New Fox Float X air and DHX coil rear shocks for aggressive trail riders and a couple of new Fox 34 forks for down-country mountain bikes.

Read more: Best mountain bike forks, get the best suspension fork for your bike

Firm mode / climb switch and numbered damping dials

Fox Float X and Fox DHX shocks

Shock first. Both the Float X and the DHX are single tube designs (as opposed to the fancier two tube designs of the Float X2 and DHX2).

In something of a first for Fox stuff, there’s a climb switch on both shocks. Fox don’t call it a ‘climb switch’ – preferring the term ‘firm mode’ – but it’s pretty much exclusively designed for use when going uphill. Less bob, more support, for increased efficiency and maintaining steeper geometry. There will also be bar-mounted remote lockouts available for engaging/disengaging firm mode on-the-fly. These will mainly be of interest to racers rather than recreational riders.

You may also notice that the other damping dials have little numbers printed on them. Which is a neat and most welcome way to help us all keep track of what we’re doing with our twiddlings.

The air sprung Float X will come with more volume spacers than previous Fox shocks. Five regular spacers (0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 08. and 1.0) plus there’s also 0.1 additional spacer for fine-tuning the end-stroke that cna be paired with any of the regular spacers.

Fox 34 and Fox 34 SC

34 is the stanchion diameter in millimetres. SC stands for StepCast ie. that chuck shaved out of the inside lower legs.

The new 34 is aimed at trail riders while the 34 SC is aimed more at hard-charging nu-skool XC racers and/or the down-country brigade.

The 34 SC comes in 100-120mm travel options and with either a FIT4 or GRIP damper. The 34 SC accepts up to 180mm rotor size and up to 2.4in tyres. Claimed weight for 100mm travel 34 SC is 1,496g. The 34 SC has a new EVOL air spring with bigger positive and negative chambers. And the negative chamber is also tuneable with a volume spacer, which is to alter the start of stroke feel.

You’ll also notice on the 34 SC the bypass channels on the rear of the lowers. Seen on longer travel 36, 38 and 40 Fox forks, these channels allow any potentially trapped air to escape above the wipers and bushings, for more consistent performance. These channels should also enable more riders to access full travel from the fork. There’s no bleed valves on the channels of the 34 SC as Fox say it would add weight and complication to what is essentially a trail fork.

The 34 comes in 120-140mm travel options and a choice of FIT4, GRIP2 or GRIP damper. The 34 takes up to 203mm rotors and 2.6in tyres. Claimed weight is 1,698g.

Both forks are Boost and 29er only. They come in two flavours of offset (44 or 51mm) and in either Performance or the more expensive Factory guises. Both forks have the new angled-forward arch, to help with clearance at full-travel on modern MTBs that have fat head tubes.

Prices and options

34 Float SC Factory FIT4 – SRP £1119 (100mm and 120mm travel, orange or black, 44mm/51mm offset, 29” only)

34 Float SC Performance GRIP – SRP £929 (120mm, black, 44mm, 29” only)

34 Float Factory FIT4 – SRP £1059 (130mm and 140mm travel, orange or black, 44mm/51mm offset, 29” only)

34 Float Factory GRIP2 – SRP £1139 (130mm and 140mm travel, orange or black, 44mm/51mm offset, 29” only)

34 Float Performance Elite – SRP £959 (120, black, 44mm, 29” only)

34 Float Performance – SRP £879 (140mm, black, 44mm, 29” only)

Float X Factory 2pos-adj – SRP £659 (trunnion and metric sizes)

Float X Performance Elite – 2pos-adj SRP £569 (metric)

DHX Factory 2pos-adj – SRP £629 (trunnion and metric sizes)