When it comes to picking a fork for tough trail use or enduro racing action, you’re spoilt for choice, as there are a huge number of hard-hitting but lightweight 160mm units out there. However, there are two forks that stand head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to top-level performance and control.
In the red corner we’ve got the fork that gave its rivals a sound kicking when it was released, the mighty Pike from RockShox. In the blue corner we’ve got the no-holds barred riposte from Fox; the golden-legged Fox 36 with its incredibly adjustable RC2 damper.
Related: Best trail/enduro forks
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Both are airsprung, both use sealed cartridge dampers and both are made for taking on the roughest terrain this side of a downhill track. It’s an epic enduro grudge match – so which one offers the most bang for your buck?
Off the shelf
While the Pike is completely murdered-out with black legs and lowers, the Fox has altogether more gaudy legs as a result of its low-friction Kashima coating. This helps retain lubricating oil in microscopic pores and is also extremely wear-resistant. The black anodising on the Pike doesn’t claim to offer any such benefits but long-term experience has told us it’s still hugely durable. It also benefits from having sag markers on the legs, making setup much easier.
The Pike’s Charger damper is the RCT3 model, which gets a selection of open pedal and locked modes, with finely adjustable low speed compression damping in the open setting. It uses RockShox' Rapid Recovery system, which has adjustable rebound damping in the initial part of the stroke but uses a fixed, faster rate from deeper in the travel, enabling the fork to recover quickly from big hits.
Winner
- It’s a draw. The 36 has a racing bias with huge tuning potential while the Pike offers a simpler initial setup and more user friendly features. The Fox is best suited to enduro racers while the Pike favours the trail rider.
In your wallet
Winner
- While the Fox fork offers a staggering amount of technology, it’s hard to argue with the fact that the Pike can be found for significantly less money, which means it takes the win.
On the trail
Winner
- While some of this call comes down to how you like a fork to feel, when the going gets really rough the extra adjustability and unshakeable control of the Fox means it takes a narrow lead in this category.
Verdict
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
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