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Fox has announced the release of a new suspension fork designed for gravel riding.
The new 32 Taper-Cast Gravel Fork is the lightest suspension fork ever built by Fox, and is designed to increase the control and soften the blow on longer off-road rides.
Designed with Fox’s FIT4 or GRIP damper options, the lightweight fork has the tunability of mountain bike suspension, with lower weight and less travel.
Available now in the UK and Ireland through Silverfish UK. Retailers interested in becoming a FOX stockist should contact their Area Sales Rep, call the Sales Team on 01752 843882 or email sales@silverfish-uk.com.
The 32- Taper-Cast features a drop crown profile and new knob shapes that drastically improve downtube clearance, offering a better fit on a wide range of frame sizes and styles.
Weighing just 1226g, the forks also come with integrated fender mounts, 160mm and 180mm flat mount compatibility and adjustable travel options up to 50mm.
Fox says the lightweight, short-travel air spring requires fewer volume spaces and the design uses the leg air/oil bypass channels.
32 Taper Cast Gravel Fork full spec
- 40mm and 50mm travel options
- FIT4 and Grip damper options
- 12 x 100mm Kabolt axle
- Flat mount 160 and 180mm rotor compatible
- Max tyre size 700c x 50mm
- (Optimized for 700c – not 650b compatible)
- Integrated fender mounts
- (700c x 45mm max tyre with fender)
- Longer steer tube to fit larger frames/longer head tubes
- 1 1/2” – 1 1/8” tapered steer tube
- 45mm and 50mm offset options
- Axle-to-crown 435.5mm – 445.5mm
- 1226g
32 Taper-Cast MSRP Range:
From £849 – £1,039 GBP / $769 – $949 USD / $1,039 – $1,279 CAD / €1,039 – €1,259 EURO
Fox FAQ on Gravel Fork
Q: Why is the arch on the rear of the fork instead of the front?
A: Locating the arch on the rear of the fork puts the arch at a lower point on the tyre, which allowed us to reduce the amount of material used and thereby decrease weight. And because the arch sits at a lower point on the tyre, there aren’t any issues with downtube clearance on most bikes. We also felt the rear arch contributes to the overall sleek-aesthetic of the 32 Taper-Cast, which was one of the major design goals.
Q: Why do the lower legs taper down at the bottom?
A: Given the short travel of the 32 TC, the entire lower leg is not needed for upper tube overlap, this allowed us to taper the legs, saving weight and decreasing frontal area, making the fork more aerodynamic.
Q: How come the new 32 TC has a max of 4 volume spacers compared to the old TC which could accept as many as 7 spacers?
A: The old AX was, in essence, a shortened 32 SC, many volume spacers were required in order to achieve the correct air spring curve. The new 32 TC features an optimiSed short travel air spring, which means there is no need for more than a few spacers, max.
Q: How come the 32 TC is only available with a 1.5” tapered steerer tube?
A: Many modern gravel frames use 1.5” lower and almost all gravel frames that are currently in development use 1.5” lower. We realise there are some frames out there that do not use 1.5” lower bearings and we wish we could’ve offered a solution for those riders but due to the supply chain challenges of COVID 19 we had to pick the single most common size.
Q: Are the top caps/knobs from the 32 TC interchangeable with other FIT4 equipped Fox forks?
A: No, the 32 TC uses unique low-profile top caps and knobs to help aid frame clearance and for sleek aesthetics.
Q: Is the 32 TC compatible with fenders and if so what is max tyre size?
A: It is compatible with fenders and in fact each fork comes with a set of fender mounting tabs in the box. Tyre clearance with a fender installed is 700x45mm.
Q: Is the 32 TC compatible with a remote lockout?
A: A remote lockout option is not available at this time. Our testing has demonstrated that locking out the fork does not improve performance in most scenarios and adding a remote lockout adds weight, complexity, cost, and cockpit clutter.
Q: Won’t mud get caught in the trussing on the lower rear fork legs?
A: Nope! Mud does not fling from the hub area, it flings off of the tyre and sticks to the back of the fork brace. The brace on the TC is trussed on the front instead of the back specifically to aid in mud shedding.
Q: Is the rebound knob hard to access being partially tucked into the lower leg?
A: No. While the rebound adjust knob is fairly protected and hidden to maintain a sleek side profile appearance, it is also sized and knurled to easily spin and count clicks when adjusting.
Q: What rotor sizes is the 32 TC compatible with?
A: The 32 TC is compatible with 160mm rotors in the low position and 180mm rotors in the flipped position. The same exact “flippable” 140-160mm road flat caliper mount part is used on the 32 TC fork but the positioning is designed as a “+20” accepting 160 or 180mm rotors. 140mm rotors are not compatible with the 32 TC fork.
Q: Why is the 32 TC’s disc brake hose guide angled slightly off vertical?
A: Because of the 32 TC’s rearward-facing fork brace, the disc brake hose is fastened to the front of the lower leg at a slightly lower position than it would be with a forward-facing fork brace. The upper end of the disc brake hose guide is tipped outward by 8 degrees to prevent the disc brake hose from compressing inward towards the tyre during its full suspension stroke.
Q: Why isn’t the 32 TC compatible with 650b wheels?
A: The narrowest point on the lower legs of the 32 TC – the reinforced area where the bushings press in – happens to be exactly the same place as the widest point of a 650b tyre. This limits 650b tyre clearance to approx. 30mm, which defeats the purpose of going down to 650b in order to allow for increased tyre size and air volume. With 32 TC’s ample 700x50mm tyre clearance there is no need to drop down to 650b in order to obtain more volume as you already have plenty of volume, and 700c’s larger diameter provides better rollover and smoothness, as compared to 650b. For these reasons, the 32 TC is optimised around 700c wheels.
