The RockShox Boxxer is a downhill icon, and the new Keronite coated lowers push the fork forwards yet again. The coating drops weight by 30g and covers the graphics, so there are no stickers to peel or get scratched, and it’s proving pretty tough so far.
We’ve spent more than 120 hours of riding time on the fork, in all conditions, all over Europe and the UK, and we’ve only serviced the lower legs when they’ve really needed it – and they look and feel just as did as they did when they were new.
The updated Solo Air spring feels amazingly coil-like, and offers more adjustability than a coil spring. As for the damping, the adjuster knobs now offer better grip and lower friction when turning, which really is noticeable.There’s a wide, useful range of adjustment, so the fork can be dialled in easily.
It did take us a little while to initially get the fork set up, and we ended up using the bottom-out resistance adjustment to create the ideal level of support. It’s one of the best production forks we’ve ridden, never using more travel than necessary and always predictable.
This article was originally published in Mountain Biking UK magazine.