38 Factory

mtb– USD

Origin

Fill gap between 36 (trail/AM) and 40 (DH) — maximum single-crown enduro fork for EWS/EDR racing and aggressive AM riding Fox Factory, Scotts Valley / Watsonville, California. Damper philosophy credited to Sergio Avanto (20yr motocross/supercross background, tuner for James Stewart, Jeremy McGrath). RockShox ZEB (launched same year, 2020), Ohlins RXF38 RockShox ZEB Ultimate A3, Ohlins RXF38 m.3, Marzocchi Bomber Z1 Coil

Did you know

01Fox states the 38 is their best-selling fork (confirmed by Fox in public statements, 2025)
02Both Fox 38 and RockShox ZEB launched in April 2020 — no coincidence, both responding to EWS demand for stiffer single-crown enduro forks
03The GRIP X2 damper design was inspired by motocross/supercross suspension philosophy: big ports (24mm base valve, 23 shims vs 20mm/7 shims in GRIP2) for plush-yet-controlled feel
04MY2027 torsional stiffness was intentionally REDUCED by 6.8% — a counterintuitive but deliberate choice to improve trail-following and reduce rider fatigue on rough terrain
05MY2027 air spring runs ~20% lower pressure than prior gen for the same sag — result of Glidecore design and larger negative chamber
06Fox Podium USD fork ($2,000) was used to develop Glidecore and revised GRIP X2 — MY2027 38 inherits that R&D at $630 less
07MY2027 internals are NOT backward-compatible with MY2020-2026 38 chassis — no upgrade path for existing 38 owners
08Richie Rude won multiple EWS/EDR World Championships on Fox 38 — most notably 2025 EDR World Championship

Who it’s for

enduro racer (EWS/EDR/national series)aggressive all-mountain riderheavy rider (75kg+) wanting maximum single-crown controle-MTB rider (approved up to 169kg system weight)rider who values set-and-forget composure over playfulness