Bought a Fox 36 TALAS 180 fork. Does this fork fit on the Specialized FSR 2010?

—Shariff, with the cart before the horse

MBA: Shariff, our first bit of advice is for you to do a little more homework before you make a major purchase like that Fox fork. Now don’t get us wrong; that is a fine example of front suspension. It’s just not right for your bike. 

OK, for the record, FSR is not a Specialized model. It is the name for Specialized’s patented rear suspension design. It stands for “Future Shock Rear.” We are going to take a wild guess and say you are riding a 2010 FSR XC. That bike has a 4.7-inch-travel fork that uses a 1 1/8- inch steerer tube. The TALAS 36 comes in multiple steerer tube options, including 1 1/8-inch, but it is not really a question of “Can you fit the fork?” The question is, “Should you mount that fork?” 

The Fox 36 fork’s intended use isn't for black diamond-level trail riding. Its 7 inches of travel would ruin your bike’s frame geometry, as your bike is designed to perform best with 4.7 inches of travel. 

Mounting a fork with over 2 inches more travel would not only void the frame’s warranty from Specialized, it would subject the frame to way more stress than its designers ever intended. We understand the travel on a TALAS (Travel Adjustable Linear Air Spring) fork can be adjusted down to 5.5 inches, but even that is still outside of the intended range for your bike. 

Hey, it doesn’t stop there. Your bike’s front hub would be a compatibility issue. The TALAS 36 uses a 20- millimeter thru-axle to secure the wheel, while the fork on the FSR XC uses a conventional 9-millimeter quick release. If you are confused, the simple answer is “No, you should not mount that fork on your bike.” See if you can exchange the fork you purchased for a 4.7-inch-travel fork.

Hit the following link to ask Mountain Bike Action a question: mbaction@hi-torque.com