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Edited Date/Time
11/15/2021 11:59pm
This new decade brings with it what seems to be a new standard in the Fox 38 and RockShox Zeb. The market didn't catch on when the Totem arrived back in the day, but it seems larger stanchions are now here to stay.
Having tried the uber stiff Suntour Durolux 36 (try it, it definitely feels more robust than the Lyrik/Fox36), I hesitate jumping on the hypewagon for the practical reason that I don't think I need the extra stiffness and weight.
However, it seems the Lyrik and the 36 are slowly being eased out of many of the top-shelf enduro OEM builds from bike manufacturers.
Will lighter riders actually benefit from these stiffer forks?
Having tried the uber stiff Suntour Durolux 36 (try it, it definitely feels more robust than the Lyrik/Fox36), I hesitate jumping on the hypewagon for the practical reason that I don't think I need the extra stiffness and weight.
However, it seems the Lyrik and the 36 are slowly being eased out of many of the top-shelf enduro OEM builds from bike manufacturers.
Will lighter riders actually benefit from these stiffer forks?
The 36 is a pretty damn stiff fork.I've also ridden the Durolux, and honestly didn't notice a big difference in stiffness.
The issue IMO is the plane in which these forks are offering an increase in stiffness isn't so great and adds to the deflection and harshness a rider might feel.
Still, the 38 is a great fork, as is the ZEB. I'd argue if you are going fast enough, and you liked the 36mm stuff, the 38mm stuff isn't THAT much different.
I agree that rider weight is probably a factor, but travel is the other important one, I imagine a 180-190mm Zeb feels similar to the 150-160mm Lyrik?
Bottom line: If I were building up and enduro race bike personally it would be a 36. If I were building up a bike primarily being ridden in the bike park sure give me the 38. Cheers
Might actually add to arm pump but it feels like you can run into/over anything.
And the bigger forks look cool- which is a legit selling point like it or not
I'm ~200 lbs + gear.
Anecdotal experience. I upgraded my megatower from a fox 36 performance elite to a zeb ultimate. The biggest thing I notice with regards to chassis is just consistency. They are both great forks but the stiffer chassis of the zeb manifests itself in that the action of the fork is consistent through the entire travel range. The bushing bind is in-perceivable, the stiffness at the top of the stroke feels the same as the bottom of the stroke.
On the flip side, the 34 for me at my weight and riding capabilities, has flex that is detrimental to how I ride and how the bike feels. Other then that, I don't really have any issues with the performance of the fork.
For me ay my weight, it goes like this:
130-150 = Fox 36 or RS Pike
160 = Fox 36, RS Lyric
170 - 180 = Zeb, Fox 38
I think if you were 150-160lbs you could take the 36 and lyric up to 170... but I wouldn't... I'd still just go to a bigger chassis fork.
Modern forks have far superior dampers and air springs, and stiffer platform is needed to allow damper to perform better;
I bet ZEB/39/Mezzer will perform better then lyric
Also in case someone have ridden dh bikes: DC forks have far superior performance then SC
Forks like this do more for us in terms of the 1 bike for it all theory bringing a good All Mountain Bike closer to the capabilities of a DH bike so yeah it’ll work better for you.
Don't care about pop or playfulness or any of these buzzwords, I just wanna smash through shit with as much grip as possible. The Fox 38 would probably work better for this than my 36, but will it work 1300€ better?
If you double your weight you double impact energy. If you double your speed you'll have 4x the impact energy.
Summary: Unless you are 100kg (225lb) or on an ebike stay with what you have and mod the fork.
I put my 38 on my ebike originally, this is where is makes the most sense. You actually notice the stiffness difference here and the added unsprung mass of the bike makes the fork work better than on a "non assisted" lighter machine.
I swapped the 38 onto my Commencal Meta AM29, usually I run a 36 with Vorsprung Coil conversion and a tuned damper. The stiffness wasn't as noticeable and the coil fork surpassed it in performance.
Also factor in the 38 is 25mm or so longer in A2C than your equivalent travel Fox 36. On my Ebike, which was teetering on too small already, the added stack (even with no spacers and a flat headset dust cap) means the reach is too short now. I definitely noticed this.
The 38 air spring is definately better, I'll give them that. The Damper is same as normal Grip2 just the HSC isn't as firm and is a tad easier to tune.
Don't rush out to get one, it's good but put that money towards some mods for your 36/Lyrik.
I personally disagree with that and would say that you're better off with an alternate path. Frequent lower leg services (for me that means every 2-3 months) and sticking with what you have. Or upgrading to something else... and still doing frequent lower services.
In my experience, I no longer see the value in dumping 400 - 800 in spring and damper mods into a fork. For my riding, (socal, advanced, 180lbs) Those items make marginal differences at best considering the cost of entry. If you want to do anything, have your bushings burnished and be meticulous about your service to keep seal/bushing drag as low as it can be. As long as those are completed I cannot ever see returning to a coil sprung fork... Damper mods... meh, still not a huge benefit in my eyes but you can make more of an argument there.
With an air spring (I'm talking typical single chamber, not runt or IRT) you can have lovely small bump but the midstroke support is just not there. Where I ride it's Steep and Ledgy, that mid stroke dive can be very un-nerving.
Conversely, you can shoot for mid stroke support but small bump will suffer. When you get to my weight, I need 120psi in a 38 to acheive a level of support I'm after from the spring. The 38 when burnished and freshly serviced is quite good when it comes to small bump, but the coil still smokes it.
Going coil is like trying heroin, you might get hooked chasing that dragon forever.
Wow that was a shit analogy!
I can usually tell when I have a flat tire. Usually.
OK, I'm not that clueless. But I do seriously doubt I'll be able to tell the difference in the flex characteristics of my fork. I won't be replacing my Lyrik with a Zeb.
If I buy a new bike and it comes with a Zeb or a 38, however, I'll definitely welcome that component. Because, you know, it looks cool.
Post a reply to: Will lighter riders benefit from an RS Zeb or Fox 38?