Mick & Wil review the 2026 Fox 34 SL

Brand new for 2026, the Fox 34 SL is a high performance fork that’s been purpose-built for XC riding and World Cup level racing. The 34 SL will replace the outgoing 34 Step-Cast, which is a fork that we’ve had a lot of experience with over the past few years. Looking at the two side-by-side, it’s clear that the 34 SL is quite a bit beefier in its appearance. It also offers more travel, and early impressions suggest that it could very well become the new standard in XCO racing.

Flow was recently invited out to one of Fox Racing Shox’s development centres in Scottsdale, Arizona, to meet the team behind the new fork and shock lineup. We took bikes over with us to fit the new components and get everything dialled in on the arid desert trails in the Phoenix region, before bringing them back home with us for longer term testing.

There are a heap of exciting new releases coming from Fox for 2026 (you’ll be hearing about the others very soon!), but for the time being we’ll be diving into all of the tech behind the 34 SL, as well as our experience of riding it over the past few weeks.

Watch our video review of the Fox 34 SL here:

An overview of the Fox 34 SL

Sitting alongside the skinnier and lighter 32 Step-Cast, the Fox 34 SL is an all-new fork that’s designed to handle the evolving demands from modern XC rippers and increasingly technical World Cup race courses.

As mentioned earlier, the 34 SL will replace the 34 Step-Cast. Both forks feature 34mm diameter upper tubes and the latest GRIP SL damper, but that’s about where the similarities end.

That’s because the 34 SL is built around an entirely new chassis that is offered with up to 130mm of travel. Just a few years ago that would have been unheard of in the XC racing world, with most bikes and forks maxing out at 100mm. The sport and equipment has changed considerably since then however, with a lot of riders having transitioned to bigger 120mm travel forks like the Fox 34 SC and RockShox SID.

Fox sees its new 34 SL as the logical progression of that trend. We understand that several teams have been testing the 130mm travel configuration and are likely to race on it this year. Of course not every XC bike on the market will handle that amount of travel, but notable examples such as the Scott Spark, Orbea Oiz, Specialized Epic 8, Trek Top Fuel and Pivot Mach 4 SL are all rated for a 130mm fork.

It is possible to run the 34 SL with 120 or 110mm of travel, which as usual is done by changing the air shaft. If you’re chasing a 100mm travel fork however, say for a hardtail or a short travel race bike like the Trek Supercaliber or Specialized Epic World Cup, you’ll have to look towards the smaller 32 Step-Cast, which remains as the lightest option from Fox.

Beefier chassis

Speaking of the 32 Step-Cast, the organic-looking arch on the new Fox 34 SL has been developed using the same generative design tool. This resulted in the use of hollowed-out windows that help to save grams where load-bearing material isn’t required.

You’ll also notice that the arch is considerably shallower and thinner than the bulbous shape of old. Despite this, Fox claims the 34 SL is 17% stiffer torsionally than the 34 SC. This can partly be attributed to the new 7000-series alloy crown, which incorporates larger hollow bores to increase stiffness, while external machining and a move to anodising (instead of paint) helps to keep the weight in check.

Furthermore, the 34 SL features longer stanchions to handle the extra travel. This allows for increased bushing overlap, with a wider gap between the upper and lower bushings. As well as making for a sturdier fork, it’s claimed to reduce stiction when under load.

The lower legs have also been spaced further apart to provide more tyre clearance. Fox says there’s now room for up to a 2.5in wide tyre, compared to 2.4in for the old fork. In another nod towards the demands of modern XC riders, the minimum brake rotor size has been upped from 160 to 180mm.

Same damper, new air spring

While Fox is carrying over the GRIP SL and GRIP X dampers into the new 34 SL, the EVOL air spring has been updated. Overall volume has increased not just because of the longer stanchions, but also due to the omission of the Step-Cast lower legs. The base of the air spring now extends to sit much closer to the axle, providing more volume for both the positive and negative air chambers.

You’ll still find Bypass Channels moulded into the lowers, but they’ve been moved inboard away from the primary fore-aft load path. Their dual purpose remains the same, helping oil to circulate inside the fork and keep the wiper seals and bushings properly lubricated, while also increasing the air volume in the lowers to reduce some of the unintended ramp-up that occurs in all forks.

Fox 34 SL weight

With all the stiffness gains and extra travel, it’s no surprise that the Fox 34 SL is a smidge heavier than the 34 SC it replaces. At 1,480g for our 130mm travel test fork with the GRIP SL damper, you’re looking at just a 58g increase.

To put things into perspective, here’s how the confirmed weights compare between some of the XC and trail forks that we’ve tested over the past year;

• 2025 Fox 32 SC – 1,308g
• 2025 Fox 34 SC – 1,422g
• 2026 Fox 34 SL – 1,480g
• 2025 RockShox SID Ultimate – 1,516g
• 2025 Fox 34 GRIP X – 1,751g
• 2025 RockShox Pike – 1,908g

As you’ll see in that list, the Fox 34 SL is still just lighter than its main competitor, the RockShox SID. It’s also considerably lighter than the Pike and regular 34 GRIP X, which will be worth considering for riders on trail bikes with a 130mm travel fork. If you had a bike like the Specialized Epic EVO or Trek Top Fuel for example, you could save 250-400g of weight upgrading from the stock fork to a 34 SL.

The new Fox Twin Stick remote

Alongside the 34 SL, Fox is also launching a new remote lockout system. Dubbed the ‘Twin Stick’, this handlebar remote incorporates a lower paddle for activating your dropper post and a single upper paddle for controlling the suspension. You can link it up to a fork, shock, or both, and it’s compatible with 2-position and 3-position systems.

In our case we have the remote cabled up to a Fox 34 SL with the 3-position GRIP SL damper. The default setting is Open, and pushing the upper lever until it stops will activate the Medium mode. Push the lever all the way again and you’ll lock out the suspension.

To go in reverse a slightly shorter press is required to release the cable, a bit like SRAM’s DoubleTap road shifters. It takes a bit to get used to, which I’ll discuss in more detail shortly.

Compared to previous remote lockouts from Fox, the Twin Stick is a significant step up in quality. The alloy construction is much sturdier and the use of sealed cartridge pivot bearings provides smooth actuation. It’s also quite light, with the remote coming in at just 69g on the workshop scales. You can fit the Twin Stick using a standalone bar clamp, or directly to your Shimano or SRAM brake lever using the relevant adapter, and it’ll sell for $269 AUD.

Fox 34 SL price & specifications

There will be three spec levels available in the Fox 34 SL lineup, with prices starting at $1,149 AUD for the Performance Series fork. That model comes with the heavier GRIP damper and a standard Kabolt thru-axle, though it otherwise shares the same chassis and air spring as the more expensive versions.

Next up is the 34 SL Performance Elite fork ($1,699 AUD), which upgrades you to the GRIP SL damper and Kabolt SL axle.

Finally there’s the 34 SL Factory Series fork ($1,899 AUD) that we’ve been testing, which comes with the blingy gold Kashima Coat stanchions. It’s also the only spec level that’s offered with the heavier duty GRIP X damper, providing you opt for 130mm of travel.

2026 Fox 34 SL Factory Series

• Travel | 110, 120 & 130mm
• Wheelsize | 29in
• Stanchions | 34mm Tapered Alloy, Kashima Coat
• Spring | New Float EVOL
• Damper | GRIP SL
• Adjustments | Air Pressure, Air Volume (Spacers), Rebound, 3-Position Compression Lever w/Lockout
• Lowers | New Magnesium Lowers w/Inboard Bypass Channels
• Axle | 15x110mm Kabolt SL
• Rotor size | 180-203mm
• Max tyre clearance | 2.5in
• Claimed Weight | 1,475g
• Confirmed Weight | 1,480g (130mm Travel, GRIP SL Damper)
• Price | $1,899 AUD

Testing the 2026 Fox 34 SL

We’ve had two Fox 34 SL forks on test over the past month. Mick has a 130mm travel 34 SL GRIP SL fitted to his Santa Cruz Tallboy, and Wil has a 120mm travel remote-actuated fork fitted to his Specialized Chisel.

Despite sharing a similar amount of travel, these are two quite different bikes with different intentions. We were keen to see how the 34 SL would handle each application and find out not just where this fork performs best, but also who it’s ideally suited to.

Mick’s Santa Cruz Tallboy | Fox 34 SL vs 34 GRIP X

I took my Santa Cruz Tallboy over to the Fox launch in Arizona where I had it fitted with a 130mm travel 34 SL Factory Series fork. It replaced a 34 GRIP X that I’d been riding for almost a year, which has been an absolutely brilliant performer.

Swapping forks resulted in a 250g weight drop, which is a huge and noticeable reduction from the front of the bike. Combined with some lighter wheels, tyres and brakes, I’ve been able to shave a full kilo off the Tallboy. That’s turned it into a sharper and more competitive multi-day race machine from the muscly trail hustler it was previously.

In the workstand, initial impressions were that the 34 SL is quite a sleek-looker with its skeletal arch and shapely crown. It otherwise shares a similar stance to the regular 34, so I was keen to see how the two would compare on the trail.

Once onto dirt the 34 SL drew immediate praise for its small-bump sensitivity. This is an incredibly smooth fork that requires very little force to engage the first part of its travel, allowing it to absorb the smallest bumps and fissures along the ground.

This was my first time riding the lightweight GRIP SL damper, and it’s clear that it offers a much lighter feel in the Open setting compared to the GRIP X fork I’d been using previously. The result is an ultra comfortable ride quality that’s complemented by the compliant chassis.

I had been concerned that the 34 SL would feel a bit twangy when slamming into bigger rocks, but I was pleasantly surprised by how robust it feels under duress. When it comes to overall stiffness, I didn’t find there to be much of a penalty over the regular 34.

While the chassis itself has been plenty solid, the light damping does show some limitations as the riding gets faster and rowdier. That same open feel that makes the 34 SL so supple across intermediate riding speeds results in less control at higher velocities, with the GRIP SL damper struggling to absorb and disperse the impact energy. It’s particularly noticeable during the high-speed rebound stroke, where the front wheel extends a lot quicker than I would like. This results in less dynamic stability compared to the 34 GRIP X I had on the Tallboy before, and to compensate I found I’m riding a bit further off the back of the bike.

With that in mind, I’d suggest that the 34 SL with the GRIP SL damper will be better suited to more XC-adjacent applications. I think it’ll be particularly good for long distance riding and multi-day events where comfort and traction are key. Of course it’ll also be appealing to anyone on a gram-hunting mission. After all, this is the lightest 130mm travel fork that we have ever tested.

That weight advantage will be less beneficial to riders on aggressive short travel trail bikes, like the Tallboy, Epic EVO or Top Fuel, especially if you’re running thick-casing tyres and big brake rotors. Those folks should consider choosing the GRIP X damper, which will offer a calmer and more controlled demeanour when being pushed to the limit. It’s claimed to be 70g heavier (taking the total fork weight to 1,550g), though it does add independently adjustable high and low-speed compression damping. I’d certainly be keen to try one in my 34 SL, as it’d no doubt be a better match for my bike and riding style. In terms of weight, the GRIP X

Wil’s Specialized Chisel | Fox 34 SL vs 34 SC

Lately I’ve been spending heaps of time on my Specialized Chisel, which was first built up with a Fox 34 SC. I’ve also ridden it with a RockShox SID as part of a head-to-head review, where the 34 SC came out on top thanks to its incredibly low weight and supple feel on the trail. The main downside was stiffness, with the 34 SC exhibiting some untoward flex under hard loads. Given the new 34 SL aims to address that issue, I was eager to see how the chassis updates would translate on the trail.

As mentioned earlier, the 34 SL is 73g heavier than the 34 SC it replaced. Further grams have been added due to the requisite increase in rotor size from 160 to 180mm.

Setting up the 34 SL is a little different due to the updated EVOL air spring. While I’ve typically run less pressure than recommended in the past, I found Fox’s settings to work well right out of the box. Compared to the 34 SC I’m running higher pressure (74 vs 65psi) and also more volume spacers (2 vs 0). This suggests that the 34 SL has a more linear spring rate, which checks out given the overall air chamber is quite a bit bigger.

On the trail, it didn’t take long for the beefier construction of the 34 SL to make itself known. It is a considerably sturdier fork, with a level of torsional stiffness that feels much closer to the RockShox SID. There’s less flex under heavy braking, the steering is more precise through rapid banked turns, and off-camber impacts are dealt with more cleanly.

Otherwise it doesn’t feel worlds apart from the 34 SC, which makes sense given the GRIP SL damper is largely unchanged from its debut last year. The only real update has been a reduction in the slurping noise that occurs during the high-speed rebound stroke. It still isn’t as quiet as the SID, but it’s certainly less obvious.

The Open/Medium/Firm compression modes remain the same, with Firm being a rock-solid lockout. I’ve mostly ridden the GRIP SL damper in the fully open position, which delivers outrageous sensitivity for a very smooth and comfortable ride across rough terrain. The damping is light and unobtrusive, and combined with the reactivity of the coil-backed IFP, the 34 SL offers lightning-quick response over high frequency trail chatter. Not only does this keep the front tyre connected to the ground more of the time to generate better traction, it also reduces the vibrations being transmitted up to the grips.

As Mick discussed earlier, the light damping means there is less control at higher speeds. The 34 SL uses plenty of travel on bigger impacts, which can result in your weight being pitched forward if you’re not on your game. Indeed, the chunkier the terrain, the more likely the GRIP SL damper can be overwhelmed.

Personally, I don’t think it’s as big of a deal in an XC application. It’s also worth noting that it will be less of an issue for lighter riders who run lower air pressures, as those folks will naturally require a faster rebound setting anyway.

It is possible to add some support by utilising the Medium compression mode, which is advantageous when riding buffed-out trails where you need to pump the bike in order to generate speed. This mode adds some damping to help steady the fork and lift the ride height, while also slowing down the compression rate on bigger impacts. The fork isn’t quite as buttery-smooth as it is in the Open mode, but you don’t really need it to be on smoother hardpack where you can benefit from the added support.

Overall, I think the 34 SL is a handy evolution over the 34 SC. It takes what we already loved and elevates the chassis rigidity to make for a more precise and sure-footed fork when whipping through technical singletrack.

True weight weenies will likely be happy to stick with the existing 34 SC and its 160mm rotor compatibility, but I expect that most XC riders and racers will see the 73g differential as weight that has been well spent.

What about the Fox Twin Stick remote?

Cabled up to the Fox 34 SL on my Chisel is the new Twin Stick remote system. I love the machined alloy construction and smooth actuation, which represents a hefty step up from the crummy remote lockouts that Fox has offered in the past.

The lower dropper paddle is slightly smaller in profile compared to a regular Transfer 1x remote, but it works just fine and I’ve had no issues with the positioning.

Sitting above it, the single suspension lever takes some getting used to. It requires a hard push to engage a firmer mode, or a soft push to click it back to a more open mode. Annoyingly, you can only go one step at a time. You can’t go from fully locked to fully open for example, so you need to manually drop back to Medium first before clicking it again to get to Open.

I wasn’t keen on this idea at first, but to be fair it only took me about half an hour of trail time to recalibrate to the required technique. It turns out there’s a big enough difference in the movement required to go forwards or backwards in the range that your thumb soon works out how to toggle the lever. It also helps that everything feels sturdy and wiggle-free.

That being said, I’d still like the ability to lock out the fork with just a single sweep of the lever rather than two individual clicks.

Another downside is the amount of lever force needed to pull the cable. This is less of a problem on my Chisel since the remote is only connected to the fork, but I did have the chance to use a Twin Stick remote on both a Yeti ASR and Orbea Oiz at the launch in Arizona. In each case there was a heckuva lot of thumb effort required to engage the fork and shock, since you’re pulling on two separate cables that have to overcome two springs and damper controls at the same time.

Fox has gotten around this in the past with its unique push-to-unlock fork and shock dampers, which offered a vastly lighter feel at the remote when switching modes. That design copped criticism for the fact that the suspension would default to being fully locked out if you broke a cable, but I expect most people didn’t like it because it was different.

It’s worth noting that for 2026 and beyond Fox will only be offering regular push-to-lock dampers. They are admittedly easier to set up and work on, albeit at the expense of the higher force that’s needed to engage the handlebar remote.

Any durability issues so far?

We’ve encountered two issues during our first few weeks of testing. The first is to do with the compression dial on Mick’s 34 SL, which ended up being damaged either in transit or from an impact on the trail. After noticing that the lockout wasn’t functioning, Mick removed the 2.5mm hex key on the top cap to inspect it. Inside is a minimal but somewhat fiddly mechanism, using two minuscule ball bearings on springs to provide indexing for the three-position dial. A silver pin then provides a bump stop to prevent the dial from over-rotating, and it was this pin that turned out to be broken. In Mick’s case, the damage happened very early on, and while we’re not sure exactly what caused it, it’s worth noting that this delicate part of the fork may be susceptible to impacts or mishandling.

The second issue occurred with Wil’s fork, which had otherwise been performing flawlessly right up until the final photoshoot. The following day, the 34 SL began to exhibit a noticeable top-out thunk during high-speed rebound events, like when you yank up on the bars before launching a jump. Removing and inspecting the air spring yielded no obvious cause, though when checking the range of the rebound adjuster it became apparent that the first seven slowest clicks produced no such top-out sensation. Once into the eighth click and beyond, the thunk reared its ugly head.

Based on that experience, we suspect there may be an issue deeper inside the GRIP SL damper. We should point out that the damper in Mick’s fork has been flawless, and so too have the 32 SC and 34 SC forks that Wil has reviewed previously, so we have no reason to be any more skeptical than usual. Of course it’s still disappointing to encounter any problem with such an expensive fork, though we’ll be sending it off to Fox Australia for further assessment and will update this review once we determine the root cause.

Fox 34 SL vs RockShox SID

Given all the improvements on show with the Fox 34 SL, there’ll be plenty of riders wondering how it compares to its biggest rival; the RockShox SID.

In terms of weight, Fox still has RockShox beat but not by much (1,480g vs 1,516g). As for price the SID Ultimate ($1,715 AUD) is cheaper than the 34 SL Factory Series ($1,899 AUD), though it’s more comparable to the 34 SL Performance Elite ($1,699 AUD). Given the only difference is the flashy Kashima gold stanchions, it’s the Performance Elite version that we’d recommend.

There are some other differences worth noting. The SID offers more tyre clearance (2.6in vs 2.5in), and it also comes with a better warranty (2-years vs 1-year). As we’ve discussed in other fork reviews, we’ve generally found RockShox suspension to be easier to service with fewer specialist tools required.

On the trail the two forks deliver similar torsional rigidity, though if pushed we’d say the SID is perhaps a touch more solid on bigger landings. The 34 SL beats it in terms of outright sensitivity however, offering a glued-to-the-ground ride quality that makes it feel like you’re running a softer compound front tyre. Traction across loose-over-hard trail surfaces is fantastic, with the hyperactive GRIP SL damper soaking up small and medium size rubble with incredible efficacy.

This point of difference between the two forks was highlighted on rocky tech climbs where most of your bodyweight is over the rear wheel. Even when you’re not pushing into the grips the 34 SL continues to work overtime. It rounds off sharp edges nicely, aiding rider comfort and making it easier to maintain your line choice on feature-heavy pinch climbs.

While the SID is an excellent fork, the 34 SL is just that much smoother. We encountered less fatigue and more grip during back-to-back testing, and that meant we were more likely to forget about the fork altogether, which is a very good thing indeed.

Flow’s Verdict

The new Fox 34 SL takes what was already a class-leading XC fork and makes it even better.

The generatively designed chassis not only looks striking, it also adds valuable rigidity that improves steering precision and reduces some of the twanginess we encountered with the previous 34 SC. Moving away from the step-cast lowers opens up room for a bigger volume air spring, and combined with the responsive GRIP SL damper, the 34 SL delivers exceptional traction and comfort in an incredibly lightweight package.

The addition of a 130mm travel option is also exciting news for those who own a short-travel bike and are keen to drop some weight from the front end. That being said, we’d recommend that warp-speed pinners and heavier folks consider opting for the GRIP X damper with its greater range of adjustability and better big-hit control.

If you’re after the lightest 130mm travel fork that money can buy however, we’d struggle to think of anything that comes close to the GRIP SL version. It’s certainly not cheap, but there’s no denying that the 34 SL is a superb XC fork that has elevated the performance bar to a whole new level.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER - Wil Barrett

Hometown

Bendigo, Victoria

Height

175cm

Weight65kg