Fox’s evergreen 36 platform is still a great choice for hardcore 26in wheel control. There are no 650b or 29in wheel options, it’s not light, and the 20mm axle with winder handle and twin cam clasps rules out 15mm-only wheel choices. It opens up the full DH wheel menu though, and the 36mm diameter legs still set the standard for tracking stiffness.
There’s noticeable noise from the extended negative spring in some sets we’ve used, but the gold Kashima coated stanchions provide a generously smooth start stroke and correspondingly high grip levels. The rock-solid chassis means control is consistent no matter how hard you’re carving through a corner or hauling on the brakes.
The proven RC2 damper cartridge gives independent low- and high-speed compression adjustment for fine tuning flat-out control. The transition from the soft start to the firmer mid stroke is occasionally obvious on high-speed hits but most of the time damping and overall control are still among the best. Fox’s all-new TALAS system means the travel-adjust version of the 36 (£1,005) is significantly smoother than before too.
