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Home | Product Reviews | Rear Shock | Fox Racing Shox TALAS | ||||
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Submitted by
Yellow Mollow
a Weekend Warrior
from Montreal
Date Reviewed: 2/2/2008 6:25:22 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Bromont |
| Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years |
| Price Paid: | $300 |
| Purchased At: | La Porte a Bicyclette |
| Strengths: | abosrobs shocks accuratly only if tuned by YR, the elite tech. |
| Weaknesses: | talas travel adjusting feature does'nt work after just a few rides |
| Similar Products Tried: | none |
| Bike Setup: | trek fuel |
| Bottom Line: | If you ever have the choice, better to avoid the fox brand. If you are cought with it, my best advise is to send it to YR in quebec, Canada, www.velocycle.com. He is the only one able to tune the fox products exactly according to your needs. I don't know what he does, but it is like magic. You will never need any maintenace again after his labor. Not like those Fox 6 digit crooks, who deliberatly makes you spend on your suspensions regularly because of their unpassionate works... The rebuild protocols are called YR's efficiency, & it is the best fox service in the world. I had more than 10 different fox suspensions tuned by YR, & none of them needs servicing so far. Before I used to send them to Fox usa & I had to spend hundereds of dollars per year... Value rating is according to Fox usa service & overall rating is after YR's rebuild service! |
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Submitted by
Ben
a Cross Country Rider
from New Lowell, ON Canada
Date Reviewed: 1/23/2007 7:54:35 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Purchased At: | 120 |
| Strengths: | Very easy to adjust, installtion and setup took less than a half hour. Soaks up hard and fast hits with no problems like riding a cloud. I am over 200 lbs. and a 5-6 foot drop is no problem. I have not been able to bottom this unit out yet. |
| Weaknesses: | None yet!! |
| Similar Products Tried: | Kind Shock(POS) |
| Bike Setup: | 06 Schwinn Blackline stock except for Hayes 203s, Talas rear, Minute 2 on the front. |
| Bottom Line: | Really easy to set up and adjust for all types of riding. Never loses air pressure even stored or riding in cold temp. I have about 7 inches of rear travel with this shock, basically if your are willing to ride over it, it soak it up. Very plush and can be adjusted quickly for different conditions. When I first got this shock the seals weeped a bit but according to the local bike store this is normal. All that being said great shock, go buy one if you can find a store with NOS sitting on the self. |
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Submitted by
Gordy
a Weekend Warrior
from Everett, WA USA
Date Reviewed: 2/26/2006 5:47:42 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Japanese Gulch |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $150 |
| Purchased At: | eBay |
| Strengths: | Nearly infinite adjustment Good rebound control and dampning Plush ride quality |
| Weaknesses: | None yet |
| Similar Products Tried: | Fox Vanilla R w/ProPedal Noleen |
| Bike Setup: | Iron Horse Sinister Expert, XT rings, cranks, derailuers, Avid Mech. discs, Bontrager Race Lites w/Mich. Hot S (For loose and Mud) Mavic Cross Max w/Bontrager Revolt (for dry and hardpack), RS Psylo XC (Changing to Fox at the end of the week!) |
| Bottom Line: | This shock kicks butt!! It actually improves my ability! Took a while to get set up for my riding style but once it was...Holy Sh_t! NO pedal bob! Climbs great even when not locked. Does downhill and drops like you're riding a frickin' sofa! I had to purchase a Fox 100RLC because it brings out all the bad qualities of my Rock Shox Psylo. Just find one and put it on! You will be impressed! |
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Submitted by
Gianfranco De Micheli
a Racer
from Costa Mesa, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: 12/23/2005 10:47:11 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Nobel Canyon |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Strengths: | Performance |
| Weaknesses: | So far none. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Fox L |
| Bike Setup: | Trek Liquid 30 |
| Bottom Line: | The fork perform fantastic after taking the time to adjust it to fit your own riding prefercens. I like to ride a little bit of everything XC, climbing, downhill and with this fork you can change the geometry of the bike on the flight...and for sure it'll make you fly. I'm vary happy so far especially for the performance and flexibility of adjustments. Great product. |
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Submitted by
Neal
a Cross Country Rider
from Penticton BC Canada
Date Reviewed: 10/29/2005 3:30:21 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Three Blind Mice |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Purchased At: | Bike Barn |
| Strengths: | Nice Ride. Dependable so far. |
| Bike Setup: | Trek Liquid 30 |
| Bottom Line: | Once I got the shock set up for how I ride it is fine. I rode the end of last season in Moab on it and all of this year in British Columbia. I have had no problems with the shock. After the bike sat all winter during ski season I checked the pressure before the first ride this spring and it was what it was when I shut it down last fall. I have had a whole summer on it and it has not lost any pressure and still works well. |
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Submitted by
mark
a Cross Country Rider
from colonial heights va
Date Reviewed: 11/15/2004 4:18:16 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Pocahontas |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Purchased At: | Cobblestone bikes |
| Strengths: | looks,versatility,durability, adjustabilty.too many otheres to name,easy on the fly change of suspension height |
| Weaknesses: | ? |
| Similar Products Tried: | Rckshox deluxe |
| Bike Setup: | Devinci Guzzler,ATAC pedals, Ergo bars |
| Bottom Line: | once set up properly(I set it a little above my riding weight so when it burped out a little when I remove the pump it drops to equal my riding weight, the shock feels like floating on water. the rebound took a bit of adjustment. the curb hop test is not as accurate as the trail ride test but you must be willing to stop and tweak while on the trail with this method but it is worth it.if you want a shock that will work equally well going to the store,on fire roads,cross country, or severeobstacles at fast speeds plunk down the $ for this one. there is very little pedal bob when climbing in or out of the saddle even in the exteded range |
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Submitted by
Sean
a Weekend Warrior
from Glendale, CA
Date Reviewed: 5/2/2004 7:16:29 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Strengths: | -Great shock -adjustabilty -weight -looks |
| Weaknesses: | None |
| Bike Setup: | Liquid 30 stock except for tires. I put on some michelin Hot S 2.5's on them. |
| Bottom Line: | This rear shock is great. It really eats up all the bumps and big rocks. Just get the pressure right. Great shock |
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Submitted by
VelvetHog
a Cross Country Rider
from Colorado
Date Reviewed: 2/1/2004 8:14:34 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Behind the Rocks |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Purchased At: | LBS |
| Strengths: | Great adjustability. This shock if capable of being VERY plush. It holds air for long periods of time. It can be set to handle casual riding or semi aggresive descents equally. It really eats up rocky sections. The ultimate air shock for Moab type riding. |
| Weaknesses: | From my point of view I know of none. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Vanilla, 5th Element |
| Bike Setup: | bone stock Liquid 30 sans a few stickers |
| Bottom Line: | TAKE THE TIME TO DIAL IN THIS SHOCK. It makes a very large difference in the handling. If the pressure is too high for your weight/riding style the shock can be harsh and skittish. If you dial it in it is extremely plush. There is a fine line between getting it set too soft and bottoming it often and getting it set too firm and losing most of its performance. I am talking about a difference of 5 to 10 psi of air pressure. Once it is dialed it is truly impressive. My seals weaped a bit at first. The main shaft would be damp with oil (no drips) at first, but only while riding. I emailed Fox about this. They assured me that it was normal. After some miles (about 300) the oil seeping stopped completely. I theorize that the seals took that long to seat in. Also my front TALAS seals were exactly the same and took even longer to stop weaping than the rear. |
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Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Washington
Date Reviewed: 1/19/2004 11:01:04 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Strengths: | Reliability -- quality of construction. Fox warranty dept. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Practically every shock and fork known to man for the last 20 years. |
| Bike Setup: | Trek Liquid 10 with modified upgraded components & Talus fork. |
| Bottom Line: | This product works as advertised. Has a solid feel under pedaling pressure. Height adjust works and is fun to experiment with - but you soon find your favorite settings. No leaks no problems -- solid warranty dept -- what else can you ask? my suggestion to prolexer below is that he first get himself a bike from the 20th century - then upgrade .... if his choice makes sense. |
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Submitted by
Jay
a Cross Country Rider
from Milwaukee, WI
Date Reviewed: 1/2/2004 3:18:03 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Purchased At: | OEM on Liquid 30 |
| Strengths: | Plush Ride, adjustability |
| Weaknesses: | No Compression Adjustment, Oil running down shock shaft |
| Similar Products Tried: | None |
| Bike Setup: | Stock liquid 30 |
| Bottom Line: | Shock leaked oil very slightly when new, then stopped leaking until I rode it in sub-freezing weather. Then someone turned on the faucet. With only 500 miles or so on this unit I can only wonder if there is any oil left in the shock. Fox states that this is "normal" and I should not be alarmed. I was born at night, but not last night. Oh, my fox forks leak just as much. |
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Submitted by
Albert
a Downhiller
from St. George, Utah, USA
Date Reviewed: 12/29/2003 7:01:47 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Purchased At: | Bicycles Unlimited |
| Strengths: | Rapid adjustment of rear suspension travel settings. Very smooth ride on rough trails. |
| Weaknesses: | Wish it could have a remote lever for quicker travel changes on wavy terrain. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Don't know of another similar product. Other adjustable rear suspensions require unbolting and moving shock mount. |
| Bike Setup: | Trek Liquid 20 |
| Bottom Line: | Been riding hard, fast and often for one year on some tough trails with no problems from the Fox TALAS on my Trek Liquid 20. Love the ability to change the shock length (usually while in motion) to match the downhill or uphill ride. |
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Submitted by
DLH
a Cross Country Rider
from Washington/USA
Date Reviewed: 11/4/2003 5:38:18 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Strengths: | Works as advertised -- reliable -- holds air without leaking -- works silently and with no fuss. |
| Weaknesses: | None -- |
| Similar Products Tried: | There aren't any that I haven't used - Except the new Manitou SPV |
| Bike Setup: | Trek liquid -- XTR, Thompson, Marzocchi etc.. |
| Bottom Line: | This rear shock combined with the Trek four bar rear suspension works extraordinarily well. Seems to reach a good compromise between pedal efficiency and plushness with relative ease. Talas feature works as advertised. Unlike the Proflexer I have never heard a peep out of my shock -- I recommend that he turn the shock right side up - I don't know but it may make a difference to the rebound lockout feature. Anyway, this is without queston, in my mind, the best Fox Air schock I have ever used - and I have used and liked them all. 'Nuff said - if you are looking for easy rear travel adjustability with Fox reliability this is your shock. |
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Submitted by
Old Proflexer
a Cross Country Rider
from Southern California
Date Reviewed: 10/3/2003 7:04:32 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Purchased At: | Internet purchase |
| Strengths: | very adjustable |
| Weaknesses: | makes a lot of noise |
| Similar Products Tried: | just about every rear shock that will fit my bike |
| Bike Setup: | k2/ proflex carbon 4500 |
| Bottom Line: | pic of mounted shock: http://idriders.com/proflex/galleries/Old_Proflexer/Fox_Float_Talas_Rear_Mounted.JPG not happy at all at this time. i purchased the shock and mounted as pictured. was having fun with the adjustability but now i was hearing a sound that i had not heard before - a rattling, like a marble inside a cup. the sound was coming from the smaller, length adjustment housing. i contacted via email the fox c.s. department and they indicated that the shock should not be making any noise as i was describing. they gave me an ra number and i sent the shock in, they serviced it (i think) and promptly sent it back. i remounted it, took it for a spin and it was making more noise that it had before. the shock works as advertised but is noisy as all get out and i'm contacting the company to see if they will either clarify the problem, try to fix it again, upgrade the shock to maybe an rl if that will help or something. the rattling is unacceptable and i'd advise caution before buying one of these. here's a link to my K2 Bikes Tech Forum - I'm letting many of our posters know what's happening and if and how it'll get resolved http://idriders.com/cgi-bin/YaBB_K2/YaBB.pl?board=news "Old Proflexer" Nicholas P. Halapoff 1 chili for value as the noise is obnoxious 1 chili overall for the same reason |
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Submitted by
Derek
a Cross Country Rider
from Milwaukee, WI, USA
Date Reviewed: 8/18/2003 6:00:14 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Purchased At: | stock shock on Liquid 10 |
| Strengths: | Very adjustable, lockout comes in handy on steep smooth climbs, plush ride |
| Weaknesses: | No compression adjuster, no handle bar mounted thumb lockout lever, the '04 shocks with ProPedal should be a lot nicer for minor bob control |
| Similar Products Tried: | Stock shock on '02 Sugar 3+ |
| Bike Setup: | Stock Liquid 10 |
| Bottom Line: | I have yet to bottom out this shock. Works great and as promised. No leaks of air or oil. Rarely use the variable heigth control option but the lockout I use on the fly ALOT. I usually just keep it on full extend travel and enjoy the great plush ride with minor bobing. Drop the extend feature, add compression damping adj with ProPedal and this shock would be killer!!! |
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Submitted by
Michael Fahey
a Weekend Warrior
from Brisbane Australia
Date Reviewed: 8/4/2003 5:09:13 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Bicentenial Trail |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Purchased At: | oe fitment on Trek Liquid 30 |
| Strengths: | keeps back wheel off seatpost |
| Weaknesses: | stopped adjusting on first day just on the driveway |
| Bike Setup: | standard Trek Liquid 30 |
| Bottom Line: | The same as my reveiw for the forks. That much money on a new bike and the components should do what they are supposed to do. I never even got to ride my bike off the concrete, and I've now been waiting 3 weeks to ride a bike I shelled out nearly A$7000. It's my first dealing with a Fox product and just could be my last. |
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Submitted by
Ryan E.
a Cross Country Rider
from Lyons, CO
Date Reviewed: 5/6/2003 10:50:35 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | many |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $400 |
| Purchased At: | The Cycologist - Fort Collins, CO |
| Strengths: | Easily adjustable; VERY plush; various travel settings make a huge difference in ride character. |
| Weaknesses: | None that I can detect so far |
| Similar Products Tried: | first full suspension I've owned; demo'd a 5th Element Heckler for 2 days; hardtail for 10 years prior |
| Bike Setup: | '03 Switchblade with Fox Talas up front, all the other bells and whistles |
| Bottom Line: | Works extremely well. I was worried that it would be a pain to use the adjust system but it's a piece of cake, and it actaully works like it's supposed to. Very plush ride, similar feel to the 5th Element. All in all, this shock works as advertised, is very easy to adjust, and simply feels amazing. Just as plush in the lower travel setting as it is in the higher settings. Buy the Switchblade from Shawn at The Cycologist (www.thecycologist.com) and you will be amazed at the ride quality (and the customer service and professionalism you get from Shawn). |
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