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Is Fox about to release an Adventure Cross suspension fork?

Suspension company Fox looks to have developed a suspension fork for adventure bikes

Is Fox about to release an Adventure Cross suspension fork? 

A photo shared on Instagram suggests suspension company Fox might be set to target the growing adventure bike market with a dedicated suspension fork called the AX, short for Adventure Cross. We can tell it's a Fox suspension fork because the lower leg and crown casting looks almost identical to the 32 Step Cast cross-country fork. It's probably that fork that is the basis for one tailored for the adventure and cyclocross market.

Peter Lucus, a Tech rep for Shimano based in California, shared this photo on his personal Instagram account recently, and with nearly 3k followers it didn’t take long to do the rounds. It wouldn’t surprise us if this photo gets pulled down soon, so be quick if you do want to take a look. 

We can determine it’s a suspension fork intended for gravel and adventure bikes because it’s attached to a Santa Cruz Stigma, the same bike which Peter has previously shared on his Instagram page but with regular rigid forks fitted. You can tell it’s the same bike because it’s the same colour frame and there’s the telltale single ring chainset.

- Cannondale Slate - Eurobike First Ride Review

It’s impossible to tell much more than that from the photo. It’s clearly a disc-specific fork and the crown looks to provide generous clearance over what looks a decent width tyre. How much travel the fork provides remains to be seen - Fox could introduce is travel adjust Talas system perhaps, or it might opt for somewhere in the region of 30mm so not to radically upset the geometry of a gravel bike. 

While we didn’t see this coming, we’re really not that surprised. Cannondale has already shown the potential advantages of a short travel suspension fork on an adventure bike, with its Slate and its 30mm Lefty suspension fork. As gravel and adventure bikes grow in capability with bigger tyre clearance and people using them for more challenging terrain, there’s going to come a point when a little suspension would be a nice thing. 

Of course, you’re also increasingly asking the question of whether a lightweight 29er hardtail mountain bike might not be a better choice, but there are still advantages of an adventure bike, namely the position which allows more streamlined riding on smoother terrain. 

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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6 comments

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ktache | 7 years ago
0 likes

If it's a good Marin, do that.

Avatar
DrG82 | 7 years ago
0 likes

This really is getting very 90s throwback. The first thing I thought when I saw the new Specialized Roubaix was cannondale headshock and now this.

I've got some tri-pro bar ends and canti brakes in the shed, perhaps I should dig them out, or better I should refurbish the old 1996 Marin that's also languishing in the shed.

Avatar
tom_w | 7 years ago
4 likes

Another spy shot here //bicycletimesmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/lemond-ruby-800x532.jpg)

Avatar
Yorky-M | 7 years ago
4 likes

Ijust put 40mm tyres on my gravel bike and  Not sure how much rough stuff you are going to do before a switch mtb is the better choice.

The lines are blurring. Perhaps one day we will all be riding the same bike.

 

 

awful thought...one bike in the shed

Avatar
Yorkshire wallet replied to Yorky-M | 7 years ago
2 likes

mylesrants wrote:

 

awful thought...one bike in the shed

HERESY!

Avatar
psling replied to Yorky-M | 7 years ago
4 likes

mylesrants wrote:

The lines are blurring. Perhaps one day we will all be riding the same bike.

 

And the way things are going it'll probably be very similar to the ATB I sold in 1992 ! 

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