With separate externally adjustable high and low speed compression damping circuilts as well as externally adjustable, click-by-click rebound damping and a position-sensitive progressive bottoming system, the RC2 cartrige jams an incredible amount of performance into a lightweight package.
Submitted by
skyboy
a Weekend Warrior
from uk Date Reviewed: October 18, 2009
Favorite Trail:
UK
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At:
leisure lakes
Strengths:
Stiff ,strong,
Weaknesses:
too expensive,require a lot of TLC,stanctions wear too easily
Bike Setup:
Heckler,usual suspects.
Bottom Line:
Going to give marzocchi 2010 a go,much cheaper and a 3 year guarantee!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Crash Bang
a Weekend Warrior
from UK Date Reviewed: January 1, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Afan
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$650.00
Strengths:
Plush, Stiff, Adjustable, big hit ability
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Marz F150, RS Pike
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Heckler, Fox 36, X0, Middleburn, Hope, DT Swiss, Chris King
Bottom Line:
Great fork, offers excellent plush all mountain performance and can soak up big hits, I am 205lbs and it takes 5' drops to flat no problem. Adjustable travel means that at 100mm a slack angle bike will climb well. It takes a little while to dial it in to your preference, pressure, rebound, RC, but once done you can forget about it and ride hard - buy one!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bill Bailey
a Weekend Warrior
from Bromont Date Reviewed: December 5, 2008
Favorite Trail:
snapneckspeedtrail
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
friend
Strengths:
Plush! Talas is amazing
Weaknesses:
none but it would have been nice if they made @170
Similar Products Used:
zokis,now fox
Bike Setup:
bottlerocket,saint,fox
Bottom Line:
bang for the buck!!!!
you get what you paid for....
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
henri fizer
a Weekend Warrior
from queens,NY Date Reviewed: July 24, 2008
Favorite Trail:
devil's Peak
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$750.00
Purchased At:
friend
Strengths:
plush,plush,plush, did i say plush?
Weaknesses:
no i can think of
Bike Setup:
7point,xtr, xt hydros
Bottom Line:
great fork a standout above the rest of the airforks available
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mike Ylosnikov
a Downhiller
from P.A. Date Reviewed: April 15, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Elhorzi
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At:
friend
Strengths:
much much lighter than the last zokee i have used but have same integrity when it comes to usage...talas works great
Weaknesses:
none as of now......
Similar Products Used:
Sixty6 Zokees,888's
Bike Setup:
Yeti asx blah blah blah and now fox
Bottom Line:
pricey but worth it good air fork for heavy duty use
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rickert Mork
a Downhiller
from from sandiego Date Reviewed: October 22, 2007
Favorite Trail:
dirt
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
came on trek remedy 66
Strengths:
goes through 1st half its travel plush and the second is more stiff for hits, doesnt get any better than that. takes 4-5 foot drops like candy and eats those gardens if you have speed or not.
Weaknesses:
it creeks a little sometimes. The dopers at the dandiego trek garyfisher store put it on backwards and i rode it like that fore 2 months.
Similar Products Used:
other fox forks old and new, some marzochi stiff ass forks.
Bike Setup:
stock trek remedy 66
Bottom Line:
this thing is top of the line all mountain fork, but could be stiffer and tougher as id take durability over weight any day for those massive jumps and drops. i olny weigh 120 lbs so i can treat this thing like a dh/fr fork almost. cmon fox were all waitin on your 180 fr fork
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Doug
a Racer
from Portola Valley, CA USA Date Reviewed: September 10, 2007
Requires patience and trials to set up well. No fender available and bottom steerer tube does not accept star nut. Travel adjuster requires many turns making it impossible to adjust while riding. Effective travel is less than 6" once you set your air spring.
Similar Products Used:
Marz Z1, Manitou Sherman, Fox Talas 32mm
Bike Setup:
'06 Enduro, SRAM XO, Fox DHX Air, Easton AM wheels
Bottom Line:
I weigh 240, 6'4", aggressive ride/race. Have the fork set at max airspring eprssure to attain correct sag. As such, I get about 5.2" of travel out of the fork. For my weight is rides incredibly well, is stiff and responsive. I use it for AM,XC, and (very) light stunts, drops etc... The fork wants to be ridden hard, to feel right. If you pedal slack and aren't on top of it, pushing it, it feels too firm and doesn't respond well to small chatter. I use the travel udjuster to drop the front end for climbing...so it is a pain in the ass to have to turn the dial 3 full rotations accross the whole rang eof travel....can't do it while pedaling. This is resovled on the latest version by have a throw lever with 3 travel positions. Why can't Fox tap and thread their forks for fender mounting? All of us buying $1000 forks want to ride ALL year. The steerer tube gets so tight at the bottom that you can't use a star nut mounted fender either. I plan to sell my '05 and get the new model: lighter wiehgt, stiffer, rolling travel adjust, and quick release 20mm axle. Best all montain fork for aggressive riders. Only issue: travel adjuster failed immediately, sent to Fox, repaired, no issues since (22 months). Although I really like the fork, had to knock off chilis for product breaking/warranty return, no fender possibilities, and poorly thouhgt out travel adjuster.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave Hepburn
a Cross Country Rider
from Redding Date Reviewed: September 4, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
Chain Gang
Strengths:
Stiff with no flex. Tracks very well through the rough
Weaknesses:
Stickion and very little small bump compliance
Similar Products Used:
Fox 32 Talas R, F100RLC, F100RL, Vanilla 125RLC, Minute
Bike Setup:
Nomad DHX Air
Bottom Line:
Great on steep rough trails but lacks the small bump compliance of other fox air forx.(Not even close to their coils). I love the travel adjusment, tunability and versatility it allows...I am a climber more than a downhiller. I have been riding it for several months and it still feels as if it is not boken in. As long as you are aggressive the fork works great, but I like to take it easy and cruise on long all day rides. Quite dissapointed I am switching to a Marzocchi to get that plush feeling. If you like to ride hard and need the adjustable travel go for it. If you are like me and like to ride a little more easily look for something a little smoother on the trail.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Adrian
a Downhiller
from Corner Brook, NL, Canada Date Reviewed: August 29, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Awesome all around fork. Good for any style of riding, and works awesome in each category. Nearly unlimited amount of adjustability.
Weaknesses:
The valve at the travel adjust has a wierd issue of not allowing air into the fork using any type of fork pump after 2 months of riding. The travel adjust no longer works but just increases the rebound as the travel is decreased. I believe the air issue and travel issue may be related.
Similar Products Used:
2004 Mx Comp w/ETA, 2005 Drop Off Triple, 2006 888 RCV, 2007 888 RCV, 2007 888 RC2X WC
Bike Setup:
2007 Norco Six SE
Bottom Line:
These forks work awesome for any type of riding, and is completely dialable for any type specifically. The 36 Talas RC2 has nearly unlimited adjustability so if you get this fork, MAKE SURE that you have it dialed for what you will be doing...otherwise you will be disappointed in what this fork is capable of. Bottom Line = Buy this fork if you enjoy freeriding and downhilling but would like to have a light fork to take on the occasional cross country ride and still be comfortable to use and adjustable in seconds. Don't buy this fork if you prefer the plush and long travel of a triple clamp fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Philip
a Racer
from Stanford, CA Date Reviewed: June 3, 2007
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
friend
Strengths:
this fork is super adjustable and its awesome for almost everything. can DH it, race it, dj it, etc... if you want it stiff u can pump it up
Weaknesses:
the fork leaks a little bit of oil, not enough to really make me worried at all. its a little bit sticky at the first couple mm's of travel but i think its kause thats the travel that is used when you pedal so it doesnt bob as much
Similar Products Used:
pike 426
Bike Setup:
blk mrkt riot, chris king hubs laced to mavic 729 in back and mavic 321 in front, saint cranks, etc.
Bottom Line:
this is an awesome fork if you can afford it. i love it and it can almost do anything but the only thing about it is its a tiny bit heavy but its a big traveled fork so what do you expect. it feels light for how much performance it gives out. definitely worth the money if you can get one. if it gets messed up u can send it into fox and theyl fix it
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Will
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego, CA, USA Date Reviewed: May 24, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Stiffness, 3-click travel adjustment (4, 5, and 6 inches), adjustability.
Weaknesses:
Through-axle easily stripped if not careful, travel-adjustment lever could have a little more area so gloved fingers can move it more easily.
Bike Setup:
Ellsworth Moment with all the good stuff!
Bottom Line:
I'm a big fan of coil suspension because of the plushness and durability, but I couldn't resist a fork that can be dialed from 4 inches of travel to over 6 with just 3 clicks of the lever on top of the left stanchion. Also, I wanted my Moment to be as light as possible without giving up big-hit capabilities. So, the 36 Talas RC2 became the obvious choice.
Set up is fairly straightforward. I have set it and forgotten it, but a more sophisticated tinkerer might get even more performance from it. Plush and stiff are the cliched catch-words that come to mind. It plain made me faster and smoother through rocky and/or rooted sections that I used to have steer through. Now I simply point and shoot. And climbing my Moment is much easier since I'm able to bring the front end down to 4 inches, which isn't really much of a penalty suspension-wise. I even forgot to return the shock to full boing for a rocky descent after a climb and actually didn't notice the difference until I was through it.
The metal around the hole for allen wrench is very soft and easily stripped. I stripped out the hole. So did a friend of mine who has the same fork. Don't thread the axle in tightly. Just snug it up and then tighten the clamping bolts. Oh, and don't forget to loosen the clamping bolts completely before trying to unthread the axle. That's the mistake my friend made. Perhaps a steel insert for the allen wrench is needed.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Shannon Wilson
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland OR USA Date Reviewed: March 20, 2007
Favorite Trail:
McKeinze River Bridge Store
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
Universal Cycles
Strengths:
Plush and light. Travel adjust lever useful and is easy to work. Made in USA.
Weaknesses:
Could use a quick release. Could use a handlebar lockout. Not a big deal.
Similar Products Used:
Nixons aren't as smooth.
Bike Setup:
Nomad
Bottom Line:
Set up is simple. Adjustments are useful. Small bump compliance is nice. Best of all the steering is precise. Fox could have done away with the 100mm setting on the TALAS, it's too low. Overall this fork is a great product. The only thing this fork might use it a handlebar lockout. I thought the 36TALAS was way expensive, but now the Lyric 2step is up $200. You can't go wrong with Fox, but I hear Rox Shox is catching up.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tom Cosgrove
a Weekend Warrior
from Alta Loma, ca. Date Reviewed: January 30, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Chiquito
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
Jensons
Strengths:
Stiff, adjustable, nice color.
Weaknesses:
price
Similar Products Used:
van rc36
Bike Setup:
o6 enduro all the goodies
Bottom Line:
After going through all the b/s with nixons and minutes, blowing out the rebound on the vanilla 36 and the travel adjust problems with the pike air 454, I must say the talas rocks. 5 clicks of high speed comp, 3 clicks of low speed comp and voila! Bingo, feels like my old z-1 but lighter.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pasi
a Downhiller
from Espoo, Finland Date Reviewed: January 27, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Tunnel trail
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$985.00
Purchased At:
Velo Pro, Santa Barbara
Strengths:
Very quick travel adjsut, 100-160mm of travel in two clicks. Loads of tunability, e.g. high and low compression adjustment plus rebound. Bottom out dampening added this year. Low weight but still very stiff.
Weaknesses:
Talas2 cartridge leaks oil, slightly (to be fixed under warranty). Initial part of the travel is somewhat sticky, even after running in for a while.
Similar Products Used:
'06 Fox 32 Talas RLC, '07 Fox Vanilla RLC, '06 Fox 36 VAN R
Bike Setup:
Heavily upgraded Kona Coiler.
Bottom Line:
This fork is expensive but worth it if you need adjustable travel. The new Talas2 cartridge is a major improvement over the previous 3mm incremental adjustment. This makes for a very versatile bike build. Although not super plush (compared to coil), it still gets the job done quite well.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alex C
a Downhiller
from Lansing, MI, USA Date Reviewed: November 8, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Crank it up
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
Velocipede peddler
Strengths:
Super beefy, very very adjustable awesome attention to detail, nice housing routing system and It's a Fox!
Weaknesses:
None so far
Similar Products Used:
Manitou sherman, Marzocchi DJ, Rock shock reba
Bike Setup:
2006 Santa Cruz Blur 4x, with 2007 Fox 36 talas, King hubs laced to dt-swiss 5.1d rims, Saint brakes, xt-drivetrain etc.
Bottom Line:
If you want an adjustable travel fork that you can "tune" and notice a dramatic difference, this is the fork for you. This fork will let you know how spension is suppose to be. Fox makes the best forks on the market hands down and to top that they are all made here in the USA. Plus their web site has videos and tons of information on how to service their forks. Trust me you wont regret spending the $900.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave
a Weekend Warrior
from Darlo, UK Date Reviewed: November 7, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Glentress, Scotland
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
Hong Kong Bike Shop
Strengths:
Smooth, rigid and well made
Weaknesses:
None so far
Similar Products Used:
Maverick DUC-32's, Talas 32's
Bike Setup:
Fairly stock Whyte 46 - with a few added scratches and dents
Bottom Line:
I have lived and loved my DUC-32's for the past 3 years. They always seemed way too soft but swallowed enourmous hits. The RC2's are totally the opposite - they seem way too rigid and you wonder if you've got too much air in them - then you drop off something or rattle across a rough track! These forks are going to be a hoot!
ps Hong Kong Bikeshop through e-bay are great!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
phil schlosser
a Weekend Warrior
from colorado springs Date Reviewed: November 1, 2006
Favorite Trail:
my own
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$885.00
Purchased At:
Mojo Wheels
Strengths:
Seriously stiff, Smooth as butter out of the box,light.
Weaknesses:
None so far
Similar Products Used:
36 van RC2, Mar.888RC,Z.1 freeride.
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Nomad. XT crank,Single tracks,Hadley hubs, DHX5.0 air.
Bottom Line:
This fork is light, stiff and the travel is sooo smooth. Set up is commonly easy if you know what you are doing. This is the best fork i have ever ridden hands down. I have a 36vanRc2 on my Vpfree and i like the Talas better. I bought it from Mojo Wheels in Denver CO. the best bike shop i have ever been in. These guys are super awesome to their customers. I have ridden the fork down some pretty gnarly terrain and it felt great at high speed. I have never ridden a air fork before i have always stuck to coil just because i don't like to do maintenance on my bike all the time. But after riding it and now knowing how it feels. I think i am sold on the air. Same thing for the DHX5.0 air. The set up on my Nomad with the Talas in the front and the DHX 5.0 air in the rear is awesome. I have never ridden a more comfortable bike in my life. It just sucks up everything so smoothly and no sharp edges what so ever. I would recommend this fork to anyone that wants a really stiff,light fork for big mountain trail riding.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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