FOX 32 Step-Cast Fork [Rider Review]

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Fox recently updated their Fox 32 Step Cast, and they definitely put it on a diet. The weight is low enough to consider putting it on a gravel bike. See what our customer thinks of the Fox 32 SC!

Overview

I’m not out to win any races. I ride because I enjoy long days on dirt and singletrack, usually 12–18 miles on the mountain bike or 40–50 miles on gravel, two or three times a week. Fully loaded, I’m about 190lb, and I tend to ride fairly light and smooth. I also ride year-round in the desert Southwest, where trails are dusty, rocky, and rarely smooth. I wanted one bike that could do almost everything I ask of it.

This setup lives on a Salsa Cutthroat, with the idea that it can be a drop-bar hardtail mountain bike, then, with a few changes, turn into a capable gravel bike, and eventually a bikepacking rig. For gravel, I run a rigid Salsa fork, Roval Control SL wheels, a 2.1” Cannonball up front, and a 47mm Renegade in the rear, plus an Ergon CF Allroad Pro seatpost. It’s not meant to be a speed racer, more of a comfortable, confidence-inspiring all-day setup.

For trail days, I swap to a FOX 32 SC Factory 100mm fork and Zipp 1Zero HiTop S wheels with a Maxxis Dissector 2.4” front, Ikon 2.4” rear, and a RockShox AXS dropper. That’s the combo I’m reviewing here. I also waited about six months before writing this, wanting to put real time and miles on both the fork and wheels before sharing any opinions.

Coming from a 2019 Fox 34 SC Factory 120mm on a Specialized Epic Evo, I didn’t expect the new 32 SC to feel like a big step forward. I’ve always taken talk of “updated internals” with a grain of salt. In this case, though, it’s very real. This fork feels dramatically smoother and more controlled than my old fork, almost like it has more travel than the numbers suggest. Small bumps and trail chatter just disappear, yet it still has great support when things get rougher.

I played around with the setup and ended up with no volume spacers, slightly less air than Fox recommends, and rebound at the suggested setting. That gave me a plush top end without blowing through travel. Reviews I read talked about how stiff the current Step-Cast chassis feels for a 32 and how it’s aimed at riders who want XC weight with more control, and that matches my experience. It tracks well and never feels nervous. The only downside is that if you really hammer hard, braking bumps or big hits, you can tell it’s still a lightweight XC fork. For what I ride, that hasn’t been a problem.

The Zipp 1Zero HiTop S wheels have been just as impressive, but more quietly. They spin up quickly, climb well, and have a bit of compliance that takes the edge off rough, high-frequency bumps that are common out here, without feeling vague. Reviewers often describe them as light and lively rather than ultra-stiff, and I’d agree. They don’t have that dead, overbuilt feel some trail wheels do, but instead make the bike feel energetic and easy to keep moving. Hub engagement isn’t lightning fast, but in real riding, I’ve never found it to be an issue.

What really stands out is how the fork and wheels work together. On singletrack, the bike feels smooth, predictable, and far less fatiguing over a couple of hours than I expected from a 100mm front end. When I swap back to the rigid fork and gravel setup, I still get that comfortable, composed ride I’m after for long dirt roads and mixed surfaces.

Final Thoughts

For my kind of riding—long, steady days, mixed terrain, and a focus on comfort and fun over outright speed—this combo has been a great match. It makes the Cutthroat feel like two bikes in one without big compromises. If you ride steep, chunky trails all the time, you might want more fork or stiffer wheels. But if you want a light, smooth, versatile setup that can handle trail rides, gravel, and future bikepacking, this has been exactly what I hoped