Submitted by
Deni Blaisch
a Cross Country Rider
from Pagosa Springs, CO
Date Reviewed: September 8, 2007
Strengths: When working this shock has been great
Weaknesses: This shock has blown out 4 times since I bought it in 2003. I'm missing out on some good riding.
Bottom Line:
My shock is back in the shop again. It's September and the weather is awesome. Usually snows by mid October here. My old bike didn't have a shock, it never broke down, I know the ride wasn't as smooth but not riding sucks.
Bike Setup: Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Com with disc brakes
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Saltamonte
a Cross Country Rider
from Dallas, Tx
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2006
Strengths: Love everything about it so far. After my previous bike this entire machine is heaven on wheels.
Weaknesses: Nothing yet...
Bottom Line:
For anyone who, like me, might be a novice biker at best, throw away that bargain basement beginner clunker you're on now and treat yourself. After fighting through my first trip to Bar H on a K2 Pro Zed hardtail looking at my buddie's tire tracks for two days I decided to scrap the kid stuff and move up to a real bike. Two weeks later, thirty hours on-line product reviews, seven bike shops over a twenty five mile radius, six punk teenage bike shop employees, two actual knowledgable punk teenage bike shop employees and my new credit card led me to the Specialized Stumpjumper. I'm doing things on this ride that would have certainly gotten me killed or horribly maimed on that K2. For you riders like me a new bike like this might just be that confidence booster you've been loking for.
I had a leaky seal causing oil to drip down to the bottom of the stanchion. Heard that Fox had some problems with the fork, actually the local bike shop told me that so it surprises me that no one has mentioned this in any previous reviews. Had the seal replaced and the oil has stopped leaking. However I didn't get the 4" of travel back, only 3.5", not sure if the mechanic did a good job. Also the fork is not very plush, feels kinda notchy.
Submitted by
Richard McKernan
a Cross Country Rider
from Lakewood, CO
Date Reviewed: July 13, 2004
Strengths: NA
Weaknesses: NA
Bottom Line:
Way less plush than I expected (even after adjustment). I rode this fork up and down the Keystone ski resort trails and was looking forward to enjoying the lateral stiffness of the Fox on the (brutal) downhills after suffering the lack thereof of my RS Psylo SL. Unfortunately the Fox was not plush enough for me to be able to hold the speed at which the Psylo starts waggling around on the rough stuff. It’s not really a weakness of the Fox just an incorrect expectation on my part. Everything else with the Fox was great; somehow I had been thinking that a 4-inch air fork would be as plush as a 5-inch coil… Good grief!
I realize that others have compared this Fox to the Psylo in previous reviews and found the Fox to be superior in every way (even plushness!). Even though I did not arrive at that same conclusion, bear in mind that I have only ridden the Fox once on a demo bike and other reviewers may have put in many more rides and tuned the fork more extensively.
Submitted by
Robert Phillips
a Cross Country Rider
from McKeesport, Pa
Date Reviewed: June 8, 2004
Strengths: Rigid & Responsive Action
Weaknesses: Squeaks sometimes
Bottom Line:
This is the smoothest and most rigid shock I have ever ridden. If you ride cross country with roots and rocks this shock will be perfect for you. If you like to take big drops you may want to go with a long travel coil shock instead of this.
Similar Products Used: all marzos, black, psylo, judy
Bike Setup: 02 sidekick, dual 24's, fox float 100rl, race face bars, azonic shorty stem
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
James Brown
a Cross Country Rider
from Victoria, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: April 9, 2004
Strengths: Very plush for air, lockout is handy for long climbs.
Weaknesses: Weak, weak, weak, crown.
Bottom Line:
This fork sucks. I have had the steerer/crown/stantion assembly replaced 4 times due to a loose left stantion. All the work was done by Fox so that meant riding a loaner fork for 2-3 weeks while mine was getting fixed, kudos' to Russ Hay for giving me a loaner each time. I ride aggressive XC just what the bike was designed for, unfortunately this fork is out of this league. Pure XC and no 3' drops you'll be fine. To supply a bike to be sold in BC with this fork is asking for trouble, make sure you buy from a kick ass shop so they'll stand behind you when the creaking starts. I'm now riding a Marzocchi FR SL as a loaner and may just end up with one and it really feels nice. No noise either, sweet!
Submitted by
mark westwick
a Cross Country Rider
from cave creek, az. usa
Date Reviewed: November 30, 2003
Strengths: Stiff, plush, lightweight, and durable.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
This is the first air fork I have tried. It does what FOX says it will and more. I have tried many other forks and decided to go with a Manitou black on my new Blur -- that was a mistake. After a few rides I decided to switch it to the FOX Float 100rl, which was the fork my LBS recomended for the frame, and it's a night and day difference. This fork holds my weight 225lb and works like a dream. There have been no problems associated with the Fox fork and I am sold on it. This is the first full suspension bike that I feel is dialed in for my height and weight and the FOX Float 100rl shock makes the XC ride that much better -- even though I have only ridden the shock on around 15 rides I would recommend it to anyone.
Similar Products Used: Rockshox, Marzocchi, Manitou
Bike Setup: Santa Cruz Blur w/ 5th element, XTR, Crossmax
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Lee Porter
a Cross Country Rider
from Wales
Date Reviewed: November 16, 2003
Strengths: Strong, very lightweight, durable, very plush and look sweet.
Weaknesses: Rebound control knob turns when you use the lockout feature.
Bottom Line:
Price is in £. As I have only used cheap forks in comparison all I can do is compare usage to my mate with his forks. We got into bikes at about the same time, where he has tried three types of Marzocchi and a pair of Manitou and I am still going strong on the Fox. I am not a light rider yet these forks cope with pretty big drops (6') easily, don't tell Fox. I have kicked the crap out of them and apart from a few scratches there is nothing at all wrong. Apart from cleaning I have not had to do anything to them from new, low maintenance, perfect. These forks are also so light for their strength. As for being smooth, these forks are that damn plush, no springs creaking and knocking, so nice. If you want strength without the weight and a long term investment you cant go wrong. Will do anything from cross country to freeride. Has to be one of the best forks on the maket. Expensive but you get what you pay for.
Similar Products Used: None, these are that good I havent had to look elswhere.
Bike Setup: Orange Sub-5, Hope, Raceface, Shimano XT, Fox.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Carl Sessler
a Cross Country Rider
from Queensbury, NY, U.S.
Date Reviewed: October 6, 2003
Bottom Line:
This fork is the all-round best I have ever ridden on, and I have never had a smoother ride. During this summer I made a switch from my old fork to this new Fox Float 100RL and the difference that I noticed was hard to believe. They outperform any fork that I have ridden on in the past. They work great on all kinds of terrain, they are lightweight, durable, and ready for whatever you throw at them. I mean I’ve taken my bike to some pretty sketchy riding where the trail is pretty steep, with just rocks everywhere, and really no where to stop, but I must say those shocks held their ground and tore right through that stuff. The first time I rode this particularly steep trail with those new shocks, I was amazed at how well they really worked, and found my self going just a little but faster down that trail than before. I said right then “O man these are great!” Another good feature I like about these shocks is the compression lockout switch, which I didn’t like at first, but as I started to use it more and more I realized it’s the best for the hills, and stops that annoying rocking up and down of the shock wile climbing. The rebound adjustment is also a nice feature for fine-tuning the fork. It took me a couple days of ridding to fine tune the rebound adjustment, but once you get it to a point that you like, it's great. If your looking for performance and durability on all areas of mountain biking you cant go wrong with a pair of these shocks. They take the bumps and rocks like nothing and are always ready for whatever’s next.
“You haven’t done it until you’ve done it on a pair of Fox Forx.”
Strengths: Super high quality parts and construction. Stiff enough for the big and tall guys. Install and forget. Does not leak air or oil.
Weaknesses: Very pricey, but after having RS and Answers fail on me, it's not that big of a deal. Low availability... had to wait a while for mine to come in.
Bottom Line:
Real riders by now have realized that Rock Shox are pretty pieces of crap and that Answers are good-intentioned losers. Marzocchis came close to being the real deal. Fox is the one brand you should get if you are ready to be serious about riding better.
Similar Products Used: Manitou Mach 3, Mach 4, Rock Shox Judy, Marzocchi Atom Bombs
Bike Setup: Blur with Race Face and Mavic Tubeless
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Albert Karsai
a Weekend Warrior
from Austria
Date Reviewed: August 28, 2003
Strengths: Incredibly plush, yet stiff fork. Its my first air suspension and its the best fork I have ever ridden so far. Beautiful design and function of all knobs. Together with my Float RL rear shock this is perfect harmony.
Weaknesses: None so far.
Bottom Line:
I didn't know how good a suspension fork can function. Everybody is saying that coil is better than air, but I miss nothing. FOX does a great job. Fortunately this fork was part of the bike I bought. I would not have spend so much money on a fork, though.
Strengths: super stiff torsionally, plush like butter or stiff as hell, you choose. incredibly strong.an xc air fork that can outlast and out perform any xc fork and most freeride forks
Weaknesses: none what so ever
Bottom Line:
worth the money, its expensive yet a great value. you will not be dissapointed. it will never flex in hard turns or rocky section like a psylo(they are crap, ive broken 2). will never break, and im 200 lbs and freeride with it, and also xc with it.
Favorite Trail: pipline to cap'n jacks, to chutes to chamberline trail
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Similar Products Used: theres not much similar to this
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
JWGG
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2003
Strengths: Everything. Fairly light, plush, stiff, and strong as hell!
Weaknesses: nadda
Bottom Line:
Got an amazing deal from the guys at Bikeroom.com Go out and get this shock. The compression adjustment was just not that important to me and the guys at bikeroom.com said that the RL was great value for the money.
Bike Setup: GT Zaskar X, Fox Float RL, Thomson Seatpost & Stem, Race Face Next LP Carbon Crank and handlebar, Maxxis Larsen TT tires, Time Carbon Pedals, Chris King Headset, Hope Mini's, XTR shifters with XTR FD & RD.
