The 2006 Fox Racing Shox range has one significant new product and a load of tweaks. The new thing is the DHX Air shock, with all the same toys and damping tech (Boost Valve platformy thing, adjustable ProPedal, adjustable bottom-out resistance, depending on exact model) as the coil version but with a large-volume air sleeve instead of a coil spring. As a result, it's about half the weight of the coil DHX, at 450g for a 222mm shock. Expect to see it all over the place as original equipment.
The RP3 shock has had some tweaks to the ProPedal damping, with more positive lever engagement in the three positions and improved sharp bump performance. The adjustment range as also been widened - minimum ProPedal is less than before, maximum is more. And all Fox forks now have a brake hose guide, so it's bye-bye zip ties. Keep an eye on www.foxracingshox.com for more details.
Sticking with suspension, Marzocchi's forthcoming range includes revisions of existing models, all-new forks with the same name and new forks with new names. The interesting stuff is at the big end. Pretty much everything will have an external rebound damping adjuster, including the 888VF2. The 2006 888 will also come with new flat crowns, making the fork 25mm shorter. There'll also be an 888RC2 with adjustable rebound and compression damping on each leg. The 66 is all-new, with a new lower-leg casting and crown making the single-crown big-hitter considerably shorter. In common with other Marzocchis with new lower castings, the 66 will go to 74mm post-mounts for the brake calipers. That's quite a significant move, but with a lot of currently-available brakes being post-mount native with adaptors for ISO mounts or big rotors, the time looks right for such a change. More details will probably show up on www.marzocchi.com at some point.
Race Face has a cunning new XC seatpost design for 2006. The funky head will take 7 or 8mm saddle rails and has 35mm of fore-aft adjustment. Tilt is adjustable independently and the design is claimed to distribute loads better for enhanced durability. It'll be available as a carbon fibre Next post (215g), 7050 butted aluminium Deus (235g) and a 2014 alu Evolve. Other interesting news from Race Face is that they're almost-but-not-quite dropping ISIS cranks from the range - the entry-level Ride XC crank will be ISIS and RF will continue to make Evolve and SRX ISIS bottom brackets, but everything else is now X-Type outboard bearing stuff. Have a gander at www.raceface.com.
