Same price?
36 Factory, just because.

 

Same price?
36 Factory, just because.

Same price. I think the Fox is a 2022, RS is a 2023 MY.

 

I had a lyric and 36 on the same bike. They are a few years old now.

But in general terms lyric is more buttery for small bump performance and 36 offers more mid stroke support but less initial butter.

Both perform similar at bottom out.

In reality both will be awesome.

Small bump more important lyric, midrange more important 36.

 

The 2023 lyrik is a lot more progressive than the 36 and the older lyrik.

 

I think the simple answer here is do you want Kashima coated bling or nah? Realistically both forks will be kickass. I have a Lyric on my bike and love it, but I don't have any time on a 36.

 

Both of them will be great forks, but except the look, you should also consider the A2C, not sure if both of them are the same length (@ 160mm) or one of them is longer/shorter.

Also, what bike/frame are you going to put the fork on, and what kind of shock it comes with?

 

The differences are noticeable in ride feel, but there are no major variances in performance=depending on what your definition of performance is=trail speed? grip?
Both can be set up optimally.
Both can be set up far less than optimally-more so with Fox in my experience.
Service is key.
36 can feel better for me over longer service intervals.
Lyrik has a much shorter optimum performance time before it benefits from service.
Lyriks can be very progressive and many riders get hung up on " I'm not using all my travel".
Pretty easy to get lost in Fox damper adjustments and get way out of range of where you should be in regards to dialing in compression and rebound vs spring pressure.
Lyrik is a bit simpler to dial in initally.
There is no wrong choice that will alter the course of your ride experience in a way that makes things unenjoyable.
Go for aesthetics?
[/QUOTE]

Are you comparing the 36 to the newest Charger 3 Lyrik? One of the reasons I never went w/ the Charger 2.1 was the bladder setup. I assumed the new Charger 3 would have similar service intervals to the Grip 2 as the lyrik has the spring backed IFP.

 

Fox 36. Stiffer for more consistent performance and the grip 2 will be more glued to the ground. I have a Charger 3 on a Zeb and it’s ok but my Fox 38 with Grip 2 is better. Adjustments are actually felt. Charger 3 the clicks don’t really change anything.

 

Fox.

The Charger 3 is not a good damper and will be very hard to tune aftermarket.

Of course, if it were me I'd take whichever one I could sell for the most money, then turn around and buy a Yari and drop an Avalanche damper in it.

 

I've had good experiences with RS, but

36

Grip 2 is pretty good for front wheels that hit things hard.

 

Fox. Kashima has higher resale value usually.

 

RS.. easier and cheaper service.. also stiffer chassis

 

I’ve had both recently. I like the charger 3 Lyrik more but it’s splitting hairs. The Lyrik is quieter, more supportive and just feels a bit more composed. The 36 feels a little more comfortable. If it were my choice I would take the one that looks better with the bike.

 

 

How does the Charger 2.1 Lyrik Ultimate compare? My LBS is offering a good deal on those since they have old stock, and I have been eyeing a switch over to Rockshox from the Float X/36 Grip2 on my current rig.

 

I'm a big fan and actually went back to a 2.1 from a charger 3 lyrik. Feels way more buttery to me but I also have a charger 3 pike that feels buttery but so far have not liked the zeb,lyrik charger 3 that I have owned.

 

Why does some spell Lyrik with a c?

 

cuz that's really how it's spelled in the muricah. RS just spells it kool

 

The differences are noticeable in ride feel, but there are no major variances in performance=depending on what your definition of performance is=trail speed? grip?
Both can be set up optimally.
Both can be set up far less than optimally-more so with Fox in my experience.
Service is key.
36 can feel better for me over longer service intervals.
Lyrik has a much shorter optimum performance time before it benefits from service.
Lyriks can be very progressive and many riders get hung up on " I'm not using all my travel".
Pretty easy to get lost in Fox damper adjustments and get way out of range of where you should be in regards to dialing in compression and rebound vs spring pressure.
Lyrik is a bit simpler to dial in initally.
There is no wrong choice that will alter the course of your ride experience in a way that makes things unenjoyable.
Go for aesthetics?

 

I prefer the FOX 36. Both are pretty good but they feel different as others have noted. The Kashima coating also seems to not be affected if you go past the service intervals by a decent amount of time. RS needs a coating like that.

 

Just service your fork.
Otherwise there is no reason to get something more expensive than the cheap sr suntour forks.

 

Which colour stanchions match the rear shock shaft? Way more important than anything else.

 

I'd go Lyrik and previous generation if possible (Charger 2.1 is better than Charger 3).

Lyrik crowns creak less and the bushings don't move once set. Counter to that is fox actually sell bushings and RS don't.

 

I'd go Lyrik and previous generation if possible (Charger 2.1 is better than Charger 3).

When you basically said the same thing in one of the fox threads, I was convinced to get rid of the 36 I had even if it meant losing the $. And I did make sure I got a 2.1

 

I recently bought a new leftover '22 36 factory grip 2. Thank god I got it for 50% off retail cause the thing was an absolute arm killer. I couldn't have hated it more and sold it ridiculously cheap. AND it was almost 200g heavier than claimed weight (not a huge deal, just obnoxious). I also think 2 different rebound settings is a pain in the ass, YMMV.

Went back to RS with a new '22 Lyrik ultimate - which is charger 2.1, so maybe not apples to apples for this discussion but it's 1000x better than the 36 I had. It's not even broken in and it's plusher in the small bumps and far less harsh than the 36 I had.

I also disagree with the resale value comment. Ever since RS started clamping down on dealer pricing, all the used forks with ultimate in their name have been selling for really strong money. I wasn't seeing the same thing looking at used late model fox forks.