approach, a Fox DPX2 is completely sufficient, the X2 shock is "too much".

Price: CHF 949.00

www.foxracingshox.de

Manufacturer/distributor

www.foxracingshox.de / www.fuchs-movesa.ch