2016 Fox Float X2 Review

Fox announced the new Float X2 earlier this year. It was created to compete against the CCDB AIR, Vivid Air and the BOS Void rear shocks. These are all high volume air shocks offering high and low speed compression and rebound adjusters.

Extra Volume

Our Extra Volume (EVOL) air sleeve significantly reduces the force to initiate travel, providing added sensitivity and better small bump compliance. The progressiveness of the spring curve can be adjusted via air volume spacers, allowing riders to fine-tune the feel of the air spring.

Rod Valve System

Rod Valve System (RVS) provides a more seamless damping transition when absorbing small to large impacts, resulting in faster system response, more control, and less harshness.

 

Adjustemnts

• Low-speed compression
• High-speed compression
• Low-speed rebound
• High-speed rebound
• Air spring pressure

Sizes

• 7.875 x 2
• 7.875 x 2.25
• 8.5 x 2.5
• 8.75 x 2.75
• 9.5 x 3
• 10.5 x 3.5

Kurtis D

Testing consisted of about two months of riding (approximately 150 miles) over various terrains. Refined suspension designs and new technology is continuing to blur the line between DH and aggressive trail/enduro riding. We expect that the majority of aftermarket buyers of this shock will be those that often times pedal to the top of their favorite downhill trail. As a result of this, the new 27.5 Santa Cruz Nomad was chosen as an appropriate bike to test the shock on. The Nomad is definitely gravity oriented, but it also has won a lot of praise for being a relatively good climber.

The Float X2 was first tested at Northstar California’s bike park. This allowed a variety of settings to be tested in a fairly short amount of time and get the shock dialed in rapidly. It also provided a good mix of trails which ranged from flowy jumps (Livewire) to rocky & rough trails (e.g. Boondocks) and everything in between. The next testing ground was trail riding in SoCal, which typically consists of an hour or so of climbing and a 5-10+ minute descent, then repeat until tired. Trails are a mix of rocks, berms, and braking bumps.

The elephant in the room: this review couldn’t be written without acknowledging that Cane Creek’s Double Barrel Air (DBA and DBA CS) is a major reason we now have Fox rear shocks with external HSC, LSC, HSR, and LSR adjustments. The CC DBA and DBA CS are also the main air shock competitors to the Float X2. Therefore CC will have a brief mention/comparison in this review.

The first thing noticed with the Float X2 is that it likes to ride high in travel while still being extremely supple on the initial part of the shock stroke. To me, this is the biggest, but still not largest difference between the Double Barrel Air CS and the Float X2. The shocks are extremely similar, but the DBA feels a bit duller or less supportive in the mid-stroke. The DBA tends to squat more. I wouldn’t say that it’s a large difference, but there is a difference. Nor have I noticed a difference in my descent times between the two shocks.

For general trail riding the Float X2 worked very well. Once it was tuned there was no sensation of excessive pedal-bob. It also felt lively without being out of control. Long fireroad climbs were the only time I had a minor quibble with the X2. On long climbs I will occasionally look down at my rear shock and with the X2 I could see it go in and out just a little bit. The loss in power is probably not much but it would be nice to have some sort of climb switch or lockout. Yes, the compression and rebound could be adjusted to reduce this even further, but how many of us are going to remember to do this every time? I have a hard enough time just remembering to flip a climb switch.

Let’s talk about descending. That’s where the Float X2 really shines. There’s something about the X2 that makes it feel glued to the ground and this is especially noticeable at speed in chatter where other shocks can get a bit overwhelmed. Despite feeling glued, the X2 also feels lively. If you want to pop the bike over some rough terrain, the shock is more than willing to help, but it doesn’t mind staying on the ground through the bumps either. On long descents the Float X2 did get warm and almost hot on a lovely SoCal 100+ degree day. Despite this, no fading or loss of performance was noticed. All in all, the Float X2 is an exceptional shock and if a major part of your riding enjoyment comes from the descents then seriously consider this shock.

Shock Settings From Closed

• HSC: 17
• LSC: 19 (trail); 21 (bike park)
• HSR: 15
• LSR: 19
• Spacers: 3 (trail); 4 (bike park)
• Sag: 25-28%
• PSI: 177
• Rider Weight: 175lbs

Conclusion

The Nomad that we tested the Fox Float X2 on has had a CCDB AIR CS and a Vivid Air on it in the last 8 months. The Fox held it's own and improved the overall ride of the Nomad on the descents. So far the Float X2 has been mounted on the bike for 4 months. We have had no issues with the shock. Fox seems to be pretty spot on in their suggestions for settings. These provided a good start point for our rider.

Overall the Fox Float X2 prvided us with an improved ride aboard our VPP driven Nomad. It helped the bike eat up the chunkier terrain better without hindering its pedalling platform. We hould have no problem suggesting the Float X2 to a friend. It seems to do the job it was designed for without much fussing needed.

 

Gamut Trail S Chainguide Review

Gamut has been around a long time now. The brand has recently acquired Point One and are now in the process of updating the pedal design. They have also just released a bar and stem combo that we will be testing out as well.

"In 1999 Juan Graziosi, aka “Juano”, teamed up with his maker, Ed, on a father-son project making chain-guides for personal use. Friends and riders took notice and he began selling them at local races to cover his own race fees. As interest grew, so did the idea to create a rider-owned company. In 2003, older brother Mateo and longtime friend Mike were added to the mix to help get things organized. One year later, Gamut USA was born. The four share a passion for making intuitive, high quality products that take the hassle out of installation while delivering on performance, simplicity, and aesthetics. After all, we wanted to ride our bikes, not work on them.

As in the beginning, our goal is to add to the simple joy of mountain biking. Whether it be through product design, technical support, sponsorship, shop visits, or OEM services, we aim to improve the ride itself. Mountain biking is a huge part of our lives and we consider ourselves some of its biggest fans. We exist to serve the sport's enthusiasts and professionals alike. Every product we make goes through our own hands before it gets delivered to yours to ensure we remain connected to you, our customer.

We are proud of the products we’ve built, races we’ve won, failures we’ve endured, friends we’ve made (and continue to make), and we remain focused on the future, which for us is to improve upon the simple joy we receive from riding our bikes.

Sincerely,

Juan, Mateo, Mike, and Ed"

The Trail S guide is strong enough for the all-mountain rider yet light enough for the weight conscious XC racer.  The Trail S is compatible with the XX1 drivetrain as well as older non-clutch rear derailleurs (SRAM Type 2, Shimano Plus) and is perfect for riders with 1x setups looking for chain retention without the weight penalty.  The Trail S is available in three sizes (28-32T, 33-36T, 37-40T).  The polyurethane sliders and aluminum backplate make for the perfect strength to weight ratio.  Silent, simple, and beautiful.

Specifications

• Weight: 78g BB Mount, 80g ISCG, 80g ISCG05
• Chainring range: 28t-32t, 33t-36t, 37t-40t
• Includes: Assembly, mounting hardware for ISCG and ISCG05

We mounted the Trail S guide onto our Evil Following. The fit was simple and the directions included worked well. It was a simple install and even with the current crop of 73,83mm BB's and the two bolt patterns to mount chainguide's with they never seem to go on as easy as they should.

Overall the Trail S guide is a light unit that does a good job of keeping the chain on tight. We rode The Evil Following 5 days a week for close to 5 months with no issues at all. The bike spent 3 days up at Northstar and not once did we have any chain issues.

We are based out of San Luis Obispo and the trails around here are mostly rock. Over the 5 months of riding we never had an issue with a chain. Even after it got filled up with mud the guide continued to feed the chain around the chainring without issue.

Conclusion

Gamut has been making guides for over a decade and it shows in their products. The Trail S is a well refined chain guide. It is somewhat minimalist in its design which helps to save weight and keep it clean looking. The guide itself looks very well finished and includes good hardware.

Overall we where impressed with the Trail S Guide. It mounted easily and it was very quite out on the trail. Some people may be concerned with drag created by a guide with both bottom and top rollers but this didn't seem to be a major issue with the Trail S. There isn't anything we would alter to make the guide better. Maybe having a pure black one as an option. If you are looking for a guide with a bach guard check out the SXR

This is a guide we would recommend to a friend. If you live in a very rocky area you may need a guide with a bash guard. That was the only thing we may have wanted on a few rock filled trails. Otherwise the Gamut guide proved very functional and effective.

Gamut Questions

1. How did Gamut come to be?

Gamut was born out of a passion for MTB racing, and a love of making products that work to the highest standards in the toughest conditions. Gamut is a rider-owned partnership between brothers Juan and Mateo, their father Ed, and their pal Mike. All the guys want to make a life in MTB and make product to improve the ride for all.

2. What made you decide to make your own Chain Guides?

Out of necessity really--there weren't any simple, easy to install and light-weight guides on the market when Gamut was born. We wanted something for our own race use, and lucky for us they ended up being good enough that other riders wanted in.

3. Any plans for carbon products down the road?

Carbon is always in the conversation, but if and when we do it, we want it to be the right product. We're not buying off the shelf and we're not rushing anything to market. We're believers in durability and value first--which is why alloy remains our top choice for most applications.

4. Tell us a bit about your evolution of the Gamut since the beginning?

Gamut has been around a lot longer than some people realize--we started in 2004 doing just chainguides and while that market has evolved and changed over the years we've added different things to the mix following the same values that made our first products accepted by riders: thoughtful design, good value, and great function.

5. How soon until your pedals come out?

January! We're stoked. Let us know if you want some. We know a guy. Get you a good deal.

6. What is your most popular guide currently?

For the last couple of years the Trail SXC has been killing it, though the new SXR with the integrated bash is coming on strong.

7. What type of trail would you prefer to ride flowing and jump filled or loose and rocky?

Depends on who you talk to around here, but generally we're happy riding anything. Not illegal stuff though. Never.

8. What are some of the greatest inventions for Mountain Bikes?

Suspension forks, dropper posts, knobby tires, baggy shorts, and those tasty sammiches your mom makes us after we get back from riding.

9. Who is the greatest Mountain Biker of all time?

Don't ask us to name just one. We're still arguing about it, but if we just have to name names, we're picking Greg Minnaar because he has a legit claim and we'd be terrible sponsors if we didn't.

10. Should they do two Tour De France races and have one that is drug free while the other is anything goes?

Isn't drug use already mandatory in Le Tour?

11. Any new products you guys are working on?

New stuff in guides, rings, pedals, stems, bars, and other sensual lifestyle products for the discerning dirt freak.

12. Anything else you would like to add?

Cru, just pretend you're in the lumber yard, go balls out.