FOX Racing Shox

36 FLOAT 27.5 160 RC2 FIT Fork - 2015

When you’re looking for a long-travel, air-sprung fork, your options basically boil down to the FOX 36 series and the RockShox Pike. Both are great options, and a lot of the decision comes down to the always-abstract "feel" question. But, setting that aside for a moment, the revamped 36 does offer some pretty crucial advantages over its previous self that may tip the balance in favor of its buttery, Kashima-coated stanchions.

For one, the fork sits lower thanks to a redesigned crown, which means less alteration from your bike’s intended geometry. On top of that, the lowers got slimmed down, which puts the 36 in a weight class much closer to that of the 34, but with the exponential stiffness gains you get with a 2mm increase in stanchion diameter. Adjustments on this particular model include rebound, high and low-speed compression damping, and volume-reducing spacers so that you can tune the ramp rate of your fork.