Fox's 36 has been at the forefront of hard-hitting trail riding for almost 20 years now. Other than the stout 36mm diameter stanchions, the 36 fork has gone through many iterations over the years yet it has continued to be one of the best mountain bike forks for aggressive mid-travel trail riding. With enduro responsibilities now handed off to the burlier Fox 38, the previous Fox 36 in 2020 saw the fork firmly positioned into the all-mountain category and equipped with a brand-new GRIP 2 damper. That fork has since proven to be one of our favorite forks at Bike Perfect thanks to its easy setup and plush performance.
From the outside, other than the "Podium Gold" colorway [which definitely divides opinion – Ed], not all that much has changed with the 36. Internally there has been a big update, with the release of Fox's new GRIP damper range, the 36 now has the option of two brand-new GRIP dampers. We got the chance to take the Fox 36 Factory with the new GRIP X damper out for a few rides pre-launch to get a feel for how the new fork performs.
