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Fox 36 180: Long Term Review

Ridemonkey.com

News & Reviews
Jun 26, 2009
2,168
1

The performance of any component lucky enough to find itself onto my bike is always closely scrutinized. For the majority of this season, I have been abusing one of the new 36 180s from Fox, read on for my impressions.
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Review by David Peacock

For this season Fox took their ever-popular 36 platform, added 20mm of travel and several new developments to create a new line of 180mm freeride forks. With the 36 180, the suspension manufacturer enters into a market that has previously been saturated with heavy, sluggish pieces of equipment. By building off the successes of the smaller travel version, and simultaneously incorporating new technologies, Fox’s idea was to provide a lightweight, versatile fork for full on freeriding. Having ridden the 160mm 36, I was expecting a very similar feel in the 180. The new freeride fork comes in the traditional Float (air), Talas (air, travel adjust) and Vanilla (Coil) models. Being a frequenter of the Whistler bike park, dependability is key to any bike part; sustaining lap after lap of breaking bumps, overshot landings, rutted berms and jarring rocks is perhaps the best test of a fork’s mettle. With the Whistler Bike Park now closed for the season, this review can come to full fruition.


Click on the photos for hi-res versions.




The Vanilla series of forks has, for ages, carried the reputation of being the most plush and supple suspension available. While air technology continues to advance and has become increasingly dependable, there’s nothing quite like having a coil fork suspending your front end. The 36 180 is new for this year, but did not carry with it any first-generation hiccups or manufacturing mishaps. Fox’s ability to transfer technology from other products and smoothly combine this with new innovations such as Kashima Coat and FIT RC2 is unparalleled. The FIT technology is intended to increase ease of adjustability by moving the compression knobs to the top of the stanchions, and reduce fade throughout the travel. Read more about the technology behind it here.




The 20mm axle releases quickly and efficiently with two levers and the twist of a knob.


The fork is versatile enough to be pushed on dirt jumps no problem...add some compression and preload and you'll boost out of frame!

Having ridden this fork for days on end during the driest weeks of the summer, lap after lap in the Whistler Bike Park, I can honestly say I’ve never been so impressed with a freeride fork. Durability was never an issue; it never lost oil or faded over the course of the day, and it was always ready for tomorrow, unlike many of the other parts aboard my steed. With the lowest axle-to-crown height of any fork with 180mm of travel, I was surprised to find that instead of “chopping out” my Giant Faith, it lowered the head tube slightly and made for a noticeable increase in handling.


About to take the brunt of a very flat landing on this long jump. Thanks to Andre Nutini for this photo.

One of the main advantages of a coil-sprung fork is the linear feel. Having predictable suspension is key when bouncing through table after table on A-Line, and the VAN provides a knowable feel regardless of the situation. Being an RC2 model, adjustments are standard for this fork; both high and low speed compression are tweaked via dials atop the stanchions. Often forks or shocks will have strange adjustment knobs that don’t click with any finality, but that was not so with the 36 180. Each “click” represents a noticeable change, so be careful in utilizing the many adjustments. It takes time for the compression to change, so a parking lot push will not always tell the story. Once you get the system dialed though, it’s a treat to be able to change the way a fork responds to its environment, and I was really able to get the most out of the 36 180 on everything from lippy dirt jumps to tight technical terrain and steep roots and rocks. Not everyone is doing barspins, but for a freeride bike it’s always great to have that extra bit of steering radius for tight corners.


Pushing the fork into the arm is key to discovering how it rides...

While there is a lot of talk about the advantages in the weight category for air forks, it has been my experience that they do not hold up as well under the rigors of shuttling and riding at bike parks. They can be fine for a few days, even a week, but over time it seems as though they all begin to lose oil and struggle. That said I have yet to test the 2011 Float or Talas, so my contemporary comparisons are limited to Marzocchi 66’s and Rock Shox Totems. I was blown away by the performance of the 36 180 VAN in every situation, and I am thoroughly impressed with what Fox accomplished with the first production run of this fork.


The Word

Pros:
Light for a coil fork (5.94 lbs w/ tapered steerer)
Durable
Kashima Coat didn’t chip or scratch, stayed smooth all season
Supple and responsive in every situation
Withstood big hits and never received major “bottom out” feedback

Cons:
Price - But as with everything, you get what you pay for.​

Those were my thoughts on a season aboard the 36 180. If you've had an experience with the fork, share it below!
 

Attachments

DHRracer

Monkey
Sep 29, 2004
371
0
Do you have any time on a Totem if so how would you compare the two. Do you feel Fox 180 would hold up to a 190lb rider on a mimi DH?
 

Peacock

Chimp
Oct 23, 2009
51
0
Rossland, BC
Do you have any time on a Totem if so how would you compare the two. Do you feel Fox 180 would hold up to a 190lb rider on a mimi DH?
My experience with the Totem was that it was a fun fork, but it was prone to losing oil. I rode the 36 all year and never saw a greasy stanchion and felt that in comparison to the Totem it was more responsive and progressive.

I can only speak for the VAN, but I definitely think it would be an ideal choice for a Mini DH build for someone your size.
 
May 24, 2010
2
0
I've had my Van 36 180 since August. It was great at Mt Washington on my Glory FR. I also have a Totem and a 66 but I am going to sell those forks!