F
Fox Racing Shox36 Factory
mtb– USD
01
Origin
Freeride and aggressive trail fork — sits between 34 (trail) and 40 (DH). First Fox fork with 36mm stanchions. Fox Factory, Scotts Valley / Watsonville, California 36 = stanchion diameter in mm. 'Factory' = Kashima-coated top tier. Marzocchi 66, RockShox Lyrik, DVO Diamond RockShox Lyrik (AM), RockShox Pike (trail/36 SL), Manitou Mezzer Pro
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Specifications
- Weight
- kg
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The verdict
+Strengths
- MY2026 FLOAT Glidecore compliant air spring delivers a major step-up in small-bump sensitivity and mid-stroke smoothness — the biggest 36 feel improvement since the 2017 EVOL spring
- +20% torsional stiffness via the generatively-designed arch and +30mm bushing overlap; now reaches ~87% of the Fox 38's stiffness while staying ~275g lighter
- GRIP X2 is the most adjustable Fox fork damper (HSC/LSC/HSR/LSR, 23-shim stack) — outstanding control for enduro/aggressive trail
- GRIP X option saves ~120g with near-identical descending performance for trail riders who don't need full tunability
- Still offered in 27.5" (unlike the 34 family) and across 140-160mm travel, covering modern trail through enduro-lite on a single chassis
−Weaknesses
- Heavy for the travel: ~1,920g at 160mm (and ~2,129g for some GRIP X2 builds) — noticeably heavier than a RockShox Lyrik at equivalent travel, no help for weight-conscious builds
- 51mm offset and 170mm travel both dropped for MY2026 — older frames or riders wanting more rake/travel lose options
- At 140mm the lighter 36 SL overlaps the standard 36, muddying which chassis to pick for a trail bike
- Premium pricing: Factory GRIP X2 around $1,299 USD, among the most expensive single-crown trail/AM forks
- Classic gold-on-gold (Kashima + gold lowers) colorway discontinued — only Shiny Black / Shiny Orange now, a polarising change for long-time fans
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Who it’s for
aggressive trail riderall-mountain riderenduro racer (lighter events, EWS)heavier rider needing more chassis than 34/34 SLtrail rider wanting extra stiffness (36 SL)
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