Fox 36 Factory GRIP2 £1,159

Adjustment LSC, HSC, LSR, HSR, air-spring pressure, air-spring volume (spacers) Travel 150 160mm (650b, 29in); travel change requires new air shaft Offset 37/44mm (650b), 44/51mm (29in) Weight 2,087g (29in, 170mm)

Even though Fox claim the revamped 36 is stiffer than its predecessor, it’s no longer available with 170mm travel as stock. A 170mm spring is available aftermarket (£52.95), which we used to compare it to the other 170mm forks here.

The most significant update is the larger negative spring volume. This makes the fork softer in the early travel but, by allowing higher air pressures, firmer in the mid stroke. We removed all volume spacers when testing at 170mm and settled on 95psi, which tallies with Fox’s recommendation. The suggested rebound settings are too slow, in our opinion; we preferred the low-speed rebound set to almost fully open.

There’s only a narrow range of compression adjustment and even with both adjusters fully closed it isn’t overly firm. Few riders will need it firmer, though, as the spring offers ample support. In fact, we often set the compression fully open. The beginning-stroke sensitivity is superb, so the 36 tracks the ground like a coil fork and stays settled in its travel when rattling over rocks off the brakes, feeling slightly more stuck to the ground than the Lyrik. Friction is very low too, so it moves freely and irons out small bumps brilliantly.

On steep stuff, the support builds consistently through the travel, so there’s plenty to lean on when braking hard or pushing into a turn, even with the compression fully open. When smacking into shoeboxsized rocks, the ZEB and 38 are noticeably smoother and less jarring – unsurprising, given that we’re testing the 36 at its travel limit. It has the edge over its main rival, the RockShox Lyrik, but for most riding situations the difference is fairly subtle, and the Lyrik is considerably cheaper. www.silverfish-uk.com