Fox launches new technology of Grip dampers boasting extra assist with out the harshness

Fox has utterly overhauled its dampers for mannequin yr 2025 with three new Grip choices tuned particularly to go well with the differing priorities of gravity, path, and XC driving. These new dampers exchange the older Grip fashions, so that you’ll see them showing steadily over time as they trickle onto new full bikes. They can even be in the stores aftermarket, and could be retro-fitted to the present technology Fox forks, a lot of that are already among the many finest mountain bike forks in the marketplace.

Cutaway of the Fox 38 with Grip X2 damper. The spring-backed IFP is on the high, with the bottom valve just under.

2025 Fox Grip dampers must know

• Grip dampers throughout all forks (no extra Fit4)
• Grip X2 is four-way adjustable and biased to gravity driving
• Grip X is three-way adjustable and designed for all-mountain/path
• Grip SL is light-weight and made for XC racing
• Bigger diameter base valve with extra shims than beforehand provides damping management
• Backwards-compatible, and shall be obtainable aftermarket for present Fox fork house owners

These new dampers are Grip X2 (replaces outdated Grip 2), Grip X (replaces Grip), and Grip SL (replaces Fit4 on 32 and 34 Step-Solid forks). Going ahead, that signifies that the venerable Fit4 damper is now lifeless, and all Fox dampers use a spring-backed IFP design – no extra bladders. Most clearly, they are going to be discovered inside the shiny new Fox Podium Gold restricted version forks ridden and raced by athletes, however mere mortals will be capable of purchase them later within the yr.

Jackson Goldstone shredding the brand new Podium Gold Fox 36 fork with Grip X damper.

The large information is that Fox has elevated the scale of the higher portion of the damper cartridge to accommodate a bigger diameter base valve (the valve that sits instantly beneath the IFP on the high of the appropriate leg). Now 24mm (4mm bigger than beforehand), the elevated dimension provides extra space for added shims, reduces strain, and signifies that the valve has to maneuver much less whereas permitting elevated oil-flow. Inside the bottom valve there are actually 23 shims, up 16 in comparison with the outdated one, and this provides Fox the flexibility to fine-tune management over a greater diversity of damping forces.

From high to backside; New Fox Grip SL damper, Fox Grip X2, Fox Grip X, outdated Fox Grip 2, and outdated Grip damper.

Work on strain balancing inside the damper has, Fox claims, lowered the response time of the damper to bump inputs, in order that motion takes place inside 5-10 milliseconds of an impression. Which ends up in extra grip and management whereas additionally having the ability to add assist. Or, to place it one other manner, giving the chance to extend assist with out including harshness.

Fox Grip X2 damper cutaway displaying massive quantity cartridge and excessive and low-speed rebound damping adjustment.

Grip X2

That is the flagship gravity damper and comes with four-way damping adjustability (plus air strain and air quantity). So which means impartial low-speed and high-speed compression, in addition to low-speed and high-speed rebound. Based on Fox, there’s much less ‘cross speak’, making them extra impartial, so altering one damping side can have much less impact on one other. Grip X2 shall be obtainable on 36, 38, and 40 forks, in addition to the 34 at an OEM spec.

Cutaway of the brand new Grip X damper – you possibly can see the enlarged base valve on the high of the cartridge.

Grip X

Designed to present nice descending management with rather less complication and an easy-access climb mode, the Grip X damper will probably be discovered on loads of excessive finish path bikes going ahead. Whereas it has impartial excessive and low-speed compression damping management, there’s a thumb tab in-built to the high-speed adjuster that makes it simple to succeed in down and agency up the fork for climbing on-the-fly. The ultimate click on closes each excessive and low-speed compression damping to present a really agency climbing platform. On the rebound aspect, you get management solely over low-speed damping, which is meant to make tuning less complicated and fewer complicated. Grip X is offered on the 34, 36, and 38 chassis and saves roughly 120g over a Grip X2 damper.

The diminutive Fox Grip SL damper is light-weight however refined.

Grip SL

This new XC race damper could be discovered within the radical new Fox 32 Step-Solid fork with rear mounted arch, and can probably be ridden by a few of the World’s quickest riders on the upcoming Olympics. It saves 60g over the discontinued Match 4 damper it replaces, however claims to supply higher management because of that upgraded base valve and shim stack. Not like Fit4, it makes use of a coil-sprung IFP, enhancing consistency, and there’s a three-position compression damping dial (or non-compulsory distant) that may be tuned simply on-the-fly. Open and mid modes are mentioned to supply supple efficiency with whereas steadily growing assist, whereas the agency mode provides a stable platform for sprints, whereas having the ability to blow-off easily if a bump is encountered.

All three dampers will supersede the outdated Grip models and can begin trickling onto new forks going ahead. There isn’t a pricing but from Fox on damper upgrades for present house owners. We’ll replace as and once we discover out.

Testing the brand new Fox 36 with Grip X damper in Santa Cruz.

First experience impressions

I had the possibility to experience for a few days on the brand new 36 Grip X fork in Santa Cruz, California, close to Fox’s HQ. The fork was model new, so nonetheless within the bedding-in part, and I didn’t have the possibility to back-to-back this new damper/chassis with the earlier technology, so my early experience impressions are simply that. I’ll deliver a extra in-depth evaluation as soon as I’ve had extra time on the fork and the possibility to match it to the outdated mannequin.

On the primary experience I had the chance to do some bracketed runs on the identical monitor taking part in with the low-speed compression damping. The monitor was pretty quick with a number of wheel top steps alongside the best way, however not an excessive amount of in the best way of small chatter. I began with midway closed on LSC, then did a run absolutely open, then absolutely closed, lastly 3/4 from absolutely open. Of all of the runs I did, the fork felt finest in the direction of the open finish of the vary, with further harshness being felt as I added extra compression damping. So the alternative of Fox’s claims, however with the caveat that the fork was box-fresh and undoubtedly began to liberate over the next two days.

However, each click on from absolutely open to completely closed was usable. And I used to be impressed by the extent of assist from the fork, retaining it propped up on steep strains, dropping off steps, and braking into steep corners.

It’s not a quiet fork. To get the specified damping qualities, Fox has needed to settle for a noticeable squelch on the rebound stroke. That is solely on the Grip X damper – the Grip X2 is definitely quieter than Grip 2.

I ended up dropping the strain a contact, selecting 80.5psi for my 76kg weight, with 3 clicks of HSC and three of LSC from absolutely open. Chatting to Fox’s World Cup suspension tuning skilled, Jordi Cortes, he mentioned this was one thing some riders have completed with the brand new dampers. Through the use of the additional assist of the damper, they’ve been in a position to run barely decrease air pressures. However, Jordi himself says he likes to maintain his spring charge the identical with the brand new dampers, then set the damping independently.