Fox Float RL & Talas RL - What's the difference?

Jenny Taylia
Jenny Taylia Posts: 269
edited September 2012 in MTB buying advice
Hi.

A bit of advice please.

Is there any difference in build quality etc between the Fox Float RL and the Fox Talas RL, other than the ability to adjust the travel?
Is one a better fork or are they basically the same?
Do they both suffer from the stansion wear issue I've heared about?

Oh, and what is the RLC version over the RL?

thanks
'98 Rockhopper
'99 Trek VRX 200
'08 Cape Wrath (49cc Engine Mod!)
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Comments

  • BikeSwan
    BikeSwan Posts: 260
    Basically the Talas is the travel adjustable version of the Float. There's little to no difference in build quality, both are very solid forks. The Talas weighs a bit more because of the travel adjust feature, but other than that they are very similar.

    To answer your question about the ware. I haven't heard of any stanchion ware issues with the current range of Fox forks.

    With the RLC you can adjust more settings about the fork than with the RL.

    Hope that helps!
    “Don’t buy upgrades, ride up grades.”

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  • benpinnick
    benpinnick Posts: 4,148
    The float s smoother through its travel than the talas. The C in RLC means you get compression damping adjustment. Fox forks don't suffer stanchion issues, other than the ridiculous service interval recommendation (which I have found is best ignored) fox forks hae a good reliability record.
    A Flock of Birds
    + some other bikes.
  • Jenny Taylia
    Jenny Taylia Posts: 269
    benpinnick wrote:
    The float s smoother through its travel than the talas. The C in RLC means you get compression damping adjustment. Fox forks don't suffer stanchion issues, other than the ridiculous service interval recommendation (which I have found is best ignored) fox forks hae a good reliability record.


    thanks, that answers that, though I've seen this thread that covers similar ground, which lead me to believe that the Fox range were less "Reliable" , less robust and wear out quicker than RS Revelations, for instance.

    Take a gander: viewtopic.php?f=20005&t=12873471

    Any more comments about Fox durability? And what benefit would I get, if any, from 36's over 32's?

    Also, is the "Float" range newer / better than the "F" range?

    Ta
    '98 Rockhopper
    '99 Trek VRX 200
    '08 Cape Wrath (49cc Engine Mod!)
  • benpinnick
    benpinnick Posts: 4,148
    36 are stiffer. Meant for heavy duty applications. Hard to say wether you need them without knowing how you ride. The f is the lighter version of the fork. f = xc, float = trail, vanilla = dh/fr. At least to some extent.
    A Flock of Birds
    + some other bikes.
  • lawman
    lawman Posts: 6,868
    standard fox coatings can wear over time if neglected, more so if you dont change seals every year or so, Kashima fox forks have fewer issues are a great forks, my float Rlc's are the best forks I've ever ridden
  • Jenny Taylia
    Jenny Taylia Posts: 269
    benpinnick wrote:
    36 are stiffer. Meant for heavy duty applications. Hard to say wether you need them without knowing how you ride. The f is the lighter version of the fork. f = xc, float = trail, vanilla = dh/fr. At least to some extent.

    Thanks once again for your very informative reply.

    Excuse me sounding dumb but, you say "The f is the lighter version of the fork. f = xc, float = trail, vanilla = dh/fr" . . . what is XC (I know it's Cross Country) and what is Trail? & How do you define between them?

    I'm about 16 stone and ride gravel trails, forest roads, woodland stuff, nothing extreme DH or gnarly and not hugely fast either.
    '98 Rockhopper
    '99 Trek VRX 200
    '08 Cape Wrath (49cc Engine Mod!)
  • benpinnick
    benpinnick Posts: 4,148
    Mainly depends on how much travel you want to have? How much are you after?
    A Flock of Birds
    + some other bikes.
  • Jenny Taylia
    Jenny Taylia Posts: 269
    benpinnick wrote:
    Mainly depends on how much travel you want to have? How much are you after?

    I'm after 140mm travel
    '98 Rockhopper
    '99 Trek VRX 200
    '08 Cape Wrath (49cc Engine Mod!)
  • benpinnick
    benpinnick Posts: 4,148
    My personal recommendation would be a Float 140 from your options then. If you can afford it in 34, otherwise 32. That said, If it were my money, i'd go straight to Merlin Cycles website and buy the 2013 Revelation RLT for £350. Bargain.
    A Flock of Birds
    + some other bikes.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Jenny Taylia wrote:
    benpinnick wrote:
    36 are stiffer. Meant for heavy duty applications. Hard to say wether you need them without knowing how you ride. The f is the lighter version of the fork. f = xc, float = trail, vanilla = dh/fr. At least to some extent.

    Thanks once again for your very informative reply.

    Excuse me sounding dumb but, you say "The f is the lighter version of the fork. f = xc, float = trail, vanilla = dh/fr" . . . what is XC (I know it's Cross Country) and what is Trail? & How do you define between them?

    I'm about 16 stone and ride gravel trails, forest roads, woodland stuff, nothing extreme DH or gnarly and not hugely fast either.
    He's ovecomplicating things by excessive pigeon-holing them.
    the "float" means it's air sprung. "Vanilla" means it's a coil spring.
    My photos
  • benpinnick
    benpinnick Posts: 4,148
    No hes not.
    A Flock of Birds
    + some other bikes.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Ooh, now he's talking about himself in the third person. Never trust a person who talks about themselves in the third person. Or calls themselves "one".
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  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    One should always give anyone calling themselves one a sharp poke in the eye.
    I don't do smileys.

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  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    I'll poke your eye in a minute.
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  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    I refuse to sink to your level and will not under any circumstances suggest that you don't have a good poke in you.
    So there.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • Jenny Taylia
    Jenny Taylia Posts: 269
    And the topic of the post was? . . . . . . . . . . :roll:
    '98 Rockhopper
    '99 Trek VRX 200
    '08 Cape Wrath (49cc Engine Mod!)
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Does it even matter? It was resolved ages ago. Let the usual chaos commence. Like Stephen King's langoliers, we come here to return nature and order to chaos.
    My photos
  • Jenny Taylia
    Jenny Taylia Posts: 269
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    Does it even matter? It was resolved ages ago. Let the usual chaos commence. Like Stephen King's langoliers, we come here to return nature and order to chaos.

    I can't see anywhere in this thread, any comments from you about the subject I'm wanting to discuss! :evil:

    Just crass comments about other people, totally unprovoked and off topic.

    Is there any reason you're posting here? Or do you just need a friend to "Talk" to? :lol:

    Either way, As the OP, I'll decide when I have enough info and when the discussion is over, all those who have CONTRIBUTED will stop, however, I'm sure you will try to continue, as you seem to do (After reading your post history!)

    Please leave the grownups to their discussions and take your childish side-swipe comments back to your lonely corner in the playground.

    Thank you and have a lovely day (Somewhere else) :mrgreen:
    '98 Rockhopper
    '99 Trek VRX 200
    '08 Cape Wrath (49cc Engine Mod!)
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Jenny Taylia wrote:
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    Does it even matter? It was resolved ages ago. Let the usual chaos commence. Like Stephen King's langoliers, we come here to return nature and order to chaos.

    I can't see anywhere in this thread, any comments from you about the subject I'm wanting to discuss! :evil:

    Just crass comments about other people, totally unprovoked and off topic.

    Is there any reason you're posting here? Or do you just need a friend to "Talk" to? :lol:
    Now you're just being rude. I explained in simple terms what the difference is between float, and vanilla. It's got nothing to do with disciplines.
    My photos
  • benpinnick
    benpinnick Posts: 4,148
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    Jenny Taylia wrote:
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    Does it even matter? It was resolved ages ago. Let the usual chaos commence. Like Stephen King's langoliers, we come here to return nature and order to chaos.

    I can't see anywhere in this thread, any comments from you about the subject I'm wanting to discuss! :evil:

    Just crass comments about other people, totally unprovoked and off topic.

    Is there any reason you're posting here? Or do you just need a friend to "Talk" to? :lol:
    Now you're just being rude. I explained in simple terms what the difference is between float, and vanilla. It's got nothing to do with disciplines.

    No, you explained in simpletons terms one difference between the forks, neglecting to mention the different fork lowers and axle options, stanchion diameters, damper options as well as travel differences which define the use of the fork as much if not more than the type of spring. Yes they're pigeon holed - so what? You're arguing against it is tired and pointless. Oh, and my third person reference was in response to your rudeness.
    A Flock of Birds
    + some other bikes.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    What? No, it really IS as simple as Vanilla = coil - float = air.
    That's it. The coil tends to be cheaper and heavier, the air more expensive and lighter.
    My photos
  • benpinnick
    benpinnick Posts: 4,148
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    What? No, it really IS as simple as Vanilla = coil - float = air.
    That's it. The coil tends to be cheaper and heavier, the air more expensive and lighter.

    Not always. They only settled on that once the Van become the dominant coil fork. I'm guessing they just kept the vanilla for those unwilling to move to air, and merged the float /vanilla to cut costs. Before that the 3 had distinct options, with the vanilla having the long travel options over the floats, and the f series being basically special XC only versions. Fair enough I was thinking of the Van over the now defunct vanilla, but doesn't change my point.
    A Flock of Birds
    + some other bikes.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Well, it does, since that IS the distinction now! Hell, there's even a fox40 float - how is that not a DH fork?
    My photos
  • benpinnick
    benpinnick Posts: 4,148
    Umm. They don't make vanillas any more. Sorry to be the one to break that to you.
    A Flock of Birds
    + some other bikes.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Don't they? Oh.
    So it's even simpler then. They make floats. They don't make vanillas.
    My photos
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Er.. Yes they do. Not sure if this link works, since I'm on a mobile.
    http://www.foxracingshox.com/filter.php ... ref=topnav

    There, 36 vanilla.
    My photos
  • benpinnick
    benpinnick Posts: 4,148
    Hmm. Vanilla float. I used to love those when I was a kid. Sorry, ypu were saying? Thats a Van, which if were including as Vanillas then my generalization is even more valid, as they don't make Vans that are anything but big and burly. The currently available air 40s arent really floats by the way (Flans?). They have coil springs and air. Who knows what 2014 will bring.
    A Flock of Birds
    + some other bikes.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Are you for real?
    Van, vanilla is a coil sprung fox. Float is an air sprung one. That's all there is to it. Give it a frigging rest already.
    My photos
  • benpinnick
    benpinnick Posts: 4,148
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    Are you for real?

    Yes, this is not in your head.
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    Van, vanilla is a coil sprung fox. Float is an air sprung one.

    Absolutely.
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    That's all there is to it.

    Apart from all the various axle sizes differences and travels, yes. Oh, and Vans only come in 36 now. Whereas floats come in 32,34 and 36. That too.
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    Give it a frigging rest already.

    I think thats probably for the best.
    A Flock of Birds
    + some other bikes.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Argh, no, look van or vanilla is synonymous with "coil" as far as fox are concerned.
    There's air and coil 36s, with 180mm travel. Two options of the same fork, with the same intended use. The van isn't intended for burlier use, its just a different feeling, heavier option.
    What they use to differentiate between use scenarios, is the leg diameter, and occasionally, the travel.
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