I have a 2021 Fox 36 factory, Grip2, 160 mm travel. My riding weigh is 132-135 lbs. The fork is currently being mounted in a hardtail. Here's my situation. My riding usage of this bike is in the Socal areas, so lots of rocks, loose, and brake bumps. Trails such as those at Santiago Oaks, Crystal Cove, and Aliso Woods. There isn't much big jumps nor drops. Not much G-out corners. The name of the game for me is singletracks steep and loose with lots of rocks and holes. So I'm looking for fork compliance and traction.
To be more specific, the area that I am most looking to improve is in consecutive high-speed square hits, this situation occurs a lot in "steep chutes" around here. Right now, I feel like the front end is bouncing a bit on me, sometimes to the point where I could barely control the bike. Yes, you could argue that the bike is a hardtail and the rear is going to be bouncing way more than the front, and that I need a full suspension bike because only tuning the fork will not do me much good in terms of gaining overall traction. But hear me out. I'm also looking to tune this F36 fork for future application too, like putting it back on my Yeti SB130 at some point again. I just need to make the fork more supple for my weight. I feel that I can make the F36 to give me GREAT support, GREAT "one-drop-hit" performance, but like I said it is in consecutive high-speed bumps that I most need it to preform. I've tried tuning those HSC and LSC knobs and the ONLY way for me to feel a damn difference is if I almost have to either 1) almost fully close both hsc/lsc, or 2) almost fully open hsc/lsc. Anything in between, I can't feel much difference. Makes me wonder if the damper is defective? I've been reading MTBR suspension section for the last few days before making this post, and I see there are a few options:
1. Upgrade to the Fox Grip X. Cost $320
2. Upgrade to MRP Lift damper. Cost $400
3. any possible aftermarket revalving worth while? and at what cost?
Right now, to sort of getting more compliance, I'm under-airing the fork a bit, about 10% under Fox recommendation for my riding weight. This allows me to use up about 85-90% of the travel when I fully pump and jump on the fork in the parking lot with hsc/lsc fully open. I don't use any tokens in the air spring side. And even at lowered air pressure, I feel like I do get good midstroke support and I'm not complaining here, but it's the high-speed bump performance that I'm complaning about. Will a damper replacement, damper tune, help out here?
Now as a comparison, on my yeti sb130, I run coil front and back. fork on this bike is 160mm Lyrik with Push coil and HC97 compression unit, and performance of the sb130 in these highspeed chutes is butter. But I'm not looking to turn the F36 into a coil fork, I want to keep it air but a more-compliant air one (because someday I might want to put it back on the yeti SB130).
Another option I'm thinking about is to buy the latest-gen Lyrik Ultimate with Charger 3.1 and apply the Rocckshox "light tune" aftermaket to it? But this requires the purchase of the Lyrik fork and the shim package ($30), which will cost more. There's a guy around here selling a 2023 Lyrik Ultimate for $550 but it only has Charger 3, and to upgrade to Charger 3.1 will cost $100, and then to get the shim package is another $30, which will ending up costing 550 + 100 + 30 = at least $700, but I do get a whole 'nother fork to play with.
Your thoughts? I've been told there are a few tuners around Socal like Fluid Focus in LA, another one in San Diego area forget the name), not sure how much they charge for tuning but I'd imagine it'll be at least $300, in which case I might as well go MRP Lift, right? Furthermore, the Grip2 even that tunable at all, no point in dumping money tuning a turd, right?
(I've been out of the mtb game for over 10 years and just coming back so my knowledge of the equipment may not be up to date. My last bike was a 2007 Specialized Enduro with 26" wheels. It's interesting to see guys in here mentioning old school Marzoochi coil fork from back in the day, didn't know people are still modding these things today!).
To be more specific, the area that I am most looking to improve is in consecutive high-speed square hits, this situation occurs a lot in "steep chutes" around here. Right now, I feel like the front end is bouncing a bit on me, sometimes to the point where I could barely control the bike. Yes, you could argue that the bike is a hardtail and the rear is going to be bouncing way more than the front, and that I need a full suspension bike because only tuning the fork will not do me much good in terms of gaining overall traction. But hear me out. I'm also looking to tune this F36 fork for future application too, like putting it back on my Yeti SB130 at some point again. I just need to make the fork more supple for my weight. I feel that I can make the F36 to give me GREAT support, GREAT "one-drop-hit" performance, but like I said it is in consecutive high-speed bumps that I most need it to preform. I've tried tuning those HSC and LSC knobs and the ONLY way for me to feel a damn difference is if I almost have to either 1) almost fully close both hsc/lsc, or 2) almost fully open hsc/lsc. Anything in between, I can't feel much difference. Makes me wonder if the damper is defective? I've been reading MTBR suspension section for the last few days before making this post, and I see there are a few options:
1. Upgrade to the Fox Grip X. Cost $320
2. Upgrade to MRP Lift damper. Cost $400
3. any possible aftermarket revalving worth while? and at what cost?
Right now, to sort of getting more compliance, I'm under-airing the fork a bit, about 10% under Fox recommendation for my riding weight. This allows me to use up about 85-90% of the travel when I fully pump and jump on the fork in the parking lot with hsc/lsc fully open. I don't use any tokens in the air spring side. And even at lowered air pressure, I feel like I do get good midstroke support and I'm not complaining here, but it's the high-speed bump performance that I'm complaning about. Will a damper replacement, damper tune, help out here?
Now as a comparison, on my yeti sb130, I run coil front and back. fork on this bike is 160mm Lyrik with Push coil and HC97 compression unit, and performance of the sb130 in these highspeed chutes is butter. But I'm not looking to turn the F36 into a coil fork, I want to keep it air but a more-compliant air one (because someday I might want to put it back on the yeti SB130).
Another option I'm thinking about is to buy the latest-gen Lyrik Ultimate with Charger 3.1 and apply the Rocckshox "light tune" aftermaket to it? But this requires the purchase of the Lyrik fork and the shim package ($30), which will cost more. There's a guy around here selling a 2023 Lyrik Ultimate for $550 but it only has Charger 3, and to upgrade to Charger 3.1 will cost $100, and then to get the shim package is another $30, which will ending up costing 550 + 100 + 30 = at least $700, but I do get a whole 'nother fork to play with.
Your thoughts? I've been told there are a few tuners around Socal like Fluid Focus in LA, another one in San Diego area forget the name), not sure how much they charge for tuning but I'd imagine it'll be at least $300, in which case I might as well go MRP Lift, right? Furthermore, the Grip2 even that tunable at all, no point in dumping money tuning a turd, right?
(I've been out of the mtb game for over 10 years and just coming back so my knowledge of the equipment may not be up to date. My last bike was a 2007 Specialized Enduro with 26" wheels. It's interesting to see guys in here mentioning old school Marzoochi coil fork from back in the day, didn't know people are still modding these things today!).
It is fun to get bikes perfectly dialed, but the time/money spent pursuing the perfect set up is often not reflected in real world performance. As much as you are dealing with, get with a suspension tuner and work it out with an expert to save yourself a ton of time/headache and possibly a some money. At least you are only dealing with it on one end of the bike.
