[Ian Collins]

finally broke my bike in today....

everything rode great, just did a few runs at ted williams....the trails are pretty haggard.....

the only news worthy of typing about is the fork.....

apparently fox made a bunch of small changes to the damper on the 09 40....i'm coming off of an 08 that i liked, but thought it could use some minor improvements....

well....the sum of all those changes add up to a much improved ride.....

the biggest difference i felt was how much more isolated the hi/lo speed adjustments are.....before, if you added a bunch of low speed, it would get a little spikey, and also wouldn't track as well.....

i tend to run alot of low speed(1 click out from all the way in)....and the new fork felt like it had much more traction, and was way less harsh while still sitting high up in the stroke.....

i'm not gonna get into the techno jumble of what they changed but to anyone who is curious, i will say it made a difference....

hopefully in the near future they can manufacture a rear shock that works as well as this fork....

IC

 

[Total Heckler]

That makes me really excited to get mine next week.

Can't wait to see how it works with my Tomac Primer and new DHX.

 

[Steve M]

Really? Of all the older 40s I've ridden (would be half a dozen or so by now) the LSC adjuster on em never made any perceptible difference at all, let alone enough to make it "spikey". If they've reduced that further, fantastic...

 

[big cal]

I gotta agree with Socket there, i have an 06 40, and while i really like how it rides, the compression adjusters do nothing. I've played with them just cycling the damping leg (fork out of the crowns) and there is only tiny changes in damping. The fork has great rebound feel and adjustment, but those blue knobs are just for show on my fork.

I don't really know how many changes they have made over the years since my fork but it would be nice if the adjuster had the sort of range where you could actually dial too much comp. damping in.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

Glad to hear about the changes, I have a brand new 09 sitting in front of me

 

[OGRipper]

I have an '09 and although it's the first 40 I've owned and I can't really compare it to the older ones, the compression adjusters are definitely not just for show - I can definitely feel the adjustments, and the LS and HS do seem pretty isolated. Also, I know some people have complained in the past but I've been pleased with the bottom-out resistance as well, I'm getting full travel but no harsh bottoming so far, even with a few unintended nose-to-flat landings. All in all, two thumbs up so far.

 

[Ian Collins]

also I forgot to Mention,it's super quiet now ...in the past you really heard alot of noise on the rebound side. It's much silkier and really silent

 

[Ian Collins]

only gripe is the ugly crown. No bolt on flat crown option in stock form. Makes me want to splurge and get the persist crown.....

 

[Total Heckler]

Also glad to hear about the noise reduction. My 05's were super noisy.

I am really liking the sound of these forks more and more without even riding on them yet. heh

 

[leprechaun]

I have a pro rider here that has had a new style damper in his bike since may and it is much changed indeed. The new forks have the original blue medium spring that came in them in 05 that seemed crazy soft even for my 125 lb ass. In 06 the spring rates went up do the green firm spring came stock. It seemed that the green spring was too soft (linear) for fast/hard riders, and they were trying the X Firm yellow but then there was no traction on off camber roots, etc and wore out the hands. Now the same rider is happy with the blue spring!!! Amazingly there doesn't seem to be any negative handling traits with the heavily controlled damping in the 09's. I was truely believing that a sealed damper with a linear spring was simply not up to the task of being able to produce a plush feel with good mid stroke control and good bottoming. Hey, it's Fox and it only took 4 years. The word is that the 36's all have this damping so riders rejoice!!

 

[leprechaun]

only gripe is the ugly crown. No bolt on flat crown option in stock form. Makes me want to splurge and get the persist crown.....

The arched top crown allowed them to shorten the upper tubes therefore saving weight and allowing a 35 mm stem with a internal low stack headset without the knobs hitting the bars.

Now one fork fits all- no more S/L and XL models.


No to mention the direct mount stem bolt holes.

 

[big cal]

Can you just buy the damper cartridge separately? And if so how much do the run for?

 

[IH8Rice]

I gotta agree with Socket there, i have an 06 40, and while i really like how it rides, the compression adjusters do nothing. I've played with them just cycling the damping leg (fork out of the crowns) and there is only tiny changes in damping. .

how can you get a feel of what adjustments do by pushing on them whilst not on the bike and or you not riding the bike?

i had a first year 40 and noticed a difference when adjusting the hi/low

 

[ZHendo]

i haven't ridden the older 36s or 40s so i wouldn't be able to make a direct comparison, but i can say that my 09 36 van rc2 is pretty much the raddest fork ever. my old manitou travis never seemed to use all the travel, and while it didn't explode like most others from the first model year, there's no comparison between it and the fox. the compression adjustments really do make a difference, it's interesting screwing around with them to find what the best ride characteristics are. i've been riding in santa cruz for the past 4 days, and the last time i was there i was on my travis. it's really interesting being able to compare the two forks on trails that i have ridden a few times, and so far i can't find complaint with the fox. it uses all of its travel effectively, jumps well, is amazing on small bumps and in corners, the list goes on. i'm really not sure how fox could possibly improve such a solid product over the next few years.

 

[big cal]

how can you get a feel of what adjustments do by pushing on them whilst not on the bike and or you not riding the bike?

i had a first year 40 and noticed a difference when adjusting the hi/low

I have tried to see how the adjustment affected traction or riding feel, and i could not perceive any difference in the adjuster no matter where i put them.

So i tried cycling the damping leg by itself because as i could move the leg relatively freely. I tried high speed movements, low speed etc, adjustment in/out everywhere, it hardly did anything, and from others experience around here them seem all similar. I have NOT tried 08 or 09 40's so maybe they are doing more now and it sounds like it.

I love how the fork feels, i would just like to run some more low speed and drop a spring rate.

 

[Udi]

IH8Rice - Low speed compression is something that you should be able to feel just by pushing on the fork, because that's roughly in the range of what a low speed impact is.

Big cal is spot on really (it's just rarely that an owner of the fork is happy to admit this from what I've seen, not sure why) - if the 40 has had any LS compression damping for the last 4 years, it hasn't been in a useful range (ie. you can't feel it). I haven't played with a damper in hand but if cal has, then it really sums it up.

Personally I've ridden and messed with the adjusters on 05, 06, 07, and 08 model 40's and each time the results have been identical. The LSC adjuster does nothing. Crank the same adjuster on a TPC dorado or MC boxxer to see what it should feel like.

I haven't tried an 09 yet so I will reserve judgement, I'd want to hope they've fixed it... but given the past years it's hard to be optimistic.

 

[big-ted]

The LSC adjuster on my '06 36 certainly makes a difference, and right in the shaft speed I want it to. Bottom out resistance is a little lacking, but I run a firmer spring, which is fine as I don't require the ultimate in small bump sensitivity from my AM fork, and this is what changed in later versions.

 

[Ian Collins]

Can you just buy the damper cartridge separately? And if so how much do the run for?

yeah but its like $350-$400 i think

 

[E.T.]

So I have been riding the 09' fork since before Fontana this year and all I can say is WOW! This is without a doubt the best performing fork I have ever ridden!

I have used full travel multiple times, but not once have I felt it bottom. I'm 170lbs plus gear and I ran a blue spring most of the season. When the tracks got steeper and the holes bigger I went to a green spring and haven't looked back.

The adjustments work exactly how they should and 1-2 clicks really makes a noticeable difference.

The only disadvantage of this fork is that it makes whatever rear shock you run feel like cr@p simply because it outperforms most everything out there. I really hope to get on Fox's new rear shock soon to see if that fixes the problem.

Otherwise two thumbs up on this fork. It is absolutely amazing!

 

[leprechaun]

A new damper is in the neighborhood of $300.

 

[Total Heckler]

So I have been riding the 09' fork since before Fontana this year and all I can say is WOW! This is without a doubt the best performing fork I have ever ridden!

I have used full travel multiple times, but not once have I felt it bottom. I'm 170lbs plus gear and I ran a blue spring most of the season. When the tracks got steeper and the holes bigger I went to a green spring and haven't looked back.

The adjustments work exactly how they should and 1-2 clicks really makes a noticeable difference.

The only disadvantage of this fork is that it makes whatever rear shock you run feel like cr@p simply because it outperforms most everything out there. I really hope to get on Fox's new rear shock soon to see if that fixes the problem.

Otherwise two thumbs up on this fork. It is absolutely amazing!

Thats awesome coming from a Wold Cup racer like yourself. Maybe I will see you out on the trails again sometime. I think the last time I saw you in sc you were on a baby blue SWD.

You going to make it out to the CCCX races ever again? haha

 

[dropmachine]

Whos E.T.?


Cue up the movie poster. :/

 

[Total Heckler]

 

[sayndesyn]

Evan Turpen

 

[kidwoo]

Evan Turpen

.......is on the fox team

 

[dropmachine]

ah, I see.


And thank you, Mr. Woo.

 

[thom9719]

My 09 felt great right away, but it is puking oil already, and the bushings look to be rubbing on the stanchion. it did feel good right away though. hopefully Fox will fix'er up.

Kyle,

 

[Total Heckler]

Just got mine in the mail today. Beautiful piece of equipment in person.

Ride report and first impressions to come soon. YESSSSSSSSS...

 

[boogenman]

is it black?

 

[Total Heckler]

I got a white RC2 to go with my bike (2008 Tomac Primer 220):

 

[thom9719]

is it black?

mine?

It is white with the black letters.

Kyle,

 

[EM-EFER]

I have an 08 and the LSC knobs do absolutely nothing.

With the blue spring in the fork it runs perfect now.