After the last few years, you would expect the Fox guys to take a breather. After all, it was only 24 months ago that they introduced the FIT damping system for their forks and less than 12 months ago that Kashima coating was applied to the stanchion tubes. They’d be forgiven if they offered a line of 2012 suspension components with only a BNG (Bold New Graphics) modification, but that isn’t the case. Fox came out with guns blazing, offering new features in both the fork and shock lines that produce more than subtle differences. We got our gloves on a 2012 fork and slapped it on our Pivot Mach 5.7 long-term test sled. The shock went on our Intense Tracer 2.

THE 32 FLOAT FACTORY FIT RLC 150 FORK
Fox’s labeling is a mouthful and also the easiest to follow of any major suspension company. The “32” identifies the stanchion tubes as 32 millimeters in diameter. “Float” tells you that the fork is suspended using air pressure instead of a coil-over spring or the travel-adjustable TALAS air-sprung system. “Factory” means you stepped up in price to get the Kashima coating and top-shelf FIT damper. The proprietary coating, applied only in the Kashima facility in Japan (the stanchion tubes are shipped to Japan, treated and then returned to Fox’s American headquarters where all their forks and shocks are still made), reduces seal friction. “FIT RLC” is the fork’s damping system. The FIT (Fox Isolated Technology) cartridge system includes a low-speed compression circuit, lockout force adjustment and an internal, expandable rubber bladder. The bladder’s purpose is keeping the oil and air separated inside the fork so you
don’t run into fluid aeration, known as cavitation, which reduces damping performance. The low-speed compression range allows riders to choose a plush or platform-firm ride and is easily manipulated for on-the-fly tuning. The “RLC” after “FIT” stands for external rebound, lockout and compression adjustments. The “150” is the fork’s travel in millimeters, so we are getting 5.9 inches out of this one. Our $800 fork came with a tapered steerer tube and the Fox/Shimano-developed 15QR system, a 15-millimeter hollow axle that requires no tools for wheel removal. One item not noted in the name is the addition of a totally new fork seal (the first major seal change since the original Fox fork). Our fork weighed 3.8 pounds complete with axle.

On the bike: We set the fork with 20-percent sag. The lockout threshold force adjuster (the black knob and the only adjustment that doesn’t produce a click when turned) lets the rider dial in the intensity of the fork’s lockout feature. Turning the blue lever to the right locks the fork no matter where the black knob is set. It is only when you hit something that this feature comes into play. The softer the setting, the easier it is for the fork to overcome the lockout and move into its travel. Think of it as a poor man’s Terralogic. The low-speed-compression adjustment is a personal preference. Setting it firm is best for riders who expect their front tire to pick up the small chatter and only want the fork to go to work when hitting larger obstacles. This adjustment is very dependent on how you use your lockout. If you don’t use lockout, you will want a firmer lowcompression setting. If you do use lockout, this setting is less important. A few clicks produce a noticeable difference in ride quality. Rebound (the circuit of damping that stops the fork from slamming back to full extension after hitting a bump) is another rider preference. If you are unsure, start at three clicks out from the slowest rebound and work either way from there.

OK, enough setting up; let’s ride. Last year we raved about the smoothness of the Kashima coating. Well, that was then and this is now. If the Kashima coating took the performance up 12.5 percent (we just pulled that number out of the air), the new Fox seals easily take it up 20 percent. The fork moves into its travel so much easier than last year—and don’t confuse that with a “softer” fork. We still run about the same psi and allow the new slippery seals to do their job. Even setting sag was easier with these new seals. Some riders complained about harsh mid-stroke performance with older Fox forks. This trait disappeared in 2011, and it is a distant memory in 2012. We are going to pin this year’s Fox success on the new seals. Those slippery little guys allow the rider to take full advantage of the FIT damper cartridge. They have eliminated the system’s weak link. We guess that leaves us, the riders, as the weak link now. By the way, these seals will fit in your Fox fork. We highly recommend that you upgrade. One final comment on the fork. Why didn’t we spec a fork with the Fox TALAS (Travel Adjustable Linear Air Spring) feature? Because we find that we don’t use it. It may come in handy on a longer-travel fork, but with a bike with around 5 inches of travel, you just don’t have to mess with it.

FOX FLOAT FACTORY RP23 ADAPTIVE LOGIC SHOCK
You get the name if you read the fork info. This is an air shock (Float) that has the trick Kashima coating (Factory) and external rebound adjustment (R). The RP23 means the shock has Fox’s new Adaptive Logic ProPedal feature. Adaptive Logic ProPedal is a different approach from the ProPedal of old; ProPedal is an adjustable damping circuit that delivers different levels of firmness in the initial travel of the shock. It was developed to help overly active suspension designs that bobbed under pedaling forces. It used to be the rider could choose three ProPedal firmness settings. Fox has decided that for 2012, when you engage your ProPedal lever, you only get one choice: a super-firm platform. It is when you turn the full firm setting off that you get three choices. You can run the shock with light or medium ProPedal or fully open. Yes, a little confusing, and a feature we see being underused or misused quite often. The new shock weighed in the same as the 2011 shock it replaced: 10.2 ounces. The shock will sell for $420. The RP23 has only one pressure adjustment for the air spring, which makes setting sag simple. The Kashima coating brings smoother performance to the rear travel, but after the giant improvement the fork seals made to the front end, we have to say the improvement here is subtle— welcome, but subtle.
The Adaptive Logic ProPedal feature makes more sense once you get your mind wrapped around it, and the wrecking crew was all over the map on their preferences. There was the full-firm and full-open group that worked the ProPedal lever like a rally car racer working a stick shift. There was the set-it-on-medium-(2)-and-nevertouch- it-again group. The last group left it full open when the Intense Tracer 2 test bike was taken for a little liftaccess riding. (Not something you could pull off with typical trail-riding conditions). Are the new Kashima coating and Adaptive Logic damping enough reason to upgrade? If your shock is within two years old, you’ve maintained it properly and it is not giving you any troubles, the answer is no. You would feel a difference, but a $450 difference? Guess that depends on how much you value the first quarter-inch of travel. If you are building a bike or buying a new bike, however, you’d be missing out by not stepping up to this shock. Remember to work closely with your bike shop so the shock you get is valved for your bike. Just slapping on a shock with the correct eye-to-eye and stroke length will not guarantee an improved ride. It has to take your suspension design into consideration.