2026 is proving to be a busy season for anyone selling squishy bits on a bike, with both Fox and RockShox rolling out extensive updates to their line-ups of shocks and forks. Instead of going over each release separately, we\u2019re putting them all in one place where you can see how the two major brands compare, and where they diverge.<\/p>\n
Just a note: despite being launched early in 2026, both Fox and RockShox are calling all the following announcements their 2027 products. But you\u2019ll see them in stores and on bikes well before that. We\u2019re living in the future, man.<\/p>\n
Trail\/Enduro forks: Updated and all-new<\/h2>\n
Some of the bigger changes for both brands come in the fork category. Both RockShox and Fox released big forks that are almost entirely new.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n For Fox, the 38 gets new lowers, a new crown, new internals. Basically everything but the name, steerer and axle are updated. The double enduro world cup winning fork still runs between 160 and 180mm travel, but there are updates galore. Bleeder valves move to a more accessible feature.<\/p>\n Like the inverted Podium fork last year, the 38 now has significantly \u00a0increased bushing overlap, up by 20mm, for more fore-aft stiffness and decreased friction. There\u2019s also Float Glidecore air springs, allowing movement with the fork under load. A new arch design balances stiffness, weight, and steering responsiveness.<\/p>\n After releasing a raft of new shorter-travel forks in 2025, the 34 SL, 36 SL, and 36 all get updated dampers. The Grip X damper is also still quite new, but it gets significantly revised to improve descending capabilities. It also loses the climb switch in favour of more fine-tuning options. That\u2019s intended to bring it closer to the performance of the Grip X2 while dropping weight to come in around 120g lighter than that heavy-duty damper.<\/p>\n Fox also makes the RAD 40 forks spotted on Gracey Hemstreet and Jackson Goldstone\u2019s bikes<\/a> through the latter half of the 2025 season and makes them widely available. These introduce a bit more forgiveness into the brand\u2019s DH line, as well as new internals.<\/p>\n Matching Fox\u2019s re-released 38, RockShox fully redesigns the long-travel single-crown Zeb. RS\u2019s enduro fork borrows some tech from the new Boxxer<\/a>.\u00a0The Lyrik, which RockShox calls \u201clong travel, not crazy travel\u201d is also fully re-designed for the new year. There\u2019s a new Charger 3.2 damper, designed to balance with the new RCT2 damper in the Vivid Air shocks.<\/p>\n Most notably, both forks get a version of the new Linear XL air spring, which RockShox describes as a \u201cwhole fork approach\u201d to air spring design aimed at reducing speed-sensitivity in the fork\u2019s movement. That would be the little bonus box first spotting near the axle on Boxxer lowers last season.<\/p>\n Both forks also get a new adjustable bottom-out feature, similar to the HBO function on RockShox more recent shocks, and dimpled lower stanchions and \u201cButterwagons\u201d as seen on the Boxxer. Zeb and Lyric feature new crowns, tuned to deliver stiffness where needed.<\/p>\n Finally, both forks get similar updates to the lowers, including a trick new integrated fender option. Both forks also get radically simplified dial markers. Instead of an unmarked dial and counting clicks, RockShox marks a zero point in the middle of the adjustment range and indicates direction of tune from that middle point.<\/p>\nFox re-writes 38 and updates trail forks<\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nRockShox re-releases Lyric and Zeb<\/h3>\n
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