Fox Racing Shox Changes Its Tune: CTD Gets More Compression Damping and a Progressive Spring Rate

Speaking at the Sea Otter with Fox Racing Shox's Mark Jordan, we learned that from now onward, all Float 34 CTD forks with strokes over 120 millimeters, and all Float CTD shocks will have new, more aggressive compression tunes. It seems that the folks at Fox finally heeded rider feedback about the 34 fork riding low in its travel and diving under braking. The new tune ads both low and high-speed compression damping forces to the stock tunes and a reconfigured air-spring provides slightly more rising rate. Mark says that the result is a smoother feeling fork that requires about five PSI less air pressure to attain a stable ride height - and far less dive in the fork under all riding conditions. Playing with the fork reveals that there may be truth in Fox's claims. We will report back soon after some proper testing, but from the small feel we got at the Otter, the 34 will be back on the must-have list this season.



CTD Settings Boosted

Changes in the damping include stronger tunes for the three low-speed compression options afforded by the black dial beneath the CT lever, which are engaged only when the 'Trail' position has been selected. The 'Climb' position has been boosted considerably as well to deliver a more cross-country feel under power. The original CTD forks had a tendency to blow through their travel and mush around under braking would solve the problem by switching to the firmer 'Trail' option and use its adjustable low-speed compression feature to address the fork's deficiency. The resulting fix returned the favor with a harsher-than-optimal ride. The new tunes return the fork's mid-speed smoothness and more importantly, provides much-needed ride height stability under braking and descending situations.



Improved TALAS System

As reported earlier, Float TALAS forks have been redesigned, but now we have the hard info about exactly how and why the changes have been made. Earlier TALAS travel adjustments mechs used air transfer to alter the fork stroke. The new system employs a more simple and far more precise-feeling hydraulic mechanism to change travel lengths. Fox says that the new TALAS system has fewer seals and thus a smoother feel throughout its stroke. The simple bypass-valve design also can be easily configured to provide almost any travel variation that an OEM customer would need. On the damping side, TALAS forks now share the same damping system that standard Float forks use - a step up from the less-sensitive cartridge that was built around the original TALAS system. The new damper and travel-adjust cartridge will retrofit into forks using last year's design.

Inside the New Float X CTD Reservoir Shock

Fox expanded upon the information it released earlier on its new Float X CTD reservoir shock, saying that its damping and spring rates are specifically intended for enduro competition and went further, indicating that certain teams are testing the air-sprung damper to provide a potential pedaling advantage at select World Cup DH venues. The Float X CTD shock has a remote CTD option, and with the Worlds being held at South Africa, we should expect to see some additional trickery in the bikes beyond last year's dropper posts.



Damping on the new shock is tuned in the reverse of the changes made on the DHX damper this year. The DHX now has a smaller-diameter shock shaft to pump less fluid through the reservoir's control valves and to transfer more of the mid-stroke damping through the shock's more-sensitive main damping pistons. Float X CTD shocks pump a slightly greater percentage of fluid into the reservoir under compression to enhance the action of the CTD valve.



Why All the Changes?

What is all of this about? Well, it is no secret that the 34 has replaced the larger-stanchion 36 as the slider of choice for pro enduro racers and we expect that those boys and girls are riding custom tunes that led to the revamping of production Float 34 CTD forks. That Fox moved the CTD controls to the side of the shock, where they are readily accessible on the fly and boosted the pedaling platform. That, and and the addition of the remote option, pretty much shouts that the new shock is specifically targeted at enduro racing and the enduro riding style.

There is a strong wind blowing that we will see an air-sprung 36 lineup this year that shares the negative titanium coil-spring technology of the recently released 40 DH fork. Until then, the 34 will continue to rule the 160-millimeter-travel Enduro class. Prepare for a conclusive tests of the improved and redesigned Fox 34 Float CTD forks and the new Float X CTD shock in the very near future. Now, it's back to the Sea Otter Classic. - RC