After a three year development period, including extensive input from factory riders Garett Buehler, James Doerfling, and Brett Tippie, Suntour's RUX dual crown fork is now available to the public. With 200mm of air sprung travel and 38mm stanchions, the RUX is meant to take on the biggest hits and gnarliest terrain around. As soon as the fork arrived at our doorstep we wasted no time getting it installed and heading to the hills to test its capabilities.
Suntour RUX Details
• Intended use: downhill / freeride
• Travel: 200mm
• Air sprung
• Wheel size: 26"
• External adjustments: rebound, low-speed compression, high speed compression, air pressure
• 38mm stanchions
• Colours: black, white
• Drop or flat crowns available
• Weight: 6.3lb (with axle)
• MSRP: $1,200 USD
Construction / Adjustments
The RUX's 7050 aluminum stanchions slide into butted magnesium lowers, which have a post style disc brake mount and accept Suntour's tool-free 20mm thru axle. The arch that joins the fork lowers has less vertical thickness then what we're used to seeing, but it makes up for this in horizontal width. It's clear that the RUX is designed with DH width tires in mind – there's enough clearance between the fork legs to run the meatiest tread around. One advantage of this arch design is the lack of nooks and crannies for mud to pack itself into, a benefit for riders who find themselves running mud spikes for a good part of the year. The right stanchion houses the RUX's damping cartridge, a sealed aluminum unit that is part of Suntour's QSP (
Quick Service Product) initiative. The premise of QSP is that if an issue ever did arise, the cartridge could be swapped out within a matter of minutes, reducing the amount of time the fork is in for service. Suntour recommends changing the oil in the cartridge every 100 hours to keep everything running smoothly. The RUX's air spring resides in the fork's left leg, and uses a coil negative spring below the lower air seal similar to what is found on Suntour's Auron all-mountain fork. This coil negative spring is designed to help with small bump sensitivity, reducing the amount of force needed to compress the fork in the beginning of its travel.
Spacers can be added or removed to increase the end-stroke ramp up of the fork (left), while rebound along with high and low speed compression can be adjusted externally.As far as adjustments go, externally, the fork's high speed and low speed compression can be changed at the top right of the fork, with rebound adjusted by turning the red knob at the bottom of the same leg. In addition to being able to adjust the fork's air pressure via a Shrader valve at the top of the left leg, there are five spacers that can be added or removed to the shaft that sits under the top cap. Removing spacers makes the fork feel more linear throughout its stroke, while adding spacers has the opposite effect, making the fork ramp up more towards the end of its travel. After trying different set ups we ended up running four out of the possible five spacers for the majority of our testing.
The RUX has plenty of room for the widest tires available, and the arch shape works well to prevent mud build up.The best part of an air fork is the ability to make changes trailside. Is your fork feeling a little harsh, and not using all of its travel? Let a little air out and get back after it – no more waiting until you get home to mess around with grease coated springs while trying to remember which color equates to what stiffness. Plus, the use of an air spring greatly reduces the overall weight; the RUX comes in around one-third of a pound lighter than comparable coil sprung forks.
On the TrailOnce the air pressure was adjusted to our liking and the compression and rebound were dialed to a reasonable starting point, we hit the trails. Where some forks tend to have a break in period before they start feeling good, the RUX's action was smooth and stiction free right out of the box, making it easier to quickly find the settings that would work best for us. The RUX's external adjustments all make a noticeable difference in the feel of the fork – those dials aren't just there for show – with enough range (
12 clicks of HSC, 10 clicks of LSC, and 14 clicks of rebound) that the vast majority of riders should be able to get the fork set up exactly to their liking with minimal fuss.
Many of our local downhill trails are crisscrossed with roots that do everything in their power to sap all forward momentum, and it was in these sections that we came to appreciate the RUX's excellent composure throughout its entire stroke. The fork stayed high enough in its travel to keep from getting bogged down in the spaces between roots, allowing us to maintain speed and keep blasting ahead, while at the same time taking the edge off of potentially jarring impacts. No matter what we threw at it – roots, chunky rock gardens, big stepdowns, it took it all in stride, unfazed by lap after lap of hard riding, and we never once found ourselves wishing for a coil sprung fork.
The chassis stiffness of the RUX felt right on target, and while it may not be as stiff as a FOX 40, the fork that tends to set the bar for overall stiffness, the RUX tracked well through blown out sections of trail and under hard cornering. Even on long, non-stop, obstacle filled runs the RUX's action remained consistent and predictable, with no strange spiking or erratic behavior. We did notice that the fork was a little noisier on the rebound stroke than what were used to, but this didn't affect the performance - it's simply the noise the lower shaft makes as it travels through the oil in the cartridge. When trail features were encountered that used up all 200mm of travel – picture steep rock rolls into abrupt transitions, or drops into chunder filled landings – the fork ramped up smoothly at the end of its stroke, preventing any harsh bottom outs. The RUX behaved itself on slower speed terrain as well, and whether we were creeping down steep rock faces or inching down a rutted fall-line trench there was no undue diving or flexing.
The RUX's tool free axle wasn't quite as user friendly as we would have liked.IssuesAs far as the actual performance of the fork goes, we have no complaints; the RUX performed admirably in all conditions. The only minor gripe we have relates to the RUX's tool-free axle. There's a red portion that slides out and rotates to form a handle for tightening or loosening the axle. When we went to take the front wheel off after a number of rides we weren't able to pull this portion out by hand – it seemed that the mud and grit we'd subjected the fork to had made the handle reluctant to slide. Luckily, there's a small slot that a flathead screwdriver can be slipped into in order to free up the handle, but that doesn't really fit our definition of tool free. We'd rather just tighten the axle down with a hex wrench – the fewer moving parts the better, and needing to take out a multi-tool once in a while doesn't phase us.
Pinkbike's Take: | Suntour's debut into the dual crown market is a solid one, offering the adjustability and performance of forks that cost hundreds of dollars more. While it might be a tiny bit less refined, as it lacks the end stroke rebound damping and exotic stanchion coatings that those very top tier forks possess, the RUX still packs a punch. When you combine the cost savings (enough to buy a season's pass at a bike park) with the RUX's high grade performance, this fork starts to make more and more sense. There's something to be said for its relatively simple internals as well, which should go a long ways towards eliminating the amount of down time needed for maintenance. Less maintenance means more time to ride, another factor that makes the RUX an excellent contender. - Mike Kazimer |
www.srsuntour-cycling.com
Envy speaking here but.... if you can afford 2 sets of forks why not just get a set of 40s and be done with it!?
MSRP according to Vital is 1200 bucks as well.
Viatch - what's wrong with your Dorado?
Suntour is on my list for good contenders when i buy a new fork, or a used one.
The Quick Service Product (QSP) principle is at the core of who SR Suntour is and we have been working on these cartridge based systems for approximately the past 12 years. Bottom line for the crew here who develop products is we like to ride more than work on our bikes and recognize that is important to a lot of riders out there.
With the Rux we have tried to make a balance of good performance, long service life, ease of maintenance, stiffness, weight, easy to tune, and tried to deliver at the most reasonable cost we can.
Thanks to all who are fairly comparing the features, weight, price etc. We hope the next time you need a new fork you'll give us a try.
For fans of tool type thru axles we will offer this in the future. It is convertible so if you buy the Tool Free type now you can easily swap it out to the tool type later.
The lowers do look like they have enough clearance for a 27.5in wheel...wonder if pinkbike is going to review that status as well?
I've got no problems with something new, but didn't we try 10 inch forks in the late 90's and find that they suck?
Mind you, most things sucked in the nineties.
What I was saying was it would be cool to have more options.
10in forks didn't fail they were just heavy it was the shocks that were too short and would blow up. With current technology a decent 10in fork could be built.
I just put a used 2002 Monster T up on ebay at 4am this morning (EST) and it already has its $100 opening bid met. I'm interested to see where it ends up in a week.
The reality is that the recreational rider probably doesn't need any of those high end features anyway. I know that in my case, my riding is not nearly consistent enough for me to notice the very subtle changes that these micro adjustments offer.
@drsanchez I don't see why it's a problem. I haven't had any problems with my axle...brushed the knobs on some rocks but nothing terrible. I don't get why industry wouldn't...it's faster, and easier to get off, and you can make it plenty tight. I carry Allen keys on me on pretty much every real ride, but I like having the qr system.
@srsuntourna Good to hear we get options that keep everyone happy.
just leave your hex keys in the car... works for me"
Quoting cos pinkbike won't let me give +100 props
Qr is pretty much the most pointless gimmick in the sport. Good for speedy wheel changes during a road race and speedy bike theft outside a pub.
If you want to sacrifice performance in order to save 30 seconds in the car park then go right ahead, but I think its crazy that the bike industry is geared to cater for that sort of thinking/customer.
These comments about buying non comparable forks don't make sense The people complaining here about price and performance are the same ones crying about how they can't afford the high end product from other manufacturers. A company comes along and provides a value to an end user and all they get is comparing there product to others that don't have similar prices or features?????
Also the QSP system that Suntour has used here is a win win situation for just about any rider that wants to ride his/her bike more than have it in the shop. Job well done Suntour as this is a fork for the everyday rider that is looking to enjoy what MTBing is all about.
Good overall review. Would like to see a recent review of the Auron and Durolux. Suntour seem to be on top of there game. Maybe they will even win the Pink Bike award for come back of the year.
Peace!
A short term test on the Auron came out a short while back. I believe Mike Kazimer has a long term review for it to follow up. www.pinkbike.com/news/SR-Suntour-Auron-First-Ride-2013.html
It's been a couple years since Pinkbike got to review the Durolux but overall it was well liked. Since that review the Durolux has received upgraded seals, bushings, damper, and thru axle.
www.pinkbike.com/news/SR-Suntour-Durolux-RCA-Fork-Tested-2011.html
Most of the riders here uses Epicon. Most use it for bike commute/leisure everyday and trails in the weekend. Rain or shine for two years or more. The Fork just works fine even if not serviced for that long. 2008 Epicons still survive the trails to this day. I wonder if they have been serviced, maybe not. Riders here just wanted to ride with less fuss.
And for Durolux. What more to say? i rather ride it than talk about it.
Cheers to you guys and to anyone who is giving it a shot you won't be disappointed!
Went from a RS Totem SoloAir to a BOS Idylle RaRe, and I must say that I miss the convenience of a tool free assembly.
I have the Lyrik on my big bike which has the tool free maxle system and it's the future (well present). I say it every time I use it, all forks should be like this.
I will not make the same mistake next time and will definitely be getting a tool system, I don't care how complicated. You should be carrying tools with you anyways. Whats ~5 minutes to take off a tire? It only takes 5 minutes to take the rear tire off my demo 7.
Anyway - I had my Totem SoloAir with the 20mm. Maxle QR system for three years. Never came undone, never unscrewed, incredibly easy and quick to work with... I really miss that thing.
Since I tightened up a tiny bolt in QR lever slightly, it won't come loose after every shred.
This will make it slightly harder to actuate the QR lever but increases the expanding force to stop turning axle.
You should try this method first.
And the Fork looks nice, Mrsp of 1200$ is pretty nice and keeps the competition up.
Love the lowers.
Pull out the rebound adjuster (or use a 2.5mm allen key) with the QR axle loose unscrew the bolt that's in the centre. Pull the bung out, clean it and the inside of the axle up and apply a light amount of grease to it. Put a little bit of chain lube on the QR lever at the bottom and occasionally apply a light amount of grease to the axle as a whole (reduces scoring when installing/removing and improves the seal between the axle/wheel bearings and the outside elements). Another tip is that if your wheel bearings are stiff it does add more twisting force to the axle, so check them and replace if necessary.
After that screw the QR on several turns, install the axle without tighening the QR and tighten the bolt then try the QR lever, repeat until the QR lever is pretty solid once it's in place, but not so you're needing excessive force. If it ever feels looser you may need to retighten, and possibly put a touch of thread lock in there.
If that doesn't resolve the issue than something is not right with your axle or dropout thread for sure.
www.srsuntour-cycling.com/service/tech-videos
Still think I'm going to go with a new Boxxer WC. Great looking fork regardless!
Yes it weighs a little more. But its not exactly heavy.
vimeo.com/73756332
Either way, Suntour is stepping up and getting real close to being a player in aftermarket sales. Good for them.
The auxiliary function would be the keep lubrication inside the fork be it grease or wet lubricant. Simple as that. Forks are not the open bath design that they were 10+ years ago so wipers are just that...wipers. As for you stating the reason that some manufacturers do not use oil rings at the top is because these are also the companies recommending to lubricate the wipers with oil periodically to allow some of the lubrication to actually make contact with the upper bushing or glide ring. Obviously for forks with oil rings at top this will help keep them working well too!. It can also help to moisten a dry wiper but this takes severe weather conditions to dry out and an overall lack of any maintenance over and extended period of negligence. but the majority of fork manufacturers recommend wiper lubrication almost after every ride or every 10 hrs minimum.
Also you will notice that almost every fork manufacturer recommends lower casting removal, cleaning and lubricating at 50 hours of ride time. Some even recommend 25 hours.....obviously this needs to be addressed more frequently if the fork is subject to bad weather condition with lots of moisture.
Those are the facts. I know as I have worked with the majority of fork manufacturers at one capacity or another in the last 17 years, servicing and performing R&D. Everyone has a design principal in place and for the most part there truly isn't a terrible product on the market right know and consumers have never had so many options to choose from be it RS, Fox, SR, XF, etc....anyway this was a fun discussion.
When manufactures recommend oiling the seals after every ride, which is becoming more common, its not to to get oil into the internals. The want you to get oil on the seal, cycle the fork to lift the dirt away that is starting to get under the wiper lip, and wipe that dirt away before it makes it past the wiper into the lowers.
One thing we can both agree on, is that its a great time to buy bicycle suspension. All manufactures are making great products. Even the lower end products have pretty good chassis. More shim based dampers are showing up and they are showing up in forks that can be had for $250! Great time to be a mountain biker.
They are dirt cheap here, bought two of them ,each for under 350€.....new.... and thinking about a third one!
For us sensible people who dont like pedalling, and don't mind slowing down a bit for corners, those tiny little wheels don't make a lot of sense, but hey-ho, each to their own....
good one!!!!
Maybe you should inform yourself before you make dumb commments.
Over the years I have seen only shit forks from SR Suntour on bikes that we sell. I have that image of them, which is why I would not pay $1200 for a fork from them. That is all.
There is no denying that Suntour has some image issues but they have certainly been working on it with good product that is performing at a high level and is generally affordable for those who like to ride their bikes.
Branding is important, but even so I think suntour can pull it off. Afterall Brett Tippie is a brand too.