Submitted by
Razzie
a Cross Country Rider
from Finland
Date Reviewed: March 2, 2011
Strengths: Stiff, very smooth and with the right setup it just about eliminates every little bump you encounter.
Weaknesses: Sub freezing temperatures.
Bottom Line:
This fork allows you to maximize your performance on a AM trail. I feel confident in sharp turns and bumpy downhill riding.
I enjoy riding in freezing conditions where snow is a factor. Below -5 degrees Celsius the fork goes stiff and loses most of it's rebound. I've contacted Fox Suspensions customer service who've told me not to use their fork in below 0 degrees Celsius conditions.
If you ride in summer conditions I urge you to buy this fork but if you encounter sub freezing temperatures I recommend you avoid this product.
Submitted by
Bungle
a Downhiller
from cheshire, england
Date Reviewed: September 12, 2010
Strengths: super stiff forks, that go where u point them
quick travel adjust
quick release is easy.
Weaknesses: on my original lowers i tightened the allen key bolts on the quick release to tight and cracked them. had the lowers replaced with the new quick release and they've been great since. Also they need regular service (oil changed every 4 months if u ride 2-3 times a week. The stickiness that is a problem with fox is easily sorted by buying some fork lube off fox and by smearing on the stanchions before and after riding it stops this and makes them really plush
Bottom Line:
I know I've put a few weakness's. but these forks are great. Ive have them on 2 bikes now and both bikes descend harder than you should be able to. I thought it was down to my nomad at first, but since having the chameleon its just the same on that. The talas system makes the fork because u can keep it in 130 for trail center,. or stiffen the fork up and keep it in 100 and its great for dirt jumping.Flick the fork to 160 and its like a mini dh fork. I live in Cheshire and i ride in the peaks a bit. Some of the climbs there are steep so 100 is ideal while 160 is mint for all mountain descents. by using the fox fluid it keeps the foam seals at the top of the stanchions wet and the forks plush. the rc2 is easy to adjust and is great if you just want to stiffen/ make it plusher without messing with the air. I dont think i'll use another fork again for xc.
Strengths: Lightweight compared to competitors.
The wheel stays on track due to 36mm stantions.
Weaknesses: Not very good on small and fast bumps.
Damping was gone after a bad landing on a big drop.
Bottom Line:
Marzocchi 66 SL1 was a very good fork but had a problem with self-turning travel adjuster.
Sold 66 and got a brand new 36 Talas RC2 09's at August 2008. (Wanted 36 Float but it was sold out at the point.) The on first impression the weight was amazingly light compared to similar 160~180mm travel forks.
Got em' on my bottlerocket and went for a ride. The first feel was like why is this fork so slow and not active on fast bumps. The compression damping was totally turned off but still it did not act on the small bumps. The air pressure for the sag setting was 35~40% and it was far lower then the suggested pressure on the manual. After I had my distributor swap the oil viscosity, it was little better but still did not fill anything butter smooth like Marzocchi 66.
The 36 Talas was not too bad on local dh trails, no big drops nor jumps. Last weekend I had visited Diablo Freeride Park. The trail was amazing and diverse. The first day I was slow and getting use to the obstacles. And on the second day I was jumping of big drops and jumps, and bam! The compression damping was dead.
Gonna have 36 Talas checked by my distributor, but after I get them back, I will definately sell it and go for a coil spring fork.
Get 36 Talas if you only ride on smooth trails. For the rough ones 36 Talas isn't the one.
Strengths: rigidity,3 travel settings, hi & lo comp. & rebound adjusable settings
Weaknesses: maybe the pilot .I must have gotten a baad one. Ive had (0) problems with it in well over 1000 miles
Bottom Line:
The fox Talas 36 rc2 fork has worked perfectly since I purchased it from ebay . It has well over 1000 mls on it and im as happy as the day i got it. ive read where alot of people have had troubles with seals and chambers and I have to say I definatly got a BAAD AXXX ONE .As far as set up I come from a mx backround so I think I might have an advantage on setting it up .it definately helps being there are lots of things to fiddle with but once you find a good setting for your weight, speed ,ability i give it an[ A plus ]
Similar Products Used: zokes ,rokshox fox ,Maveric DUK 32,
Bike Setup: FOX TALAS 36rc2,TURNER dw 5.5 ,CCDB REAR shok or rp23 fox SHOK[full HOPE: wheels,brakes ect.ect.],Sram XO: shftr & der.]RaceFace: monkeylites &carbon crnk]
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
robsonmtb
a Weekend Warrior
from wallington
Date Reviewed: April 23, 2010
Strengths: talas adjastment, stiff. very good tracking,
Weaknesses: travel adjastment works only up to your 1st service, after your fork is garbage,bushings good for 5 months of trail riding
Bottom Line:
its one seson fork if you planing to keep it for longer wecome to my nightmare,bushings gave up after half of seson took a month to get it back from fox service,no big deal but fox oil change was the and of everything talas travel is not anymore working i just sended back for the third time for service and fox keeps talling me the talas adjustment my not be exactly 110.130.160 mm ,my get only 146mm and 160.mm.and i just discovered from fox that i was changing travel on my fork wrong for 2 years. fox told me what i should do: get of your bike, set your travel and wait 10 sec for your fork to adjust.this year i lost 2 monts of riding.and i am only trail weekand rider, now its your choice
Submitted by
loneryda
a Weekend Warrior
from Mackay QLD Aust.
Date Reviewed: November 21, 2009
Strengths: Great big hit ability, Adjustable travel, reliability, looks.
Weaknesses: Small bump compliance
Bottom Line:
A lot of the time I don't notice my talas when I'm riding. Mainly because it it just gets on with the job sucking up bumps and drops with great control and confidence. There is no pedal bob when standing up and hammering and it really likes being pushed hard, it's a great air fork for aggressive riding. Small bump compliance however suffers as the low speed compression is overdamped. Get this one if you're after a stiff no-nonsense fork with limited problems and great design. If you do aggresive AM riding and climbs and need the lightest stiffest and best perfomed air fork you gotta get one otherwise get the float if you dont climb much. Fox really does rule the 6 inch market and the talas 36 has served me well.
Submitted by
whidbeydh
a Downhiller
from Oak Harbor, WA
Date Reviewed: September 22, 2009
Strengths: Build quality. Ease of adjustability.
Weaknesses: Not a coil fork. Hard to get full travel without heavy brakdive.
Bottom Line:
This is a great fork. However< I just could not get used to an air fork. I'm rating this fork highly because i believe it is a good product...It's just not for me. I went back to a coil Lyrik.
Strengths: Adjust-ability, very plush, easy to service (cleaning and changing bath oil not a full service, IL leave that to the experts) good tracking and stiff.
Weaknesses: the only thing i dont like is that the compression damping is on the bottom of the leg, id rather have the rebound at the bottom and the compression dampening at the top, no biggie. i do believe they have done this for the new 2010 version so if your gonna get one id wait for the new ones to arrive.
Bottom Line:
great fork, it has turned my bike into "go anywhere do anything rig". steep hill no prob just turn the talas knob to 100 and once you get to the top turn it to 160 and blast back down and use 130 for regular use. ive done a 4ft drop to flat with this fork and forgot to switch it up to 160mm and left it in the 100mm setting and it still soaked it up without bottoming out. there expensive but worth it.
Submitted by
kburati
a Downhiller
from Natick, MA, US
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2009
Strengths: TALAS adjustment is the best Air fork Travel adjustment available for a long travel Single Crown fork
Weaknesses: Could use 10mm more travel to be competitive with Marzocchi and Rock Shox
Bottom Line:
This is a review for the new 2010 FIT TALAS 36 RC2 fork. I've been on the 2008 version for the past 2 seasons and that was an excellent fork. The reason I upgraded to the 2010 was the claimed improvements in damping when set to the lower 2 travel settings. On the 2008 fork the TALAS didn't soak up small stuff in the 130mm setting and lost some of it's feel vs the 160mm setting. The claim by FOX is correct, the fork is actually more supple in the 130mm setting and is awesome on the trails. Small bump compliance is better overall in all settings (note: since I have a 6" travel frame I never use the 100mm travel setting on the fork) but most noticable in the 130mm setting. Fork also uses all of it's travel now where the 2008 always left an inch of unused stanchion no matter what travel setting.
Strengths: What can I say? It's got travel adjustment, famous Fox quality and dependability, and you never have to own more than one bike.
Weaknesses: Silver color hard to match up with standard bike colors out there
Bottom Line:
Wow. This fork rules. I only need one bike for everything i ride (XC races, occasional trail rides, AM) and this fork i=was the stepping stone. Worth the $1100.
Similar Products Used: PIKE 454 Air U-Turn, Talas 32 R & RLC.
Bike Setup: Titus El Guapo. I9 Enduro Wheelset. Hope Tech M4.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jeffreal
a Weekend Warrior
from Tucson, AZ
Date Reviewed: November 6, 2008
Strengths: Fast adjustable travel 4,5,or 6" in a few seconds. Just reach down turn the dial 90 degrees and that's it. Lightweight for the travel. Stiff. PLUSH for an air fork! Quick 20mm axle system. FOX has amazing technical website with full rebuild instructions and videos and hints for cleaning etc..
Weaknesses: Price is HIGH.. cuts into beer money. Makes you ride too fast.
Bottom Line:
This thing is a dream. It's a new bike. I can ride trails in the 5" mode, climbs in the 4" mode, and bomb past my buddies on the 6" downhills. It tracks like a dream with stiff yet plush control. Fox nailed it with this unit. Plus their technical info website has all the rebuild instructions and tons of great info for keeping it clean and dialing it in. I hardly messed with anything despite all the options of fast and slow compression, etc. It climbs and desceds without getting in the way. I can do 5 to 6' urban assault drops to flat concrete and this thing doesn't bottom. It's a costly mofo though... so save up by drinking PBR instead of Guiness and you'll be glad you did (so will your gut).
Similar Products Used: Answer Products Nixon Platinum. Various Rock Shox products.
Bike Setup: Specialized Enduro Expert, I9 Enduro wheelset (sweeeter than honey), Hayes hydraulic, Saint shadow rear mech, bash ring and double chainrings, XTR Rapidfire shifters, Ergon lockon grips, carbon bar and post, Thomson stem, etc
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
GaryM
a Weekend Warrior
from Calgary, ab canada
Date Reviewed: September 16, 2008
Strengths: Easy setup, damping, stiffness
Bottom Line:
I have been using my 2006 van36RC2 for 3 years and really liked it. I decided I wanted travel adjust for my new frame so I picked up the '09 TALAS. I have always been skeptical of air forks and travel adjust but they nailed it with this one. It is noticeably stiffer than my '06, has better damping, more sensitive to small bumps and is 1/2lb lighter! Travel adjust works very smoothly and it handles the big hits fine. It keeps up much better at high speeds through repeated big hits than the van did. I don't know how many of the improvements are from the '08 changes and how many from '09 but the fork is amazing. Also much easier to set up than other air forks I have tried that have multiple chambers to tune.
It costs a fortune but the performance backs it up.
Similar Products Used: '06 36vanRC2, marz 66RC2X, 66SL1ATA, 888, fox40
Bike Setup: Knolly endorphin
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
scott15318
a Weekend Warrior
from Otterberg, Germany
Date Reviewed: August 26, 2008
Strengths: Fine Tuning, 20mm axle, TALAS system, weight, compression
Weaknesses: None found so far
Bottom Line:
I just finished my first ride with the fork and all I can say is WOW!!! I cannot believe how nice this fork is. It responded very well to small bumps and I had no problems with 6 ft drops and aggressive downhill sections. I even forgot that I left the TALAS in the 130mm setting and hit some pretty bad ass drops without even noticing. This fork is well worth the investment. You will not be disappointed at all with the TALAS. I wish I had this fork all along on my bike.
I will post a review in a few weeks after I get a few more miles on this fork.
Bike Setup: 07 Kona Coiler Deluxe, Sram X.0, DXH 4.0, Easton AM Havoc wheelset, Truvativ crank and BB
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
northstarrider
a Downhiller
from Livermore ca USA
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2008
Strengths: where to start ? It almost has a brain it takes the little rocks to droppoffs with ease easy to adjust travel to 100 to 160 takes bout 10 seconds I have a nissan pathfinder so I need to take off the wheel and 20qrs suk not anymore can have it off in just 30 seconds amazing
Weaknesses: the only thing that I can say is that going from 160 to 100 take a long time or you need to bang on them until they go down
Bottom Line:
I love to downhill but usually I have to ride out , this fork is very light and with the adjustable travel it makes the climb a little bit eaiser. The 130 setting is nice to ride around town because it keeps the handle bars level I also use this setting for the flats but rite before the downhill I flick the switch and i have the ultimit downhill machine. The price is a little spendy well not for me but the fork is well worth it its a cross country freeride and downhill fork all in one and its a orgy to ride lol for that 5 stars
I have a 2008 Enduro with the E150 forks and I'm entertaining the idea of putting a 170mm 2011 Fox Talas 36 on it. It appears that the Fox 2011 Talas 36 in 170mm version has the s Read More »
Currently running this fork on my Enduro, this winter I'm going to do one of three options:
- Send fork to PUSH for a Float conversion and their "Factory Fork System" rebuild
- Read More »
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i am going to ask this question in here as you guys are a friendly helpful bunch.
so am hoping one of you can help.
i have a 2006 fox 36 talas rc2, i noticed on my ride today th Read More »
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