28.08.2024. 09:34
Vital hat ein interessantes Video über Endurogabeln veröffentlicht. Es ist zwar über eine Stunde lang, aber in sinnvolle Kapitel aufgeteilt.
Sie haben ZEB, Fox 38, Öhlins 38, Suntour Durolux, Formulas Doppelbrücke und DVO Onyx getestet.
Die Topgabeln für die 3 Tester waren die Rock Shox Zeb und 2x die Öhlins 38. Die Öhlins eher für die sehr harte Gangart und die Zeb für die Tunebarkeit und den Komfort. Die 38 möchten die Tester ebenfalls sehr.
Hier ein Link zum Video:
Die geschriebene Version:
https://www.vitalmtb.com/features/whats-...t-sessions
Table of Contents
As enduro bikes have progressed into their current state, they've slowly morphed into mini-downhill bikes. They can still pedal decently well, but descending performance reigns supreme over factors like weight and versatility. Modern enduro forks nicely illustrate and mimic this progression. They've grown burlier with time, featuring larger diameter stanchions, stiffer chassis, more travel, and internal hardware similar to what brands spec in their downhill forks. It's a welcomed and warranted evolution to match the speed and aggression that enduro bikes facilitate.
We tested forks from FOX, RockShox, Öhlins, Formula, DVO, XFusion, and SR Suntour. All forks are the highest model offered by each manufacturer and have 170 or 180mm of travel. Skimming over the spec sheets of our test field highlights a few common themes and peculiarities within the group. 38m stanchions have become the most popular tube diameter for longer travel enduro forks thanks to the balance of weight and stiffness they provide. However, the test has an outlier in the form of Formula's Belva fork with its 35mm stanchions. The Belva is also the only dual-crown fork in the test, with all other forks utilizing a traditional single-crown architecture.
All forks use an air spring instead of a coil and feature some way to adjust the spring curve, whether that be volume spacers or, in the case of Öhlins' RXF38, a secondary ramp-up chamber. Some forks also have bleeders on the lower legs to equalize pressure with changing climates. On the damper side, we see a mixture of cartridge, bladder, and spring-backed IFP designs. Regardless of the damper guts, riders have a combination of high and low-speed compression and rebound-damping external adjustments.
Despite plenty of differences, all the forks weigh within 300 grams of each other. As expected, there is a cost to ride premium forks. The cheapest fork in our test, SR Suntour's Durolux 38, cost $849, while the most expensive fork, the Belva, cost $1,549.
Upgrading to a new fork is a great way to impact the performance and feel of your bike, especially when you consider all the adjustments available to fine-tune your setup. There are no excuses in 2024 not to have a fork that performs exactly as you'd like. The flip side is that more adjustments can lead to more problems if you don't understand the changes you are making. Suspension tuning is all about patience, repetition, and solving one problem at a time. To give us a fighting chance of testing and arriving at an ideal setup on every fork, we started with the manufacturer's recommended settings. From there, we made changes based on comfort, rider preference, and testing conditions.
How We Tested and Rated 7 Forks
So what makes a fork a strong performer and cut out for the intensity of enduro riding? We separated on-trail performance into four categories to help organize our thoughts as we bounced between forks. Each fork then received a score out of ten in each category, plus an overall score. Here are the judging criteria that we focused on:
Fork Critics
To maintain a high degree of puzzling and proper fork smashing, testing was handled by Vital Tech Editors Jason Schroeder and Jonny Simonetti, along with returning Test Sessions rider Dennis Yuroshek. Dennis is a New Jersey native and Mountain Creek local who participated in our Downhill Bike Test Sessions two years ago. Unfortunately, his testing ended early after he broke his leg on day one. With Test Sessions again taking place in his neck of the woods, it was only fair to have him back for some well-deserved redemption.
Jason Schroeder
Jonny Simonetti
Dennis Yuroshek
Where We Tested
After a two-year hiatus, we took Test Sessions back to Vernon, New Jersey, the home of Mountain Creek Bike Park. Situated only an hour from New York City, Mountain Creek has hosted multiple world-class events over the years, including the second round of the Monster Energy Downhill series earlier this year. One of the most popular bike parks on the East Coast, they are well known for their impressive variety of trails, featuring a mix of rough, unrelenting rock gardens, high-speed chunder, technical root sections, and flowy jump lines with ripping berms. With a short lift ride that allows multiple runs to be knocked out per hour and accommodations conveniently located at the base, Mountain Creek was the perfect location to test each fork on proper terrain.
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Our Picks - Vital Recommended
These are the top three standout performers that earned the "Vital Recommends" badge.
RockShox Zeb Ultimate
Highlights
The ZEB is the first 38mm stanchion fork from RockShox and is reminiscent of the Totem in years past but with a whole lot more bump-eating tech packed inside. The upper portion of the chassis features a tapered steer tube butted into a machined crown that shave as much weight as possible and gives the ZEB a premium look without sacrificing stiffness. The lower legs represent all that RockShox has learned over the past decade of development in enduro racing and long travel single crown performance.
Around the axle is a Torque Cap compatible dropout for oversized hub end caps to maximize stiffness at the hub interface; bolt-in placeholders are included for use with regular hubs.
Pressure relief valves are found on the backside of the legs, and a dial-style plug is used to operate them. Above them sit a set of SKF dust wiper seals to minimize friction.
Other lower leg details include an offset arch to help clear larger head tubes with bolt-on fender mounts, a 200mm post-mount brake interface, and a Maxle 15mm through axle.
RockShox is always chasing friction reduction and small bump sensitivity, most of which can be attributed to the DebonAir+ air spring inside the ZEB. The piston runs along the inner wall of the upper tube, and RockShox utilizes a more rigid construction of the internal air spring components to maintain smooth action regardless of forces transmitted through the external chassis. This helps avoid friction normally associated with this style of air spring. A large air volume helps build support naturally throughout travel, and volume can be adjusted through the use of the Bottomless Tokens provided with the fork. Taking small bump absorption even further, two rubber pucks found at the bottom of the air shaft and damper assemblies, referred to as "Buttercups," soak up trail chatter before the air spring even begins to move.
The newly released Charger 3.1 damper is now found across the Ultimate and Select+ levels of the RockShox lineup. This revision creates a larger range of damping force within the same range of adjustment. The compression circuit has been reworked to help oil flow more freely when open for decreased damping support and be more restrictive when closed for increased damping support, meaning each click will result in a greater damping effect than before. While the 3.1 update is quite new, the best attributes of the original Charger 3 still remain. There are still five clicks of HSC, ten clicks of LSC, and 20 clicks of rebound adjustment with the same intuitive user interface to coincide with the rest of the RockShox fork and shock line. These adjustments are designed to eliminate any crossover from one to the next, meaning one damping effect should have no effect on another to allow for the most precise setup possible.
While some of us have had the ZEB on the front of our bikes more often than others since its inception, we had yet to spend any time on the latest Charger 3.1 damper and updated bushings. But as we got into testing, these changes proved to be highly effective, and the results spoke for themselves.
What's The Bottom Line?
Jonny: "Dead silent and supportive in all the right ways. The ZEB creates an intuitive ride experience that builds support in a predictable way and makes the unplanned events on trail easier to handle. The settings I am used to running back home didn’t apply where we tested, but the adjusted settings weren’t far off and the intuitive user interface made making changes a breeze. The standout characteristics were comfort and traction; the fork never skipped a beat, and my front wheel felt settled in every situation tested."
Dennis: "I started with the recommended air pressure of 66 psi and found the Zeb was deflecting under hard/deep compressions and diving off jumps and through g-outs. I bumped the pressure up and settled at 73 psi, which helped with the deflection issue. This gave the fork more support and calmed it down during those deep compression situations. It also gave the Zeb more stability at high speeds, keeping the front end up under braking or bermed-out turns, which translated to more confidence. I played with HSC and LSC and returned to the recommended middle position for both. The Zeb has a lot of tunability, and you can really feel the difference just 1 or 2 clicks make. With fewer clicks between settings, I feel this will help riders find their settings easier and faster as fewer options are almost better at times, so you don't get lost in setup.
I ultimately picked the Zeb as my favorite out of the bunch. It was incredibly plush in the beginning stroke yet had plenty of mid-stroke support to keep from diving or bottoming out too harshly. The standout trait was its small bump sensitivity, which really helped in braking bumps. The fork would eat up bumps and chatter so that my hands didn't have to. I also loved the ease of tunability, as Rockshox made it stupid easy to adjust HSC and LSC on the fly. The long service interval is a plus as well; I'm sure I'm not the only one who pushes the limits on service from time to time. Lastly, the most important reason I picked the Zeb was because it's red and will match my bike perfectly. And red is FAST."
Jason: "If this test were based simply on looks, the Zeb would take the cake, no questions asked. The new red colorway was bright but not obnoxious, the compression dials looked all sophisticated like a clock dial, and the crown had a nice bead-blasted finish reminiscent of a factory-edition dirt bike. In action, the fork performed just as well as it looked, delivering insane levels of comfort and small bump compliance matched with a calm composure through chunk. I've always appreciated how smooth and supple the previous Charger 3 damper remained over chatter, and the new 3.1 damper was a similar story. The ease at which the fork breaks away and begins moving during a compression makes it incredibly easy on the hands. At times, this almost made the fork feel a tad vague because it muted so much ground feel. It's hard to complain about a fork eliminating feedback so well, but there were moments when I wanted more feedback to know how the fork was reacting to the trail.
I like what RockShox has done with external adjustments; they're easy to understand and allow you to visualize the changes you are making. You also don't have a bunch of clicks, and each click makes a considerable difference. I did stray from the stock settings a tad, adding 5 psi to gain more hold-up and maintain a higher average ride height. I also added +1 HSC and +2 LSC to achieve a similar outcome. More HSC improved control during fast-paced, big hits and kept the fork from cycling through its travel as much. I still think FOX and Öhlins offered a more controlled, heavier-damped feel during HSCs, but the Zeb still got the job done. More LSC kept the fork riding higher through berms, rollers and jumps. I only increased rebound by +1 as the fork felt a little fast after a few runs of riding in the 90-degree heat.
Overall, the Zeb was the most comfortable fork across every trail we tested on, and provided a supported, calm ride quality no matter if I was pushing a fast pace through technical sections or just cruising down a flow trail. In the end, the Zeb scored the highest in the test for me. However, I didn't pick it as my take-home fork. Why? Well, it was a toss-up between the Zeb, FOX 38, and Ohlins RXF38. I was really splitting hairs picking one as a winner or favorite, but the RXF38 was my take-home choice because of the performance I felt it still had on tap with some more testing and tuning. I'm sure I would be equally as stoked with the Zeb in the long run, but that was my final answer. Regardless of my decision, there is no denying that the Zeb is one of the best forks out there at this time."
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FOX 38 Factory
Highlights
Launched back in 2020, the 38 helped write the blueprints for burly, long-travel, single-crown forks. Upper chassis highlights include a larger CSU with an elliptical steerer tube to improve lateral and torsional stiffness and a rounded arch that curves forward to clear larger head tubes and has methodical cutouts to minimize weight. The lower legs utilize bypass channels that increase the air volume of the lowers, creating less ramp-up and a more linear feel. As the fork compresses, air trapped at the bottom of the fork can escape above the lower bushing, allowing the fork to more easily reach full travel. The channels also provide a pathway for oil to circulate the fork, lubricating the bushings and seals.
On the outside of the lowers are bleeder valves that remove trapped air inside the fork and equalize it with outside atmospheric pressure.
The 38 uses FOX's EVOL air spring that places the spring piston inside a floating air sleeve instead of sitting against the inside of the fork stanchions. The air sleeve can move slightly inside the stanchion, allowing the piston to function smoothly regardless of torsional load. Riders can install volume reducers in the positive chamber to create a more progressive spring curve. The positive and negative chambers are also connected via a transfer port that equalizes the pressure between them to improve initial stroke sensitivity.
New for model year 2025 forks is FOX's latest Grip X2 damper that replaces their popular Grip 2 damper. It maintains the same four-way external adjustments but offers a higher degree of compression tunability. It also has a faster response time, resulting in more control and traction when you're really getting after it on rowdy trails. The most significant change from Grip 2 to Grip X2 is that high-speed compression is no longer controlled by FOX's variable valve control (VVC) system.
Ditching VVC in the HSC circuit freed up room in the X2 damper to add a large compression shim stack and base valve. Grip 2 had a 20mm base valve with seven shims; Grip X2 has a 24mm base valve with 23 shims. The additional shims allow the damper to better control oil velocity, creating a more consistent ramp in shim flex at various speeds. This results in consistent damping throughout travel, a more sensitive initial stroke, and good support without feeling harsh. The range of tunability is also more usable, and the change between clicks is more noticeable than before. Now, 'open' still offers some damping, while 'closed' is not completely shut off, making either desirable in the right terrain. Beyond all the new damper goodness, the only other update for 2025 forks is lower friction bushings, which, thanks to a grooveless design, retain a more even coat of oil.
Grip X2 marks a significant change in the tuning ideology of FOX's dampers, which have generally been more air spring-dependent than damper-dependent. Riders should now expect to ride with fewer volume spacers, the proper amount of pressure to achieve normal sag, and more compression damping to achieve a calm, controlled, supportive ride.
The 38 was the one fork in the test we had all ridden extensively over the years. However, we had minimal time aboard the new X2 damper, which turned out to significantly impact the performance of a fork we thought we had figured out.
What's The Bottom Line?
Jonny: "The standout trait of the 38 was stability. The chassis felt super solid, and the damper felt supportive at every part of travel. In terms of adjustability, I feel like any trait a rider could want out of their suspension can be achieved with the tools FOX provides. This fork had the widest usable range of damper and air spring adjustment in the test, making it adaptable to a multitude of riding styles and terrain."
Dennis: "It feels like FOX made the 38 with Richie Rude in mind. This is a big boy fork made for burly riders that has enough compression damping and hold up to support 200+ lb riders without blowing through its travel. The chassis has very little flex and is super stout, giving you loads of confidence. It did take me longer to arrive at a dialed setup as more external adjustments and lots of clicks = more time twisting knobs. Using the bracketing system, after about six or so runs, I felt like I started to get a good feeling out of the fork. I did not have to change out volume spacers this go around like I often did with Grip 2, and I ended up running HSC a touch open and LSC a touch closed. I also bumped up the pressure by 2 psi. The LSC knob was very soft feeling and incredibly hard to count clicks; I had to restart the process a couple of times to be sure I was getting the proper count. Overall, the updated 38 was in the top running for me. I have MANY years of experience with Fox products, and I was very impressed by the support and stability provided by the new damper. The boys at Fox did an amazing job with this one. You won't be disappointed."
Jason: "I’ve ridden the 38 most of all the forks in the test, and enjoy its stout, definitive feel when you really hit stuff at speeds. It takes a pretty big impact or mistake to fluster the fork which translates to lots of confidence. After spending so many years on FOX’s Grip 2 damper, the new Grip X2 damper has required a shift in my tuning approach. But it has been a change for the better. For this test, I was able to run proper air pressure with no volume reducers and instead use more compression damping to add control and support without fear of adding harshness. I never changed my air pressure, and instead closed HSC and LSC one click past middle to increase support. In contrast, with Grip 2, I probably would have added a few psi to achieve the same outcome instead of turning the compression adjustments much further past mid-way. Grip X2 was one of my favorite dampers as it felt like there was no end to how hard I could push the fork and receive ample support, and the clicks of adjustment made a significant change in performance.
The conditions we tested in were super chattery and hard-packed, and after riding a few other forks, it made me realize the stiff, definitive feel of the 38 is great for reading how the fork is responding to the ground, but it's less comfortable. It wasn’t to a degree that made the fork unrideable or minimized traction, but it did cause more arm/hand fatigue throughout the length of a run.
Overall, I think the 38 is still one of the best enduro forks on the market, and FOX’s new Grip X2 damper continues to keep it at the front of the pack. It provides the confidence needed to charge descents really hard, with way more useful external adjustments compared to before and internals that are familiar and easily serviceable by shops worldwide."
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Öhlins RXF38 M.2
Highlights
Created to provide the same level of performance as Ölin's World Cup-winning DH38 dual crown fork, the RXF38 was built to meet the demands of enduro racing. It features a chassis that was fine-tuned to achieve a flex profile that blends comfort and control. The control part of the equation starts with the upper crown assembly, which consists of a tapered steer tube, solid crown, and 38mm stanchion tubes. Matching this control with a favorable level of comfort comes from methodically constructed lower legs, which house a set of low-friction dust wipers. Öhlins took their time developing these lower legs for the second generation of the 38mm chassis to create a middle ground between the DH38 and RXF36 chassis.
Main chamber
Ramp up chamber
While the Öhlins setup relies more heavily on the damper than the air spring, the air spring is pretty unique in itself. The three-chamber system uses a cartridge-style design, eliminating the need for volume spacers. It consists of a standard positive chamber, negative chamber, and ramp-up chamber found at the bottom of the fork. The main chamber up top dictates the overall spring curve of the fork through standard air pressure adjustment to control the overall fork feel. Within the main chamber is a negative chamber, which can be tuned with spacers to control the initial breakaway force and feeling at the beginning of the travel. Lastly, the ramp-up chamber provides bottom-out support towards the end of travel independent of the main chamber. This separation is made possible through the use of a small piston housed within the lower half of the air shaft assembly, which provides bottom-out support at the second half of travel without affecting small bump sensitivity early in the stroke.
The TTX 18 damper inside the RXF 38 gets its name from the twin tube design and an 18mm diameter main piston. The piston was 22mm on the first generation but was sized down to help improve sensitivity across bumps of all sizes and speeds. The TTX 18 damper provides external low and high-speed compression adjustments and a single low-speed rebound adjustment. While these are standard adjustments found across most dampers on the market, the clicks are more limited than most. High-speed compression has only three positions (plus a locked 'closed' position), while low-speed compression and rebound have a wider range at 15 clicks. Öhlins does this to prevent things from getting too far from a recommended setup and, instead, suggests having the shim stack re-valved if a different damping characteristic is desired.
While the RXF 38 hasn't undergone any major updates recently, the tech it provides is unique among the group. Our overseas tech guru Johan has spent extensive time aboard the Ohlins forks and has always given them glowing praise, so we were excited to see how our stateside crew would fare with the Swedish brand's top-tier fork.
What's The Bottom Line?
Jonny: "Riding the Öhlins felt like I was floating on a bubble that couldn’t be popped over successive hits with a great combination of sensitivity and support. The ramp control air chamber was beneficial in building bottom-out support without sacrificing small bump sensitivity. Where it lacked a bit of overall comfort, it made up for it in support and stability, which allowed me to push closer to the limit. While it didn’t receive the highest overall score in the test, the RXF 38 came out as my favorite fork in the end."
Dennis: "The RXF38 had a heap of confidence. It was an easy fork to set up and "forget" with not that many usable adjustments up top on the HSC/LSC knob, in my opinion. With only one click of HSC, it felt great; if you went + or -, it was either too "open" or "closed" feeling, so I kept it at one. I really liked the ramp-up chamber feature on the fork, as it was easy to adjust and dial in. I did go 10psi over recommended for my rider weight. The RXF38 was super smooth and supple, coming in just behind the ZEB for comfort and compliance. I actually thought both forks had very similar ride characteristics, with awesome small bump sensitivity and plenty of support deeper in the travel when things got wild. It absolutely railed whooped out berms, providing a level of confidence that some of the other forks lacked. It didn't do anything unexpected when pushing off lips or getting pitted in the rock gardens. I've had issues with Öhlins suspension in the past that left a sour taste, but this go-around with the RXF38 was superb, given the short testing period."
Jason: "Based on Jonny's more extensive time on the fork, I took his advice to run higher than the recommended pressure in the ramp-up chamber and then leave the main chamber at the recommended pressure. I ran LSC compression in the middle, which delivered plenty of hold-up through berms and g-outs. I also ran HSC two clicks from closed to keep the fork from reaching bottom out as abruptly.
The most impressive characteristic of the RXF38 was how much support it provided without feeling harsh. The harder I pushed the fork, the more control and stability it could provide. It excelled at tracking the ground and gliding over holes through rock gardens. I think a lot of this comes down to how well the ramp-up chamber and damper work in unison. You get so much control from the middle to the end of travel that you can charge into compressions, knowing the fork won't get overwhelmed and will recover quickly. At the same time, the support is delivered at a constant rate (more linear vs progressive), with no sudden wall compression or air spring damping. The composure of the fork when smashing into multiple large impacts was a notch above the rest. My only issue with the RXF38 was that it was less supple right off the top. I felt the fork chattering a bit more through flat rock gardens and braking bumps, but not to a degree that significantly took away from its performance or ride quality. I still think the Zeb was the most impressive when it came to absorbing energy and minimizing feedback, and the RXF 38 was tied in second with the FOX 38.
Overall, the RXF38 was my favorite fork in the test because it gave me the most confidence to ride aggressively. I also think it has the most performance still up for grabs with more time and tuning. It might not be as buttery smooth as the Zeb, but its composure when things get rowdy has me sold. And as a bonus, it's damn light."
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Sie haben ZEB, Fox 38, Öhlins 38, Suntour Durolux, Formulas Doppelbrücke und DVO Onyx getestet.
Die Topgabeln für die 3 Tester waren die Rock Shox Zeb und 2x die Öhlins 38. Die Öhlins eher für die sehr harte Gangart und die Zeb für die Tunebarkeit und den Komfort. Die 38 möchten die Tester ebenfalls sehr.
Hier ein Link zum Video:
Die geschriebene Version:
https://www.vitalmtb.com/features/whats-...t-sessions
Table of Contents
- How we tested
- Fork critics
- Where we tested
- RockShox Zeb Ultimate Review
- FOX Factory 38 Review
- Ohlins RXF38 Review
- SR Suntour Durolux 38 Review
- Formula Belva Review
- DVO Onyx D1 38 Review
- XFusion Vengeance 38 Review
- Overall Scores
As enduro bikes have progressed into their current state, they've slowly morphed into mini-downhill bikes. They can still pedal decently well, but descending performance reigns supreme over factors like weight and versatility. Modern enduro forks nicely illustrate and mimic this progression. They've grown burlier with time, featuring larger diameter stanchions, stiffer chassis, more travel, and internal hardware similar to what brands spec in their downhill forks. It's a welcomed and warranted evolution to match the speed and aggression that enduro bikes facilitate.
We tested forks from FOX, RockShox, Öhlins, Formula, DVO, XFusion, and SR Suntour. All forks are the highest model offered by each manufacturer and have 170 or 180mm of travel. Skimming over the spec sheets of our test field highlights a few common themes and peculiarities within the group. 38m stanchions have become the most popular tube diameter for longer travel enduro forks thanks to the balance of weight and stiffness they provide. However, the test has an outlier in the form of Formula's Belva fork with its 35mm stanchions. The Belva is also the only dual-crown fork in the test, with all other forks utilizing a traditional single-crown architecture.
All forks use an air spring instead of a coil and feature some way to adjust the spring curve, whether that be volume spacers or, in the case of Öhlins' RXF38, a secondary ramp-up chamber. Some forks also have bleeders on the lower legs to equalize pressure with changing climates. On the damper side, we see a mixture of cartridge, bladder, and spring-backed IFP designs. Regardless of the damper guts, riders have a combination of high and low-speed compression and rebound-damping external adjustments.
Despite plenty of differences, all the forks weigh within 300 grams of each other. As expected, there is a cost to ride premium forks. The cheapest fork in our test, SR Suntour's Durolux 38, cost $849, while the most expensive fork, the Belva, cost $1,549.
Upgrading to a new fork is a great way to impact the performance and feel of your bike, especially when you consider all the adjustments available to fine-tune your setup. There are no excuses in 2024 not to have a fork that performs exactly as you'd like. The flip side is that more adjustments can lead to more problems if you don't understand the changes you are making. Suspension tuning is all about patience, repetition, and solving one problem at a time. To give us a fighting chance of testing and arriving at an ideal setup on every fork, we started with the manufacturer's recommended settings. From there, we made changes based on comfort, rider preference, and testing conditions.
How We Tested and Rated 7 Forks
So what makes a fork a strong performer and cut out for the intensity of enduro riding? We separated on-trail performance into four categories to help organize our thoughts as we bounced between forks. Each fork then received a score out of ten in each category, plus an overall score. Here are the judging criteria that we focused on:
- Support & Stability: How well does the fork maintain a comfortable and confident ride height through deep, fast compressions? Does it avoid diving without feeling harsh? Can it handle success hits and remain composed?
- Tunability: Analyzing the usability of external adjustments and the ease at which an ideal setup can be achieved.
- Comfort: Analyzing small bump compliance and vibration damping through high-frequency compressions, as well as chassis flex and deflection during large, high-speed impacts (ex., rock gardens).
- Traction: How well does the fork allow the front wheel to maintain contact with the ground, providing control and grip across various surfaces.
Fork Critics
To maintain a high degree of puzzling and proper fork smashing, testing was handled by Vital Tech Editors Jason Schroeder and Jonny Simonetti, along with returning Test Sessions rider Dennis Yuroshek. Dennis is a New Jersey native and Mountain Creek local who participated in our Downhill Bike Test Sessions two years ago. Unfortunately, his testing ended early after he broke his leg on day one. With Test Sessions again taking place in his neck of the woods, it was only fair to have him back for some well-deserved redemption.
Jason Schroeder
Jonny Simonetti
Dennis Yuroshek
- 29 years old
- 6' (180cm)
- 185 lb (83.9 kg)
- Test bike: Giant Reign
- Body position/riding style: More upright and rearward; asleep at the wheel. I tend to let the bike react to the trail ahead and enjoy seeking out inside or straight lines.
- Describe your ideal fork setup: Fairly fast rebound to be able to pump the bike and have some pushback to input. Not too stiff, but with solid support to maintain a high ride height through impacts.
- 30 years old
- 6' 4" (193cm)
- Weight: 225 lbs (102 kg)
- Test bike: Scott Ransom
- Body position/riding style: Skatepark inspiration. Try to stay smooth and pedal as little as possible.
- Describe your ideal fork setup: I like a supportive air spring to keep my weight distribution in check which usually ends up somewhere around 18% sag. Rebound is slow enough to stay in control but quick enough to be highly active. I keep low speed compression supportive and high speed compression just under the middle of its adjustment range.
- 37 years old
- 5' 10" (177cm)
- 190 lb (86.1 kg)
- Test bike: Specialized Enduro
- Body position/riding style: Aggressive style with the ability to muscle the bike around; I enjoy riding the sides of the trail, looking for different lines, and trying to be creative on the bike.
- Describe your ideal fork setup: Soft and supple off the top for comfortable small bump compliance. Then, I like to have it ramp up pretty quickly so the bike's geometry doesn't alter too much, giving my bike a consistent feel.
Where We Tested
After a two-year hiatus, we took Test Sessions back to Vernon, New Jersey, the home of Mountain Creek Bike Park. Situated only an hour from New York City, Mountain Creek has hosted multiple world-class events over the years, including the second round of the Monster Energy Downhill series earlier this year. One of the most popular bike parks on the East Coast, they are well known for their impressive variety of trails, featuring a mix of rough, unrelenting rock gardens, high-speed chunder, technical root sections, and flowy jump lines with ripping berms. With a short lift ride that allows multiple runs to be knocked out per hour and accommodations conveniently located at the base, Mountain Creek was the perfect location to test each fork on proper terrain.
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Our Picks - Vital Recommended
These are the top three standout performers that earned the "Vital Recommends" badge.
RockShox Zeb Ultimate
Highlights
- Travel options: 150mm // 160mm // 170mm (tested) // 180mm // 190mm
- 27.5-inch // 29-inch wheel sizes
- Offset: 38mm (27.5”) // 44mm (27.5”, 29”)
- 38mm stanchions
- Charger 3.1 damper
- DebonAir+ air spring w/ ButterCups
- External adjustments:
- Positive air chamber w/ volume spacers
- Low and high speed compression adjustments
- Low speed rebound adjustments
- Positive air chamber w/ volume spacers
- 15mm axle
- Pressure relief valves
- Axle to crown: 586mm
- Fender included
- Rotor size: 203mm direct mount (up to 220mm compatible)
- Weight: 2,380g
- Price: $1,159 USD
The ZEB is the first 38mm stanchion fork from RockShox and is reminiscent of the Totem in years past but with a whole lot more bump-eating tech packed inside. The upper portion of the chassis features a tapered steer tube butted into a machined crown that shave as much weight as possible and gives the ZEB a premium look without sacrificing stiffness. The lower legs represent all that RockShox has learned over the past decade of development in enduro racing and long travel single crown performance.
Around the axle is a Torque Cap compatible dropout for oversized hub end caps to maximize stiffness at the hub interface; bolt-in placeholders are included for use with regular hubs.
Pressure relief valves are found on the backside of the legs, and a dial-style plug is used to operate them. Above them sit a set of SKF dust wiper seals to minimize friction.
Other lower leg details include an offset arch to help clear larger head tubes with bolt-on fender mounts, a 200mm post-mount brake interface, and a Maxle 15mm through axle.
RockShox is always chasing friction reduction and small bump sensitivity, most of which can be attributed to the DebonAir+ air spring inside the ZEB. The piston runs along the inner wall of the upper tube, and RockShox utilizes a more rigid construction of the internal air spring components to maintain smooth action regardless of forces transmitted through the external chassis. This helps avoid friction normally associated with this style of air spring. A large air volume helps build support naturally throughout travel, and volume can be adjusted through the use of the Bottomless Tokens provided with the fork. Taking small bump absorption even further, two rubber pucks found at the bottom of the air shaft and damper assemblies, referred to as "Buttercups," soak up trail chatter before the air spring even begins to move.
The newly released Charger 3.1 damper is now found across the Ultimate and Select+ levels of the RockShox lineup. This revision creates a larger range of damping force within the same range of adjustment. The compression circuit has been reworked to help oil flow more freely when open for decreased damping support and be more restrictive when closed for increased damping support, meaning each click will result in a greater damping effect than before. While the 3.1 update is quite new, the best attributes of the original Charger 3 still remain. There are still five clicks of HSC, ten clicks of LSC, and 20 clicks of rebound adjustment with the same intuitive user interface to coincide with the rest of the RockShox fork and shock line. These adjustments are designed to eliminate any crossover from one to the next, meaning one damping effect should have no effect on another to allow for the most precise setup possible.
While some of us have had the ZEB on the front of our bikes more often than others since its inception, we had yet to spend any time on the latest Charger 3.1 damper and updated bushings. But as we got into testing, these changes proved to be highly effective, and the results spoke for themselves.
What's The Bottom Line?
Jonny: "Dead silent and supportive in all the right ways. The ZEB creates an intuitive ride experience that builds support in a predictable way and makes the unplanned events on trail easier to handle. The settings I am used to running back home didn’t apply where we tested, but the adjusted settings weren’t far off and the intuitive user interface made making changes a breeze. The standout characteristics were comfort and traction; the fork never skipped a beat, and my front wheel felt settled in every situation tested."
Dennis: "I started with the recommended air pressure of 66 psi and found the Zeb was deflecting under hard/deep compressions and diving off jumps and through g-outs. I bumped the pressure up and settled at 73 psi, which helped with the deflection issue. This gave the fork more support and calmed it down during those deep compression situations. It also gave the Zeb more stability at high speeds, keeping the front end up under braking or bermed-out turns, which translated to more confidence. I played with HSC and LSC and returned to the recommended middle position for both. The Zeb has a lot of tunability, and you can really feel the difference just 1 or 2 clicks make. With fewer clicks between settings, I feel this will help riders find their settings easier and faster as fewer options are almost better at times, so you don't get lost in setup.
I ultimately picked the Zeb as my favorite out of the bunch. It was incredibly plush in the beginning stroke yet had plenty of mid-stroke support to keep from diving or bottoming out too harshly. The standout trait was its small bump sensitivity, which really helped in braking bumps. The fork would eat up bumps and chatter so that my hands didn't have to. I also loved the ease of tunability, as Rockshox made it stupid easy to adjust HSC and LSC on the fly. The long service interval is a plus as well; I'm sure I'm not the only one who pushes the limits on service from time to time. Lastly, the most important reason I picked the Zeb was because it's red and will match my bike perfectly. And red is FAST."
Jason: "If this test were based simply on looks, the Zeb would take the cake, no questions asked. The new red colorway was bright but not obnoxious, the compression dials looked all sophisticated like a clock dial, and the crown had a nice bead-blasted finish reminiscent of a factory-edition dirt bike. In action, the fork performed just as well as it looked, delivering insane levels of comfort and small bump compliance matched with a calm composure through chunk. I've always appreciated how smooth and supple the previous Charger 3 damper remained over chatter, and the new 3.1 damper was a similar story. The ease at which the fork breaks away and begins moving during a compression makes it incredibly easy on the hands. At times, this almost made the fork feel a tad vague because it muted so much ground feel. It's hard to complain about a fork eliminating feedback so well, but there were moments when I wanted more feedback to know how the fork was reacting to the trail.
I like what RockShox has done with external adjustments; they're easy to understand and allow you to visualize the changes you are making. You also don't have a bunch of clicks, and each click makes a considerable difference. I did stray from the stock settings a tad, adding 5 psi to gain more hold-up and maintain a higher average ride height. I also added +1 HSC and +2 LSC to achieve a similar outcome. More HSC improved control during fast-paced, big hits and kept the fork from cycling through its travel as much. I still think FOX and Öhlins offered a more controlled, heavier-damped feel during HSCs, but the Zeb still got the job done. More LSC kept the fork riding higher through berms, rollers and jumps. I only increased rebound by +1 as the fork felt a little fast after a few runs of riding in the 90-degree heat.
Overall, the Zeb was the most comfortable fork across every trail we tested on, and provided a supported, calm ride quality no matter if I was pushing a fast pace through technical sections or just cruising down a flow trail. In the end, the Zeb scored the highest in the test for me. However, I didn't pick it as my take-home fork. Why? Well, it was a toss-up between the Zeb, FOX 38, and Ohlins RXF38. I was really splitting hairs picking one as a winner or favorite, but the RXF38 was my take-home choice because of the performance I felt it still had on tap with some more testing and tuning. I'm sure I would be equally as stoked with the Zeb in the long run, but that was my final answer. Regardless of my decision, there is no denying that the Zeb is one of the best forks out there at this time."
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FOX 38 Factory
Highlights
- Travel options: 160mm // 170mm (tested) // 180mm
- 27.5 (170mm only) & 29-inch options
- Grip X2 Damper
- Float EVOL Air spring
- External adjustments:
- Positive air chamber w/ volume spacers
- Low and high-speed compression
- Low and high-speed rebound
- Positive air chamber w/ volume spacers
- Lower leg bleeders and bypass channels
- Kabolt floating axle
- Elliptical steerer tube
- 44mm offset
- Mudguard sold separately
- Axle to crown: 583.7mm
- Rotor size: 180mm direct mount (up to 230mm compatible)
- Weight (29", 170mm): 2,446g
- MSRP: $1,249 USD
Launched back in 2020, the 38 helped write the blueprints for burly, long-travel, single-crown forks. Upper chassis highlights include a larger CSU with an elliptical steerer tube to improve lateral and torsional stiffness and a rounded arch that curves forward to clear larger head tubes and has methodical cutouts to minimize weight. The lower legs utilize bypass channels that increase the air volume of the lowers, creating less ramp-up and a more linear feel. As the fork compresses, air trapped at the bottom of the fork can escape above the lower bushing, allowing the fork to more easily reach full travel. The channels also provide a pathway for oil to circulate the fork, lubricating the bushings and seals.
On the outside of the lowers are bleeder valves that remove trapped air inside the fork and equalize it with outside atmospheric pressure.
The 38 uses FOX's EVOL air spring that places the spring piston inside a floating air sleeve instead of sitting against the inside of the fork stanchions. The air sleeve can move slightly inside the stanchion, allowing the piston to function smoothly regardless of torsional load. Riders can install volume reducers in the positive chamber to create a more progressive spring curve. The positive and negative chambers are also connected via a transfer port that equalizes the pressure between them to improve initial stroke sensitivity.
New for model year 2025 forks is FOX's latest Grip X2 damper that replaces their popular Grip 2 damper. It maintains the same four-way external adjustments but offers a higher degree of compression tunability. It also has a faster response time, resulting in more control and traction when you're really getting after it on rowdy trails. The most significant change from Grip 2 to Grip X2 is that high-speed compression is no longer controlled by FOX's variable valve control (VVC) system.
Ditching VVC in the HSC circuit freed up room in the X2 damper to add a large compression shim stack and base valve. Grip 2 had a 20mm base valve with seven shims; Grip X2 has a 24mm base valve with 23 shims. The additional shims allow the damper to better control oil velocity, creating a more consistent ramp in shim flex at various speeds. This results in consistent damping throughout travel, a more sensitive initial stroke, and good support without feeling harsh. The range of tunability is also more usable, and the change between clicks is more noticeable than before. Now, 'open' still offers some damping, while 'closed' is not completely shut off, making either desirable in the right terrain. Beyond all the new damper goodness, the only other update for 2025 forks is lower friction bushings, which, thanks to a grooveless design, retain a more even coat of oil.
Grip X2 marks a significant change in the tuning ideology of FOX's dampers, which have generally been more air spring-dependent than damper-dependent. Riders should now expect to ride with fewer volume spacers, the proper amount of pressure to achieve normal sag, and more compression damping to achieve a calm, controlled, supportive ride.
The 38 was the one fork in the test we had all ridden extensively over the years. However, we had minimal time aboard the new X2 damper, which turned out to significantly impact the performance of a fork we thought we had figured out.
What's The Bottom Line?
Jonny: "The standout trait of the 38 was stability. The chassis felt super solid, and the damper felt supportive at every part of travel. In terms of adjustability, I feel like any trait a rider could want out of their suspension can be achieved with the tools FOX provides. This fork had the widest usable range of damper and air spring adjustment in the test, making it adaptable to a multitude of riding styles and terrain."
Dennis: "It feels like FOX made the 38 with Richie Rude in mind. This is a big boy fork made for burly riders that has enough compression damping and hold up to support 200+ lb riders without blowing through its travel. The chassis has very little flex and is super stout, giving you loads of confidence. It did take me longer to arrive at a dialed setup as more external adjustments and lots of clicks = more time twisting knobs. Using the bracketing system, after about six or so runs, I felt like I started to get a good feeling out of the fork. I did not have to change out volume spacers this go around like I often did with Grip 2, and I ended up running HSC a touch open and LSC a touch closed. I also bumped up the pressure by 2 psi. The LSC knob was very soft feeling and incredibly hard to count clicks; I had to restart the process a couple of times to be sure I was getting the proper count. Overall, the updated 38 was in the top running for me. I have MANY years of experience with Fox products, and I was very impressed by the support and stability provided by the new damper. The boys at Fox did an amazing job with this one. You won't be disappointed."
Jason: "I’ve ridden the 38 most of all the forks in the test, and enjoy its stout, definitive feel when you really hit stuff at speeds. It takes a pretty big impact or mistake to fluster the fork which translates to lots of confidence. After spending so many years on FOX’s Grip 2 damper, the new Grip X2 damper has required a shift in my tuning approach. But it has been a change for the better. For this test, I was able to run proper air pressure with no volume reducers and instead use more compression damping to add control and support without fear of adding harshness. I never changed my air pressure, and instead closed HSC and LSC one click past middle to increase support. In contrast, with Grip 2, I probably would have added a few psi to achieve the same outcome instead of turning the compression adjustments much further past mid-way. Grip X2 was one of my favorite dampers as it felt like there was no end to how hard I could push the fork and receive ample support, and the clicks of adjustment made a significant change in performance.
The conditions we tested in were super chattery and hard-packed, and after riding a few other forks, it made me realize the stiff, definitive feel of the 38 is great for reading how the fork is responding to the ground, but it's less comfortable. It wasn’t to a degree that made the fork unrideable or minimized traction, but it did cause more arm/hand fatigue throughout the length of a run.
Overall, I think the 38 is still one of the best enduro forks on the market, and FOX’s new Grip X2 damper continues to keep it at the front of the pack. It provides the confidence needed to charge descents really hard, with way more useful external adjustments compared to before and internals that are familiar and easily serviceable by shops worldwide."
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Öhlins RXF38 M.2
Highlights
- Travel options: 160mm // 170mm (tested) // 180mm
- 27.5-inch // 29-inch wheel sizes
- Offset: 44mm // 51mm
- 38mm stanchions
- TTX18 twin-tube damper
- Coil or Three chamber air spring
- External adjustments:
- Positive air chamber w/ ramp adjust
- Low and high-speed compression adjustments
- Low-speed rebound adjustments
- Positive air chamber w/ ramp adjust
- 15mm floating axle
- Rotor size: 200mm direct mount (up to 220mm compatible)
- Max tire size: 29x2.8”
- Axle to crown: 583mm
- Weight: 2,320g
- Price: $1,395 USD
Created to provide the same level of performance as Ölin's World Cup-winning DH38 dual crown fork, the RXF38 was built to meet the demands of enduro racing. It features a chassis that was fine-tuned to achieve a flex profile that blends comfort and control. The control part of the equation starts with the upper crown assembly, which consists of a tapered steer tube, solid crown, and 38mm stanchion tubes. Matching this control with a favorable level of comfort comes from methodically constructed lower legs, which house a set of low-friction dust wipers. Öhlins took their time developing these lower legs for the second generation of the 38mm chassis to create a middle ground between the DH38 and RXF36 chassis.
Main chamber
Ramp up chamber
While the Öhlins setup relies more heavily on the damper than the air spring, the air spring is pretty unique in itself. The three-chamber system uses a cartridge-style design, eliminating the need for volume spacers. It consists of a standard positive chamber, negative chamber, and ramp-up chamber found at the bottom of the fork. The main chamber up top dictates the overall spring curve of the fork through standard air pressure adjustment to control the overall fork feel. Within the main chamber is a negative chamber, which can be tuned with spacers to control the initial breakaway force and feeling at the beginning of the travel. Lastly, the ramp-up chamber provides bottom-out support towards the end of travel independent of the main chamber. This separation is made possible through the use of a small piston housed within the lower half of the air shaft assembly, which provides bottom-out support at the second half of travel without affecting small bump sensitivity early in the stroke.
The TTX 18 damper inside the RXF 38 gets its name from the twin tube design and an 18mm diameter main piston. The piston was 22mm on the first generation but was sized down to help improve sensitivity across bumps of all sizes and speeds. The TTX 18 damper provides external low and high-speed compression adjustments and a single low-speed rebound adjustment. While these are standard adjustments found across most dampers on the market, the clicks are more limited than most. High-speed compression has only three positions (plus a locked 'closed' position), while low-speed compression and rebound have a wider range at 15 clicks. Öhlins does this to prevent things from getting too far from a recommended setup and, instead, suggests having the shim stack re-valved if a different damping characteristic is desired.
While the RXF 38 hasn't undergone any major updates recently, the tech it provides is unique among the group. Our overseas tech guru Johan has spent extensive time aboard the Ohlins forks and has always given them glowing praise, so we were excited to see how our stateside crew would fare with the Swedish brand's top-tier fork.
What's The Bottom Line?
Jonny: "Riding the Öhlins felt like I was floating on a bubble that couldn’t be popped over successive hits with a great combination of sensitivity and support. The ramp control air chamber was beneficial in building bottom-out support without sacrificing small bump sensitivity. Where it lacked a bit of overall comfort, it made up for it in support and stability, which allowed me to push closer to the limit. While it didn’t receive the highest overall score in the test, the RXF 38 came out as my favorite fork in the end."
Dennis: "The RXF38 had a heap of confidence. It was an easy fork to set up and "forget" with not that many usable adjustments up top on the HSC/LSC knob, in my opinion. With only one click of HSC, it felt great; if you went + or -, it was either too "open" or "closed" feeling, so I kept it at one. I really liked the ramp-up chamber feature on the fork, as it was easy to adjust and dial in. I did go 10psi over recommended for my rider weight. The RXF38 was super smooth and supple, coming in just behind the ZEB for comfort and compliance. I actually thought both forks had very similar ride characteristics, with awesome small bump sensitivity and plenty of support deeper in the travel when things got wild. It absolutely railed whooped out berms, providing a level of confidence that some of the other forks lacked. It didn't do anything unexpected when pushing off lips or getting pitted in the rock gardens. I've had issues with Öhlins suspension in the past that left a sour taste, but this go-around with the RXF38 was superb, given the short testing period."
Jason: "Based on Jonny's more extensive time on the fork, I took his advice to run higher than the recommended pressure in the ramp-up chamber and then leave the main chamber at the recommended pressure. I ran LSC compression in the middle, which delivered plenty of hold-up through berms and g-outs. I also ran HSC two clicks from closed to keep the fork from reaching bottom out as abruptly.
The most impressive characteristic of the RXF38 was how much support it provided without feeling harsh. The harder I pushed the fork, the more control and stability it could provide. It excelled at tracking the ground and gliding over holes through rock gardens. I think a lot of this comes down to how well the ramp-up chamber and damper work in unison. You get so much control from the middle to the end of travel that you can charge into compressions, knowing the fork won't get overwhelmed and will recover quickly. At the same time, the support is delivered at a constant rate (more linear vs progressive), with no sudden wall compression or air spring damping. The composure of the fork when smashing into multiple large impacts was a notch above the rest. My only issue with the RXF38 was that it was less supple right off the top. I felt the fork chattering a bit more through flat rock gardens and braking bumps, but not to a degree that significantly took away from its performance or ride quality. I still think the Zeb was the most impressive when it came to absorbing energy and minimizing feedback, and the RXF 38 was tied in second with the FOX 38.
Overall, the RXF38 was my favorite fork in the test because it gave me the most confidence to ride aggressively. I also think it has the most performance still up for grabs with more time and tuning. It might not be as buttery smooth as the Zeb, but its composure when things get rowdy has me sold. And as a bonus, it's damn light."
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