Fox has just released their latest revision to their 34 series forks! We were able to get the new Factory series forks into the shop to scope out first hand. Let’s take a look! 👀
The biggest news here for us hardtail riders is that the FIT4 damper is now replaced by the GripX damper on the 34 Standard and GripSL on the 34 Stepcast forks. Let’s start with the new Factory 34 Standard 130mm with GripX damper, shown above on our hardtail the Sendero Titanium 29er.
Everyone is talking about compression dampers, so here is a quick review of what they are and do! Compression dampers are the main component of a suspension fork that moderates oil flow in your fork leg. The dampers have high-speed and low-speed valves inside the fork.
These valves control the amount of force required to push oil through the damper during different speeds of compression in the fork. If your damper allows you to control those valves then you can customize your ride feel as you wish!
Features on the new 34 Standard GripX fork broaden the outgoing Grip2 functionality with an entirely new damper system.
GripX offers 3 different adjustments, high speed compression (HSC), low speed compression (LSC), and low speed rebound (LSR).
34 Standard forks previously were available with the FIT4 dampers or Grip2. FIT4 had the 3 clicks we’ve come to know over the years, Open/Mid/Lockout. These are replaced by 15 clickable positions of HSC tunability including a new climb setting.
This is exciting because the mid position on FIT4 was not something we utilized very much. Sure it was handy for climbing where you didn’t want a full lockout, (not really…) but otherwise FIT4 always ran way better in open mode. Now we effectively have 14 positions from open to use and then 1 more for climbing efficiency. GripX allows hardtail riders a way broader range of tunes on the fly.
That is appealing! During one ride in Austin, for example, we could be riding chunky steep ledges and rock gardens and then popping over to the next trail system be riding XC twisty singletrack with the occasional limestone mine field. If your trails are kind of one terrain style you’ll likely find with the GripX you can find the click that works best and toggle between that and climb mode. Trail riding around here we are excited about getting the best ride quality out of the 34 Standard platform per trail section.
When you turn the GripX damper to the 15th click, the HSC and LSC circuits close, and “firm mode” is engaged for climbing. Compared to the FIT4’s full lockout this GripX firm mode can still soak up big hits & some lower speed bumps that might otherwise knock us off course. Big hits allow some fluid through to engage shims in the damper and a new coil-backed IFP (Internal Floating Piston). Compared to the former Grip2 we didn’t get this firmer setting closing off both HSC/LSC valves. Fork features like this aid in holding a line during technical climbs offering both efficient pedaling and better predictability. When trail riding, firmer damping is so much more useful than a complete lockout.
Other key improvements are:
lower fork weight than the prior series 34
updated bushings
a larger and lower pressure damper
The GripX’s low-speed rebound knob is nicely shielded by this dust cap. We like to see this kind of detail which means less chance of damage to the damper when packed for shipping to events or air travel.
The new features in the Fox 34 Standard fork we feel will be better options for trail riders and likely for bikepackers as the firm setting should prove more robust long term than the prior lockout. We’ve seen similar takes on these features from Cane Creek in their famed but (no longer available) limited edition Helm WS which had a similar range of adjustability and an excellent firm climb mode. The 34 Standard also comes in a new gravity-focused GripX2 damper, but we feel this is less suited to a hardtail rider and we don’t plan to focus our recommendations around it.
The new 34 Standard will be a great partner for the Sendero in 130mm travel when the goal is a light, but very capable trail fork. We are most excited about the ease of adjustability and the more relevant “firm mode”. If you were hoping for a lighter Helm WS and missed out on their limited run or wishing that Pike had a stiffer climbing setting this might be the fork you’ve been looking for. We are riding the 34 Standard now and will report back soon!
For racers and segment hunters see the new Stepcast 34 with GripSL damper (shown below).
The new Fox Factory Stepcast 34 120mm with GripSL damper.
The SL damper provides a 3 position Open/Mid/Firm control knob with a large knob tab making on the bike adjustments easy while riding.
The GripSL is the more direct update to the FIT4’s 3-position adjustment damper. Unlike FIT4 you’ll notice this new SL damper is only available on the Stepcast 32 and 34 forks. The 34 Stepcast has always been a great race day option for the Sendero or a lighter stiffer tune for a Yaupon.
We are certainly excited about improved damping capabilities and a more supple ride quality in a Fox race fork chassis. The firm setting here promises a lockout with the ability to blow off when needed. A stiff tune that has excellent small bump compliance? That is our hope and we’ll report back on it soon.
Wrapping this up, Fox has made it much easier to understand what they are intending their forks for. GripSL is for racing and GripX is for a more trail rider focus. Of course, you can blur the lines, but these are the modes where each damper will excel. In the past, we were so excited when the original Grip2 came out, but its lack of a supported climb mode made it an unpopular choice among our hardtail riders. With the addition of that firmer setting, GripX is really exciting to see as an update!
The 34 Standard uses a Kabolt thru axle that boasts some nice machining to cut down on extra weight while the Stepcast sports a new SL thru axle that is even lighter!
Sleek decals! We are really enjoying the new look of the gold Fox graphics playing off the Kashima fork coating.
This 34 Standard GripX 130mm fork weighed in at 1700g
This 34 Stepcast Grip SL 120mm fork weighed in at 1460g
