First Ride: Fox Releases New Grip X & Grip X2 Dampers
New dampers, new chassis details, and a new naming convention. Fox is dropping a swath of updates to their XC, trail, and enduro forks, aiming to improve the performance of the products without reinventing the wheel. It's not a total overhaul though, as the 34, 36, and 38 forks all remain essentially the same, save for the damper updates and some improved bushing designs. If anything, it's a solid lesson in the differences that changes in damping can make to the overall system, even when air spring and chassis remain the same.
The lineup is simple, but the updated monikers might be a bit confusing at first. The breakdown is as such:
Grip X2: Gravity & Enduro | Fits Fox 34, 36, 38, 40
We've been testing this damper on the 36 and 38mm chassis.
Grip X: Trail & All-Mountain | Fits Fox 34, 36, 38
We've been testing this damper on the 36mm chassis.
Grip SL: Cross Country & Gravel | Fits Fox 32TC, 32SC, 34SC
No time on this one yet - check out all the tech in this article.
All of these damper updates are backwards compatible with the existing fork models, though there are some chassis updates that will roll out in tandem.
The Dampers
There are some pretty major changes to the damping philosophy on the Grip X and Grip X2 forks, but all the changes are piggybacking on the existing Grip architecture. In broad strokes, the goal of the updates was to increase the effectiveness of end-user tuning, improve traction and ride height, and balance pressure within the damping system.
Grip X2 Updates.
Grip X Updates.
Both forks feature a much larger base valve - allowing for more oil to flow through the system - with many more shims in place to control that flow as you wish. Conceptually simple, but packaging was the real challenge here, as it's quite a bit more to fit in the existing chassis. The damping philosophy was heavily influenced by Sergio Avanto, the Product Performance Manager on the GripX2 project, who has a serious pedigree in Supercross suspension tuning. Those philosophies bled their way into the mountain bike side of things, and resulted in the changes you see here.
The current Grip 2.
Vs the new Grip X2.
That two-stepped black "hat" you can see atop the new Grip X2's shim stack determines the basic high-speed compression (HSC) characteristics, and can be changed based on a bike manufacturer's (or customer's) desired feel. It basically allows you to shift the bracket of adjustments you can make towards the lighter or firmer ends of the spectrum, based on the size hat you're running. Just another small part in the tuning philosophy, but a cool detail.
Yes there are more shims, yes the base valve is much larger, but in real-world terms the effect is more damping. The Grip X2 and Grip X both offer a different feel to the existing Grip 2, with subtle differences between the two new options. We'll have further thoughts on that front in the Ride Impressions, but for now let's just say it's quite good.
I asked Jordi Cortes, the head of Fox's Global Race Department, for some insight into the benefits of the new damper designs and any differences in setup that may arise.
What do X2 and X achieve that Grip 2 doesn’t?
Are there significant tuning differences between Grip X2 and Grip 2? do you approach the two differently??
Do you think many racers will run the Grip X over the X2 on larger fork chassis?
Grip X2.
Grip X.
Adjustments
The Grip X2's adjustment will feel similar to those familiar with the Grip 2 damper, with high speed compression being the only one that differs. That difference lies simply in the distance between clicks, with a full 180° turn between each position on the HSC dial. There are 10 HSC clicks in total. Low speed compression has 20 clicks, low speed rebound has 16, and high speed rebound has 8.
The Grip X is slightly different, and maybe more reminiscent of the outgoing Grip damper. There are detents in the high speed compression circuit, but if you complete the full 170° sweep from full open to full close, you reach the "Super Firm" mode, which effectively closes the HSC and LSC circuits. There is a sole low speed rebound adjuster on the lower leg, with 16 detents.
Because the air springs are unchanged, the volume spacer configurations are as well. Fox recommends starting where you left off with Grip 2 (if you're upgrading to the new damper), and simply tuning the damper first.
Chassis
Pretty simple here, the only change being made to the 34,36, and 38 chassis comes in the form of a reworked bushing design. The redesign is simple, reducing friction and improving oil flow. They are the same size and overlap as the current bushing design, and could be replaced in the event of a major service. Definitely not as significant as the damper updates, but an incremental step towards making the whole system better.
Luckily, the chassis changes aren't critical to the damper updates, so folks looking to drop a Grip X or X2 into their existing forks will be able to do so without issue.
There are too many permutations to get into the specific weights for each, but here are the broad strokes comparisons between the prior Grip 2 and the new Grip X and Grip X2:
Grip X2 is only a 20 gram increase over Grip 2 in 160mm travel, and Grip X is 120grams lighter than Grip X2 in 160mm travel.
Gold
As you may have noticed, these forks come in a new colorway. (It's pretty subtle though, you may have missed it). The all-gold regalia is meant to celebrate Fox's 50th anniversary, and will be available as a limited edition model later this year. Fox is estimating the release to be sometime this summer, but for now the glittery models will be seen only on select athlete and media bikes.
Pricing
The full lineup's pricing is below, with smaller service items and individual dampers priced as follows:
Grip SL Damper: $280-295 USD | Grip X Damper: $320-340 USD | Grip X2 Damper: $380-450 USD
32SC Factory Series - Grip SL: $969-$1049 (w/ remote) USD / $1299-$1399 (w/ remote) CAD
34SC Factory Series - Grip SL: $1019-$1089 (w/ remote) USD / $1369-1459 (w/ remote) CAD
34 Factory Series - Grip X: $999 USD / $1339 CAD
36 Factory Series - Grip X / Grip X2: $1149 USD / $1539 CAD
38 Factory Series - Grip X2: $1249 USD / $1669 CAD
40 Factory Series - Grip X2: $1849 USD / $2479 CAD
Ride Impressions
Mike and I have been riding a couple variations of the new Fox product for a few months now, spanning the trail / all-mountain / enduro range on a few bikes that fit those monikers. I've been riding a Grip X-equipped 140mm 36 on my Santa Cruz Tallboy, as well as a Grip X2 170mm 38 on my Frameworks. Mike has been testing a Grip X2 160mm 36 on his Trek Fuel EX.
 | Speaking first to the Grip X, I found it to match the character of the shorter-travel 36 nicely. You can tune it to feel soft and grippy off the top, while still retaining plenty of ride height. The HSC adjuster is visually easy to zero out and set to your preferred clocked position, and the LSC is essentially a set-once adjustment for me on a bike like this. Simplified rebound is going to be a nice feature for lots of users, and definitely takes a bit of puzzling out of the mix. Feel-wise, it's not drastically different to the Grip2, but may feel a wee bit sportier back to back. Grip X2, on the other hand, is a pretty distinct difference to me. I did a series of back to back rides on a 170mm 38, swapping between Grip 2 and Grip X2, and came away generally preferring the latter. Mind you, that doesn't mean Grip 2 is suddenly not good enough. If you'd asked me three months ago what my go-to long travel fork was, I would have probably chosen a Grip 2 38. The X2 update feels more controlled when changing directions from compression to rebound, resulting in what I'd call a quieter ride feel. It's not stiffer, but the increased damping rounds out all the hits in a way that surprised me at first. You still get some tactile feedback at your hands, but the damping makes it feel like you're just pushing through it as opposed to running into something. There is a little more grip off the top, where a little goes a long way. All told, I'm a fan, despite being worried Fox would mess with a good thing for the sake of reinvention. It's simply an evolution, towards a more composed ride quality that I'm finding confidence inspiring. Added bonus: both the X and X2 dampers are much quieter than the Grip 2, if that happens to matter to you. |
| Before going into my initial ride impressions of the new Grip X2 damper, I should mention that I didn't have any major complaints about the performance of the Grip2 damper – by now I've ridden dozens of forks with that damper, and each time I was able to get it set up without much fuss. Yes, I typically found myself towards the open side of the high- and low-speed compression settings, but I was still able to find a comfortable setup. With that in mind, I installed a 160mm Fox 36 with the new Grip X2 damper on my Fuel EX to see how much difference a fatter stack of shims could really make. As it turns out, a pretty big difference – it didn't take more than a few turns down one of my favorite rocky descents to start noticing that the fork was doing a better job of taking the edge of repeated sharp hits. 'Plusher' would be one way to describe it, but that almost implies that the fork sits deeper into its travel, and that's not the case. Instead, the feeling is that the fork is quicker to respond to an impact, and does a better job of dissipating it before the next hit. I tried the full range of compression settings, from full closed to full open, and found them all to be useable, although, not surprisingly, the full closed setting definitely put more feedback into my hands than I would want for an everyday setup. My current settings for my 160 lb weight are 83 psi, HSC: 7, LSC: 15, HSR: 6, LSR: 6. Conditions have been wet and slippery lately, so those are skewed more toward the softer, grippier side of things – I'll add some compression when the ground firms up and speeds increase. I'm not fully open on compression or rebound, and the spot that I'm at gives me room to adjust in both directions. We'll have some head-to-head fork reviews later this season, but so far I'd say the Grip X2 damper outshines the RockShox Charger 3 damper, at least in the 36 vs Lyrik matchup – the 36 is more comfortable when it comes to repeated big hits, or chattery, washboard sections of trail. |
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Must Read This Week
The fewer things that match, the more things match (allegedly)
youtu.be/TjvHy-IYET8?si=q5mkjPYhc3zgNvst&t=24
38 Grip X2 and Float X2 being the high end enduro/DH suspension. 4 way adjusters, best build.
36 Grip X and Float X being the midrange trail/enduro suspension. 2-3 way adjusters, lighter weight.
I was certain grip3 was the next step. Missed that one by a mile!
I've had plenty with warranty issues but they are still the best of the best imo.
Did the factory figure out how much grease and oil to put into a new fork yet? Too much grease and barely any oil in the two 38’s I’ve done lower services on.
youtu.be/NhXoBpDBBPc?si=xwCTl04NRckX6DxA
My 2010 Fox RLC had too much grease from the factory so I'm guessing that issue will never be fixed.
But does it outshine the Charger 2?
SRAM did it with the red mavens and I then saw a lot for sale after launch at well over list from people not interested in the product but just wanting to rip others off.
Either make the colour or don't but stop it with this limited run luxury goods marketing boll*x as it just feeds rip off merchants. These are forks not handbags.
global.kashima-coat.com/service_en/kashima-coat/story.html
It’s interesting seeing some of the influence
still a ways to go though! Avy has it figured out. Weight is a draw back. But performance is top stuff
I would have though supercross and MTB setups are polar opposites.
Shim stack looks very basic, like 5x if each shim in a stepped stack, but the little 'top hats' on the shimbeing available in different sizes (contact area on the shim) are a good idea.
What took so long to adopt this from Marzocchi using them 10 years ago in the 380??
This dyno chart really illustrates it... the entire range of a grip 2 vvc full open to full closed is about 1 or 2 clicks on a reasonable damper (like an rc2)
youtu.be/lS-VzI2JbrI?t=1018
Quite interesting, since they didn't change the rebound side. At least they didn't mention it, and it seems like they would have mentioned it if it did indeed change.
If the clearance is properly set to .030", rebound isn't the weak area of the 2021+ vvc Grip2. The compression is non-existent, and relies to heavily on LSR to do it's job. Kits from Fluid Focus, and WPS address this, but I'm optimistic about the changes made to the X.
for the stiffness has NO compression damping
The whole design is sloppy and while it works it needs a rework for more consistent values that are all over the place right out of the box. No point in even making a setup guide with a tolerance stack like that.
5 2 hour rides a month is 10 hours. That's 1 year. So annually if you're that kind of rider. If you're riding every day and doing big 4-6 hour rides on the weekend.... 6 months sounds about right.
Or you could not service it at all then blame the manufacturer when you have issues like so many others...
RS is 50 hours for lower legs (seals, etc) and 200 for damper...
The 21-23 x2 has had bad issues ramming air can air into the damper oil.
So much that the 24 has a new sealhead with two buna
orings in place of the old single poly.
4 out of 10 need burnishing out of the box as the bushings bind. The Fox 38 chassis is incredible if you replace the airshaft with a Vorsprung Smashpot. You get the best fork in the market if you also replace the damper with the FAST SC5 Cartridge or Avalanche damper.
People push on my bars and always comment, “wow, you run your fork crazy stiff.” I tell them it’s more plush than any fork they’ve ride. Thats just what support feels like.
Love their stuff!
And perhaps I got my terminology slightly off. Bigger base valve piston gives less pressure (for a same flow, given that the rebound piston didn't change, at least not enough to mention), and maybe vvc didn't cooperate with the lower pressure they desired (nor even with the current higher pressure, but that's a different can of worms)
and fork seems nice, but so damn pricey. Fox 34 performance Grip X is $1200 cad
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJh1mEaM1H4
What's your point?
No point, just seeing them reminded me of that full kashima bike.
\m/
Kidding, Fox 49 for FTW!
It’s not that you can’t afford a good fork, you just can’t afford the best fork.
This doesn't make any sense. It will add to puzzling, since it's more likely to end up in a setting that that slightly off in either direction, but the next adjustment is too far the other direction. Limited does not mean simpler, it just means less choices and thus you have to live with the limitations. That means there is more of a chance to need to go internal to get truly dialed, and that definitely is NOT "simpler".
Went for the full lunch