I dont know if the actual damper was good because the stiction was so bad. The lever to change the CTD ADJ was easier than the Rockshox Pike.

STICTION STICTION STICTION

I've been riding for 14 years and over the years i had grown to love the fox forks. Thats until the 2013 Fox Talas 34. Of all of the bike part purchases I've made over the years, this was the worst major purchase i have made.

I assumed the stiction I was feeling in the beginning was because the fork wasn't broken in. After 10 hours of riding, the stiction was just as bad. I talked to Fox at Sea Otter and they told me the breakin took longer than normal with this fork. After 35 hours of riding, the stiction was still so bad it didn't feel safe to ride. I had times coming down trails where the front end would chatter on light trail chatter. It felt the wipers were glued to the stanchions. I almost lost the front on light trail chatter at 35mph. Not a good feeling.

My friend has the 2013 Fox Float 34 and was having the same problem. He is a rocket engineer so he isn't the typical armature bike mechanic. He has tried everything. He changed the oil and re-lubed the seals multiple times. He also changed the wipers to enduro seals. No luck. He called Fox and they told him he could send the fork back and they would relube the fork, change the oil (something he had already done to spec) and check the bushings. They also told him stiction is all in the eye of the beholder.

I decided to bite the bullet and get the new Rockshox Pike. Now that was one of the best major purchases i have made. That fork right out of the box is one of the smoothest forks i have ever felt. It is just butter.

Fox seriously needs to do a recall on this fork. It is not safe to ride. I used to drink the Fox cool aid but they lost a loyal customer.

Dont waste your money on the fox, get the pike. It is a way better fork.

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Rockshox Pike

Very plush ride and can easily handle very heavy drops/bumps. The trail adjustment is a nice feature if you want to reduce the travel or reduce the suspension while climbing.

The only "weakness" for me is the weight, which is pretty dramatic for XC riding compared to the Fox Float or other light forks.

Great for AM riding, but I would choose a lighter fork if you are weight conscious.