Fox Shox for 2009
Race, Refine, Repeat
Words by Cam McRae. Photos by Forrest Arakawa - unless noted.
As greedy consumers we're addicted to change. Electronics manufacturers know this best and they mete out bells and whistles accordingly. Planned obsolesence is a marketing strategy in that realm and I often feel that I won't be able to go on without that new iPod/Macbook/Canon 5D/GPS etc. etc. Those of us who ride often have the same hunger for the newest fork, frame, saddle or crankset. Last year's stuff can seem washed up like Britney Spears. There is certainly genuine innovation in the bike world, but there's also a lot of effort put into making products look cosmetically fresher to encourage that card out of your wallet.
The Fox crew swapping front and rear suspension between laps. This is the same testing procedure they use with their race team.
Fox Racing Shox is the exception to this rule. Their efforts seem to go into engineering and incremental performance improvements rather than cosmetics or bells and whistles. This year's products look a lot like last year's products - but I've heard it's what's inside that counts and that's where Fox focusses their attention.
A typical morning in Springdale Utah. Photo ~ Cam McRae
Gooseberry Mesa is right across the Highway from the road that leads to the Red Bull Rampage sites (old and new) so I had seen this hulking monolith before, but I'd never had the pleasure of riding there. I was pretty happy to learn that Fox was holding their media camp for 2009 product on the Mesa and I leapt at the opportunity to join the fun.
This is Tim and Angela from Western Spirit having a bad day. They run a first class operation. Photo ~ Cam McRae
When our group arrived there was a product presentation ready to go, and we sat right down for a nice meal in Springdale Utah while Mario Galasso showed us the goods. As expected our world was not rocked by trick new products and gimicks. Much of the line looked the same from the outside but there were some important changes beneath the skin that were worth noting - and a few that the naked eye could pick out.
Set this dial to acheive ideal clamping force, then replace the set screw and - according to Fox - you'll never have to adjust your 15QR again. It can be operated easily with one hand and a conventional QR is awkward by comparison.
Perhaps the biggest development is the new 15QR system. Tulio Campagnolo's quick release system was developed for the road and it continues to keep wheels attached for the lycra crowd. But is it the best system for riding in the dirt? Anyone who has ridden a thru axle fork of any kind will tell know the QR's limitations and that much of the torsion you feel at the handlebar is the result of that wimpy little skewer at the bottom. This got Fox engineers thinking about an alternative that was lighter than the 20mm standard but more robust than your 9mm QR interface. Fox got together with Shimano and they co-developed the 15QR. While not made for gravity applications, this is a huge step up from an open dropout quick release system. I know this because of Fox's back-to-back testing methodology (more on that later).
Taking a leak off the edge of the mesa is not advised. Apparently this is the leading cause of tourist fatalities in the Zion area. Photo ~ Cam McRae
Another 15QR bonus is that once it's set up you can operate it with one hand and it's much easier to handle than a conventional QR. Forks in the line with the 15QR are also slightly lighter than the same fork without the 15QR from 2008 while adding 15% torsional stiffness and 25% transverse shear stiffness. It's possible to make a 20mm system that weighs virtually the same as the 15QR with even greater stiffness gains but I think perception is half the game here. Riders used to standard quick release mechanisms equate 20mm axles with downhill and thus increased heft. Having a step between allows them to get their head around the idea of a new standard which is why you'll see this fork on many 2009 bikes.
We spent all four laps chasing Mark Weir. There's no percentage in that game.
The team at Fox put us through their race development process so we could evaluate the new product and get a feel for the way their testing happens in the field with their team of racers. We rode bikes once with 2008 product, brought them to the trailer where rear shocks and forks were swapped out for 2009 product and then we repeated the same lap. For our first lap through Gooseberry I was riding a Yeti 575 with a standard axle 2008 Fox 32 Talas up front and an 08 RP 23 in the rear. Everything felt pretty fine until I saddled up the 2008 version of the 32 Talas with 15QR. The difference in front end solidity was huge and immediately felt. To me it was clear that for most mountain bikes the standard QR up front is no longer a sensible option. Fox's OE orders for the new 15QR fork were five times what they had anticipated. Expect to see these attached to bikes on a sales floor near you. On lap two I also noticed the new valving in the RP 23 which was more lively and active going up and down.
Gooseberry Mesa is no place for a DH bike, so we didn't ride the new DHX 5.0 but I'm told the new compression circuit yields improved control through G-outs, better stutter bump compliance and increased bottom out resistance. The rebound damping is all new as well and it should, among other things, have improved deep stroke responsiveness.
I was keen to get on a new 36, and after our wickedly good Western Spirit lunch we saddled up again to repeat our morning loops twice more. Fox has refined the DHX Air rear shock in terms of ergonomics but the valving has only changed slightly between 08 and 09. As Mark Fitzsimmons, Fox's Product Development guru, who also directs their race program, put it, "we changed the valving a bit for our own satisfaction. The end consumer probably won’t feel a difference." Instead you'll notice an angled air valve to ease pressure adjustments and a new Pro Pedal lever that now moves just 90 degrees between on and off.
The new lever on the 2009 DHX Air moves through 90 degrees rather than 180 like the current model. It's larger and more finger friendly to boot. You can also see the new valve for the air spring that is angled for easier access.
The afternoon's revelation was the new 36 Talas - incorporating the third incarnation of Fox's travel adjust system - Talas III. This fork was as lively and active as any air fork I have ridden. Thanks to newly designed internals Fox was able to remove two seals reducing stiction and allowing the fork to respond to forces more quickly and smoothly. Like last year, you can choose between 100-130-160mm for the 36 model and 100-120-140mm for the 32 model - but the lever on the top of the fork is new and larger so it's easier to twist on the fly. This is a very good fork - something you should consider if you are looking to order up some all mountain rides with a side of gnarly.
What do you know? A playground just for us. Photo ~ Cam McRae
All 36 models sport new lighter crowns and steerers and you'll see them spec'ed in 1 1/8, 1.5" and 1.5 tapered to 1 1/8 on OE bikes.
Fox marketing wizard Elayna Caldwell wrestling the terrain into submission.
All Fox forks have new dynamic pistons for 2009 - said to improve 'deep stroke rebound performance , reduce damping related noise, and provide even more seamless transitions from the low speed to mid/high speed rebound demands.' The FIT compression cartridges for the 36 and 40 forks are brand new, adding more compression damping control and better bottom out resistance. It sounds like they're better at just about everything and after feeling the Talas model I'd have to agree. 
Mark Fitzsimmons looking all business. It's telling that Fitz works in product development and as director of the Fox race team. Those departments are inextricably bound at Fox.
On top of the new damper, the 40 for 2009 is also endowed with a new top crown that accepts a four-bolt integrated stem. This will help you get lower and faster - and your bars will always be straight.
'Damper Noise' (demonstrated by Fox's graphic above) was a new concept for me. The new damping circuits in Fox forks are said to reduce this effect and make transitions smoother and damping more predictable.
Gooseberry was a beautiful place to ride and while the riding was fun, it wasn't ideal for the gravity crowd. Features to play on were plentiful though and on more than one occasion we found ourselves in natural skateparks that brought out the kid in all of us. And once we got to the edge of the mesa the view was worth every ounce of sweat.
Not a bad place to ride a bicycle. Gooseberry Mesa is about a three hour drive from Las Vegas and there are also DH trails in the area for those gravity inclined - although not on the mesa itself.
The good folks at Western Spirit did a great job showing us around. Thanks to Tim, Simon and Angela for giving us the royal treatment. They set up the rides, cooked great lunches and kept the morale high - stellar individuals one and all. Thanks as well to Elayna, Fitz and everyone from Fox for treating us right and to TKW and Devin from Shimano for helping us sample Troy's tequila (thanks for the tequila Troy!).
For more info on Fox's 2009 line roll to their home on the web.
Also check out this just released Clay Porter video from Schladming, where Fox/Yet rider Sam Blenkinsop bested all rivals. Show me the video.
Anything to say about the line for 09? Any questions I didn't answer? Right this way...
