Review: NSMB - Fox 38 GRIP X2 Forks

NSMB has reviewed the Fox 38 GRIP X2 Fork. Here is what they had to say:

It’s been a while since Fox released a new gravity-oriented fork or damper. By my count, it’s been three years since I reviewed the Fox 40 with the Grip 2 VVC damper back in 2021. I’m still a big fan of that damper and haven’t ridden anything I prefer to date. A 38 Grip 2 VVC and a 40 Grip 2 VVC are still firmly mounted on my bikes. I’m often a bit worried when a company releases a new version of something I like. The Grip 2 VVC damper is already so good, how could they possibly improve it? So it’s with high expectations I nervously approached this new fork and damper from Fox.

The only change Fox has made to the chassis is an updated bushing design to increase lubrication but with the same spacing and overlap. Otherwise all the features and dimensions of the old fork carry through. There's some gold as well but the orange version seems to look just like existing fork. So in short this new Fox 38 has a revised compression damper, some updated bushings, and a new gold colour.

So onto the damper then. Fox claims the new Grip X2 is, “the most tunable, supportive and smoothest descent-focused damper ever created by FOX. Riders reap the benefits of sitting higher in the travel while tires stay glued to the ground, cornering with increased traction. It gives you the confidence to push the limits of downhill and enduro racing, all while reducing overall rider fatigue. GRIP X2 is the winning difference.” This sounds a bit too good to be true, like the marketing folks got a bit overzealous.

The outgoing GRIP 2 damper had a 20mm base diameter and seven valves. Fox claims the new updated GRIP X2 scales up the tunability by increasing the base diameter to 24mm with 23 valves. As mentioned above, Fox claims this their most tunable, supportive and smoothest descent-focused damper yet.

Setup of the new 38 with the Grip X2 is fairly easy if you already have settings on the old 38. With the spring side unchanged, I used the same air spring pressure (108 psi) and the same number of tokens (3). Fox recommended one more click open for the rebound adjusters than my previous settings. There were no compression recomendations, so I set them in the middle and went for a ride.

After testing through bike parks I can confirm the new Fox 38 is more supportive, yet it's also more supple. The high-speed compression circuit seems much more effective. I'd brace for a harsh impact event with the new Fox 38, and they never seem to materialize. You can run more low-speed compression on the Grip X2, giving more support under braking and rider inputs, but the high-speed compression circuit seems to move so much oil that harsh chatter bump and big impact spikes melt away. The result is a fork that rides high in the travel but generates more traction, and results in less hand/arm fatigue.

I experimented with the full range of damper adjustments, and there is usable range on either side of where I wound up. Out of the box, I think the stock Grip X2 should have a great setup for the vast majority of riders without needing a custom tune.

After riding the new fork in various locations and trail types, I'd say the new Grip X2 damper is a significant step forward. I prefer the new Grip X2 damper everywhere and have to commend Fox. While the old Grip 2 remains excellent, the new Grip X2 is significantly better than anything else I've ridden. The Grip X2 is more supportive, yet also more supple, generating more traction and reducing rider fatigue. If you already have a 38, the good news is that the new Grip X2 damper is fully retrofittable into the existing 38 chassis (these parts aren't yet listed on the Fox website however -Ed.). The new Fox 38 Grip X2 gets an enthusiastic two thumbs up from me.

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