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Fox 38

Full Trucker

Frikkin newb!!!
Feb 26, 2003
11,097
8,696
Exit, CO
Is that what came on the orange julius?
I'd like to test ride that bike one day.
It is. I also picked up one for a good price that's going on a "rowdy hardtail" I intend to build this winter... that's the one I just travel-reduced and was asking you about fluids for.

Honestly, this damper feels really nice. Pretty supportive, many tractions, goes where I points it for the most part. But what do I know? I'm a hack bike rider.

I'm not sure you fit on this bike o' mine, but you're welcome to give'r a rip. Mayhaps a day shuttlin' on the Chimney is in order.
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
17,313
14,123
Cackalacka du Nord
Guys.

I just got a '19 Grip2 36 and it feels great. At first I though the whole high- and low-speed rebound thing was too much, but it turns out it's pretty amazing. Am I allowed to like this fork?

You guys.
same. i need to fiddle a bit, but initial impression is quite good. i, too, am an unapologetic hack though.
 

Jeremy R

<b>x</b>
Nov 15, 2001
9,701
1,056
behind you with a snap pop
Guys.

I just got a '19 Grip2 36 and it feels great. At first I though the whole high- and low-speed rebound thing was too much, but it turns out it's pretty amazing. Am I allowed to like this fork?

You guys.
I have a '20 Grip2 36 and a Fox 40 RC2. The damper in the Grip2 is better in every way.
It is way more supple off the top, has plenty of support in the mid range and still sucks up
big hits regularly. But for me, the big difference is off the top. After a day of dh runs, my hands
are not nearly as beat up with the Grip2 damper, and I pay extra attention to this because my hands
suck at life.
 

Full Trucker

Frikkin newb!!!
Feb 26, 2003
11,097
8,696
Exit, CO
same. i need to fiddle a bit, but initial impression is quite good. i, too, am an unapologetic hack though.
Right? It's like the damping is actually good enough that I don't notice the chassis flex... or something.

I have a '20 Grip2 36 and a Fox 40 RC2. The damper in the Grip2 is better in every way.
It is way more supple off the top, has plenty of support in the mid range and still sucks up
big hits regularly. But for me, the big difference is off the top. After a day of dh runs, my hands
are not nearly as beat up with the Grip2 damper, and I pay extra attention to this because my hands
suck at life.
I haven't owned a DH fork for years (queue @kidwoo neg repping me) but this effin' Grip2 damper is super nice. The supple-off-the-top-but-not-diving-precipitously-through-the-midstroke-and-wanting-to-murder-me action sure is a nice feature. The previous Fox 36s (all Fit4 mind you) did not have this behavior without shoving a pile of spacers in them.

Curious, what PSI do you have in yours? I'm WAY under what the sticker tells me I should have in there for my fat ass.
 
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jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
17,313
14,123
Cackalacka du Nord
Right? It's like the damping is actually good enough that I don't notice the chassis flex... or something.


I haven't owned a DH fork for years (queue @kidwoo neg repping me) but this effin' Grip2 damper is super nice. The supple-off-the-top-but-not-diving-precipitously-through-the-midstroke-and-wanting-to-murder-me action sure is a nice feature. The previous Fox 36s (all Fit4 mind you) did not have this behavior without shoving a pile of spacers in them.

Curious, what PSI do you have in yours? I'm WAY under what the sticker tells me I should have in there for my fat ass.
yeah - i generally like my suspension pretty firm, but i need to back off the psi too, i think.
 

Jeremy R

<b>x</b>
Nov 15, 2001
9,701
1,056
behind you with a snap pop
Right? It's like the damping is actually good enough that I don't notice the chassis flex... or something.


I haven't owned a DH fork for years (queue @kidwoo neg repping me) but this effin' Grip2 damper is super nice. The supple-off-the-top-but-not-diving-precipitously-through-the-midstroke-and-wanting-to-murder-me action sure is a nice feature. The previous Fox 36s (all Fit4 mind you) did not have this behavior without shoving a pile of spacers in them.

Curious, what PSI do you have in yours? I'm WAY under what the sticker tells me I should have in there for my fat ass.
I started off under pressure for my weight as well and gradually started moving it up. I am at 87 psi in it now weighing about 185 or so. And yeah, I have a Fit4 34 on my hardtail. I find it works best just by running it stiff. Otherwise it dives which is particularly sketch balls on a hardtail.
 

Happymtb.fr

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2016
2,066
1,437
SWE
To you guys talking about midstroke support, it does not come from the damper (the damper is speed sensitive) midstroke support comes from the spring! The spring is position sensitive.
I know that there are plenty of articles on PB and other places where they associate Midstroke to the damper, but they are wrong.

Then many people tend to confuse midstroke support for endstroke support. This is how they can solve their "midstroke" issues with tokens which mostly act on the endstroke...

The increase in support you feel with your 36s is most probably coming from the increase of volume of the negative air spring compared to the previous versions. The larger negative chamber improve the sensibility off the top and increase midstroke support.

Sorry for the rant, it's Friday and Fridays are rant days here in Sweden ;)
 

ianjenn

Turbo Monkey
Sep 12, 2006
3,003
708
SLO
When was the last time someone made a fork with a straight 1.5 steerer? Some Manitou abomination?

I am sure with all the Cycling Industries vast knowledge of all things that somehow they deemed the tapered option to be the least affordable way to create a tube and instantly started putting them on all forks leaving the market.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
88,636
26,882
media blackout
To you guys talking about midstroke support, it does not come from the damper (the damper is speed sensitive) midstroke support comes from the spring! The spring is position sensitive.
I know that there are plenty of articles on PB and other places where they associate Midstroke to the damper, but they are wrong.

Then many people tend to confuse midstroke support for endstroke support. This is how they can solve their "midstroke" issues with tokens which mostly act on the endstroke...

The increase in support you feel with your 36s is most probably coming from the increase of volume of the negative air spring compared to the previous versions. The larger negative chamber improve the sensibility off the top and increase midstroke support.

Sorry for the rant, it's Friday and Fridays are rant days here in Sweden ;)
this is readily apparent when using the IRT upgrade on the Mattoc (i think it's also available for the Dorado and i think i saw they will offer it for the Mezzer)
 

Electric_City

Torture wrench
Apr 14, 2007
2,047
783
Guys.

I just got a '19 Grip2 36 and it feels great. At first I though the whole high- and low-speed rebound thing was too much, but it turns out it's pretty amazing. Am I allowed to like this fork?

You guys.
It depends. How does that fork handle with Assguy and Magic Mary's?
 

time-bomb

Monkey
May 2, 2008
957
21
right here -> .
this is readily apparent when using the IRT upgrade on the Mattoc (i think it's also available for the Dorado and i think i saw they will offer it for the Mezzer)
I'm pretty sure the new Mattoc Pro comes w/IRT already installed. The Mezzer Pro has it and I believe it is still only an upgrade option for the Dorado but I could be wrong.
 

ChrisRobin

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2002
3,403
212
Vancouver
Guys.

I just got a '19 Grip2 36 and it feels great. At first I though the whole high- and low-speed rebound thing was too much, but it turns out it's pretty amazing. Am I allowed to like this fork?

You guys.
Shieeet... now I want to try a Grip2 damper to see how it compares to my Push'd RC2.
 

time-bomb

Monkey
May 2, 2008
957
21
right here -> .
the Pro 2? that's cool. glad they did that. it's a great feature.
just looked at their site and they don't specify "Pro 2", only Pro. i do recall the newest iteration of the Mattoc being called a Pro 2 at one point. interestingly the site doesn't say that the Mattoc Pro comes w/the IRT but they list the features of it under the adjustments section. IRT is listed as a feature on the Mezzer Pro and it looks like there is only a Pro version of that fork.

i want to try a Mezzer Pro but not sure if the added almost half pound is worth it for the extra 10mm. i'm relatively light and don't notice any flexing issues w/my Mattoc Pro or MRP Ribbon. then again, maybe if i tried a stiffer fork and go back to the Mattoc Pro i would notice it.

agreed, IRT is a nice feature.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
88,636
26,882
media blackout
just looked at their site and they don't specify "Pro 2", only Pro. i do recall the newest iteration of the Mattoc being called a Pro 2 at one point. interestingly the site doesn't say that the Mattoc Pro comes w/the IRT but they list the features of it under the adjustments section. IRT is listed as a feature on the Mezzer Pro and it looks like there is only a Pro version of that fork.

i want to try a Mezzer Pro but not sure if the added almost half pound is worth it for the extra 10mm. i'm relatively light and don't notice any flexing issues w/my Mattoc Pro or MRP Ribbon. then again, maybe if i tried a stiffer fork and go back to the Mattoc Pro i would notice it.

agreed, IRT is a nice feature.
it's in the url

 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
7,663
7,021
Any you fools buy one dem fancy mezzer pro forks?

I just saw the retro graphics so I'm under the impression I need one now. Dumbass axle size but good sized toobs, low offset and cool stickers.
It looks sorta like an old Pace fork from the early 2000s.



EDIT- This bike would have been a wheelie machine, I think they had a ~69deg HA with a 150mm fork, then throw on a 2" riser, a bunch of spacers, sub 400mm reach and your bike becomes a six minute ab machine any time you hit a hill.
Fuck I'm glad those days are gone, decent geo and damping has pretty much killed the 6" hardtail.
 
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HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
7,663
7,021
You want a pace fork, I’ll get you a pace fork.
No, I had one and it was awful, the air spring was supposed to be linear but the damn thing felt regressive as it was so firm off the top.
After a month the damper blew out and the the lower split shortly after, are DT Swiss still selling the same thing? I guess it was still better than a Kowa, but not by much.
 

iRider

Turbo Monkey
Apr 5, 2008
5,686
3,143
No, I had one and it was awful, the air spring was supposed to be linear but the damn thing felt regressive as it was so firm off the top.
After a month the damper blew out and the the lower split shortly after, are DT Swiss still selling the same thing? I guess it was still better than a Kowa, but not by much.
Weird. I still have the Pace RC41 Fighter and it is super supple off the top. What I don't like about it is that the air spring doesn't offer much mid stroke support, so when your sag is right it uses too much travel on smaller hits and when you then get a big hit it bottoms. It is on my trail bike that was my go to bike for about 5 years and had no issues. Need to get it sent for service now before the UK brexits though. No offical service partner in continental Europe and local service centers that work on DT Swiss stuff refused to take it.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
7,663
7,021
Weird. I still have the Pace RC41 Fighter and it is super supple off the top. What I don't like about it is that the air spring doesn't offer much mid stroke support, so when your sag is right it uses too much travel on smaller hits and when you then get a big hit it bottoms. It is on my trail bike that was my go to bike for about 5 years and had no issues. Need to get it sent for service now before the UK brexits though. No offical service partner in continental Europe and local service centers that work on DT Swiss stuff refused to take it.
What is in there that you can't fix? From memory they were pretty basic and the only fork I have ever seen with a brass push rod in it, thing made up for half the fork's weight.
 

iRider

Turbo Monkey
Apr 5, 2008
5,686
3,143
What is in there that you can't fix? From memory they were pretty basic and the only fork I have ever seen with a brass push rod in it, thing made up for half the fork's weight.
Looks like one of the bushings is shot (ano on the stanchion is slightly discolored) and that is above my level and toolbox.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
7,663
7,021
Looks like one of the bushings is shot (ano on the stanchion is slightly discolored) and that is above my level and toolbox.
It's over ten years old, it's probably just worn out, throw it in the bin.
Don't Pace still make bike frames, would they have spares? In saying that they were shit to deal with in 04.


I want a 650b totem now, I heated cut and ground the coil in my old one for 120mm travel, twas quite the stout thing.
 

iRider

Turbo Monkey
Apr 5, 2008
5,686
3,143
It's over ten years old, it's probably just worn out, throw it in the bin.
Don't Pace still make bike frames, would they have spares? In saying that they were shit to deal with in 04.
No way this is going into the bin! It is still one of the lightest 150 mm forks with 20x110 mm axle and 1 1/8 steerer. Besides that, I like old-ish bikes and parts.
Pace were fairly responsive when e-mailing them and said they could service it no problem.
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
17,313
14,123
Cackalacka du Nord
You guys remember when this thread started about real forks.

Like.......mountainbike forks.........
oh...so you no like my last manitou fork...the r7? on my fucking gary fisher sugar in 2002? yeah. everything about ALL that was crap. thank goodness i began vanilla-ing and 36-ing soon thereafter :D
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,062
10,626
AK
Google "pace forks"

Actually don't, because then you'll just be talking about them for some reason like everyone else. Definitely don't google "pace forks". Don't do that.
You got to do it right, google "a pair of Pace forks".
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
7,663
7,021
You guys remember when this thread started about real forks.

Like.......mountainbike forks.........
You wanna buy my Z1? Four rides old, $600AU, stiffer than a real 36, can't be luftcapped etc etc.
Help me buy another weird fork.