Bikes Blog
First Rides: A Stiffer FOX 32 Step Solid XC Fork Feels Mild, Quick & Succesful for simply 100mm
Apr
I’ll attempt to hold this one brief and candy heading into the weekend, however we had the unique alternative for a primary take a look at of the wild new reverse arch FOX 32 Step Solid XC fork. Though it virtually seems smaller than ever with out seeing a standard fork arch up entrance, that is undeniably a extremely succesful cross-country fork. Combining a brand new stage of stiffness with an virtually foolish quantity of obvious weight reduction vs. the already gentle authentic 32 SC, this new fork can be a killer possibility for ultralight hardtail or short-travel full-suspension XC bikes!
MY 2025 Fox 32 Step Solid XC fork: First Rides Overview
I mentioned I’ll attempt to be transient.*
Since I actually solely managed to squeeze in two strong rides on the brand new Fox 32 Step Solid cross-country fork, mounted to the identical all-new Pinarello Dogma XC full-suspension race bike that Tom Pidcock raced to a 2023 XCO World Championship win.
*However readers who acknowledge my byline won’t be so simply satisfied. Oops.
But this fork was utterly new to me. And new to the complete workforce at Pinarello. Their INEOS workforce race on SR Suntour suspension, and actually nobody had even thrown a leg over this bike fitted with Fox’s wild new reverse arch XC fork.
So everybody had their fingers crossed. However nobody 100% knew what to anticipate.
And the fork was actually good. Primarily proper out of the field, with minimal setup and fiddling required.
So, I rode it laborious over a variety of terrain, and have loads of constructive suggestions to share.
A short catch-up on new Fox 32 Step Solid tech
The 2025 Fox 32 Step Solid XC fork simply got here out final week, unveiled by Fox on the ninth. I rode it on the eleventh.
It’s largely distinctive in that it replaces the traditional forward-facing fork brace with a reverse arch design. That reverse arch can also be composed of an open internet mentioned to maximise stiffness with restricted materials.
The brand new Fox 32 SC fork is 29er solely and restricted to 100mm of journey – for XC, marathon, and ultra-distance racing. But it surely additionally occurs to have shed multiple hundred grams over the earlier technology, even when that weight was for the 27.5 model. And at a claimed 1287g now, it has reclaimed the title of lightest XC suspension fork again from the RockShox SID SL.
Into the weeds
That open reverse arch is all about growing stiffness – reducing the arch and balancing the axle offset on the alternative aspect of the lowers. These new solid magnesium lowers are in actual fact a pair grams heavier, not in actual fact lighter than the previous lowers. However Fox claims they’re considerably stiffer in comparison with the previous 32 Step Solid. The general fork is alleged enhance torsional stiffness by 40%, making it almost as stiff because the 34 SC.
The fork’s weight financial savings are largely hidden inside – the lighter damper, stanchion, steerer tube & Kabolt SL thru-axle are mentioned to save lots of 97g.
Plus, one other 9g for the brand new zero offset crown that decreased cantilevered forces to turn out to be stiffer.
As a substitute of getting the stanchions in keeping with the headtube angle, this new crown angles or can’t the telescoping components of the fork extra in keeping with the forces coming in from the axle. It seems a bit odd with no offset on the crown. However means improved stiffness with much less weight.
Fox does say this answer is proscribed to shorter journey fork masses. So although it appears logical, we don’t count on to see it on many extra forks within the brief time period.
It nonetheless makes use of a Step Solid design in the direction of the axle to save lots of weight. And contained in the now double-butted proper leg, there’s a brand new lighter Grip SL damper – with smoother and quicker compression adjustment between open, pedal & locked modes. The air spring aspect sticks with straight inside partitions in its stanchion.
Full particulars on the up to date MY25 Fox dampers, right here.
My XC Setup
Itching to get out of the path early the subsequent day, I set my air stress the night time earlier than, pumped as much as the low finish of the really helpful vary for my 85kg using weight (at 95psi). I attempted to determine on virtually 25% sag, figuring out that I had a distant mechanical lockout if I felt the fork was too gentle.
That’s fairly a bit extra sag than the stiff 15-20% that Fox recommends. However I wasn’t going to be racing, so I needed to remember to use the journey. And I acquired that sag whereas primarily utilizing the stress really helpful on the aspect of the fork leg.
The truth is, the fork felt sufficiently plush for the brief 100mm journey. However ramped as much as supply loads of help. Out of the saddle sprinting (like above) didn’t even require locking the fork out.
Climbing – Open, Medium, or Agency lockout modes
And for probably the most half, I solely went full lock on asphalt climbs. On actually steep off-road climbs I did pop it into the center half-locked Medium mode, which did a great job resisting bobbing as I stair-stepped up some nasty ramps in in all probability too laborious a gear.
However the top-spec Pinarello Dogma XC felt so gentle, it needed to fly up steep climbs. So usually I might simply arise and stomp it out as a substitute of downshifting. And the supportive fork in Medium semi-locked compression mode offered an ideal stability with ample stiffness, however nonetheless sufficient motion to maintain the tire hooked up to the bottom.
Rebound I stored in the midst of the vary, a contented medium of fast however not bouncy return. Sufficient to maintain the entrance wheel hooked up to the bottom over tough terrain, however not harsh on more durable descents.
And fortunately didn’t want to alter it, because it requires a fiddly little 2mm hex to regulate.
What does Fox imply that the 32 Step Solid is for Marathon, not World Cup XC?
It’s a bit difficult the place this new 32 SC will get pigeonholed. Fox describes the brand new ultralight fork because the “Absolute Lightest in XC. Made for Marathon.“
Positive, numerous XC racers have moved as much as 120mm of journey to deal with the extra technical tracks. So 100mm of light-weight journey is possibly not fairly sufficient for the excessive race-pace speeds of the World Cup XCO circuit. However I’m fairly certain that I’m not attacking climbs and descents wherever close to the likes of Tom Pidcock on this bike.
So, whereas I like long-travel mountain bikes, 100mm on an XC bike might be sufficient for many of us.
Even blasting down slabs of rock, drifting via gravel-strewn forest roads at in all probability too excessive velocity, and smashing although rock gardens as quick as I felt snug, it was in all probability light-weight 2.4″ XC tires with tiny tread knobs that felt like my limiting issue.
I by no means felt missing of journey or stiffness on my two quick rides. Smashing round technical trails and an XC race coaching loop simply exterior of Riva del Garda final week, the brand new 100mm Fox 32 SC
The 100mm journey Fox 32 SC managed to really feel prefer it was actually absorbing the bumps. With out fairly edging right into a zone I might name plush. It was lively, supportive, and shock-absorbing in the perfect sense.
A lot succesful sufficient on the downhills for many of us
I additionally didn’t handle to backside it out, although I attempted fairly laborious. Sending the brief journey XC bike into rock gardens and off drops wherever I may see a clear-enough touchdown to make sure that the Recon Race tires would hook up sufficient for me to maintain the rubber aspect down.
I set the fork up on the gentle aspect. It supported my weight out and in of the saddle over steep terrain up and down. And it was loads stiff to trace wherever I pointed it whether or not via uneven turns or into rocks and roots.
It actually did the whole lot I may ask of a 100mm fork. The truth that it’s in all probability the lightest 100mm for that I’ve ever ridden is simply an enormous bonus.
So, who’s the brand new Fox 32 SC truly for, in spite of everything?
It is a top-tier cross-country race fork, with a long-distance marathon leaning. And it comes with a suitably excessive price. So, it’s clearly not fork everybody.
However because the lightest mountain bike fork available on the market, the $970 price ticket for the brand new Fox 32 SC Manufacturing unit appears much more cheap than I might have anticipated. A SID SL Final with Flight Attendant sells for $1350. Extra my fashion of using at dwelling, a top-tier 36 Manufacturing unit or Lyrik Final, each promote for $1100. (Not contemplating Flight Attendant).
Now what bike would I need this new Fox 32 Step Solid on?
The total-suspension Pinarello Dogma XC that I examined this new fork on was nice. It’s a UCI XC World Cup and World Championship-winning bike with this quantity of journey. In order that makes the 120mm journey argument a bit depending on the rider. I might love that setup if I raced marathon distance XC.
However for a way I wish to experience, I might love to stay this on an ultralight carbon hardtail. Identical to 12x World Champ Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. Attempt to construct up a 9kg race rocket and see how briskly I may push it on my native singletrack, forest roads, and possibly some native XCO & XCM racing. Or possibly inch up nearer to 10kg with a lightweight hardtail construct appropriate for off-road journey racing.
It is a fork that wishes to go quick. It’s simply as much as the rider to place the ability into the pedals.