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Ohlins RXF 36 fork


This Swedish fork is a seriously stiff bomber but needs careful multispring balancing and lacks sensitivity. Subtly contoured lower legs, 36mm stanchions and a low brace make for an impressively solid feel on the trail.

The single-piece steerer and crown with built-in bearing race sits flush with the head tube for a neat, stiff and squeak-free junction. It’s a decent weight for its taut feel too. There’s just the 29er/650b+ Boost version though, and tyre clearance is tight with big 29in rubber, so Ohlins’ own fender is the only option. While it feels smooth and notch free in the car park, the suggested pressures create an initially insensitive yet dive-prone feel that can catch you out when turning hard into a corner. That means you need to find your own balance of pressure in the main air spring and separate end-stroke control chamber to get an acceptable spring curve. Even then, it needs propping up with a lot of low-speed compression to carve without diving. That’s fine in smooth berms, but the twin-tube damper system lacks the reaction speed and micro-sensitivity to keep a tenacious connection on rocky/pitted surfaces, leaving the tyre sliding wide, not hooking hard.

Travel 150mm (120-160mm*)
Weight 2,060g
Stanchions 36mm
Wheel size 29in/650b+
Axle Boost

Price $1492


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