Viewing 18 posts - 1 through 18 (of 18 total)
  • Rockshox Lyrik Vs Fox 36… Objective views required
  • mboy
    Free Member

    Right, I have a 2007 Fox Float 36 RC2 on my Giant Reign X. It's in very good nick, as the guy who had them before me kept em well looked after, and also they had new lower legs under warranty not long ago. But I've been slightly underwhelmed by their performance so far to tell the truth. They're great when you're riding stuff that doesn't use more than half the travel, but they quickly come up against it when they're deeper into their travel. Basically, even if I let all the air out, and wind the damping all the way out, I can't get the last 20-30mm of travel at all!

    I have been considering swapping for some Lyriks, as I've seen a few good condition 2nd hand forks out there that would not leave me out of pocket by much if I sold my 36's. How do Lyriks compare in the damping stakes? Are they easier to tune? I understand I can probably get my 36's set up for me if I sent them to Mojo, but they don't need a service yet, and I'm kinda loathe to spend £100 or so when they only came back from Mojo having had new lower legs about 10 or 12 rides ago.

    What do those of you with experience of both reckon? I know the 2009 on 36's have much better damping, but I'm specifically after opinions of my 2007 36 RC2's Vs Lyriks.

    Tracey
    Full Member

    I had the 2006 Talas 36 RC2 150mm on my Enduro, swapped them this summer for 160mm Lyrik 2 step airs. The Lyriks are a lot plusher and easier to set up.

    Tracey

    colin@rush
    Free Member

    Speak to mojo and see if they can get rid of the RC2 gubbings and run them as standard floats, they work so much better…

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    the_lecht_rocks
    Full Member

    RS offer no damping control ime.
    Fox are sublime.
    buy RS at your peril…..

    JonEdwards
    Free Member

    There is a known issue with Floats – a rod inside is too long or something, so you'll never actually get full travel. Have a hunt on MTBR for more info.

    That said, I love my coil Lyrics. They feel lovely now I've got them set up right. Big upside for me is that they're completely user serviceable – no sealed dampers like 36s have.

    mboy
    Free Member

    Speak to mojo and see if they can get rid of the RC2 gubbings and run them as standard floats, they work so much better…

    Why would I want to lose the 2 compression adjusters? To my mind, these are a good feature on my fork. I can dial in the compression exactly to my taste on both the low and high speed circuits. I just fancy actually getting more than 130mm of travel out of my fork!

    RS offer no damping control ime.
    Fox are sublime.
    buy RS at your peril…..

    What makes you come to this conclusion? From my previous experience of Fox Vs Rockshox (130mm Floats and Vanilla's Vs Recon's and Revelations), I'd say the opposite was true. Certainly the 2 pairs of Boxxers (02 + 06) I've owned had very controllable damping.

    Don't get me wrong, I like my Float 36's, I'd just like the extra travel to be honest… Hence I'm tempted by the Lyriks as a cheap fix.

    mildred
    Full Member

    I have never had a fork that reaches the travel specified by the manufacturer. Never.

    The only manufacturer I've eventually got near full travel from are Marzocchi, but only after draining half the oil out.

    I've not had float 36's but I have had vanilla's, and I've had RS Revelations, Pikes, and I currently have Totem solo air.

    I'd say the RC2 damping is the best I've ever used, but getting it set up to my liking was a long process. I didn't rate the RS motion control, but i think the mission control is very good indeed. Can you get this on Lyric's?

    cupid-stunt
    Free Member

    Colin is right about getting rid of the RC2 gubbins, just a load of marketing bollocks that is not needed, way plusher without

    bigdugsbaws
    Free Member

    TLR, what a lot of pish!

    solamanda
    Free Member

    the_lecht_rocks – Member

    RS offer no damping control ime.
    Fox are sublime.
    buy RS at your peril…..

    I'm sorry but you are totally wrong. The particular forks in question, the lyrik would solve the getting full travel issue (assuming the correct spring is run). The only way to get full travel from any fox air fork is either run them very soft and use the poor dampening controls to limit the fork dive OR ride them hard off large drops. A normal trail rider will struggle to use full travel on a fox air fork.

    Lyriks feel alot worse on small bumps and a low speed compared to fox but once you're hitting larger objects at speed they're atleast as good. IMHO fox dampening is too plush on small bumps and this looses some of the ability to load the front of the bike properly or pump transitions.

    mboy
    Free Member

    I have never had a fork that reaches the travel specified by the manufacturer. Never.

    I have, most of them in fact! From my DUC32's, to old school Rockshox Judy's, 2001 Z1 MCR's to Rockshox Boxxers, and everything inbetween (pretty much!). The worst offender I owned before though was a 2007 Marzocchi 66 SL ATA that never got more than 160mm of travel from its 180 claimed. My Fox 36 is worse!

    There is a known issue with Floats – a rod inside is too long or something, so you'll never actually get full travel. Have a hunt on MTBR for more info.

    Cheers JonEdwards, just been having a search on MTBR though and can't find any info yet. I'll keep on searching for a bit though… See what I can find.

    The only way to get full travel from any fox air fork is either run them very soft and use the poor dampening controls to limit the fork dive OR ride them hard off large drops. A normal trail rider will struggle to use full travel on a fox air fork.

    Cheers David. I let half the air out of my fork though, meaning it would be about right for someone weighing 6 stone (I'm about 12 stone), and I still couldn't get the last 20mm or so!

    Lyriks feel alot worse on small bumps and a low speed compared to fox but once you're hitting larger objects at speed they're atleast as good.

    Again cheers, not in the slightest bit interested in small bump performance really, it's a long travel full sus bike, I ride it when I wanna ride hard and fast! Would much rather the extra control. Though I reckon it might also be worth me getting in touch with Mojo just to see what they could do to the fork too…

    geetee1972
    Free Member

    Whoaa there everyone – hang up a minute. There is a lot of personal preference being expressed here, which is all cool and candy, but it's not necessarily objective. My opinion is that both the Floats and the Lyriks are great forks. My Lyriks edge the Floats but then they are coil sprung and set up correctly whereas the Floats I've ridden have always been on some one else's bike.

    However, more than anything it sounds like you've got some technical problem with those Floats so absolutely the first thing is to get in touch with Mojo and see what they can do. Even if the lowers have been replaced, that doesn't mean they would have done a complete service as well; I wouldn't blame them if they'd only done the bare minimum for warranty work they aren't charging for. It's worth ringing to ask and explaining your problem.

    If you still come away wanting a set of Lyriks, be aware that they have had issues with damping cartridges in last year's model. I've had one replaced already under warranty, which you wouldn't get second hand.

    However, Freeborn in Horsham have a new (08) pair for sale, with a cut down steerer, for £400. They were fitted to a bike but never used. 01403 251 252.

    Konastoner
    Free Member

    I have a set of 07 Lyriks, never let me down! Full travel regularly on the trail, never run Fox so I wouldn't know. Can only go on reliabilty which seems to have been an issue with regards stantion wear. Damping on the Lyriks has remained unchanged since they were launched so that has to speak for itself, plus I find it does work.

    Oh by the way, to improve small bump on Lyriks swap out the oil seals and wipers for 2010 boxxers. Transforms the fork, TFT just done mine 🙂

    stuartanicholson
    Free Member

    Just replaced some coil pikes with '09 36 talas's. Pikes were plusher and fealt better in the carpark but the talas blow the pikes away damping wise (although ive never ridden a mission control fork for any propper length of time).
    Just got me a set of '06 F100s and (although ive never ridden 100mm forks) am very impressed. Fox damping rocks!

    stuartlangwilson
    Free Member

    I've got coil lyrics and 08 talas rc2s.

    There's not much in it to be honest, both are good forks.

    Coils feel nicer, air weighs less.

    alpin
    Free Member

    i've an 08 lyrik that has just come back from the menders under warrenty. the 2-step stopped stepping the full 45mm till they stayed put at 160mm. all good now.

    very easy to set up. small bump performace isn't that bad.

    mate has coil lyriks and is very happy, too.

    ChunkyMTB
    Free Member

    the_lecht_rocks – Member
    RS offer no damping control ime.
    Fox are sublime.
    buy RS at your peril…..

    deary me 🙄

    Here we go again…

    SammyC
    Free Member

    I've ridden 08 Van Rs and found very lovely but dived quite alarmingly when I took the bike down CwmCarn DH track. My feeling was that they are great trail forks but don't handle steeper and bigger stuff as I would want them to.

    Been running solo air Lyriks for 18 months now and very very impressed with them. The Mission control damping is quite brilliant but takes a bit or working out (well for me anyway) to get the best out of it. Small bump is no where near as good as the Vans were (but then that could be air v's coil) and I find that adding more than two clicks of high speeds makes this worse. But the forks ability to pretty much suck up everything bigger than a pebble and not get confused is what keeps the fork on my bike.

    Thinking of swapping them over to coils for the Alps next year, apprently just need to get the coil assembly and it fits in the air fork, another plus if you ask me! 🙂

Viewing 18 posts - 1 through 18 (of 18 total)

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