I’m looking forward to putting the RIP 9 through its paces, and will also bring the following components along for the ride:

• Roval Control EL 29 Wheelset
• 2011 Fox 32 TALAS 29 Terralogic
• Syncros FL bars, stem and seatpost
• Continental Mountain King 2.4 and Mountain Race 2.2 29er tires
• Truvativ Noir carbon crankset with ceramic GXP bottom bracket
• Avid Elixir CR brakes
• SRAM X0/X9 drivetrain

Stay tuned over the coming weeks as I get this bike out on the trails in earnest. So far, the bike looks amazing and after a single ride, I’m confident that this mix of parts will perform well on the trail. be a ton of fun on the trail. Trail weight came in at nearly 30 lbs, which is much more than I had thought. So, I’ll try to lighten things up through the course of the Summer as well.

Stay tuned as I ride and tweak this bike throughout the Summer — bringing reviews along the way.

New Features for 2011

• Terralogic: This new dampening system aims to intelligently differentiate between rider input and terrain — thus improving efficiency while remaining supple and active. It offers adjustable threshold to cater to the terrain and rider’s needs.
• Kashima Coat: Stanchions will benefit from a stiction-free, longer-lasting and more durable coating.
• 2-position TALAS: Reduced complexity and more nailed-down travel adjustments on-the-fly.
• Refined Travel: Lower compression ratios, improved air spring curves and more.

With those new features, Fox is introducing a couple of forks that caught my eye. The all-new Fox 36 180 TALAS is a single-crown 180mm bomber that’s built for freeride and otherwise burly terrain. This new fork features all-new lowers that extend beyond the axle to pack in more quality travel while maintaining the lowest axle-to-crown height available. The available TALAS system will reduce the travel to 140mm should you wish to pedal your rig to the top.

The other fork that I’m dying to get my hands on is the all-new Fox 32 TALAS 29. This 120mm 29er fork features all the goodies mentioned above–including the TALAS travel adjust from 120 to 95mm on-the-fly. I  see this is a great option for some of the best 29er trailbikes on the market including the Santa Cruz Tallboy, Niner RIP9, Gary Fisher Rumblefish, etc.

More Info: Visit FoxRacingShox.com

When they wheeled it out from behind the counter, my jaw dropped and all four mechanics stood as if at attention… this bike is something to behold. I couldn’t help but keep staring at it either… wow.

After a photography session fit for a rockstar, the Ibis Mojo custom build is now ready to hit the trails and get dirty. I’m anxious to see how it performs. The first dirt times are scheduled for later this week, so I’ll soon know if this bike is all looks or if it also packs some solid trail slayer moves under that sexy skin. The details on the build are as follows:

• 2010 Ibis Mojo with 2010 Fox RP23
• 2010 Fox 32 TALAS RLC with 15qr
• CrankBrothers Iodine All-mountain wheelset
• SRAM X.9 drivetrain
• Shimano SLX crankset
• WTB Wolverine 2.2 tires
• Ibis handlebars and seatpost, Syncros AM Stem
• ODI Lock-on OURY grips

More Photos: Visit My Picasa Album

Initially, Manitou thought it had found the ticket when the 1.5-inch steerer tube was introduced. Single-crown forks were finally supposed to be burly and light enough to withstand roof-droping punishment without deforming your head tube.  While the 1.5-inch head tube has provided some great benefits, the misleading marketing hype was that 1 1/8-inch head tubes weren’t burly enough to handle a long-travel single-crown fork. That argument has since been proven a farce.

I’ve been riding the 2008 Fox TALAS 36 RC2 fork on the Rocky Mountain Slayer SXC 70 over the past few weeks and have been very impressed with its performance. Here are my thoughts.

About the Fox TALAS 36 RC2 Fork

Since Fox Racing introduced their first fork line in 2001, their 34 years of suspension design experience has been put to work building some of the most successful and sought-after suspension forks on the market. When the 36 line was introduced, everyone knew that Fox was onto something big. A lightweight, 6-inch travel fork that was built with legendary Fox guts would be an instant success… and it was.

The Fox TALAS 36 came along in 2006 with huge 36 mm stanchions that simply dwarfed all other forks on the market at the time. At Interbike in 2005, I got to ride on a few bikes with the new 36 fork and loved it. Since that time, the 36 line has continued to evolve and improve. The TALAS represents the best of both worlds with unsurpassed adjustability, stiffness and suspension feel.

Here are a few highlights:

• On-the-fly travel adjustment from 160 – 130 – 100 mm
• Tool-free 20QR front axle (New for 08)
• Lighter and stiffer crown (New for 08)
• Post-mount disc brake tabs (New for 08)
• 1 1/8 or 1.5 steerer tube options
• Low and high-speed compression adjustment
• Air spring pre-load
• Rebound adjustment
• Tire Clearance: Up to 2.7
• Weight: 5.1 lbs (0.2 lbs lighter than 2007 model)
• MSRP: $1100

Fox TALAS 36 RC2 Suspension Fork Quick Review

While riding the Rocky Mountain Slayer, I couldn’t help but be impressed with the performance of the Fox TALAS 36 RC2 suspension fork. This was the longest stint I’ve had on the TALAS 36 and I was completely blown away with its performance.

Fox’s 36 fork line went through major changes for the 2008 model year. Weight reduction, new 20QR dropouts, cable guides and post-mount disc brake tabs required a complete external re-design. Performance and reliability continues as the fork rides like a dream over all terrain.

Climbing, the TALAS switch was easy to operate as I dropped things from 160 mm to 130 mm when the trail got steep. That reduction in travel dropped the front-end and kept the bike tracking straight. A quick flip and a fork compression effectively drops things down. While in 130 mm mode, suspension characteristics remain essentially the same with all compression and air spring settings seemingly unaffected.

On the downhill, this fork screamed for more. Railing on high-speed singletrack and dropping off drops and through roots, the TALAS 36 was a  dream–and that’s just in 130 mm mode! Yup… the only drawback of adjustable travel is forgetting to switch things back on the down.  But, luckily, this fork performs so well in 130 mm mode that I didn’t know the wiser until the next day when I started my climb only to notice that it was still in 130 mm mode. That alone speaks volumes about this fork.

In 160 mm mode, the front end was raked out just a tad more for even better performance. Speed, drops and high-speed cornering allow the TALAS 36 to show off just how laterally stiff it is. It’s no wonder that dual-crown forks have pretty much disappeared from everything but DH bikes because this fork is just as stiff fore and aft as any dual-crown fork I’ve tested.

All adjustments on the fork do their job quite well and provide a level of performance at the top of the MTB suspension market. With a svelte 5.1 lb. weight, there is little competition in the market in the weight-to-performance ratio.

Since I only rode this fork for 3 weeks, I can’t speak to its long-term durability. However, I can say that it has been on a demo bike that’s been ridden hard for a couple of months and it is showing no signs of letting anyone down. It rides perfectly despite the inevitable demo bike abuse.

Good TALAS 36

• Stout construction provides no lateral or fore/aft flex
• Smooth travel throughout the stroke in all travel settings
• Easy-to-use 20QR system
• Quick travel adjustments
• Post-mount disc brake tabs are easier to adjust
• Lightweight at 5.1 lbs

Bad TALAS 36

• Aftermarket price is steep ($1100), but on par with comparable forks from RockShox and Marzocchi
• TALAS travel lever could use a little more noticeable “click” between settings (looks to be improved for 2009)

The Bottom Line on the Fox TALAS 36 RC2 Fork

Head-to-head with the RockShox Lyrik (one of my other long-travel favorites), I think the Fox TALAS 36 wins out in overall performance. With the 5.1 lb. weight and adjustable travel from 160 mm to 130 mm and 100 mm, you can drop the front end enough to tackle any climb. Overall suspension feel is smooth and buttery (man air sprung forks have come a long way). The TALAS 36 is the fork to beat if you’re looking for a long-travel do-it-all fork.

Buy Now: See the Latest Prices on the Fox TALAS 36 Fork

I’ve long been a detractor of the current 9mm quick-release standard and have exclusively ridden 20mm thru-axle forks since my first Marzocchi Z1 in 2001. The difference in torsional-rigidity between a 9mm quick-release and a 20mm thru-axle is huge… so much so that I simply don’t consider the standard 9mm dropout to be an option. Not that I’m a DH racer or a roof-jumping freerider, I just like my front wheel to track straight and true with no noticeable flex, that’s all. I believe you should too.

And, with the myriad of forks using the 20mm thru-axle, I have yet to feel limited in my fork selection. However, with the new 15QR standard coming on the 2009 Fox 32 and F-Series forks, I will now have another set of fork options to choose from. So, lets dig into the nitty gritty on the new 15QR.

About the Fox 15QR Thru Axle

In the beginning, mountain bikes used borrowed standards from road bikes. Quill stems, drop bars, lever shifters and the infamous 9mm quick-release axle standard were all adopted from roadies. Thankfully, many of that hand-me-down technology has since been replaced by better and stronger parts made specifically for mountain bikes… everything except for those wimpy 9mm skewers keeping your fork and wheelset from separating themselves and causing you some serious grillwork.

Yeah, those spindly things are relics in my book, hence my adoption of 20mm thru-axles. However, looking over the new 15QR jointly-developed by Fox and Shimano, I’m sold and here’s why:

• According to Fox, there is no stiffness or strength difference between 15QR and 20QR
• 15QR’s offer a 15% increase in torsional stiffness and a 25% increase in transverse shear stiffness over standard 9mm axles
• Because of the smaller diameter and standard 100mm wide spacing, axle system weights are at least 71 grams lighter than a standard 20mm system with 110mm spacing
• We need to do something to abandon the 9mm quick-release and the 15QR provides that hope

While I’m stoked on this new design, it doesn’t come without some concerns. The most obvious one is that anyone wanting a new 15QR fork will need to upgrade their front hub, which isn’t cheap or easy. It’s something that many people simply won’t be willing to do. My other concern is that it’s not really that much different than the current 20mm thru-axle standard. I’m not a gram-counting weight weenie, so dropping 71 grams is not worth the hassle in my book.

And, what about bike racks? Many people will have to upgrade their fork-mounted bike racks in favor of upright racks or hitch racks… another potential expense for someone wishing to upgrade to the new 15QR.

However, I can only hope that the 15QR catches on and we finally see the 9mm quick-release die a fast death. Thru-axle designs are noticeably stiffer, they track better and have been just as easy-to-use for several years. The Fox 15QR design will be available as an option on their entire 32 and F-Series lineup for 2009. And, as a result, I’m crossing my fingers that this signals the end of skewers as we know them.

More Info: Visit FoxRacingShox.com