First Look: FOX 34 Float Factory Fork

If you’re on the lookout for a new slider for the front of your trail bike, you’ve never been so spoilt for choice. Long travel trail forks have progressively become lighter each year, but they’ve also ended up stiffer and stronger too. Now you can expect a sub-2kg fork to feature 150mm travel fork in a chassis that’ll give you DH-like responsiveness. Adjustability is getting better too, but it’s the improvement in small-bump sensitivity that has been noticeable in the latest crop of long-travel trail forks. Case in point would be the now venerable RockShox PIKE, and the latest Formula 35 fork. Both sliders offer an incredibly supple feel that allows your front tyre to stay stuck to the ground for masses of traction and control.

Despite the added competition, Fox hit back for 2016 with significant redesigns across the board to make their forks and rear shocks smoother and more adjustable, for better performance on the trail. Rather than see the usual year-to-year tweaks, the 34 fork line went through a complete rebuild from the ground up, taking on board much of the improvements found in the latest 36. The new 34 fork has dropped significant weight over the 2015 model, and it also comes to the party with Fox’s redesigned FLOAT air spring and the new FIT 4 damper cartridge. I’ve had one of the new Factory models on for longterm test over the past few months, and I thought I’d take you through some of the features of the new fork.

“Designed for the aggressive trail rider, the 2016 34 has been completely re-imagined from the inside out, featuring an all-new FIT4 damper, FLOAT air spring, and super lightweight chassis. It drops significant weight over its predecessor while providing improved trail performance that instills confidence and control.” – Fox Racing Shox

The Fox 34 FLOAT Factory Fork features:

• Lightweight, long-travel trail fork
• 150mm travel (internally adjustable to 140mm)
• FLOAT air spring
• FIT4 sealed damper
• 34mm diameter Kashima Coat stanchions
• Tapered 1.5″ alloy steerer tube
• One-piece Magnesium lowers
• QR15 thru-axle
• Adjustments: Spring, spring volume, rebound, 3-position compression lever, low-speed compression dial
• Claimed weight: 1780 grams
• RRP: $1349

For 2016 and beyond, Fox have ditched CTD. In its place is the new FIT4 cartridge in the forks, and the new DPS damper inside the rear shocks. Fox wanted to offer better adjustability on the trail, but they also wanted to get away from the Climb/Trail/Descend nomenclature of their previous models. The problem with the CTD naming system is that many of your average users would take those settings literally, despite the ‘Climb’ setting being pretty much a full lockout, and in my opinion, utterly useless off-road. Now there’s simply Open/Medium/Firm settings, and the black dial inside offers you additional low-speed compression adjustment when you’re in the Open setting.

“Now in its fourth generation, our patented FIT4 (FOX Isolated Technology) closed cartridge system provides three on-the-fly compression damping positions – Open, Medium, and Firm – to adapt to varying trail conditions. Factory Series forks feature an additional 22 clicks of low-speed compression adjust in the Open mode, allowing riders to fine-tune their exact damping preferences. The FIT4 cartridge damper was redesigned based on our award-winning RC2 damper, resulting in a much higher performing damper across all forks.” – Fox Racing Shox

Chassis improvements on the new 34 fork have been employed to strip away grams from the overall fork weight, while also building in a little more compliance. As carbon frames and wheels get stiffer and stiffer, having a touch more give in the fork reduces the ‘pinball effect’ you might experience when dumping the bike into a fast-paced descent over chunky rocks. The gold Kashima Coat remains on the Factory model, allowing for super smooth sliding in conjunction with the new low-flange seals.

The Fox 34 FLOAT Factory test fork has been bolted to the front of our Avanti Torrent longterm test bike, along with the new Fox FLOAT DPS rear shock. You’ll be able to read an update review on the Torrent in the upcoming issue of AMB Magazine, where I’ve also reviewed the Australian-made Bouwmeester Tammar wheelset. Stay tuned to AMBMag.com.au for the full-blown review of the Fox 34 fork, including a shake down report of how to tune the air spring with the included yellow spacers, along with further damping tricks.

Sola Sport

Website: solasport.com.au

Fox

Website: ridefox.com