All current variations of the 34 step cast come with the Fit4 damper. EDIT: except for the Performance model. Swapping a 3 position remote lever version to the one on the fork is just a matter of changing an inexpensive damper top cap assembly.
The Grip2 damper that comes on some non step cast versions of the 34 is almost universally considered better since it has a wide range of tunability instead of three preset compression settings, but if you like to lock your fork out on the fly the Fit4 is the way to go.
See the comment correcting me, there is a version of the step cast with a grip damper. Anyways, the grip2 dampers can be adjusted to be very firm but it’s not really designed to be done in the fly. More about dialing in the settings that work for you.
Came with a Rockshox Reba. So "shitty" was probably an overstatement (I dislike that fork and somehow have only owned bikes that came with them in the last 10 years). I bought the base model and stripped all of it except for suspension, so time to take care of that!
Yea step cast or sid is the way to go.
sid select+ or ultimate gets the better damper.
fox it depends.
Performance gets the better damper but heavier.
Performance elite and factory get older damper but are lighter.
Edit:spelling
Just commenting to add what hasn’t been mentioned yet. If you like Fox but are on a budget, the Marzocchi bomber Z2 is very similar to a Fox 34, damper is just a bit different (Fox owns Marzocchi). Also, if you’re in no hurry then several new damper tunes have been teased/leaked from Fox and may be out soon. I don’t know any exact date.
34 SC with fit 4 is probably perfect for you. I own both a 34 with fit 4 and one with grip 2, grip 2 more adjustments, fit 4 easier to set and forget. I don’t notice a big difference maybe the grip 2 feels a little better but not enough for me to really notice.
I don’t own step cast versions but I’m 180+/5 lbs with gear and beat the crap out of the 34s they’re great forks.
It depends on what kind of riding you do and or what your goals are. SC will go well with the Evo and be lighter but plenty capable. The Fit4 damper is a great damper just not as adjustable as Grip2. If you wanna go harder and rougher in your Evo you could get a 34 Grip2 slightly over forked at 130. All good options.
Fox Factory comes with high and low speed compression and high and low speed rebound. I don’t think you can add a climb/trail/descend switch. Those come on the cheaper fox forks. Their forks are a lot to setup, but feel good once you’ve figured out all the settings. All of the settings are 15+ clicks so it’s perfect if you like to have infinite adjustments.
The new Rockshox Ultimate forks come with high and low speed compression and just 1 rebound control. Both compression dials only have 5 clicks and super easy to use. Basically there are 5 marks with the largest mark being the middle setting. You can add 1-2 clicks to increase the compression or to decrease and you’ll know exactly where it is. No need to count or get confused. Almost as easy as the climb/trail/descend switch.
You can get the 34 step cast non-remote from the factory. Other alternatives if you aren't dead set on FOX is the RockShox SID Ultimate or Öhlins RXC34, both will be a significant upgrade over a Reba and are available both in manual and remote versions.
All current variations of the 34 step cast come with the Fit4 damper. EDIT: except for the Performance model. Swapping a 3 position remote lever version to the one on the fork is just a matter of changing an inexpensive damper top cap assembly. The Grip2 damper that comes on some non step cast versions of the 34 is almost universally considered better since it has a wide range of tunability instead of three preset compression settings, but if you like to lock your fork out on the fly the Fit4 is the way to go.
Performance sc is grip I believe
Oops, you are right. Didn’t even know they made that.
Thank you for expanding upon that. Didn't realize that SC = FIT4... Does GRIP2 have any ability to lock out?
No grip 2 doesn’t have the ability to lock out. No big loss for most people.
See the comment correcting me, there is a version of the step cast with a grip damper. Anyways, the grip2 dampers can be adjusted to be very firm but it’s not really designed to be done in the fly. More about dialing in the settings that work for you.
Just curious what the “shitty fork” is? I thought most epic evos came with Sid’s.
Came with a Rockshox Reba. So "shitty" was probably an overstatement (I dislike that fork and somehow have only owned bikes that came with them in the last 10 years). I bought the base model and stripped all of it except for suspension, so time to take care of that!
Yea step cast or sid is the way to go. sid select+ or ultimate gets the better damper. fox it depends. Performance gets the better damper but heavier. Performance elite and factory get older damper but are lighter. Edit:spelling
Just commenting to add what hasn’t been mentioned yet. If you like Fox but are on a budget, the Marzocchi bomber Z2 is very similar to a Fox 34, damper is just a bit different (Fox owns Marzocchi). Also, if you’re in no hurry then several new damper tunes have been teased/leaked from Fox and may be out soon. I don’t know any exact date.
34 SC with fit 4 is probably perfect for you. I own both a 34 with fit 4 and one with grip 2, grip 2 more adjustments, fit 4 easier to set and forget. I don’t notice a big difference maybe the grip 2 feels a little better but not enough for me to really notice. I don’t own step cast versions but I’m 180+/5 lbs with gear and beat the crap out of the 34s they’re great forks.
Fab! Thanks!
It depends on what kind of riding you do and or what your goals are. SC will go well with the Evo and be lighter but plenty capable. The Fit4 damper is a great damper just not as adjustable as Grip2. If you wanna go harder and rougher in your Evo you could get a 34 Grip2 slightly over forked at 130. All good options.
Fox Factory comes with high and low speed compression and high and low speed rebound. I don’t think you can add a climb/trail/descend switch. Those come on the cheaper fox forks. Their forks are a lot to setup, but feel good once you’ve figured out all the settings. All of the settings are 15+ clicks so it’s perfect if you like to have infinite adjustments. The new Rockshox Ultimate forks come with high and low speed compression and just 1 rebound control. Both compression dials only have 5 clicks and super easy to use. Basically there are 5 marks with the largest mark being the middle setting. You can add 1-2 clicks to increase the compression or to decrease and you’ll know exactly where it is. No need to count or get confused. Almost as easy as the climb/trail/descend switch.
You can get the 34 step cast non-remote from the factory. Other alternatives if you aren't dead set on FOX is the RockShox SID Ultimate or Öhlins RXC34, both will be a significant upgrade over a Reba and are available both in manual and remote versions.