Mountain Biking Review - Fox Suspension Fork 32 FLOAT RLC

In the last 2 years I have been fortunate to havecertain bikes it was a chore to keep the front wheel
spent a good amount of time mountain biking on Foxon the ground during moderate to steep climbs.
suspension set ups. I have driven the Fox 40, theThis is not really a weakness, because you should
TALAS and FLOAT series forks. What I have learntknow this before you buy. It is not something that
over the years is simply put; Fox knows mountainany manufacturer is hiding but comes with any fork
bike suspension. In this review we will cover the airwithout adjustable travel lockout. The way around it
sprung 08 Fox 32 FLOAT RLC.is to spend a few more bucks and get a model
This fork sits comfortably between the XC and(TALUS, Rock Shox U-Turn, etc...) that is capable of
all-mountain class of suspension. Of course we all livelocking out at adjustable intervals. This will add a small
in different neighborhoods of the world, so definitionsamount of weight, but well worth the trade off in
may vary depending on where you ride. The FLOATuphill efficiency but I think it is one of situations
offers 5.5 inches of air sprung travel, and in my partwhere, if you have never experience the better
of the world (Pacific North West) that sits as anversion then you might not even care.
aggressive XC fork, and that is how we rode it.While in lockout mode, you still have the comfort of
The RLC version is loaded with all the goodies onenot being completely rigid. The 'blowoff' sits waiting
could ask for in a performance fork. The fork'sfor any unexpected impact and will give you relief in
interface is convenient and easily adjusted.the form of suspension to help keep you on your
Redesigned levers with smooth edges complimentbike. The blowoff is adjustable to suit your needs
the forks ease of use, but also compliment its subtleand is located at the bottom of the leg, out of the
looks. Rebound is located at arms-reach on the topway.
of the right leg; low speed compression is on theAll who spent time on the FLOAT raved about its
outer ring of the rebound and below the lockoutsteering, stiffness and abilities to keep the tire
lever, providing easy adjustments for action on thetracking the ground, and not bouncing us off of lines
go.or the trail. The plush suspension certainly carried us
It is really hard to find any fault with the plushthrough a few rough and rocky moments. Which is
qualities of this high-end offering. Adding improvedwhy I call this an aggressive XC to all-mountain fork.
dampening to an already proven system furtheredThe performance allows you to be confident and
the Float's luxurious performance. I honestly did notpredict the ride, which is crucial if you like to come in
feel a huge difference between the 07 and 08, buthot.
that is nothing to complain about.After a long summer of abuse, in the form XC
The compression lockout is the only area in which Iracing, epics, all-mountain climbs and descents our
found any weakness to the FLOAT. Not to betest pilots, and myself all agreed that the FLOAT
misunderstood, the compression lockout functionsRLC is an extremely smooth riding high performance
flawlessly but being locked out at 5 inches of travelmountain bike fork. None of us had any complaints
will set the bike up with a higher front-end. Which isexcept that we all at one point or another wished
where the problem lies, the higher front-end pushesfor the adjustable lockout; other than that the fork is
the rider back on the saddle and on up hills is wheretops and ideal for your all mountain - mountain biking
the lockout is not a perfect system. We found onadventures.