Anyone got anything good or bad to say about Fox Vanilla R 140mm QR forks?

Look alright for the money and would allow me to keep my current XC wheelset until it dies.. just worried about climbing with no lockout.. Looking at building a bit of a do it all bike but with slightly more XC bias in terms of parts (ill use bits off my XC bike) enventually it might mutate into something else

Also cant decide between 456 and 456 Summer Season… I like the idea of the SS .. is there a significant weight difference in these frames? If not ill prob get the SS

ta

My kitchen scales weighed the SS at 5oz heavier than the regular 456 (16″ frames).

Yeah cheers not an enormous difference then..

I’d probably be looking at the 20in as im about 6ft4 .. quite long legs and not heavy

Merlin had revelations on at £300, the 185mm steerer worked perfectly with my 456 and smoothie headset.

Woolie hat shop had full length steerer revelations (sounds like you’ll want a few spacers under the stem if you’re 6’4 for about £300

140mm Fox 32 forks are I think 511mm arch-to-crown. 130mm Revelations are 508mm, fox are quite low

140mm revelation bolt thrus are 518mm, and the QR one 521mm I think, so taller than fox

There is, I believe a 150mm Rev on the way…

Not much talk on the Vans…

Much talk on the Revelations… Anyone ridden/used both?

The lowness of the Vans might not be a problem for me.. I live in a flat part of the country and sometimes ride just on roads and tame paths (for fitness) and would be doing so on this bike.. decent places require transport and prob at least an hour or two away

Reliability, the feel and servicing are important factors though

Ive currently got an 04 MX Comp 100mm ETA.. so im assuming both will be a lot better

I’ve had a pair of Vanillas on my P7 for the Peak District. The coil springs are great over the rocks but not the lightest. Anyway, I’ve got on really well with them but would have thought they’re a bit over gunned for towpaths etc. What about some Recons?

Good deal on the Vanillas here

http://www.bikeoutlet.co.uk/products/Fox_32_Vanilla_R_Suspension_Forks_2009-671-50.html

Never heard of the shop though so I can’t vouch for them.

just worried about climbing with no lockout..

You get used to it

Much talk on the Revelations… Anyone ridden/used both?

I’ve used coil Recons (Virtually the same as Revs) and now have some Vanilla Rs

TBH there’s not a lot in it performance wise. The Foxes do have slightly better damping and might be a bit stiffer.

There is, I believe a 150mm Rev on the way…

Tell me more….!
What I REALLY want is a 150-160mm Pike. Now, there’s a fork…..
🙂

Yeah it felt sketchy on my current bike last time i was in the peaks (a long time ago).. was running 1.9″ nokians.. the mx comps.. easton ultralite frame..

Want to build a bike that is more capable of that sort of stuff.. 456 and Vans definitely overkill riding down a road.. but im after a bike that is capable of donig lots of different things and can take around the UK

Ive looked at some recons.. but some are not Motion Control right? and for 300ish quid you’d want that.. I got the impression the Rev was superior to the Recon in most ways.. correct me if im wrong though

Read a lot of good things about the pike.. but it seems recently theyve gone up to 400 squid + .. when IIRC they were about 300 a few months ago on places like merlin/crc

That looks a decent deal cheers bob..

I run some Van R’s on the front of my Orange Five and for the money they are absolutely fantastic forks. There’s none of the stiction you get with an air fork (particularly Rock Shox), they are well damped and Fox even provide three different springs.

In terms of servicing, they’re the easiest forks I’ve worked on and all of the parts are beautifully engineered. The key difference I have found between RS and Fox forks is that RS are light because they use a lot of plastic in the damper. Fox forks are all metal inside.

I can’t comment on longevity as mine are just under a year old, but I am still running some five and a half year old Fox Floats and they still have all of their stanchion anodising and they still work beautifully.

As for the lack of lockout, it’s not something I miss and I do climb out of the saddle on the Five a lot.

Right now I don’t think that you can get better value for money in a fork than the Vans and when your wheels expire you have the option to buy and fit the QR15 lowers if you so choose.

Well I’m hoping it works out right lol. Here’s my Summer Season. It’s a bit more “finished” than this pic as it’s got wheels and a few other bits fitted. Can’t wait ride the thing 😀

the 456 is a great do it all frame IMO. Have you thought about a travel adjust fork to make full use? I use a FOX 32 TALAS, and it’s brilliant – far more useful than lockout. 100mm for the climbs, 120 most places and nadgery singletrack, and 140 for rocky crazy or steep descents. Ace combination.

Hadge, that pic makes me feel all warm inside 🙂

yeah second what cp says ive talas on mine and ive not touched the lockout at all

hadge – could you post the ‘more finished’ pics ?
i’m considering FLOAT 36’s for my Ti456 🙂

op – 32’s are brill on 456’s. perfectly suited.

Here it is as it is now – waiting for saddle, tyres and some pedals. Might get some Burgtec off my workmate – hi Dan! Brakes are different – Juicy 7’s with Hope rotors. Really itching get it on the trails now…

Lecht – I think the Floats will be cool on your ti 456. These are the 140RLC’s and I’m blown away by how good they are. I’ve had loads of FOX forks and I’ve never had any probs (maybe I don’t keep them long enough lol) but they are very plush and by all accounts the 36’s are just as good. Talas seem to “stick” on the intial bit of travel, then they work fine. The Floats just seem to active instantly, like a good coil fork but with the benefit of being that bit lighter. Should be completely finished and out by next week so will post a fully finished build when it’s done 🙂

heres my normal 456 with the talas forks on

Looks very nice Mick, very nice indeed.

merci. yours does too 😉 i was thinking of getting a summer season but wanted to be sure it was an all day do it all bike tho i do prefer the finish on yours. but the blue is nice better in the flesh too as i was very unsure on it when i ordered lol

and ghetto tubeless is great 😉

don’t think mine is postable – fotopic issues :

How sturdy is the FOX QR15 axle compared to 20mm? and how much improvement over normal QR for that matter.

I have a hope 2 front wheel 20mm i could convert to 15QR using a kit.

Also seen Manitou Minute Elite 120mm 20mm going.

Decisions 😆

ta

My 456 has Vanilla 140s on and they suit the frame really well. Although mine are the RLC version, I hardly ever use the lockout. I find they do make steep climbs a little light at the front, but I’m sure that would be sorted when I can be bothered to lower the height of the stem a bit.

my ti456 on Van32 15mm BT’s :

you have the option to buy and fit the QR15 lowers if you so choose

Where from Jimmer?

tops – mojo will flog ’em to ya.