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. 

Enduro bikes are becoming more and more capable, and the lines are starting to blur between enduro and DH bikes. Suspension companies have to keep up with these long travel machines, so Fox and RockShox among others came out with 38mm stanchion forks. Our friend Tony, has been running the Fox 38. See what they think!

Overview

I've had my 2021 Yeti SB150 for just over a year and have had a FOX 36 Factory 170mm 29 fork on it since new. However, as my riding has progressed, and the trails that I am riding are getting rougher, I have found that the Fox 36s were not giving me the support that would provide me with the level of confidence I was looking for. I decided to look at upgrading these forks. I had narrowed down my search to Rockshox Zebs OR Fox Factory 38s. Upon looking into the differences, I found out that they were very similar in performance with the Zebs being a little more set and forget, whilst the Fox 38s allowed for more tunability. As I liked to tinker with my suspension settings, I decided to get a set of Fox 38s. (The fact that they came in Orange was a bonus!).

I purchased the Fox Factory 38 170mm fork from Worldwide Cyclery. They were very helpful and kept me updated along the way with my delivery. When my fork finally arrived, it was an extremely exciting day for me. Installation was a breeze. And the Quality of the fork was unreal. It felt like an extremely premium product, especially with the Kashima coating on the stanchions. Putting them side by side with my Fox 36s, the Fox 38s looked REALLY beasty which I feel suits the SB150 much better. I also got the Fox XL mudguard to fit onto my new Fox 38s and it provided much better coverage than the old smaller mudguard.

Once my forks were installed, I visited the Yeti website to see what their recommended settings were for the Fox 38s based on my weight. I always liked to start with their settings as a base and adjust from there as I feel they get me into a pretty good starting position.

Unfortunately, it had been raining for several weeks so our trails were damaged. So the bike had to sit at home waiting for the trails to dry up before it could be tested. Eventually, the trails re-opened and I took my bike to Ourimbah Mountain Bike Park in NSW, Australia.

Final Thoughts

My very first impression when riding with the new Fox 38s, is that I could definitely feel the extra weight of the fork. It didn't feel as nimble or light as the Fox 36s. So when riding around slow stuff and slow corners, the bike definitely was not agile and quick. However, as I started riding downhill and the terrain got rougher, wow, the Fox 38s just worked so well. It soaked up all the rough stuff and made for such a plush and confidence-inspiring ride. I could go so much faster down the trail than I ever had gone before. The forks also felt a lot stiffer and did not flex under load. Jumps and drops are a lot more composed and in control. It was amazing how much of a difference upgrading from the Fox 36s to Fox 38s made.
Highly recommended.