I rode rhythm and it was amazing especially compared to the coil fork I was riding, I found a cheap f29 that was in almost perfect condition so I ride that now. Going to get a new one eventually
I also have a 34 rhythm and I feel not that I’ve been riding for almost three years that it’s not enough for me being 250 lbs, 6’4 and riding a lot more chunky downhill stuff. Ended up getting a 160mm Fox 38.
Nice informative video as always! I ride fox factory 34 grip2 and the Rockshox pike. I replaced the fox performance fork and I did notice the difference. I am with you I don’t think most riders need an expensive fork unless you are hard core rider. You cannot go wrong with the fox fit4 version. Fox is having a sale as well if you are looking for a new fork.
Had my OEM 130mm 34 Rhythm GRIP fork replaced for me with a 130mm 34 Performance GRIP due to a shipping mishap when sending it out for service. The difference was surprisingly noticeable the first time I rode it! Better small bump sensitivity off the top and a more responsive action throughout the travel. ALSO the Rhythm only comes with 2 tokens whereas the the rest of the lineup comes with 3 tokens. (Not sure what the SC comes with.)
Interesting... can that be the difference between a new/ freshly service fork and one that was used for a ehile? SC can have a max of 3 tokens and believe others 5 or6 regardless of how many they come with.
@@LoveMTB @chrisbraun72 It might be the difference in air spring. The 34 Rhythm and Marzocchi Z2 us the same SKU air spring vs the Fox 34 Float. From personal experience there is a noticeable difference between the feel of the 36 Rhythm and 36 Float. The 36 Float has a slightly larger negative air chamber making it a bit more linear and smoother off the top.
Very good again!! I have bought, SC Fit4 in a Scott Scale and a performance Grip2 in a spark. Man, is not easy to say which is better. I'm sure that i don't know how to explore all their capabilities.
Just serviced my 2022 34 Performance with Grip damper and EVOL air shaft. Had way too much grease on the airshaft from the factory and too little oil in the legs. Haven't take it out yet for a real ride since this service, but first impressions are that it's much better than new. The Grip damper is really good, can't believe that is their "budget" damper. Tempted by the new Grip X and Grip X2 dampers, but want to get some rides in on the freshly serviced fork before spending $300+ on upgrading the damper. Had the 34 Rhythm on the bike before the Performance, it was actually slightly better feeling (probably less grease on the airshaft from factory) but much, much heavier. Also a great fork if you don't care about weight so much. Fox makes good stuff, that's for sure.
Can't believe they keep putting all that grease in the air spring, probably has to do with their cheap manufacturing process, just like the bushings being way too tight!
You are mistaken my friend, GRIP2 damper comes in Fox Performance Elite. I have it on my YT Izzo. Apart from that, the GRIP damper does provide better damping properties than the GRIP2, however I'm looking for an old FIT4 to add a Vorsprung tune kit to it :)
I’ve been riding a Fox Vanilla RLC (32) since 2004 :) love this fork and it’s still in great shape. I’m not a great rider and the terrain here is mostly flat but it does everything i want it to unlike the Psylo I rode before :) Somehow it just lasts and works well despite of its age :)
Swapped out the Fit4 for Grip2 in my factory forks. Honestly I can't tell the different unless you really need to fine tune your HSC. You also get an added Low Speed Rebound knob. The Fit4 damper must be larger volume as I only required 70psi to get it dialed in, where the Grip2 required 80psi.
@@LoveMTBMe personally, not worth the money. I'm just a casual, average rider who likes fancy bikes. If you were racing, yes, I can see the advantage of more suspension adjustment.
I guess they must have changed the options recently because when I got my 2021 performance elite, I was given the option to choose either fit4 or grip2. Also purchased it from a bike shop as an aftermarket fork so it’s not oem. My experience with fox? I run Fox, Rockshox and Suntour on 3 bikes and have to say Fox is easily my favorite.
Having owned a Marzocchi Z2 I would not want to run a 34 on an eeb. I would go a 36E minimum. With regards to the Z2, Fox sorted me right out on warranty work out of warranty period, that's why I made sure my next bike came with Fox suspension as I know I'll be looked after. Now I'm rocking a Fox 38 Elite and DHX Elite, and loving it.
I just ordered a Fox 38 Float Factory grip 2 today after returning my Cannondale habit. All I have now is the fork on its way and no bike to put it on yet 😂😂😂
I've used fox factory 32, rythm 32, performance 32 and rs1 from rock shox, and I can firmly say that for XC all the fox are pretty much identical, all work absolutely good, no flaws whatsoever. The RS1 is a little different, much more sentitive, for small rocks and gravel is way better than fox, but when the terrain is more technical, with features, rock gardens and things like that a FOX is so much superior. The RS1 runs out of travel quickly, Fox forks are more progressive, I've tried tuning with volume spacers, but that didn't work
Thank you I really enjoyed watching this. I own Biked with the grip damper (140mm) and I'm always surprised how good they are. I just service them from time to time. Maybe before next spring in the MTB dowtimes in February and March I convert one to a grip2 :) Would be interesting. Cheers
My yeti i was buying had the 34 elite on it and i was like fair enough and it had Sram Guide breaks and aluminium bar, and when i got to my local bike shop it was the same bike but not dame parts, they had Code Rsc soop much better than Guide they had factory 34 like broo its better than elite and had carbon bars and listed for same price as on the internet from yeti cycles so i got better coponents on my yeti
Just got a complete MY24 suspension a few days ago: Fox 34 Factory, Kashima GRIP2 140mm w/Kabolt weighed 1885 gms. Shock: Fox Factory Float Kashima 190x45 320gms. These are going on my Tallboy 4 build and I’m super excited to see how they perform. I did a factory demo of a Tallboy 4 last year which had the same suspension, but MY23, and it blew my mind.
Coming from a 150/150 Hightower LT 'enduro" bike with a Fox 36 and DPX2, I was really surprised at how solid and supple the Fox 34 and Float felt on the Tallboy with much less travel. There was zero harshness in the fork, unlike my 36 Performance Elite w/FIT4. The shock never bottomed out. The bike felt like it had way more travel than it's 130/120 spec! That could be partly due to the TBV4 geometry and lower link shock mount location and design. @@LoveMTB
Ridden 2 Factory Grip 2 34 and 3 Fox 34 Performance Elite with Grip 2. Hands down preferred the Performance Elite; like the Kashima doesn't offer the same compression. It seems like less compression on the Factory. I found if I am riding a long wheelbase with a long reach, I really needed the compression.
can it be the # of spacers, or rebuild vs not rebuild. fwiw - some rebuild a new fork immediately to avoid possibility of some manufacturing shortcuts like too much grease,..
Looking forward for your other reviews for budget forks like MZ , Minatou and SR SANTOUR or comparison for this forks AXON WERX 34 vs FOX 34 vs SID ULT
Crazy to me that rhythm weigh the same as a mezzer pro that has 37mm stanchions, much better damper, much better air spring, HBO feature, goes from 140mm to 180mm and a price tag in Europe that isn't that far off each other. It's mind blowing really.
@@LoveMTB Yep true. I used to have a rhythm 34 SC. It's was fine for what it was. I dont think the grip damper is bad, not even sure I'd pick grip 2 over it and I surely wouldn't pick fit4 over it.
Thanks for your explanation. Trying to move from RS to Fox but Fox descriptions looks kinda confusing. Like factory and performance explained as top tier forks and the only difference between them are kashima and the price point
Thanks for the video! Great information as always. It would be awesome if you could check on the not-so-new Fox 34 AWL as well. This fork is priced very competitively and there is virtually NO information on the Internet at all!
Got a factory 36 last black Friday for an awesome deal and it's been a big upgrade. Have you done any videos on lower leg service for fox forks? About time to do it and your shimano brake bleed video was perfect and helped me through it haha.
FOX 34 Factory and FOX 34 Performance Elite should weigh the same, but in your case the weight difference comes from the fact that your Factory is a step cast model. Step cast is also available for the Performance and Performance Elite models.
how much changes and improvement have been made in the performance of mountain bike in the past 10 years? what would possibly be the next area of big improvement and disruption in the bike engineering industry? I'm new to MTB and I'm curious
I've had around 10 creaky Fox CSU's in about 8 years with only one 34 factory that DIDN'T creak by 100 hrs. My newest vintage is a 2023 34 SC CSU replacement that hasn't started creaking with 40 hrs on it so far, fingers crossed. I'm always hopeful they've gotten this issue under control with each passing year. Have they made any measurable improvements recently on this issue? What do the rest of you guys think? I'm a 175lb intermediate level West Coast DC rider.
Could’ve the terrain you’re riding? Only creaking csu we’ve had was a RockShox SID no issues with the others. BTW I would absolutely love to ride out west all the time 😊
The damper doesn't matter, I'll just send it to Push to have it tuned to my driving style and weight. Almost all dampers are good once you have them tuned, at least for my skill level.
Just got a new Trek Top Fuel 9.7 which came with Fox 34 Rhythm, firstly I wanted to change it to SID 35, mainly because of weight, however after watching this content I'm not entirely sure I want to do it anymore :) What would be your suggestions guys ? leave it as it is or change it ? :)
@@LoveMTB It is basic Rhythm 34, 120mm. On my previous bike (hardtail) I was using SID 35, 120mm and was pretty happy with it but have no experience with Fox at all...
My only “complaint” with Fox is the Grip2 is severely over damped. I know there is a new shim stack coming for 2024, but who knows how well that will affect anything
Interesting find. Not that familiar with Grip2 as I only rode a 36 with it and it felt fine. But one thing that I know is that FOX, based on their tsting or feedback, constantly change the shim stacks in these forks, so a Rhythm from 2019 and one from 2023 won't be the same. Curious if that wil be a big announcement or just a release with their 2024 products that are still to come!
Great info. Q: Why do some 36 Rhythms have a smaller purple token when other 36 forks have a slightly larger orange token? Is it just because of the year made? Or is the orange token for all 36 forks except the rhythm?
My bike a Marin Riftzone 3 27.5 2022 came with Marzocchi bomber z2 and rear fox float dps performance I really want to get a fox 36 performance elite in the 130mm travel option to match my fox rear suspension but I’m not sure if it’s worth it my main concern is I just want to maintain service accordingly yearly but am not sure if the z2 will last me several years I want a fork long term permanent solution I don’t want to worry about having to replace my fork anytime soon would a 36 performance elite outlast a z2 fork ? Or will they last about the same only difference is better performance on the 36 elite?
..go with the kashima and orange...it's better right...thats what they want you to think. definately lighter, but do the math on price per gram. I've got perfromance 36 on my ebike, Pike ultimate on my hardtail and a Helm on my full squish...I think the Helm feels most plush all around but as far as stiff and plush you can't beat the Fox 36, I'm ok with performance or performance elite...don't need SC or Kashima...it's not that big of a deal.
We have identical bikes with my GF - Canyon Neuron, both with Fox 34, except I have the Performance Elite with FiT4 and she has the most basic Rhytm with Grip damper. Honestly if I was choosing just by feeling, I would go for the cheap option. It doesn't feel any worse than the Performance model and in addition it feels more supple and sensitive on the top of the travel.
Thanks for sharing your feedback! RHythm feels more linear usually and FIT4 has a firmer feel. Depending on the riding style, weight of the rider and setup Rhythm can fell "better" indeed.
@@LoveMTB Thanks for the reply. This would be replacing a 130mm Rockshox recon. Budget wise , I’d consider going as high as the performance elite on sale now for $699CAD. I also considered a bomber z2 on sale for under $500CAD right now.
@@h3yn0w I would definitely go for the Elite however the FIT4 damper could feel harsher than the GRIP of Performance and Rhythm especially if you’re a lighter rider.
Enjoyed that review. I managed to get a rhythm on used market taken off someone's bike they had bought and brand new. Have it on my hard tail in 140mm guise and really like it for what I paid. Can't afford the more expensive versions.
@lovemtb Do you think its worth the upgrade from a 34 fox rythm 140mm to a fox factory 36 150mm? I like to do trail / semi enduro, i feel like my rythm can handle almost everything, but when comes to rought terrain alot of rocks, holes, roots i feel a little bit unconfrotable, do you think its worth it? cheers
Depends where the "uncomfortable" comes from 🙂 FOX36 even with the FIT4 damper is super plush and strong, lower stiction too in my experience. You will notice a difference but don't know if it is worth the $$$. Also the +10mm can make you more comfortable going down rough terrain. Maybe that's what you're after?
@@LoveMTB thanks for the kick response! Yeah, i have a stumpjumper comp alloy, and i love the bike, it is 140mm/130mm stock, but i have some upgrades in mind My frame only allow 150mm in front, and 130mm in the middle. My idea is, install a cascade link on middle to get extra 0.8mm and maybe an factory float x, and 150mm factory or elite on front, so be like 150mm / 138mm But usually people tell me to sell the bike and buy a enduro one, because is a big investment, but its not being easy to sell the bike, plus i like the bike and i have done some modifications already, this is kind of a dilema right? haha
Nice comparison, I have a SID Ultimate 100mm travel 3 position , wanted to changes my for fork to a Fox 34 120mm travel ,3 position , what can you say or advice between this two fork ? I need an insight between this two in terns of performance and reliability . Thanks..
5:04 will the Grip2 damper fit on a rhythm 34? Has anybody done that? Im happy to try it as Im already looking for some kind of improvement at the fork area.
@@LoveMTB I don’t know if you have more access to information that us mere mortals. However I dug around a bit more in forums and I find more information saying that it doesn’t fit than the opposite. I trust that you are not intending to mislead anyone. Do you have any facts/sources supporting that it fits? From what I found online for the rhythm you need to look at an aftermarket “ramp” or “runt” cartridge which is not really an inexpensive option.
Good catch, I definitely don't try to mislead anyone but to help. It's easy, go to the FOX site, plug in your serial number and you'll see the parts that are available for each fork. Rhythm has a different bore you you are probably correct. However what I also know from comments here on my videos is that Rhythm to Grip 2 is not that big of a difference. Burnishing your bushings to a correct 34.1 would probably make more of a difference than the damper upgrade@@ariskardas
I have to disagree with your statement about a Rhythm being a good fork. They may be good for a beginner that isn’t riding much chunks or very small drops. Anyone that beats on their suspension will kill the Rhythm pretty fast.
I disagree about the ugly decals on the performance, to me it looks the most "business" of the 4. I think the factory fork is hideous personally, saved only by the Kashima coat.
Thing is,these days the 38 is the new norm,wouldn’t surprise me if 40 and 42,s come in the next couple of years,43,s are getting old and only for the purists
The single crown is the weak point. 38mm stanchions we’re an attempt to increase stiffness without altering the crown (which would be impossible with current head tube standards)
