[sgarstin]

Hey guys,

I am considering getting a new bike for 2011 to do everything. I have never asked a question on here, but I know there are some guys who know their stuff when it comes to suspension on this board. I have been racing downhill for a few years, and have decided to stop, and now I just want to continue to ride...but ride more of everything, up and down. The main priority and enjoyment for me when riding is going downhill (who doesn't?).

I know I am not on a Downhill bike any more and instead on a "6 and 6" bike or whatever you want to call it. I have never had a proper high end "all-mountain" bike before. There is a lot of really good riding around where I live (Vancouver Island) for that style of bike and I want to take advantage of it and ride more for the enjoyment.

The bike I would be getting is the Knolly Chilcotin.

Here are some geo numbers:

16.85" chainstay, 13.4" bb, 45" wheelbase, 17" seat tube, 66 Degree head angle, 23.5" top tube.

The head angle and bb height can be higher/steeper but as I said before this is catered to descending. I am also going to run a Cane Creek Double Barrel rear shock instead of an air shock. I am going to be running some high end parts that are light so that will keep the weight down. I am not sure on the complete weight so I am not going to speculate. I know an "all-mountain" is a bike of compromise, but I have decided I would rather sacrifice performance on climbs, to increase performance on downhills.


OK so the question I have is Whether or not I should get a:

36 TALAS 160 FIT RLC

OR

36 VAN 160 FIT RC2

OR

36 FLOAT 160 FIT RLC

OR

36 FLOAT 180 FIT RC2

There is info on their website http://www.foxracingshox.com/bike/11/forks/36_VAN/160_FIT_RC2

I want a fork that will excell more for going downhill, hitting compressions, holes, tracking, etc.

The differences of the forks are:

The Talas is .5 lighter, is air sprung, has travel adjust.

The Van is coil sprung, has high speed compression, and has "bottom out resistance."

The Float... I honestly don't understand the difference between the float and the rest of the forks. Maybe im just dumb, but it seems like there is way too many different models in the "all mountain catagory" from Fox.

The Float 180 is obviously different in that it has another inch of travel over the rest of the forks, and can be adjusted in 10 mm increments down to 100 mm. This could actually be good for pedaling up, and then raising the fork for a descent. The full 180 mm could make the geometry feel like crap though.

Has anyone had experience running any of these forks?

Any feedback or pros and cons of each?

Also anyone know of the price difference between these?

Sorry for the really long post.

thanks,

Simon

 

[HAB]

1. The Float is adjustable, but not on the fly. You have to take it apart.
2. The Float is the air spring with no external travel adjust, the Talas is air spring with a travel adjust knob, and the Vanilla is coil sprung with no travel adjust. The bottom out resistance adjustment is way internal. Takes much disassembly to get to it.


I'd get a Vanilla. It's the most plush, and stays up in it's travel a little better than an air fork on the steeps. And the high speed compression is more worthwhile than the lockout on the Float and Talas 160s. A 180mm fork is too much for that bike.

 

[sgarstin]

1. The Float is adjustable, but not on the fly. You have to take it apart.
2. The Float is the air spring with no external travel adjust, the Talas is air spring with a travel adjust knob, and the Vanilla is coil sprung with no travel adjust. The bottom out resistance adjustment is way internal. Takes much disassembly to get to it.


I'd get a Vanilla. It's the most plush, and stays up in it's travel a little better than an air fork on the steeps. And the high speed compression is more worthwhile than the lockout on the Float and Talas 160s. A 180mm fork is too much for that bike.

Yeah good points. I think you summed it up pretty well.

 

[mullet_dew]

I have had a 36 talas on my Nomad(6"x6") for the last 2 years, the travel adjust feature is super nice if you want to be able to adjust it on the go, you can do it on the bike while moving. Lowering the front end to 100mm makes climbing easier because the whole bike tilts forwards putting your weight more over the BB than behind it. It works great on dirt road climbs, climbing singletrack you will smash your pedals too much to use 100 but 130 works nicely.

The only drawback to the talas is how sticky it feels, i just bought a float cartridge and installed it today(the float weighs less than the talas btw, way less/smaller parts), oh my god it feels so much better. Got 3 runs in before the was too dark in the forest, way more sensitive to small input, way less friction, had to change my damper settings to compensate. The reason I bought the float is I felt like i wasn't getting much use out of the talas feature, it does help on the climbs, but my bike climbs fine at 160mm and I see climbing as a means to a descent so I'll sacrifice on the up so I can have fun going down. Just wasn't worth how sticky it was, I'm not regretting my choice.

If I could go back in time to when i first bought this bike I would have gotten a Lyric coil u-turn. It still has the ability to lower the travel and its coil so it will be less sticky than a talas(judging by the pike u-turn on my hardtail). IMO the talas isn't needed unless you plan on doing some steep singletrack climbs and want to be able to adjust travel on the fly.(You have to turn a knob about 3 full turns to drop a u-turn)

Hope this helps.

 

[demo 9]

36 Talas, i have mine on the same type of bike as you do, i run it 5 and 5.5 (banshee) Its super nice to have the travel adjust, you dont realize it until you have it, gets a little rougher and faster, raise it and slack it out, uphill/flat/jumps, slam it down, i like it- if not, i would get the float.

 

[Tetreault]

I want a fork that will excell more for going downhill, hitting compressions, holes, tracking, etc.

from your request here i would go for the vanilla. I have spent time on all of the 36 models now and probably 80% of everything they have made since about 2005.

the vanilla is just so plush, smooth and will do exactly what your looking for, its predictable compression and rebound, tracking and general overall smoothness is beyond what the talas system or float cartridge can offer. I usually break down the three 36 models as:

Talas if on the fly adjustability is first and foremost

Float if you want the lightest out of the three options

Van for feel and suspension performance.

Hope this helps

 

[Uncle Cliffy]

So you're stuck on Fox, or would you consider other brands?

 

[HAB]

So you're stuck on Fox, or would you consider other brands?

I own a 36 and a Lyric and they're both really good. Pros and cons to both, hard to call a definitive winner.

 

[Uncle Cliffy]

I own a 36 and a Lyric and they're both really good. Pros and cons to both, hard to call a definitive winner.

Right. I've got a 2009 36 Float, and it's great. I've neglected it too...

After seeing some of the reviews on the Vengeance and the 55 Evo Ti, it seems like they're worth a look as well.

 

[HAB]

Right. I've got a 2009 36 Float, and it's great. I've neglected it too...

After seeing some of the reviews on the Vengeance and the 55 Evo Ti, it seems like they're worth a look as well.

I thought pretty hard about a Vengeance but the high a-c put me off. I've ridden a 55 Evo Ti a little and it's really good, but didn't think it would pair with the rear suspension on the bike I ended up putting the Lyric on (Spitfire with an RP23) since its midstroke support is really good, I thought it would make the rear feel wallowy. The Lyric Solo Air DH pairs great.

 

[contactjt]

The Van RC2 has a smaller version of the 40 cart, i.e. it's a DH cart. with the DH adjusters you want i.e. HSC & LSC.

The Float & Talas have the RLC damper, which is pretty much the same damper as the XC & Trail 32mm forks. It has lock, out and threashld adjust, both not really useful in a DH.

If you want DH performance, get the VAN RC2.

If money isn't an issue and you want lightness, get a Float 36 160 and ask Fox for an upgrade/swapout to a non bottom-out RC2 cartridge.

 

[jon-boy]

Really the decision is down to whether you feel you can get up the climbs on that bike with the slack HA and if that's important to you. I'm in Vancouver and having the ability to drop the fork for the climbs on the northshore, Squamish and Whistler is an important aspect for me, especially with some of the trails there. The 2011 Talas for me is a really great fork, the small bump sensitivity is better than my old Lyric 2-step and the bike rides in the travel higher due to the superior low speed compression. However... if you are all about the DH and the Knolly frame can take it, the 180 Talas may be a good plan. That will drop down to a 140mm length in the lower setting and so it'll climb well and then you'll have the full 180mm for ripping back down the hill.