Description:TALAS stands for "Travel Adjustable Linear Air Spring" - and that's exactly what they do: allow you to dial in the travel across a wide adjustment range without changing the spring rate. This feature makes the TALAS line ideal for "all-mountain" trailbike-type riding - turn down the travel for extended climbing, then crank it up when you hit the top.
For 2005, the TALAS line offers disc-only lowers, and an extra 5mm of travel - they now max out at 130mm. They've continued with some of the best features from '04 as well - super-stiff magnesium casting, 12-click externally adjustable rebound damping, and patented scraper-lip seals that keep oil in and debris out, ensuring the longevity and performance of your fork.
Submitted by
Dauw
a Weekend Warrior
from Laramie, Wyoming Date Reviewed: September 7, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Happy Jack
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Came stock on bike
Strengths:
Very plush fork.
Weaknesses:
Rebound was stuck down when I purchased my bike. However, Fox fixed it for free.
Bike Setup:
Mongoose Teocali Super
Bottom Line:
Very nice fork. Price could be a problem, but it came on my bike stock, which cost only about 2x as much as vendors would sell this fork alone. I have no use for the lockout feature on the RLC. I ride a variety of cross country, fire roads, and Rocky Mountain downhills and I have no complaints.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
calen
a Downhiller
from colorado springs, co and fairfax, ca Date Reviewed: February 5, 2006
Favorite Trail:
güch smoke
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
friend
Strengths:
very light. smooth mid-stroke and resists bottoming, looks good, rebound adjustment very linear, stiff for its weight, TALAS adjustment rules for climbing
Weaknesses:
not supple off the top like a coil fork, wiggles around in rock gardens and nasty roots-could use a 20mm axle, seals leak after 6 months
Similar Products Used:
older marz z-1, mx comp eta, z-150 fr
Bike Setup:
mountain cycle rumble, 30 lbs, trail/ DJ machine
Bottom Line:
very versatile fork - i love it dirt jumping and on colorado moto singletracks with big rollers, jumps, and banked corners - any trail that has only medium and big hits. i can see why 4x racers love this fork. feels choppy and squirmy on rooty, rocky northern california singletrack because the air spring is stiff on small hits. setting the pressure low enough to make it responsive like a coil makes it dive under braking and bottom too often. this is a great trail fork for aggressive xc riding but for gnarlier trails it is not ideal
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Submitted by
Ben Ladd
a Weekend Warrior
from Bath, UK Date Reviewed: September 28, 2005
Favorite Trail:
The Mendips
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
Usual Fox things. Look cool, Stiff as hell, holds your front wheel where you want it.
Weaknesses:
Usual Fox thing: PRICE!
Similar Products Used:
RST 381 AET (poo), Manitou Black (nice)
Bike Setup:
Dawes Acoma with Mainly XT stuff and Raceface Evolve chainset, bars and stem. Mavic Rims on XT and Hope Hubs.
Bottom Line:
I love this fork more than any other purely because it can do everything I want it to. I am no racer by any means. I am roughly 22 pounds and I am 6'3" and I give this fork a beating. I never care about colour schemes and my bike is the biggest conglomeration of random bits you've ever seen. TALAS is lovely, you can adjust it whenever and pop a couple of wheelies and you are off again! If you set the fork up at a decent pressure the fork will hold up well as long as you dont do insane downhill! This fork is for the rider who likes a bit of cross country, a bit of freeriding, and a bit of farting about!
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Submitted by
Tom
a Weekend Warrior
from Westchester Date Reviewed: June 20, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
lightweight, adjustable travel
Weaknesses:
doesn't feel as stable as a fork with 20mm through axle
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi EXR, Sherman Firefly
Bike Setup:
Kona Dawg with BETD suspension linkage(can be either 4.5 0r 5.5 inch rear travel, I have it at 5.5"), Crossmax Emduro wheelset, XT drivetrain, Hayes hydraulic discs, Fox RP3
Bottom Line:
I have had three different forks on this bike. This one is the best when going uphill. The EXR is actually pretty good for the price, but this was a worthwhile upgrade. After putting this fork on my bike it felt really sweet going up hills and on straightaways. I had the Sherman Firefly on a Banshee Morphine. I felt like I wanted more stability in my front end for some of the more aggressive downhill sections I ride (not serious downhill where you want some big triple clamp fork or anything like that). I prefer the way the bike handles on fast rocky downhill with the 20mm axle Sherman Firefly. (Also had to replace Crossmax front wheel with Rhyno Lite from Banshee)20mm axle also allows you to run 8" discs.
For me, I would rather hace a Fox 36, Rock Shox Pike, Sherman Firefly, or any fork with 20mm front axle, although 130mm travel is plenty for me.
I think this fork is a little overpriced and generally over rated, although it is a nice long-travel cross country fork if you're not into anything too aggressive.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
chris m
a Weekend Warrior
from New Jersey Date Reviewed: June 13, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Monster, The Staircase
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$550.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Rides tight, quick steering, lightweight
Weaknesses:
went back to the repair depot after 6 rides, play in stancions
Similar Products Used:
marzocci, rock shox, fox
Bike Setup:
santa cruz heckler, crossmax ,xt this and that, `
Bottom Line:
Waste of my money, It spent more time in Watsonville CA. getting repaired, than it did on my bike, Sure it's light and precise, so what, who wants to shell out all that dough and get stuck with an inferior product. Fox should replace the damn thing, not try to fix it. They lost a customer. Marzocci Rules.
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Submitted by
DLH
a Cross Country Rider
from PacificNW Date Reviewed: April 30, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Bottom Line:
To the twit below -- rate the fork for the features it has - not what you wished it had or you wished you had purchased.
THIS IS A VERY, VERY GOOD FORK - absence of unnecessary adjustments keeps the riding simple... the fork keeps it ON TRACK!
Buy this fork! I rides great, climbs great and the adjustment feature works great! Unless you ride for hours on fire roads and the sight of slight front end bobbing bothers you -- in which case buy what you need for what you ride - a rigid fork.
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Submitted by
cablown11
a Weekend Warrior
from san jose, california Date Reviewed: April 28, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$490.00
Purchased At:
sun bike shop
Strengths:
climbs perfectly, it really change my ride (for the better)
Weaknesses:
none so far
Similar Products Used:
rock shox, manitou black
Bike Setup:
2004 santa cruz blur, avid disc, xt components
Bottom Line:
fox got it perfect but i should have settled for the rlc
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
david david
a Weekend Warrior
from tampa Date Reviewed: April 10, 2005
Favorite Trail:
boyette/alafia
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
lbs
Strengths:
great adjustability - nice to be able to adjust down from 130mm
Weaknesses:
does not have compression dampening
Similar Products Used:
rock shox
Bike Setup:
stumpjumper 120 fsr stock
Bottom Line:
get the rlc model, it has more features - that is why i rated this model only 4 chilis
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
JORGE VIZCAINO
a Weekend Warrior
from GUADALAJARA, JAISCO, MEXICO Date Reviewed: November 23, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$600.00
Purchased At:
MOA BIKES
Strengths:
IT´S VERY TIGTH GOING UP HILL, AND WORKS NICE DOWNHILL
Weaknesses:
I HAVE USED IT FOR 3 MONTHS AND HAVE NOT FOUND ANY WEAKNESS YET
Similar Products Used:
MANITOU SPIDER
Bike Setup:
GIANT XTC FRAME, ESTON MONKEY LITE HANDLEBAR, THOMPOSN ELITE SEATPOST, SELLE ITALIA SEAT, MAVICK 221 RIMS, SHIMANO XT COMPONENTS
Bottom Line:
I CAN GO DOWN A LOT FASTER, WITH THE CONFIDENCE THAT MY SUSPENSION WILL ABSORB THE BUMPS AND HOLES ON THE WAY. IT KEEPS THE FRONT TIRE IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND ALL OF THE TIME AND THAT GIVES ME A LOT OF CONTROL.
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