FOX FLOAT X Rear Shock [Rider Review]

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for. 

There is a lot to be said about upgrading the rear shock on a Mountain Bike. There's also a lot to choose from. You can go with the lightest shock on the market, the best performing shock, or something in-between. The Fox Float X is somewhere in-between. Our friend, Jeff, has been testing the Float X. Check it out!

Overview

I purchased the new Fox Float X Performance Elite shock as a replacement for the OEM Fox DPS that came with my Trek Fuel EX.  After much research and tons of internet trolling, I decided to go with the Fox Float X.  I am not a fan of the Kashima finish, so I was thrilled to find out the only difference between the Factory and the Performance Elite was the Kashima finish. With the Performance Elite, I get the same factory shock in a stealth black finish that matches my bike better.  Plus, it saved $80 over the factory price!  On top of that, the awesome guys at Worldwide Cyclery just happened to be offering 15% off site-wide so I got an amazing deal on the shock.  Thanks, guys for hooking me up!

Upon ordering the shock, I was a little concerned as the website said the item was not in stock and had to be “special ordered”.  I was thrilled to get an email a couple of days later with a ship date only 1 week out!  That is the fastest “special order” I have ever placed!  I had the shock in my hands within 1.5 weeks of ordering.  Again, kudos to the team at Worldwide Cyclery!  Best shop ever!

Once the shock arrived, I could hardly wait to get it on my bike.  I quickly took the old shock off and then froze in bewilderment as the existing mounting hardware didn’t just easily slip off like I naively assumed it would.  I knew I could reuse the existing hardware, but didn’t know it could be a little tricky.  Not to be defeated, I scoured YouTube for videos and found some very helpful ones on the Worldwide Cyclery website.  I soon discovered that I didn’t need to have a special shock bushing removal tool and vice as claimed in many videos.  I simply used a size 6m socket, inserted it into the bushing, and pushed hard and the bushing popped right out!  Installing the hardware onto the new shock was a breeze as well, simply follow the same process in reverse.

Once the shock was installed I was ready to set it up.  Fox’s website gives a simple-to-follow setup guide that is a great starting point.  Use that to set up the proper air pressure, rebound and sag.  Then, adjust to your liking after a few test rides to get the shock dialed in.  I will have to admit, as much as I love riding, I know my limits on what I feel comfortable working on myself and what I take to the LBS to have the experts work on. This is definitely something the average Joe can do themselves without taking to the shop.

Final Thoughts

As for the performance of the shock itself, all I can say is wow!  Big difference from the OEM DPS.  I feel much more grounded to the dirt and smoother on bigger jumps and long descents.  Seems to flow over rocks and roots better, giving me more confidence to send it faster and harder.  So far I haven’t noticed much difference on climbs as some reviews stated an increase in a pedal bob.  I was expecting to have to flip the lever too stiff but found I didn’t need to.  Unless standing up, I didn’t notice any difference when climbing.  However, the descent is a whole different story.  The bike flows over the bumps much smoother and seems to recover more quickly.  So far, the only time I flip the switch now is the paved climb out of Sycamore Canyon going up the beast!  Overall, very satisfied with the purchase!