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Soon after the unveiling of the Öhlins RXF36 m.3, one arrived for us to test. It was built on a Orbea Occam LT, has 160mm of travel, features a completely new chassis built around the TTX18 technology of the DH forks used by Loic Bruni, and has more overlapping internal bushings. This last feature is also found on the new Fox 36 that I presented to you a few weeks ago and is in my opinion an improvement that definitely increases its performance in braking and on the steep, because the bushings slide better, since they flex less due to their greater distance.
Technical characteristics
- Öhlins TTX technology
- 140-160 mm travel (170 for 27.5″)
- Air spring sealed in a cartridge that can be replaced with a classic spring
- Offset of 38, 44 and 51 mm
- 29″ and 27.5″ wheel sizes
- EMTB approved
- Floating axle 15×110
- Weight measured with headstock cut to 19cm; 2060g (with axle bolts)
- Price: €1,520
- Öhlins
The RXF36’s air spring uses a double positive chamber, with the two overlapping and a floating piston separating them. The secondary chamber, called the “ramp up,” which can be adjusted separately with the valve under the right chainstay, has a substantially higher pressure than the main chamber and comes into play only when the pressure in the main chamber is equal to that in the ramp up chamber. At this point, the piston separating the two chambers comes into play as the fork compresses further, effectively combining the two chambers into a single chamber of higher volume. The idea is to ramp up the progressivity of the fork faster than a conventional positive single-chamber design would in the middle part of the stroke to increase support, without continuing to do so aggressively in the deeper part of the stroke. By varying the relative pressures in the two chambers, the inflection point in the stroke can be changed, thus changing the shape of the spring curve in ways that are not possible with a more conventional volume spacer arrangement (the tokens).
Compared to the previous m.2 model, Öhlins has changed the default spring configuration by removing the negative volume spacer and adding a larger main chamber spacer to change the overall spring curve in the stock configuration, but the spring assembly is otherwise the same (and one can switch from an m.2 fork to the m.3 specification or vice versa by swapping spacers).
Öhlins’ long-standing TTX18 twin-tube damper TTX18 is also reintroduced on the RXF36 m.3. It has high and low-speed compression adjustment, and return adjustment. High speeds are adjusted via the 3-click external knob, which also acts as a full lockout in its all-closed position, while those at low speeds have 16 operable clicks of the blue knob.
Öhlins RFX36 m.3 on the trails
The Öhlins RFX36 m.3 took the place of a Fox 36 Grip X and came at a time when I was also testing the new Fox 36 X2. The bar to be measured against was therefore very high, but the Swedish fork did not disappoint, indeed. Supersensitive at the start of the stroke, in classic Öhlins tradition, what really surprised me was how high in the travel it was, thanks to the ramp up chamber that I had adjusted exactly according to the table. I adjusted the sag to 20 percent, which is half of Öhlins’ recommended range (15-25 percent).
This means that on steep and braking I still found myself high in travel, without that annoying mid-stroke sinking that I had found on the RFX34 m.2 and that had forced me to review it negatively. It must also be said that the Öhlins RFX36 m.3 does not use tokens to adjust the progressivity, and the dual chamber operation is great because it offers great feel even when using most of the travel.
The black lockout lever comes in handy on asphalt climbs, although I would prefer more precise compression adjustment at high speeds because, in the end, on a fork of this type you can even do without the lockout. In contrast, compression adjustment at low speeds is very precise and effective.
For skeptics of the dual air chamber found in the right chainstay, it should be mentioned that it is not a negative and a positive chamber as in the past (I no longer remember which edition of the RFX36), which complicated its adjustment. It is simply a high-pressure chamber that comes into play when the fork sinks into its travel, as I explained further up in the article, so one can adjust it independently of the positive to find the most ideal configuration. For example, if one tends to use little travel, one will simply remove some air from the valve located under the right chainstay without going to the main chamber.
I find that the factory directions are already very good, although very “sporty,” in the sense that only when you take big impacts do you approach the end of the stroke. The good thing, as already mentioned, is that one does not feel the need to use the whole stroke at any cost, thanks to the constant behavior of the air spring.
I reiterate that the idea of spacing the bushings further apart benefits the smoothness of the fork especially when braking or in a steep section, when the weight is loaded on the front. A solution that is making the rounds among suspension manufacturers.
I don’t know who mounts a 180mm disc on such a fork, but if there is a need, it is possible.
Conclusions
If you are looking for an all mountain/trail riding fork that is sensitive, sustained and easy to adjust, the new Öhlins RXF36 m.3 is for you. The front wheel literally stays glued to the ground, eating away small and large bumps without blinking. What’s more, the ramp up chamber allows up to fine tuning of the progression curve that you can’t help but like, with no need for tokens. Quite a fight with the new Fox 36, even if the price tag is not for everybody.
The post [Review] Öhlins RFX36 m.3 Fork appeared first on MTB-MAG.COM.
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[[{“value”:”Soon after the unveiling of the Öhlins RXF36 m.3, one arrived for us to test. It was built on a Orbea Occam LT, has 160mm of travel, features a completely new chassis built around the TTX18 technology of the DH forks used by Loic Bruni, and has more overlapping internal bushings. This last feature is also found on the new Fox 36 that I presented to you a few weeks ago and is in my opinion an improvement that definitely increases its performance in braking and on the steep, because the bushings slide better, since they flex less due to
The post [Review] Öhlins RFX36 m.3 Fork appeared first on MTB-MAG.COM.”}]] Read More MTB-MAG.COM
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