Fox 32 Taper-Cast Factory Gravel Fork review

Fox has completely redesigned its gravel suspension offering to incorporate updated tech and the brand's quality construction, especially on this range-topping Factory option.

There’s 50mm of travel on tap in this test sample, and top-spec features such as Fox’s Kashima coating.

As a longer-travel option, the Fox is among the best gravel bike forks you can buy – if you leave price concerns at the door.

Fox 32 Taper-Cast Factory Gravel Fork specifications and details

The Fox 32 Taper-Cast Factory Gravel Fork (or 32TC, for short) uses 32mm stanchions.

Although it’s a long fork at 445.5mm (there’s also a 40mm-travel option), the clever reverse-arch design reduces this distance compared to a traditional front-facing arch.

The fork also has removable mounts for gravel mudguards.

Fox has employed a Kashima coating on the stanchions (upper legs) to create a smooth, even surface that should ensure perfect sealing for longer.

The 32TC incorporates Fox’s FIT4 (Fox Isolated Technology) closed-cartridge damper system with a Float Evol air spring. Cheaper non-Factory options come with Fox’s simpler GRIP damper, which doesn’t offer as much adjustment.

When it comes to damping adjustment, the FIT4 offers more than most. There are three main low-speed compression-damping positions to choose from (Open, Medium and Firm), selected using the outer lever-equipped dial. The first of these can be tweaked to suit your preferences using the inner damper dial.

Brake-rotor compatibility is for 160mm or 180mm rotors, with an adaptor, and the fork has removable fender/mudguard mounts.

Fox has kept the weight impressively low by using a reverse brake arch that mounts lower down the fork and is claimed to reduce mass, while the rear of the fork is cut away in a truss-like design to save weight and retain stiffness.

It makes the fork tricky to service because bolt access is limited, requiring a special tool (Fox part no. 820-09-084).

At 1,320g, it’s one of the lightest suspension forks around and only 20g heavier than the RockShox Rudy Ultimate XPLR despite having 20mm more travel. It’s 360g lighter than the MRP Baxter, 50g lighter than the Cannondale Oliver Lefty and 150g lighter than the carbon-crowned KS GTC.

The Factory-spec 32TC doesn’t come cheap, however. Its closest rival is the Rudy Ultimate XPLR, but that’s £220 cheaper.

The MRP Baxter is £50 less again, while the KS GTC is a huge £400 less troubling on your wallet.

Fox 32 Taper-Cast Factory Gravel Fork strip-down

Along with the three-position low-speed compression-damping adjustment, you can also adjust the rebound speeds.

The setup is simple enough, with Fox recommending a sag level of 15-20 per cent of the travel.

Inside, the Fox fork uses the FIT4 damper system, which is a unit found in Fox’s lightweight cross-country mountain bike forks with a three-way adjustable damper. Longer-travel, top-tier Fox forks use the GRIP2 system with four-way adjustment.

The air spring is a short-travel unit, rather than a longer-travel system that’s been loaded with spacers to reduce the travel.

That’s a good thing because it reduces excess weight and keeps things simple.

The packaging of the fork is designed to keep things light and slender. Access to the bottom bolts (known as the ‘foot nuts’) to service the fork is very limited and requires a special tool.

Therefore, it’s not a fork I’d recommend for home strip-downs and servicing – just keep it clean and service it regularly with a professional.

Fox 32 Taper-Cast Factory Gravel Fork ride impressions

Fox’s 32 Taper-Cast Factory Gravel Fork very much wears its mountain bike origins on its sleeve.

The 50mm of travel makes it one of the longer options available, and with that comes plush smoothness.

A weight chart on the fork leg gives an okay baseline for pressure setting. For my weight (92kg), Fox recommended 133psi, which came out a little firm. Dropping this down to around 128psi, the fork had around 10mm of sag, and felt smooth and equal in both compression and rebound (in the medium setting).

I set the rebound adjustment on the lower leg at nine clicks out from closed.

On gravel roads, the Fox fork is supple and smoothes out vibrations with ease. This Factory model offers on-the-fly adjustment within the Open mode (via a second dial inside the lever ring).

With 22 positions, it’s easy to set the feel of the fork to your own preference of response when using the full extent of its travel.

While there’s no full lock-out, the 32TC avoids any bobbing or diving when you’re out of the saddle, climbing or sprinting along on a tarmac road in the firmest setting.

The Fox comes into its own when you get into the rough stuff.

The stroke feels plusher through more of its travel and then increases the firmness towards the limit in a much steeper ramp than, for example, the RockShox fork. It's very similar to the MRP.

Like all gravel suspension forks, the Fox isn’t about squashing landings or big drops – its main purpose is comfort. It delivers this brilliantly; chatter and vibrations are minimised well.

That said, this fork can also handle a bit of rowdier riding very well. The plushness conquers jarring hits and takes the sharp edges from step-ups and drop-in potholed tracks efficiently.

The finish throughout is exemplary, with plenty of machined and anodised parts for dials and adjusters. The flat mount for the brake will adjust to take a large 180mm rotor should you want to up your braking performance.

The slender lower third of the legs and reverse-crown design look minimal, but the Fox’s handling is excellent.

Meanwhile, the lateral stiffness keeps the steering and traction in check and just the merest hint of fore-aft flex when charging downhill over washboard ruts is well within acceptable norms.

The solid feel of the fork is apparent when you switch out to the firmest setting for road sections. The minimum of telescopic movement, no bobbing and a tight feel in the turns makes for a very impressive fork.

Fox 32 Taper-Cast Factory Gravel Fork bottom line

The Fox 32 Taper-Cast Factory Gravel Fork runs the RockShox Rudy XPLR Ultimate very, very close in this Factory version, but just loses out because it costs a not-insignificant £220 more.

If you can swallow the expense and are looking for a fork to take on predominantly singletrack and more technical terrain, though, the Fox is a brilliant option.