FOX 38 Factory Suspension Fork [Rider Review]

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for.

When the Fox 38 launched last year, everyone had to have it. It was big and beefy, perfect for those long travel enduro bikes that love smashing rocks and big drops. Now that its been out for a few months, we are seeing the reviews rolling in. Check out what this customer had to say about his! 

Overview

Since making this upgrade purchase for my new custom-built bike I noticed big differences out on my rides. The fork is worth the price as I am already looking to upgrade my trail bike with the 40''s. Visually, one of the most obvious changes is to the arch on the lower leg assembly. Its rounded shape has been met with mixed feelings from some of the riders in the group, but personally, I really like the look.

On Trail

The biggest difference I have noticed on the rides is how well suspension eats the chunky and technical terrain. Places where you want your front wheel to track very precisely, but where there are a lot of things that are trying to knock your front wheel offline. The bike is leaned over and you’re running into stuff, so there are forces pushing on the fork in a bunch of different directions. So, the Fox 38 fork is stiffer, that much is clear but that something is crucial to me because I was coming from a trail bike so I beyond excited to test this fork.

The 38 is the first single-crown fork I’ve ridden that actually comes close to feeling like I can take on any downhill, enduro, and technical sections.

Maybe I will get good enough where I can start getting these bad boys for free so I can really test them out. A man can wish.

Another thing is that I do wish they offered the color white as an option for the 38's but that something I can easily overlook since that's a cosmetic preference. I ended going with black. That would be the only negative attribute I can really confirm for now but I doubt there will be any going forward. I haven't tested this on any big jumps yet as due to COVID and a recent shoulder injury I haven't been able to make it out to any parks to hit some nice and tasty launchers. I am planning hopefully to change that and give these puppies a real go. So far, I love this purchase every time ride and as I develop my understanding of the engineering that goes into this design I can appreciate Fox setting the bar high to allow me to have options to improve my skill set. I am still getting used to the suspension jump I made from 120mm to 170mm but I am certainly having fun with it.

Final Thoughts

I would make this purchase again with the travel that I picked for another enduro bike but I can't promise you this is going to make you a better rider instantly. You got to the lake the time to dive deep and learn. That's where you get the bang for the buck and that's where you will allow yourself to test the fork.