XC Turner Czar

creaky

XMAS Plumper
I’m one ride into a factory 34 SC 120 on my czar. Replacing a 100mm 32 non SC. Mucho better all round and was necessary to beef the front end up a bit given I’m riding a 35mm RS Rev on my other bike, which made the 32 seem like a noodle.

I’ve also owned a SID 100mm for a couple of years until recently.

In terms of ‘stiffness/solidness’ when riding my ranking is:
35mm Rev > 34 SC > SID > 32 Fox

In terms of overall performance the Fox’s shit on the RS forks in my experience. I’d take either of the less stiff Fox forks over the comparable RS, but they are more expensive so should be better.

Moving to the 120mm SC has noticeably lifted the front end though. Even putting on a slammed 10deg stem it’s higher, which is evident with a bit more focus required on steep climbs. May need to look at a Flatforce stem.

Phil - completely agree with your comments on the rear suspension performance. As I’ve said before, it just exceeds your expectations of a 100mm rig all the time.
 

link1896

Mr Greenfield
If not screwing about in the boost world, older 32mm Fox talas in the 150mm flavour, completely reworked for 100-120mm travel are super rigid. These fox stanchions are super long. SID’s lowers just don’t allow as much stanchion/lower overlap as the floor of the lower isn’t down near the axle.

If you’ve money to burn, get some talas fox, with a new damper cartridge. Piss off the talas junk, 120mm dual air is the go.

I’ve a suitable chassis, and this is on my never ending to do list of fork projects. One day
 

slider_phil

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I've read that a SID is actually stiffer than a Fox 34 sc. Simon at Mtb suspension centre doesn't believe it though. He reccomends a Talas chassis as these are significantly beefed up over the standard float ones.

I see a Syntace stem and some Nextie asymmetric rims in your future.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk
Yeah I had a nice Syntace stem on there but it was too short at 55mm of length. I reckon I'll get another one at 70mm. Gotta remind myself to check Nexties bargain bin page for some 28h 29" rims every now and again
I’m one ride into a factory 34 SC 120 on my czar. Replacing a 100mm 32 non SC. Mucho better all round and was necessary to beef the front end up a bit given I’m riding a 35mm RS Rev on my other bike, which made the 32 seem like a noodle.

I’ve also owned a SID 100mm for a couple of years until recently.

In terms of ‘stiffness/solidness’ when riding my ranking is:
35mm Rev > 34 SC > SID > 32 Fox

In terms of overall performance the Fox’s shit on the RS forks in my experience. I’d take either of the less stiff Fox forks over the comparable RS, but they are more expensive so should be better.

Moving to the 120mm SC has noticeably lifted the front end though. Even putting on a slammed 10deg stem it’s higher, which is evident with a bit more focus required on steep climbs. May need to look at a Flatforce stem.

Phil - completely agree with your comments on the rear suspension performance. As I’ve said before, it just exceeds your expectations of a 100mm rig all the time.
Oh nice! I've only heard good things about the 34SC so that's good to hear. I've not a 2017 Fox 34 Factory on my Intense and it's plenty stiff enough on the bike. I was so close to pulling the trigger on a Factory 32 stepcast the other day but pulled out. I really think this bike will benefit from the bigger stanchions.
If not screwing about in the boost world, older 32mm Fox talas in the 150mm flavour, completely reworked for 100-120mm travel are super rigid. These fox stanchions are super long. SID’s lowers just don’t allow as much stanchion/lower overlap as the floor of the lower isn’t down near the axle.

If you’ve money to burn, get some talas fox, with a new damper cartridge. Piss off the talas junk, 120mm dual air is the go.

I’ve a suitable chassis, and this is on my never ending to do list of fork projects. One day
I couldn't care less if the new fork is boost or non boost. Easy enough to get an MRP adapter to run non boost hubs. My main focus with this bike is to keep the weight down. Sounds like this could be a potent combination though. Be interesting to see how it turns out, performance wise and weight
 

Mr Crudley

Glock in your sock
If you’ve money to burn, get some talas fox, with a new damper cartridge. Piss off the talas junk, 120mm dual air is the go.

I’ve a suitable chassis, and this is on my never ending to do list of fork projects. One day
I had my ye olde Fox 36 Talas 100/130/160mm converted to Floats and destroked to 120mm. Not a standard config and adds some weight over the 32's but geeez, it sure goes where it is pointed.
 

link1896

Mr Greenfield
Here is SID vs Talas stanchions.

Fox has a better chassis in my opinion, but RockShock’s internals simplicity can not be beat. Fox has the bushings further apart, providing a more precise fork.

A carpark ride of a step cast 32 quickly demonstrated its noodle like nature. Not what I’m looking for.

My frankenfork (when I get around to it) will be a fox chassis, Rockshox style dual air, and a charger damper or a Specialized brain.



 

Oddjob

Merry fucking Xmas to you assholes
Here is SID vs Talas stanchions.

Fox has a better chassis in my opinion, but RockShock’s internals simplicity can not be beat. Fox has the bushings further apart, providing a more precise fork.

A carpark ride of a step cast 32 quickly demonstrated its noodle like nature. Not what I’m looking for.

My frankenfork (when I get around to it) will be a fox chassis, Rockshox style dual air, and a charger damper or a Specialized brain.



My wifes Pivot 429 has a 120mm 29 Talas Kashima chassis, Float air spring and RLC damper. Mmmm butter. She has no idea how much love has gone into that bike.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk
 
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slider_phil

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Bike is currently sitting at 790kms since I built it in October. Thinking I might challenge myself to get it to 1000kms before new years

New 32t chainring is nice since it now doesn't rub on the chain protector under flex. Downside is I can spin it out on the road on the way back into town (32x11, about 40km/h at 100rpm). Again, a 9-46 cassette will give me a bit more wiggle room and it's a very niche situation that I want more gears in that direction.
 

slider_phil

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Been a while since it's last update. It's honestly spent a lot of its time on the trainer getting ready for the coming season but it's just undergone a bit of a makeover so let's get started.

A few things I wanted to change leading into the season was a wider range cassette for endurance events and a stronger wheelset since the Stans Crest, while light and cheap, lack strength. Every couple of weeks I'd chuck the bike on the stand and give the spokes a flick and usually find one completely loose and a buckled wheel. Nothing a few minutes on the stand doesn't fix but it's annoying none the less.

I ended up emailing Dave Turner about running my DT Swiss XMC boost wheelset on the bike with a slightly longer rear axle to suit. His response was along the lines of "it should be fine" so an axle was ordered and I was now on the lookout for a fork to suit.

Cue the Rotorburn forums and a quick PM later I was the proud owner of a Fox 32 Stepcast fork. I really wanted to go a 34 SC with 120mm of travel, but beggars can't be choosers and it makes for a clear distinction between the 130/140mm Intense and the now 100/100mm Turner.

I also took the liberty of buying some Vittoria tyres from R2 Bike at the same time as the axle as I'd been wanting to try the Barzo/Mezcal combo for a while and they had them on sale. They're 2.25 front and rear with their version of "exo" casing.

Oh also note that I've temporarily raised my bars up as I've been trying to remedy a shoulder/neck issue that's been causing headaches. Physio had treated it going into Xmas last year and it's started coming back with more time on the bike (8ish hrs a week atm) so I'm just trying anything to figure it out.

Final weight is down to 10.8kg as you see it, pedals, cages etc. Keen to take it for a squirt











 

hifiandmtb

Sphincter beanie
Fkn sweet.

Cue the Rotorburn forums and a quick PM later I was the proud owner of a Fox 32 Stepcast fork. I really wanted to go a 34 SC with 120mm of travel, but beggars can't be choosers and it makes for a clear distinction between the 130/140mm Intense and the now 100/100mm Turner.
Same. Love the marked difference between the Ripley (140/120) and Tallboy (100/100).
 

Cardy George

Piercing rural members since 1981
Love my Vittorias. I had a Mezcal front, Peyote rear combo first up, but the Peyote wasn't the Graphene compound and only lasted me 6 weeks. Replaced it with the Barzo on the rear and found it out gripped the Mezcal, flipped them and now it's bliss.

The casings are a bit stiffer than I was expecting, but that probably helps support the crap I carry while commuting.
 

creaky

XMAS Plumper
I wish mine was that clean. Probably washed 3 months ago. Hasn’t rained in Brissie and dust looks cool like scars (either that or I’m too lazy, take your pick).
 

slider_phil

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Love my Vittorias. I had a Mezcal front, Peyote rear combo first up, but the Peyote wasn't the Graphene compound and only lasted me 6 weeks. Replaced it with the Barzo on the rear and found it out gripped the Mezcal, flipped them and now it's bliss.

The casings are a bit stiffer than I was expecting, but that probably helps support the crap I carry while commuting.
I've read nothing but great things about the combo. I was reading about the Oz Trail Off-road race (in the states) last year and they had an uncanny amount of punctures due to rain exposing tiny sharp rocks. Schwalbe fared the worst but the Vittoria riders went through basically unscathed which is interesting. They aren't the lightest xc tyres that's for sure (730g each) so it'll be reassuring to know there's some meat in the sidewalls



Hard to explain, but those photos just give it such a look like...like you don't want to make a sudden move next to that bike in case it just pounces on you. Like a riled up cat.
And with geometry that was fairly progressive for its time, it doesn't feel like a bike that wants to buck

Other than a reach measurement that's a bit dated it's still got a HA of 68.5 and a pretty short rear end. About inline with the current crop of hot XC bikes.
 
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slider_phil

Likes Bikes and Dirt
First ride done on my local trails for familiarity. First things first, the Fox 32 SC has MUCH better dampening than the old 2014 model Fox 32s I took off. I went from 120mm to 100mm but I noticed how much more supple off the top. It's currently running one token in it at 75psi.

The DT Swiss carbon wheels are actually exactly the same weight as my aluminium Crests that came off, so acceleration feels the same but you can feel how much stiffer the whole package feels. Rather than combine frame flex with wheel flex with tyre squirm etc it just feels more direct overall. I've ran carbon wheels on my trail bikes for years so I've been accustomed to them for a long time but I've been putting some serious miles on this and my old Cotic with the aluminium ones so the jump to carbon feels very dramatic.

The changes have livened the bike up quite a bit, and in a good way. Cornering now feels much more direct with more traction provided by better fork dampening and a rim that isn't folding over itself. The Vittoria tyres felt great. The Barzo didn't want to understeer up front and the Mescal in the back was fast and predictable. But one ride in on local dusty trails is hard to give an accurate prediction on future performance.

The E-Thirteen cassette reminded me that for my local trails, the bigger gaps between the higher gears doesn't work to well for me. I'll probably get a Shimano driver for the wheels and run my 10-40 XTR cassette for local and XCO races and only bring out the wide 9-46 for marathon stuff where I want to keep the watts down on the climbs.

But for now, more miles and testing. Bike is pretty well dialled for this year I think!

 
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