Ohlins vs Fox forks

I’m in the market for a new frame that would be my first 29er. As a result, I’ll need new forks. I’ve ridden Fox forks for many years (since running away screaming from a Rockshox Psylo u turn back in the late 90s).

The easy option would just be to get the latest Fox 36 air shock but I’m intrigued by Ohlins. I’ve got a fairly old Cane Creek CDDB Air rear shock on one of my bikes (which I believe was designed by Ohlins) and it is by far and away better than any other rear shock I’ve ridden.

If you have the money then yes, go Ohlins. I’ve never met anyone running their suspension who has a negative thing to say.

Not got direct experience of Ohlins but..
Like you I spend years on Fox forks because rockshox just didn’t do it for me. I just liked how fox felt, and they were super simple to service.
The new bike has RS pikes and they are brilliant.
I’ll guess my point is don’t discount R/S from experiences 15-20 years ago.

However I think you need to look at cane creek helm as well as ohlins!

My RXF34s are brilliant, never miss a beat. However, I don’t ride on other forks to compare. Would happily go Ohlins again, but next bike will probably have EXT, subject to inflationary shocks 😀

If the fox has grip2 then they’re pretty good, ohlins are really good as well, when you’re choosing between these two you’ll end up with a good fork once setup correctly

Ohlins coils here RFX36.

Pros: been v reliable, easy to live with, stiff, no hand pump, they live for the those sorts of rough fast rubble-y tracks, but are cool for big hits and have rescued me from dumb moves more than few times

Cons: heavily damped, I run them pretty much run them open; 3 clicks of rebound, and hardly compression apart form long drags uphill. the coils have an air bumper for big hits and I have hardly ever got into that part of the travel (the pressure cartridge is sealed) so less travel than advertised.

overall very happy.

I got some rxf36 coils as i have never really liked air.
I read a lot of reviews and decided the ohlins had the edge and some to a few different shops including tf who sell both and they said that ohlins were better.
Never had an issue using ask my travel but i suspect the coil is most suitable for my riding and hardly a significant increase in weight

@nickc what’s this about a pressure cartridge? Just got a coil kit for my RXF36 m.2s and no sign of a pressure cartridge. Am I missing something?

Bottom of the coil leg in mine. Dunno about the m.2 though, might be different?

I bought some new 29″ 160 forks.

I ended up with fox 36 factory grip.. They were just under £1000. The cheapest I could find Ohlin’s were £1500.

I ran the rebound totally open on my 2014 pikes. I thought the Ohlins might need a tweak/ tune for my tastes, further bumping the price up.

I’m very happy with the fox 🙂

If you aren’t put off by Ohlins pricing, have a look at the EXT Era. My V1 is incredible, V2 is supposed to be an improvement.

@nickc I think you’re right, they’re different. Just watched the conversion video and they only use the parts I have in my kit.

I’ve never met anyone running their suspension who has a negative thing to say.

I had a set of RXF36 Evo that I hated. They were massively overdamped, I had to peel my hands off the bars after every trail. Replaced them with Lyriks which were far, far better. Beautifully made though!

You won’t go wrong with the latest 36 Grip 2 or Lyrik Ultimate. The Lyriks are cheaper and easier to set up. The 36s have a bit more adjustment. I think Ohlins are maybe a bit more divisive.

You shouldn’t rule Rock Shox out.

As above, they are cheaper in real life, have good damping, are comfortable to ride and easy to live with.

They’re also very reliable now.

I haven’t spent enough time riding any Fox forks to compare but I do like my RXF36 m.2s. As others have mentioned, I found the damping a bit too firm at first but a retune sorted that out.

I have a couple of sets of the m.2 coils, one on my ebike & the other on my longer travel. They are pretty much spot on for me. Some people don’t like the tunes of the damping but that can be lightened in a service if needs be.

I got very bored of creaking Fox CSU’s so am not really interested in what they have.

I rate them over a set of EXT’s I had also (which drove me mad with fussy air pressures).

Oh dear. One of going I didn’t like about my latest Fox (2017 evol) forks were that they were a bit overdamped, so that puts me off Ohlins. The bit I love about the CDDBAir is how sensitive it is.

Noted about Rockshox. It’s a bit like when you eat a particular food and it gives you a bit if a stomach reaction  you’re kind of reluctant yo back there, no matter how tasty everyone says it is.

I had a set of RXF36 Evo that I hated. They were massively overdamped

Yes, the damping circuits only really start making sense if you’re going really really fast..much faster than most of us are going anyway. But when you get into terrain that mere-humans can get to those speeds, they’re amazing. I’ve been on a couple of trips to Alps/Pyrenees with them and the “no hand or arm pump” experience at the bottom of long long descents was worth all the times where the damping seems to work against you otherwise.

@Jordan, there’s every chance I’ve made it up, TBH, I remember reading about it when I first got the forks, but now can’t find the link at all…and all the ones I can find about it are on air forks…

Oh dear. One of going I didn’t like about my latest Fox (2017 evol) forks were that they were a bit overdamped, so that puts me off Ohlins. The bit I love about the CDDBAir is how sensitive it is.

If you’re buying them new, someone like TF Tuned always strip & service prior to shipping (on all forks). They can drop in lighter tunes if that’s what you want for very minimal cost at that point.

sense if you’re going really really fast..

This is kind of how I felt too. I can get a 36 or Lyrik to feel great in almost all situations. Any potential benefits of the Ohlins seem too minimal for it to be worth it.

One good thing about RS is they seem to work well for faster or slower riders.

Most people run them with the compression damping very light so the fork is plush, but you can dial it up for more support if needed (on the Ultimate models).

They’re not perfect, but they’re the best compromise for a lot of us, I think.

The Fox Grip2 damper is supposed to be on the firmer side too, is that fair?

I wouldn’t say I’m a quick rider, and i haven’t noticed any over damping in the ohlins. Been used for everything from bike parks to trail centres and xc loops near home.
For me they feel far better than the fox 36’s i had before.
I am running a lighter spring than the one recommended by tf though, and it has been spot on. Hasn’t bottomed out badly either so the weight feels ideal

Don’t discount the mezzer either. If you are very light then the Grip2 VVC damper is a also a good choice.

Is it Ohlins that have the one piece steerer/crown to reduce creaking or did I just make that up in my head?

I’ve had 36 Grip, Grip2 Lyrik Ultimate, all with Secus or Luftkappes or both.. I’ve got RXF36 M.2s now. Ohlins are fantastic. Yes they do need to be setup correctly, including the tune, but if you’re buying them from a proper Suspension tuner they will do that for you. The other amazing thing with the Ohlins is you can chop and change between air and coil without any issue – the air spring is self contained, so is not dependent on the inside of the stanchion not being damaged by the coil…

@philstone Apparently the newer m.2s can’t be converted. Something to do with Ohlins can’t get the threaded stantions at the moment. Also no one in the UK seems to have stock of the conversion kits, I had to sweet talk a shop in Austria to sell me one.