Fox just unveiled their 2021 lineup in its entirety. With that, there is the addition of the much anticipated new 38 fork and the complete chassis revision of the 36 and 40 forks as well as the Float X2 and DHX2 rear shocks. We’ve been riding some of these new bits for just a few days on our Yeti SB-165 dream bike – you can find our first impressions of the new 38 fork and the coil sprung DHX2 in a separate article, here. For the overview of the new lineup, read on …
New fork technology and updates
Floating axle
In short, on the new 38 fork, a sleeve sits between the axle and the lower leg assembly casting. When you first set your fork up, you can cycle and then load the suspension with the non-drive side pinch bolt loose, but with the axle tightened. Then, with the suspension still loaded secure the pinch bolt. This will ensure perfect alignment between the upper and lower leg assembly and encourage smoother action. Once you’ve set the pinch bolt, you can install or remove the axle without fussing with it from there on out. There is a new Kabolt-X axle optimized for this system, but it will also work with pre-existing Kabolts as well.
Lower leg channel
As you compress your fork, aside from the obvious pressure build up in the air spring assembly, there is also a pressure build up of the available trapped air inside of the lower legs. Factoring this into air spring curves has always been a difficult task for engineers. By building channels into the lower legs, Fox found gained a substantial increase in the actual air volume of the lower legs. In short, this increased volume means lower maximum pressures, and thus increased likelihood of efficiently using full travel. Another benefit according to Fox is for lubrication: “… lower leg bath oil is circulated to the upper reaches of the lower legs, continuously lubricating the foam rings and bushings as the fork compresses and extends through its travel.”
Air bleeders
While the 40 has used bleeders for a few years now, the new 36 and 38 sees them as an all new upgrade. In short, these relieve pressure build up in the lower legs that can prevent you from achieving full travel amongst other things. They’re also quite nice if you live at sea level, but ride at higher altitudes as they allow you to balance and adjust for local altitudes with the push of a couple of buttons.
Elliptical steerer tube
The new 38 sees an elliptical shaped steerer for additional stiffness and reinforcement down low, near where it meets the crown – right where added stiffness is most helpful for improved structural rigidity.
Re-shaped lower leg arch
The new lower leg arch curves dramatically further forward at its highest point, to provide head tube clearance with some of the beefiest head tubes around in the longest travel and shortest offset models. **Think 180mm travel X 37mm offset X bulbous Evil headtube.** This is seen on 36, 38 and 40 with their newly reshaped lower leg assemblies.
Fork Overview
36 Single Crown
- ALL-NEW chassis
- NEW lower leg bleeders
- NEW air/oil channels
- NEW floating axle
- NEW arch shape offers improved head tubeclearance with shorter rakes
- Matching 8-click HSC and HSR adjustment onGRIP2 forks and X2 shocks
- Damper option(s): GRIP2 with VVC,FIT4, Live Valve, GRIP
- Updated EVOL air spring
- Travel option(s): 150mm-160mm
- Increased crown diameter to match modernframe shape profiles
- Wheel size(s): 27.5″ and 29″
- Offset(s): 37mm, 44mm and 51mm
- Optional mud guard
- Factory Series models feature Genuine Kashima Coat
- Available in Factory, Performance Elite, and E-Bike models
- Starting weight: 1965 g
- MSRP USD $849 – $1099 / CDN $1129 – $1449 /EUR €1339 – €1459
38 Single Crown
- NEW elliptical steerer tube maximizing stiffness to weight
- NEW lower leg bleeders
- NEW air/oil channels
- NEW floating axle
- NEW arch shape offers improved head tube clearance with shorter rakes
- Matching 8-click HSC and HSR adjustment on GRIP2 forks and X2 shocks
- Damper option(s): GRIP2 with VVC FIT4, GRIP
- Updated EVOL air spring
- Travel option(s): 160mm-180mm
- 31% stiffer transverse shear, 17% stiffer fore/aft and38% torsionally stiffer than 36
- Wheel size(s): 27.5″ and 29″
- Offset(s): 37mm, 44mm and 51mm
- 58mm crown diameter to match modern frame shape profiles
- Optional mud guard
- Factory Series models feature Genuine Kashima Coat
- Available in Factory, Performance Elite, Performance,and E-Bike models
- Starting weight: 2180 g
- MSRP USD $949 – $1199 / CDN $1249 – $1579 / EUR €1259 – €1589
40 Dual Crown
- ALL-NEW chassis
- NEW lower leg bleeders
- NEW air/oil channels
- NEW arch shape offers improved head tubeclearance with shorter rakes
- Matching 8-click HSC and HSR adjustment onGRIP2 forks and X2 shocks
- Damper option(s): GRIP2 damper now with VVC(Variable Valve Control), GRIP
- Updated EVOL air spring
- Pinch-bolt 20mm x 110mm floating axle
- Travel option(s): 203mm
- Offset(s): 48mm, 52mm and 56mm
- Wheel size(s): 27.5″ and 29″
- Optional mud guard
- Factory Series models feature Genuine Kashima Coat
- Available in Factory Series
- Starting weight: 2816 g
- MSRP USD $1749 / CDN $2309 / EUR €2299
Shock Overview
Float X2 Air
- ALL-NEW chassis
- NEW damper
- NEW high-flow main piston
- NEW progressive MCU bottom-out bumper
- Matching 8-click HSC and HSR adjustment on GRIP2 forksand X2 shocks
- NEW HSR with VVC (Variable Valve Control)
- Independent firm mode circuit – firmer lockout thanprevious Float X2
- Ultra-low-friction, highly durable damper shaft finish
- Improved bearing ratio for metric sizes
- Reduced length reservoir for better fit on more frames
- Finned inner body for improved structural rigidity andreduced hysteresis
- NEW lower friction air seal
- Updated compression ratios, 300psi max
- MSRP USD $639 – $669 / CDN $789 – $879 / EUR €849 – €889
DHX2 Coil
- ALL-NEW chassis
- NEW damper
- NEW high-flow main piston
- NEW progressive MCU bottom-out bumper
- Matching 8-click HSC and HSR adjustment onGrip2 forks and X2 shocks
- NEW HSR with VVC (Variable Valve Control)
- Independent firm mode circuit – firmer lockout thanprevious DHX2
- Ultra-low friction, highly durable damper shaft finish
- Improved bearing ratio for metric sizes
- Reduced length reservoir for better fit on more frames
- Steel outer body and finned inner body for improvedstructural rigidity and reduced hysteresis
- NEW detents on spring collar to prevent looseningunder light preload conditions
- MSRPUSD$619-$649/CDN$759-$859/EUR€819-€859
- *Spring sold separately
Fenders
The 36, 38 & 40 forks will all see their own custom shaped individual fenders that bolt on via two screws in the back of the arch on the lowers as well as at each air bleed port.
Heritage Collection
Left to right: Rootbeer, Pistachio, and Battleship are the limited edition colors for 2021 heritage collection.
The limited edition 2021 Heritage Collection draws inspiration from the original 36 and 40 – the iconic forks that shaped modern enduro and downhill riding 15 years ago. The all-new 38 ushers in a new era of hard-hitting, long-travel enduro riding and comes adorned in a unique pistachio hue, commemorating this historic moment and keeping the tradition of launching category-defining forks in a very special limited edition colorway . All Heritage Collection forks feature special black adjuster knobs, a Kabolt-X axle, and include a matching graphics kit, compatible with all 2021 and 2020 models of FOX rear shocks.
Heritage Collection forks are available in extremely limited numbers at time of launch only. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.
