The ALL NEW RockShox Zeb Charger 3.1 VS. Fox 38 Grip X2

The ALL NEW RockShox Zeb Charger 3.1 VS. Fox 38 Grip X2 - Fork Off!

Рет қаралды 48,445

23 күн бұрын

Hot on the heels of Fox's new Grip X2 damper, RockShox have also released their new Charger 3.1 damper. Henry and Kaz hit the trails of Whistler Bike Park to see how the new RockShox Zeb and Fox 38 compare.
00:17 - Intro
00:55 - RockShox Charger 3.1 Overview
02:03 - Fox Grip X2 Overview
03:39 - Setup and Test Lap
09:25 - Ride Impressions
13:18 - Verdict
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Пікірлер: 115

@hannes6114 22 күн бұрын

I think these guys are closer than ever

@lejendpolevault5345 21 күн бұрын

Rock shox lyriks from 2019 were a great fork for most riders. It was so good the marketing team had to convince the owners they needed to "upgrade it" with a different airspring that made the fork worse... Now buy the new fork it's better.

@Henry-Quinney 21 күн бұрын

That red Lyrik is such a great fork

@laurentp89 21 күн бұрын

C1 DebonAir is much better than B1

@vlbz 21 күн бұрын

B1 was better than C1, but the new line is better than both. The old forks were silky smooth on small bumps, but had no mid strokes, which I found super annoying.

@songoten5880 21 күн бұрын

Raced a old Lyrik on a few enduro races. Well it worked but in racing conditions the new zeb is no comparison. Performance wise and especially the stiffness on the Lyrik I sometimes felt I was bending and pushing it to much making it feel really spongy because of all the flex. ZEB takes those aggressiv race speed hits like a champ. But if you don’t race I think the Lyrik is enough for most riders since it’s really good and capable too :)

@jeffgood1580 21 күн бұрын

I have a 21 I’m really happy with

@Yardstick401 21 күн бұрын

I would like to see a shock dyno comparison with each fully open, fully closed and maybe in the middle of their adjustments too.

@haydenbristow91 21 күн бұрын

Why? With no compression dampening you are just going to be slamming into the built up air pressure which will feel harsh. What will that tell you?

@troymortimer3487 21 күн бұрын

Because you will see actually how they respond in identical conditions, it should highlight what friction is in the fork and also how the forks ramp up because they are not linear and forks dampening will have different support.

@mrvwbug4423 21 күн бұрын

My bike has a 38 and I've ridden a few Zebs on other bikes. The Zeb is probably just a hair smoother through chatter, but I find the 38 has better feedback when pumping, jumping, etc. The 38 also feels just a bit more precise once speeds come up.

@mitchardnixonful 21 күн бұрын

which damper was on the Zeb?

@user-lp1hw9bb5e 20 күн бұрын

the 38 they tested is new x2 damper

@maddentheman 21 күн бұрын

what is his right arm doing?

@JaredRMorgan 21 күн бұрын

Probably working the teleprompter remote so he can read his lines.

@Sam96210 21 күн бұрын

@@JaredRMorganor he’s straight up jorking it

@Mapl3Syrup 21 күн бұрын

He’s burnishing the bushings on his new fork.

@ricodvorsky3844 21 күн бұрын

@@Sam96210 what do you mean by it

@Sam96210 21 күн бұрын

@@ricodvorsky3844 let’s just say, his peanits

@lsugimoto8361 6 күн бұрын

The analogy about the glove feel is a very good way to describe it

@patrickmccormack1427 20 күн бұрын

Good video guys, great explanations. Curious if other comparison vid's see them the same way.

@benediktbagger 19 күн бұрын

The Whistler DH is one of my favorite trails in the park. Great choice for a diverse track!

@cycling_plurality 19 күн бұрын

Sweet comparison!

@sayeeet8349 21 күн бұрын

14:51 chain is out! 🤓

@oldkayakdude 19 күн бұрын

NotaProTip: put a Vorsprung Smashpot in either fork and instantly make it a crap ton better.

@Bike_Mike 17 күн бұрын

How is it with LSC and HSC in Grip2... is the entire range of "clicks" is active? since you provide information about the number of clicks from the open position, I understand that the adjustment is available in their full range. I'm asking because I came across information that above 5 clicks for HSC and 10 for LSC (from the closed position) has no effect on compression. I will be grateful for dispelling my doubts 👊😎

@konradpsiuk5349 21 күн бұрын

Zeb wins when it comes to maintainability. Way easier to service

@zaopatrzeniezrb7722 21 күн бұрын

This! For me as I like to do a lot myself, Zeb is better.

@patrickmccormack1427 20 күн бұрын

Only ran fox products and they seem fairly easy to maintain. Curious why you say, this bc i wouldn't know the difference.

@brookscurran 20 күн бұрын

What makes the zeb easier to service? A typical lower leg service on a 38 is pretty simple.

@gunshipanropace2gunshipand119 20 күн бұрын

Fox got time consuming because of new air chamber in the stanchion

@AnotherMrLizard 20 күн бұрын

Apart from the air spring they’re virtually identical to service.

@MTB4TH 21 күн бұрын

So the fork that transfers more chatter is better?

@alexsinbb 16 күн бұрын

Why no comparison to Ohlins RXF 38?

@bogdanfmx 21 күн бұрын

Would like to see more reviews for the trail / all mountain forks as well.

@ab_mtb 21 күн бұрын

I think the biggest pro for the new fox damper is the extra range of custom tuning available due to the huge shim stack

@kapnobataii 21 күн бұрын

ok, technically the fox MIGHT be better. but you also have to deal with looking like a nonce if you get that gold trim...so, solely based on that, the zeb wins everyday.

@DarkKnight0183 8 күн бұрын

You mean the Kashima or the lower legs ?

@PerfectlyNormalHumanBeing 8 күн бұрын

@@DarkKnight0183I’d imagine they’re talking about the lower legs, which look absolutely gaudy in my opinion

@michalmalanowicz7595 21 күн бұрын

I have older versions of these forks on my bikes and I like both, but I see more differences. I am heavy, 220lbs, 100kg. Fox (elite) is a stiffer fork, gives more control and better damping. Zeb (2.1) is more jumpy and more progressive. Overall I would recommend Fox more for Enduro and Zeb for jumpy trails.

@justsayin3600 13 күн бұрын

I just swapped my 36 for a 38. I went up 10mm from 160mm to 170mm. I'm a heavy rider also at 215lbs kitted up. I decided to go with the E-Tuned vs regular. Stock for stock 38 reg vs E-Tuned the E-Tuned has so much traction, and is so smooth. There's not info but Fox has a diagram of the internals and the E-Tuned has larger valves, 1 off the top, and 1 mid range. I've always felt shocks couldn't flow the fluid fast enough on big chunk and hits. With the E-Tuned it solved the problem for me.

@jibberist 21 күн бұрын

the grip x2 es the best feeling damper ever. Also very very smooth but still with some good feedback from the track. So in love

@n2o_spark 19 күн бұрын

@pinkbike When you say the RS is busier, do you mean more sensitive to small bumps? On previous versions I've found the fox to be great when it comes to racing, very precise and way over damped for my liking as a 65-68kg rider, so for general riding it's a bumpy and tedious fork. Not very comfortable. Where as RS I've found to be very supple and comfortable when just cruising around, and then still precise enough for racing. If I want my fox to be comfortable, I need to drop a few psi in the fork for more compliance ( to overcome high amounts of compression damping even when running none ), but then my spring rate isn't right for racing. This is all for low speed general riding.

@testpilot2399 2 сағат бұрын

@@n2o_spark I couldn't agree with this more. i have the exact same problem with fox exept i only weigh 60 kg so yeah kind of goes without saying i have full rockshox on all of my bikes.

@ah4598 17 күн бұрын

If you have 2 bikes you should definitely get both. They are different in a fun way, I like switching between them and they are better at different things. The Zeb gives more confidence, the Fox has a more tactile feel. I prefer the Zeb on slower harder trails and the Fox on faster trails.

@fcsaldanha 21 күн бұрын

This sucks... Got a Lyrik with Charger 3 not even 6 months ago... Do you guys think that down the road the 3.1 will be a nice upgrade or I won't notice it as a weekend warrior? Great video!

@plainuser48596 14 күн бұрын

you can already upgrade it, there are conversion kits available to turn 3.0 into 3.1

@nimbusleonGER 16 күн бұрын

Henry replaced the Sprie with a Raaw Madonna V3?

@gunshipanropace2gunshipand119 20 күн бұрын

Wow a Red ZEB

@rascal1234 17 күн бұрын

I've owned plenty of bikes and RS forks. Fox's progressivity is smoother. Though I acknoledge these two forks are similar, I prefer Fox for forks.

@tekjim 22 күн бұрын

A reputable custom tuner said the charger 3 is a step backwards from the 2

@HeretiCflow 21 күн бұрын

I'm currently on the 3 and I have a feeling it's a bit overdamped and therefore harsh through chatter. What do you think?

@hannes6114 21 күн бұрын

What were his reasons?

@Punjeet 21 күн бұрын

It is a step backwards indeed. Just look at the piston shape, preloaded shims and choke ober HSC

@mitchardnixonful 21 күн бұрын

@@HeretiCflow yes. i back to back tested 2.1 vs 3 in the same 2023 Zeb Ultimate chassis w/ new DA+ airspring. 3 is harsh. the old 2.1 is noticably smoother.

@YTOnlineReviews 20 күн бұрын

What a fork in the rock

@unclewickedmtb2023 21 күн бұрын

Both forks still need a Secus…

@danielpatino81 21 күн бұрын

I had fox 38 for couple of years, it is a great fork but for the weekend warrior like myself nothing beats the ZEB with buttercups, most of the people is not at the level of pushing the fox to the point that the fork is working properly, instead the ZEB helps with hand fatigue, deletes all the small vibrations and it performs amazing at any speed, it was hard for me to drop the KASHIMA look but the performance of the ZEB sold it for me!!! 👍👍👍❤️

@murilobeyruth9478 21 күн бұрын

I have both, new Zeb and New 38. I will never go back to Zeb if I can. New 38 is the best fork ever

@benoc9966 3 сағат бұрын

Dvo did the 203 post mount because they know Shimano is superior :D

@TheDavidjakeson 21 күн бұрын

Maybe bigger question for those of us that already have a Charger 3.0 Zeb: is upgrading to the 3.1 damper worth it? Sounds like yes.

@karbonaterol6969 21 күн бұрын

Also wondering

@laurentp89 21 күн бұрын

You can sell the 3.0 to a Domain owner and it can be a nice upgrade all around

@RC-fp1tl 21 күн бұрын

@@laurentp89was just thinking that lol

@laurentp89 21 күн бұрын

Nevermind, there is kit to upgrade the internals from 3.0 to 3.1 for 75 dollars next time you service it

@Coolcmsc 21 күн бұрын

Lots of beating about the bush (I understand why). But I hear the Fox is better of two great forks 😊

@HeretiCflow 21 күн бұрын

Is it just me or was the Charger 3 damper overdamped?

@hannes6114 21 күн бұрын

It is not just you, they basically decreased damping with this iteration so it makes sense.

@sprousaTM 21 күн бұрын

Yes, I felt that way. I had a rc2.1 in a zeb and an upgraded domain with the 2.1 damper. Both felt less damped than my 2023 ZEB with charger 3... I am fine with the 2023 modell after switching to a different cartridge on the air side as an exchange for the token system.. More linear and felt more plush in the mid stroke.. So it seems right to me, that they decreased the overall damping.

@gunshipanropace2gunshipand119 20 күн бұрын

Maybe needs 1wt oil for more plushiness?

@ROSE-by5su 21 күн бұрын

Fucking hate Fox and Rockshox spending so much R&D on their dampers and neglecting their chassis.

@ROSE-by5su 21 күн бұрын

Why not spend time to make the best chassis so the dampers work well.

@glacialpace5655 21 күн бұрын

Who makes a better chassis?

@ROSE-by5su 21 күн бұрын

@@glacialpace5655 Intend

@gunshipanropace2gunshipand119 20 күн бұрын

Sr Suntour User?

@ROSE-by5su 20 күн бұрын

@@glacialpace5655 Intend, it has flaws on not having lower guards and their dampers dont have much adjustment. Upside down forks are far superior than your typical market conventional fork.

@Driftuner 21 күн бұрын

After all issues ive had with Fox, im never buying one again. Been on RS for many years now, never had a single issue..

@TheCureThatKillz 16 күн бұрын

Let’s be real…the larger majority of mountain bike riders would notice hardly/if any differences between the two. #splittinghairs

@ondrejjanoska660 21 күн бұрын

Öhlins all day

@marko6706 21 күн бұрын

Sr Suntor all night

@TheRicardoSanchez 21 күн бұрын

Traction is all that matters. Traction is everything the only thing. All shocks absorb terrain. The only critical difference and deciding factor is which promotes best traction.

@ousqa 21 күн бұрын

Wrong

@rpiian 21 күн бұрын

Fork off, y'all! *It's a

@Zetler 21 күн бұрын

ZEB because the logo graphics is more trendy.

@asifitmatters1 21 күн бұрын

Rockshox all day no doubt! Fox is more expensive, more difficult to get parts for, more fickle, much more difficult to set up.

@LCNismo 21 күн бұрын

FOX only

@ninjazzrhythm400 21 күн бұрын

Sadly PB hates DVO. Much better fork than these 2 big companies

@zayon0170 21 күн бұрын

fork off 😭😭😂😂😭😭😂😂😭😭😂😂

@Alan-75 21 күн бұрын

Gold fox forks🤮🤮🤮🤮.

@orcellod1592 21 күн бұрын

I believe it’s just me but every time Henry and Dario do a product review. Their voices just put me to sleep. Their charisma and excitement are just not there. IFHT films need to start doing product review for Pinkbike.