Forgive Me Not: Fox’s NEW 36 All Mountain Fork Drops Trail Drama

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Editor’s Note:
These articles are adapted by Savannah 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.

Piece by piece, Fox has quietly engineered a revolution… The 2026 36 All Mountain fork is exactly what we’ve been waiting for! The Grip X (and Grip X2) dampers that were announced last year and work very well. But this year, Fox has redesigned the rest of the fork, allowing that new damper tech to really shine. This makes for the best front end I’ve ever experienced- it’s that good!

Let’s cut to the chase about the new Fox 36 All Mtn fork. What exactly does “All Mtn” even mean? Well, I consider “All Mountain” to be one of those bike industry terms that sounds cool but can mean just about anything. My translation: it basically means a fork that can handle pretty much whatever trail you throw at it – from smooth singletrack to some seriously chunky descents.

“Big fork energy, minus the weight” – Fox Engineering Mantra

A quick note of gratitude, because these videos and articles wouldn’t be possible without your support. Jenson USA has been awesome enough to support this product launch, with Fox supplying both forks for review. They’re not just another online bike shop – these folks really know their stuff. If you’re looking to pick up this fork or any other mountain bike gear, their online store is legit. If you buy anything through any of these links, you’ll be helping support my channel. Whether it’s this fork, a complete bike, or even just some chain lube, every purchase helps keep these reviews coming.

Big thanks to Jenson USA, and an even bigger thanks to you for watching, reading, and supporting the channel. Let’s get back to talking about this fork.

But, before we pedal our bikes onto the plane to Scottsdale, Arizona, to test out Fox’s new fork, let’s take a quick dive into the tech behind the All Mtn Fork that is being debuted to the world. 

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36 All Mtn: The Trail Monster

The 36 All Mountain fork is designed for the largest category of mountain bike riders- folks on 130-160mm travel all around trail and enduro bikes. Fox no longer supports less than 140mm of travel with this chassis, nor more than 160. By being more specific, some solid gains were made in overall performance.

Ideal for the aggressive trail and enduro enthusiasts.

A New Era of Incremental Perfection

We’re now in an era where mountain bike components are already exceptionally good. The game has changed from major breakthroughs to collecting microscopic improvements. The new Fox 36 All Mountain fork embodies this philosophy, representing a masterclass in incremental innovation.

In other words, we are now collectors – but not of stamps or taxidermied animals. Instead, we’re collecting as many small improvements that we can in an attempt to finally create something that’s noticeably better. This new 36 All Mtn is a prime example of this, and you can do more than mount it to a binder or a wall.

Fox Grip X Suspension Fork: A Technical Deep Dive

One of the most challenging things about reviewing suspension is that the differences aren’t always immediately apparent. Last spring, Logan and I went back and forth comparing the outgoing Grip 2 damper against that brand new Grip X… We had a hard time telling the exact differences on the trail.

Since then, I’ve ridden seven (two gold colored units from Fox; Orbea Rise in Spain; Haro Daley; Ripmo; Ripley; Rise LT) more of these Grip X forks, and I’ve noticed that I consistently have fewer sketchy moments with this newer damper than I ever expected. I also noticed that it takes these particular forks a while to break in – especially when considering the early production units we started riding a full 12 months ago.

To top off my variety of forks, I’ve ridden Grip X2 forks on the Pivot Trail 429 Enduro, Pivot Trail Cat, and the Santa Cruz Hightower 4. All three have felt, well… different. Once they eventually break in, they do feel both better and more consistent. But I want to stress that it takes quite a bit of riding to really evaluate a new fork. With this in mind, I did not expect to feel a world of difference between the new 36 All Mtn and the outgoing fork.

Thankfully, today in 2025, both Grip X and Grip X2 dampers are dialed in after a full year of production, and work very well. Now with the damper piece of the metaphorical puzzle fitted into place, it’s time for Fox to look under the table and inside the vacuum to find any missing pieces needed to finally solve the front end puzzle of the modern mountain bike.

To show us the new tech, Fox brought Logan and me down to their newest facility in beautiful Scottsdale, Arizona.

Throughout our trip, Fox showed us what they’ve done to shift their attention to where they felt improvements haven’t been made in some time.

The chassis was ripe for opportunity, and with the goal of improving the sensitivity, smoothness and plushness of the fork, Fox went to town with small tweaks and updates. With the lowers and air spring not being updated in 2025, the new damper was somewhat held back from its potential. This new 2026 update fixes that.

To arrive at ultimate smoothness – or plushness*, Fox is working to eliminate any unnecessary flex that can create binding within the fork’s stroke.

(*Fox tends to avoid the word “plush,” so I’m going to use it as much as I can.)

For the last few years, the Fox 38 has had better small bump sensitivity than the 36 series, and that’s been due to the increased stiffness. The goal with the new 36 was to reach a similar level of stiffness, all in the name of being more plush. 

So why is Fox working on specifically on the fork chassis?  

In Summary of the Chassis Redesign:

Bunny hop on over to the full video review for a visual tour of the intricate fork anatomy, and some handy-dandy visualizations… If I do say so myself. 

Diving into Bike Fork Anatomy: Fox’s Latest Design

The new fork lowers immediately catch the eye with distinctive speed holes, but the design goes far beyond what you notice on the surface. Fox claims to have achieved a remarkable 20% increase in stiffness, a bold assertion that I can confirm holds up in testing from the SW desert to the PNW mossy forests, and quite likely, most everywhere in between.

Key Design Changes

The Science of Stiffness: Bushing Overlap

The fork’s incredible performance stems from a critical engineering concept called “bushing overlap.” Let’s break down how this works:

Fox’s breakthrough came by repositioning the lower bushing further down into the chassis. In previous models, the bushing spacing was 132mm. The new design extends this to 162mm—a seemingly small change that comes with significant implications.

That’s Cool, But Why Does Bushing Space Really Matter?

The further apart the bushings, the less leverage for flex. This means:

What might appear to be a minor 30mm adjustment represents a major leap in fork design and performance, and there’s no doubt that you can feel the difference! 

The “Wibble Wobble” Air Spring Technology

One of the coolest bits of tech is that the new 36 All Mtn fork is the new air spring. In a massive marketing blunder, Fox is lacking an abundance of catchy terms to define this new tech, so I’ll call it “Wibble Wobble Technology.” 

And that’s a big part of why this fork is so dang plush: the new air spring design.

While the piston still tracks straight and true like the old model, the shaft that actuates the piston has a new attachment mechanism. No longer is the piston hard-mounted to the shaft like it was in the old design. Instead, a flexible joint allows for some compliance between the two. By allowing for any flex to not push the piston laterally, this prevents any sort of binding action. It’s noticeably more plush- and it had brand new forks feeling nicely broken in almost immediately. I’m a fan!

 “When you’re riding a fork, it’s almost never unloaded – hard braking, turning, all those times it’s trying to side load the piston inside the stanchions as it moves to the next place. When that side load happens, the higher your fork’s loaded, the more friction gets added. So the way we solved that problem is by adding compliance. There’s compliance between the piston and the air shaft. There’s also compliance between the neg plate and the new part here that carries the bushings in a sealed package.” 

– Tom Pollock at Fox

 

A Few Other Small Details

 Fox is now natively using a 200mm post-mount, the new air bleeder valves are a little bit easier to use and shouldn’t break when they’re on certain chairlifts (cough- Whistler Bike Park – cough). 

 There is new fender mounting that uses four bolts, making it a little harder to use. But, again, hopefully it won’t break when you’re at Whistler. 

 And lastly: Fox has acquiesced to their main competitor and now uses a cassette lockring tool to remove the air cap- and make for easy volume adjustments.

(Personally, I like volume reducers… I tend to huck to flat, what about you?)

That’s a lot of changes. Individually, some might be noticeable, but combined, and these become the best forks I’ve ever ridden. I already have grown to love the Grip X, but this configures the new damper into such a modern chassis that I’ve never ridden another fork this forgiving.

Our first couple of test rides were in the rock strewn desert. I’ve had to learn that first ride impressions of a new fork aren’t worth much, as the bushings and even the damper need to break in.  

With all those forks I rode in 2024, it was so wild that some would immediately feel good, and others would need a couple weeks to break in. Regardless, both of these forks felt extremely free and supple right away – minimal break in time needed. Naturally, this inspired me to ride with a bit of reckless abandon. 

 (A Note on Modification: I’ve added volume reducers to both forks, as that’s easy to do.)

With my riding style, I enjoy running both high speed compression adjusters about half way into their ranges. Weighing only 175lbs, it’s pretty cool that I can have that much available control, yet not have the fork’s small bump sensitivity and plushness take a turn for the worse.

These new forks are the real deal. Comfort and traction are both improved. With a newly refined damper, the new forks will invite anyone to ride faster, send bigger, and safely take more chances.

But a question I’ve had, as well as so many of you have had, is just how different do these two dampers feel on the trail?

To answer that, Logan and I set sail back home in the PNW, in the name of discovery with a bunch of back-to-back laps.

Fork VS Fork: Comparing Fox 36 Grip X and Grip X2 Forks Back Home in Bellingham

Our test day featured two very different mountain bikes: the playful Ibis Ripmo and the more aggressive Santa Cruz Hightower 4. Our mission? To understand how the Grip X (orange) and Grip X2 (black) dampers truly perform in real-world conditions.

Right from the first run, something interesting emerged. The difference between the forks wasn’t night and day – perhaps something more akin to the shades between dusk and dawn. The Grip X felt more nimble and forgiving, while the Grip X2 felt dependable and stable.

On the Hightower 4, a longer and slacker bike built for more aggressive riding, the Grip X2 felt absolutely planted. It transformed the bike into a ground-hugging machine that ate up rough terrain with confidence. Switch to the Ripmo, and suddenly the Grip X made more sense – it brought out the bike’s playful character, making every small bump and trail feature feel like a potential playground.

What surprised Logan and I most was how much bike geometry matters. The same fork can feel – even if only slightly – different depending on your frame’s design. A few degrees in head tube angle or a slightly different wheelbase completely changes suspension performance.

Both of us agreed on one crucial point: if you’re riding an older fork, upgrading to either the Grip X or Grip X2 is going to seriously improve your ride. The small bump sensitivity alone is a game-changer compared to older models.

Who should care about these differences? Anyone who geeks out about suspension, loves technical trail riding, or wants to squeeze every ounce of performance out of their mountain bike. These aren’t just minor tweaks – they’re carefully engineered improvements that can transform your riding experience.

Final thoughts? Don’t get too hung up on which is “better”. Instead, think about your riding style, your bike’s geometry, and the trails you love. The right fork is the one that elevates your unique riding experience to the next level.

Damper Characteristics in Summary

Bike-Specific Performance

Either way, with an upgrade to the Fox 36 All Mtn Fork, you’ll notice feeling: unprecedented small-bump sensitivity, reduced moments of sketch on the trail, enhanced control at high speeds, and simply smoother suspension action. 

 Peace & Wheelies!

As always, thanks to Jenson USA for making it possible to live the dream. Your purchase helps support the channel, and I genuinely appreciate it.

Craving more? Subscribe to the blog, YouTube Channel, and like and comment below whenever your heart desires!

Those white shoes are the new 5.10 Freeriders: find them here at Jenson USA.

Extra thanks to Endura for supplying me with a few of my favorite riding kits, which you can find over here.

And thanks to LMNT for keeping my hydrated with plenty of electrolytes! Get a free sample pack with your purchase here.