It’s a ridiculously busy season in the bike world right now. New products seem to drop every single week; only last week Fox launched the updated 2027 Float X and DHX coil shocks.
Bikes are flying in and out of the shop, my home gym is drowning in cardboard boxes, and shiny new components are constantly replacing stock. If the kitchen is the heart of most people’s homes, mine is definitely the workshop. Erm… SOS? (Send Over Sandwiches (please).)
As always, a big thanks to Jenson USA! Any purchases you make through links on my site support the JKW channels and keep our team making kick-ass content… at not extra cost to you!
Yes, spring has officially arrived. And with colorful blossoms, the bike world is once again waking up. Accompanying bright pops of pink petals, we’ve passed the equinox, and northern latitudes are breathing a collective sigh of relief as longer days return. (Side note: this was the last clock change for our northern neighbors — any chance America follows their lead and keeps the clocks where they belong? Changing them just to drive north across the border feels like an unnecessary hassle. Comment below, so we can send our votes to Congress.)
Speaking of seasons, this is the seventh season for the Fox 38 fork. And with lucky number seven, it is finally receiving its first mega update.
Editor’s Note:
These articles are adapted by Savannah (Handles) from Jeff Kendall-Weed’s YouTube videos for riders who prefer reading over watching. They’re written in Jeff’s first-person voice to stay true to the style and storytelling of the original content.
A Fox 38 Update! Big But Expected
The original 38 launched in early 2020. But some other significant global stuff was happening at the time, so we may not recall that the fork is that young. In fact, significant stuff hasn’t really taken a pause ever since the early days of 2020. So as the world warms up and time moves faster, it’s easy to find our perception of time a little skewed.
I first got myself onto a 38 fork in August 2020, as soon as one of my all-time favorite bikes arrived — the Rocky Mountain Altitude. I was doubtful that I needed such a bomber fork, but quickly noticed that the extra stiffness made it slightly plusher than the 36, and I ended up genuinely enjoying my time with it. (Full review links on both of those below!)
The Fox 38 is laser-targeted on the enduro segment of the market. This was back when the Enduro World Series was still a thing, bikes were pre-sold three times over before ever landing at a shop, eBikes were still controversial, and the whole world was chomping to get out on the trails.
Four years later, the 38 got its first real update with the release of the high-flow GripX2 damper. That fork works really well, and here’s a little-known fact: the 38 is Fox’s most popular fork. Yes… Fox’s number one selling fork is the 38!
Just one year ago, I told you all about the updates to the model year 2026 Fox 36 All Mountain fork. The 38 now enjoys many of these same updates, but the GripX2 damper also receives some really unique newness of its own.
Key Updates to the 2027 Fox 38 GripX2
There are so many updates here! Let’s dive in.
Some of you noticed how the new 36 is only available at a maximum travel of 160mm. The new 2027 Fox 38 is available in 160mm, 170mm, and 180mm travel lengths. Not only is there an option for expanded travel choices, but the weight has improved as well.
- 2970g: Fox Podium 170 with my Yankee fender
- 2590g: Old 38 GripX2
- 2250g: 36 160 GripX2
- 2575g: New 170 GripX2
Yes, the new 38 is nearly 400 grams lighter than a Podium, and $700 cheaper. It has the same damper. And it works with 15×110 axles. This makes for a VERY compelling fork!
What’s Actually Different on the New Fox 38?
First, the lower legs are quite different. Fox used the same generative design process that created the new lowers for the 34, 36, and 40 to draft up a new lower leg design that should be stiffer and lighter. With the new lower design, Fox was able to move the bushings farther apart — just like they did with the 36 All Mountain.
By moving the lower bushing farther down in the redesigned lowers, Fox reduced binding and delivered a stiffer yet plusher fork. This is why the new 38 feels more planted and forgiving when the trail gets rowdy.
One really important aspect of fork performance is where the bushings sit in the lower legs. The bushings are those low-friction tan-colored sleeves pressed into the lowers that the shiny 38 mm stanchions (the upper sliding tubes) ride on. The old 38 had a fairly meager 120 mm of bushing overlap. The new version bumps that to 140 mm — a solid 20 mm improvement. This extra overlap keeps the stanchions held more securely as the fork flexes, reducing binding and delivering noticeably more stiffness and plushness on the trail. It’s still a bit less overlap than the current 36 or the Podium, but it’s a meaningful step forward for the big 38.
Stiffness was tweaked. I can’t say that I noticed a big difference here when riding, but Fox claims more than 8% stiffer fore-aft, but 6% softer in torsion. I don’t have strong opinions there, as both the old and the new 38 are plenty stout for my needs.
Next up, the air spring saw some big updates. The old 38 used a heavy and expensive “Russian nesting doll” system of shafts inside shafts. The overall air volume was quite low. The new 38 switches to a more traditional air spring design with a simple air shaft. It also incorporates the new GlideCore tech (aka “wibble-wobble”), which allows a bit of independent movement side to side and up and down between the air shaft and the spring components. The idea is that when the big 38 mm stanchions flex ever so slightly under load, the spring can move a little instead of binding up — keeping things smoother and plusher through the travel. A 38 stanchion doesn’t flex much, but even a small amount benefits from this little bit of freedom. Pretty cool, pretty simple design.
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.
To squeeze in even more air volume without major redesigns, Fox made the air cap (top cap) a little bit taller. This gives a more supportive yet plush feel overall.
Bonus: It now accepts a regular chamfered 32 mm socket — much easier to remove during service or travel swaps. Win for anyone who works on their own forks!
A nice practical win: the updated top cap now lets you use a traditional chamfered 32 mm socket to remove it. No more hunting for that special low-profile chamferless tool the old design required. Much easier servicing and travel changes — music to any home mechanic’s ears.
While we’re still on the air spring, the 38 now includes a simple MCU (micro-cellular urethane) bottom-out bumper at the end of the air shaft. It’s just a soft, squishy elastomer piece — nothing high-tech, but sometimes simple is good. It provides a gentle cushion right at full compression instead of harsh metal-on-metal. I really liked how it felt on big hits and over-cleared jumps; it takes a lot of the sting out of slapping down hard.
I really liked how it took the sting out of big hits and over-cleared jumps — no loud clangs, just a gentle stop.
On the outside of the lowers, several smaller but practical changes appear. The bleeder design has been updated to be more bike park and chairlift friendly for easier pressure equalization. The bypass channels (which help with air volume in the lowers, pressure ramping, and oil recirculation for better bushing lubrication) have moved from the back of the fork to the sides — improving chassis stiffness in the process.
The fender design is a little different too. It no longer mounts directly to the bypass channels. Instead of the old two “pain in the ass little allens,” there are now four. I don’t love the new fender mount — it’s more fiddly than before — but it keeps the bypass channels purely functional.
The Big Update: New GripX2 Damper
There is also a BIG update to the GripX2 damper. The ethos behind the GripX2 damping system is what I think is founded on sound principles. Fox’s Product Performance Manager Sergio Avanto comes from 20 years of suspension tuning in AMA Pro Supercross and Motocross racing, and was the personal tuner for many top racers, including James Stewart, Jeremy McGrath, and Tim Ferry.
At Fox, Sergio pushed hard for a very simple design — big ports in the pistons, and lots of shims to create that plush, well-controlled suspension feel that we all want to feel.
Fox was kind enough to pull a damper apart and show us around. Mountain bike fork dampers are quite restrained by how narrow a fork leg is, and much of the new design helps compensate for this.
The damper lives inside its own pressurized oil chamber. The piston has larger porting, and instead of three smaller ports, now goes to two much larger ports. These ports are located near the sides of the chamber walls.
Next, the sides of the shims are cut, which allows for more space between the shaft and the cylinder wall. This creates a better oil flow, with less turbulence, between the shims and the wall of the cylinder. On the bike, this is a big part of why I can run a bunch of high-speed compression damping without it feeling harsh.
The free bleed port is now quite a bit larger — you can see this in the same marketing graphic that was passed out to all the media, and you can see it IRL in this damper.
On the Trail in Finale Ligure, Italy
Fox brought Logan and me out to Finale Ligure, Italy, for two days to try out the new Fox fork. Logan and I were on Canyon Spectrals — his was aluminum, with two flat tires, and mine was carbon, with flimsy but properly inflated tires.
We only rode 160mm travel forks, and mine in particular didn’t have the best small bump compliance at first. Between a new fork (not yet broken in), an almost new-to-me bike, running nearly 30 psi to avoid flatting, and shorter travel, I didn’t notice the plushest feel right away. But when I lowered my pressure and sent it hard, I never once noticed a harsh feel to my hands on big impacts — thanks in part to that soft bottom-out bumper. This was sweet!
I love hitting jumps, and the current trend of extra linear suspension doesn’t always play well with a friendly game of “let’s over-clear this jump.” However, I never had a single harsh bottom-out moment.
Back home, I sent the 170 mm version really hard on the Pivot Firebird and measured the travel. With the bumper installed (and after equalizing the fork thoroughly), I was only getting just over 160 mm of actual travel despite the 170 mm spec. Out of curiosity, I popped the fork open, removed the new MCU bumper, and tested again — the numbers stayed basically the same (around 164 mm of stanchion exposed plus a bit more). So the bumper isn’t robbing meaningful travel, and I’d rather keep the extra hand protection on big hits.
Final Opinions from the Trail
Overall, the 2027 Fox 38 GripX2 feels like a refined evolution rather than a revolution. It’s lighter, more serviceable, better on big hits thanks to the updated air spring and bumper, and still that confidence-inspiring bomber we’ve come to love for enduro and aggressive trail riding. The extra bushing overlap and revised damper make it plusher and more predictable without sacrificing the stiffness that made the 38 special.
That said, ultimate small-bump sensitivity still isn’t quite at Podium levels, and if I’m being honest about what I’d actually buy right now… I’d probably grab the previous-generation 38 GripX2 while it’s on sale before paying full price for the new one. The updates are solid, but the deals on the old model are pretty tempting at the moment.
If you’re in the market for a new long-travel single-crown that punches above its weight and you want the latest refinements, the 2027 Fox 38 GripX2 is absolutely worth a look. It’s still the bomber we know and love — just a touch lighter, more serviceable, and better on the big stuff.
As always, thanks for being here!
Peace & Wheelies,
Jeff 🚴 ✌️
And That’s a Wrap! A few more resources to send you on your way…
While we’re talking suspension — I really love the Marzocchi Z1 Coil fork. Similar small-bump sensitivity to the Podium, but lighter, cheaper, and way easier to live with day-to-day.
The new 2027 DHX Coil is a rad little shock — fresh piston, base valve, and bleed. Fox also just updated the Float X2 with monotube-style damping for more flow and usable control. A match made in heaven? Perhaps.
Want to level up your riding game, perhaps with some fun wheelies? I drop a full-length riding tutorial every month on Patreon — see the full list and get access here.
Thanks to SQ Lab for sponsoring — their saddles, grips, and bars have been on my bikes for years, and I’ve enjoyed partnering with them the last few months!
Also new for 2026, I’ve been enjoying OnX Offroad for trail navigation — great for MTB, moto, overlanding, whatever you’re into. Use code “JKW” for 20% off.
And if you need electrolytes that actually work after long rides or sweaty shop days, grab a free sample pack of LMNT’s four most popular flavors with any purchase.
