Fox 40 RC2 (2007) review

It was the new daddy on the downhill scene last year and Fox’s 40 fork is still laying down the law when things get properly unruly. The massive 40mm stanchions that give the fork its name also give it astonishing structural stiffness.

This means it’s the last fork to get pushed off line through boulder fields. It stays super plush in braking or cornering when other forks can start to bind too. The titanium spring means it’s lighter than it looks, and softer and harder steel springs are provided ‘free’ in the box. The spring rate can be fine tuned via a preload cap too.

The R version features external rebound adjust but preset speed and position-sensitive compression, and the RC2 hides low and high speed adjustment knobs under a big cover at the base of the right leg. Knowledgeable fettlers will certainly appreciate the adjustability of twin compression sets-ups but it comes with a big price tag. The rebound also fades on very long Alpine descents, although it’s rare you’ll work the fork hard enough to notice over here.

Swapping internal spacers changes the travel from 152-203mm (6-8in) in half-inch steps but the fl at crown options mean it’s a relatively low fork anyway. The turning lock is good too and, unlike last year, Hope brakes now fit fine with standard 203mm (8in) rotors. The only real problem is how you’ll afford this fork.