FOX 40 FIT RC2 2011 Fork

(discontinued)

Performance wise this fork was great when it worked. I had mine for 3 seasons and it got rebuilt twice and was serviced often by a legit shop with a certified fox mech. With all that it still caused a lot of headaches. It squeaked, knocked and spewed oil a lot. I had to get a whole new dampener after a trip to Whistler then about 2 months later it needed new seals after I had just replaced them. I can go on and on but i must've just had some crap luck because my buddies didn't have as many issues as I did. I'd still give the 40 another shot because I've had 3 36's and my girlfriend has a 36 and they work flawlessly.

Review is about the 2009 RC2 Fox 40, not the Kashima FIT version.

Overall I think it’s fair to say that the Fox 40s have been getting pretty great reviews both on this site and most others. There is just something about this fork that gives it that buttery endless feel along with unbeatable stiffness and quality. The other really great thing about this particular fork is the adjustability, and how users can really create a custom feel to the fork depending on their weight, riding style and terrain. I actually haven’t take too much advantage of the easy adjustability I’m more of a set and forget type but it’s great to know that at any moment if required within a couple of seconds and couple of clicks of the dials the fork can be changed dramatically. This of course has all already been discussed in the other reviews but the one thing I wanted to speak to is the durability of this fork.

I’ve been running the RC2 Fox 40 for two years now and after riding in various conditions including snowy sub zero temperatures this fork keeps on performing great, nothing seems to phase this fork. I’ve noticed with many other forks that after riding in muddy conditions the dials tend to gunk up and seize up a bit but all the dials on this fork still turn like brand new.

I’ve seen a lot of reviews about this fork saying that it needed constant maintenance but with my experience after putting on a lot of hours this fork has really required no work. Even the seals themselves have lasted for two seasons, only recently have they started to puke up oil (my Rock Shox Totem seals blew after about a month of use).  I haven’t changed the oil myself but the bike shop folks have mentioned that changing the oil in the40s is a breeze when compared to Boxxers.

Price wise the fork is a bit expensive but I think the cost is definitely justifiable simply for the performance and durability you get. The plushness and friction free feel make this a top fork and I would definitely recommend this as a pinnacle DH/Freeride fork.