Scorching at the heels of final week’s 34 SL for the XC and downcountry crowd, the larger, more potent Fox 36 forks get an entire reboot, too. They take the whole lot that’s new and nice in regards to the 34, then upload much more new tech to cause them to the smoothest, stiffest, easiest forks they’ve ever made.
Right here’s the whole lot you wish to have to grasp…
TL;DR – What’s New?
Two new fashions optimized for various segments
Generative designs for lighter, stiffer forks
New 36 rides like a 38 however rather a lot lighter, very best for all-mountain
New 36 SL replaces 34 with stiffer fork at a decrease weight for path riders
New Compliant Air Spring reduces friction below lateral quite a bit
Identical bushing overlap & bypass channel relocation upgrades as new 34 SL
Curious? Let’s dive into the main points…
Divergence within the Forks
The brand new Fox 36 in motion…
For a very long time, the Fox 36 has treated a slender vary of “all mountain” efforts with a unmarried chassis, starting from 150mm to 160mm in commute. Beneath it used to be the 34 for 120-140mm commute, and above it the 38 for the whole lot else that didn’t require a twin crown fork.
Now, the road expands into two forks, and entirely rearranges Fox’s mountain motorbike fork hierarchy.
…and the lighter, shorter, however nonetheless very stiff 36 SL shredding, too.
The 36 SL is available in 120-140mm commute for riders pushing the bounds of a path motorbike, and the 36 is available in 140-160mm commute for riders hucking more difficult on all-mountain motorcycles however who nonetheless need one thing fairly light-weight.
So, the brand new fork lineup is going like this:
Fox 32 Step Solid – 100mm weight weenie XC motorcycles (160mm-180mm brake rotors)
Fox 34 SL – 110-130mm XC to downcountry (180mm-203mm brake rotors)
Fox 36 SL – 120-140mm light-weight path motorcycles (180-203mm brake rotors)
Fox 36 – 140-160mm path to all-mountain motorcycles (200-220mm brake rotors)
Fox 38 – 160-180mm enduro motorcycles (200-220mm brake rotors)
The objective used to be to provide the 36 SL the stiffness of a 36, however the weight of a 34. And to provide the 36 the stiffness of a 38, however the weight of a 36.
To try this, they evolved two utterly other chassis. Right here’s a take a look at each and every fork’s upgrades, beginning with the larger 36…
2026 Fox 36 Tech Main points
Beginning at the large aspect, the brand new 36 has an all-new chassis, designed to save lots of numerous weight, giving competitive riders large fork efficiency with out the large fork weight.
They are saying it rides extra like a 38, stiffer and smoother, however with a claimed weight of simply 1920g…just about the similar because the prior fashion. Of their phrases, “Giant Fork Power, minus the load.“
To try this, they became to the similar generative design procedure as the most recent 32 Step Solid, which gave them a kick off point. Then, they subtle the design into one thing that’s manufacturable (and appears excellent). The result’s an arch with home windows, placing subject material handiest the place it’s wanted, but yielding a fork with 20% extra torsional stiffness.
A few of that stiffness additionally comes from longer bushing overlap. The prior 36’s bushings have been spaced 132mm aside. The brand new 36’s bushings are 162mm aside, offering 30mm (~23%) extra overlap than earlier than and 20mm greater than the Fox 34 SL.
It suits as much as a 2.6″ tire, begins with 200mm brake rotors, and makes use of their clamped floating axle dropouts.
2026 Fox 36 SL Tech Main points
Totally optimized for the path class, the objective used to be all-mountain / enduro stiffness, however with a trail-bike weight.
And it’s the lightest 36 ever. The claimed weight is solely 1755g, nearly as mild as a 34. So, yeah, nearly 200g lighter than the brand new 36 and, in Fox’s estimation, 152g lighter than a Rockshox Pike RC3.
A lot of that weight financial savings comes from the straightforward incontrovertible fact that it has much less commute, however Fox nonetheless optimized the whole lot to chop grams any place they may. Whilst it seems identical, the 36 SL has a unique crown, stanchions, and lowers. Principally, it’s utterly other.
Inside of is an optimized air spring for the shorter commute, and its personal generative design at the crown and arch that makes the fork 20% stiffer than the 34 it replaces.
The lowers also are a fully distinctive casting and meeting, which is a large deal as a result of Fox will have stored some huge cash sharing the tooling between each 36 fashions. However they didn’t as a result of they sought after to optimize this fork for weight financial savings.
Key variations from the 36 are that this one suits as much as a 2.5″ tire, begins with 180mm brake rotors as opposed to 200mm, and it makes use of the Kabolt SL via axle, no longer a floating axle.
Shared Updates
The air spring will get an replace top-out hat and bumper that paintings in combination to melt the blow on peak outs. It’s no longer a quantity spacer or tuning device, it’s already a part of the air spring’s music.
Value citing: All of Fox’s dampers were given an enormous improve in 2024, and those forks get all the quite a lot of damper choices. Which means, you’ll be able to get all the smoothness enhancements whilst opting for the required tuning stage or becoming your price range. Additionally, for those who’re excited by the most recent 32 Step Solid, which additionally debuted in 2024, learn our protection and evaluate for extra.
Each the 36 and 36 SL additionally now use a Shimano cassette device for disposing of the air string peak to make quantity changes, and each additionally get up to date power liberate valves with a brand new notch so air can get away from below your finger while you press it all of the method down.
How Fox made them smoother
The brand new 36 forks get the similar updates because the 34 SL, plus new methods. Learn my 34 SL release protection for extra main points, however right here’s a recap of the 2 key options:
Bypass Channels moved to the sidesThe bypass channels that allow air transfer from the ground of the lowers into the gap into the distance between the bushings strikes from the rear of the decrease legs to the aspect. This reduces deformation and friction scorching spots at the bushings, serving to the fork slide extra easily.
Longer Bushing OverlapThe stanchion’s bushings are as much as 30mm additional aside, higher spreading the burden between them to cut back friction below exhausting fore/aft stresses.
New “GlideCore” Compliant Air Spring
Damper at the left, new air spring at the proper. The “new” stuff is hiding throughout the air spring piston.
That is the large new factor. Fox says the 2 key issues of friction are the seals at the air piston, and the seal at the “neg plate”.
Anytime you run into one thing (root, rock, curb, and so forth.), that impediment is concurrently looking to push the axle backward (aft forces) and upward (suspension compression). That aft drive reasons any seals and bushings throughout the fork to rub in combination more difficult, which will increase friction.
It will get even trickier as a result of the ones aft forces are in reality bending the fork, inflicting the stanchions and lowers and pistons to transport in a curved trail…no longer the peerlessly linear trail they’re designed for.
So, Fox put tiny bushings between the air shaft and the piston and neg plate, permitting the shaft to transport at a slight attitude when it’s below load with out expanding friction at the seals. Principally, that skill for it to wiggle compensates for any bending within the shaft, conserving issues sliding easily and frivolously.
The 36 will get the entire Compliant Air Spring design. To save lots of a little bit of weight, and as it has much less commute (and thus much less bending forces because it’s technically a shorter “lever”), the 36 SL will get handiest the principle higher air spring bushings. However it does get a brand new twin seal device on the neg plate that has a tiny little bit of compliance.
Movies, Pricing & Specifications Lists
Fox 36 review above, and 36 SL review under
MSRP and specifications for each and every fork are:
2026 Fox 36
Wheel Dimension: 29, 27.5
Shuttle: 140mm, 150mm, 160mm
Rake: 37mm, 44mm (27.5”); 44mm (29”)
Axle: Kabolt; 15QR on Efficiency Sequence
Rotor Dimension: Direct Mount 200, as much as 230
Air Spring: FLOAT EVOL Compliant
Steerer: 1.5” Tapered
Beginning Weight: 1920g (29” 160mm GRIP X)
MSRP:
$749-$1199 USD
$999-$1599 CAD
€999 – €1609 EUR
1299-2099 AUS
2026 Fox 36 SL
Wheel Dimension: 29
Shuttle: 120mm, 130mm, 140mm
Rake: 44mm offset
Axle: Kabolt SL
Rotor Dimension: Direct Mount 180, as much as 203
Air Spring: FLOAT EVOL Compliant
Steerer: 1.5” Tapered
Beginning Weight: 1755g (29” 140mm GRIP X)
MSRP:
$699-$1149 USD
$939-$1539 CAD
€939 – €1539 EUR
1199-1999 AUS
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