Is a Fox 34 burlier than a 32?

Hey Lee,

I have repeatedly read your articles about the Stumpjumper FSR 29. I own a 2012 model and I’m quite happy with it. The only problem is my stock fork (Fox 32 Float 29). My crown always got “loose” and starts cracking (more or less always after 3 to 6 months of use). The 1st and the 2nd time I got a new crown/steerer tube. Now it’s the 3rd time I have to visit my local bike store and ask for replacing it.

I’m pretty disappointed with this fork and I would like to change it to something with thicker legs and more travel (140) but will my problem then being solved? Is the crown/steerer part of a Fox 34 more stable than mine?

I started biking 2 years ago in Austria (Alps), I don’t think my riding style is too aggressive for this bike (I have no problems with the frame, the rear suspension or the wheels, just with the fork).

Thank you very much for helping…

Daniel


Hey Daniel,

I’m sorry you’re having trouble with your Fox 32. As far as I know, that’s unusual. Maybe you’re justing pinning it too hard!

The 34 is definitely a more rugged fork. Bigger, stiffer, stronger. I have more than a year on my 34 (on my 2012 Stumpy 29 Carbon), and the fork has been fantastic for all sorts of riding: trail, pump, jump, slalom, slopestyle and even some light downhill.

The 34 at 140mm is about one inch taller than the stock 32/130 fork, which slackens the front end about one degree.

My Stumpy 29 Carbon has a Fox 34 fork and Shimano XTR components. A great-handling machine for a variety of situations:


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5 replies
  1. Leroy says:

    Daniel,

    I put a Fox 34 on my 2012 FSR Comp a year ago and couldn’t be happier. I wanted to slacken the head angle a tad, I wanted a tad more travel as I was using all of mine and to me the Fox 32 felt a little flexy on the rough stuff.

    The result was a front end that was much stiffer and tracked better while absorbing the bumps and jumps better. The slacker head angle made the bike handle much better on the downhills.

    I’d say the only 2 drawbacks were, 1) the slackened head angle did affect my slow speed and climbing just a tad but I think the tradeoff was worth it, and 2) the almost 3/4 lbs. weight increase. Mine is an older version which I think is heavier than the new 2013/2014s.

    I do recommend the upgrade if you are an aggressive rider, especially on the DH.

    Reply
  2. Jeff says:

    I used to have a Fox 32, and am super happy with how the Fox 34 tracks. If you’re looking to upgrade though – I would recommend avoiding the 2013 Fox Forks with CTD and go for the 2014. The new dampers have to be an improvement over the 2013, which are underwhelming to say the least. Cheers!

    Reply
  3. DirtBagTim says:

    I have a 2011 Stumpy FSR EVO, it came with a 150mm 32, I wanted something that felt a little burlier and so switched out to a 34 TALAS. Unfortunately I didn’t get along with the increased fork length (and I had trouble getting the fork to feel good for me (apparently the TALAS sometimes suffers in this way)). I’ve since switched to a carbon crown Revelation, the carbon crown version seems stiffer to me, I’m very happy with it.

    Reply

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