# 2014 Fox 34 TALAS CTD Evolution vs. RS Pike for heavier rider



## bluntrager (Jul 7, 2013)

I pre-ordered a Trek Slash 8 and am wondering if the fork that comes on the 7 would suit me better, and if so, how I might be able to cheaply make the switch through my LBS. I plan on using the bike for everything from XC to DH, but my most of my riding will be on rocky singletrack and bike park.

The 7 comes with the new RS Pike and the 8 comes with the Fox TALAS 34 CTD Evolution Series. I already pre-ordered the 8 for goodies like the RS Reverb post, 142x12 axles, and better components; however, I am thinking the RS Pike might be a better fork for me because I am ~210 pounds with gear and it has 35mm stanchions.

So...here are some questions:
Would that extra 1mm on the RS stanchions make a significant difference in the ride quality based on my weight? (I'm fearing the "wet noodle" effect).
Would I be better off getting a completely different fork and hubs with 20mm thru axles considering my weight?

Are the CTD and TALAS options really worth it? Do they really sacrifice some of the performance of the fork? I know a lot of people hate them, especially after the flub of 2013, but from what I've read the 2014s are a significant improvement and ride like a Float.

...So how would a new Float compare to the Pike?

Is the RS Pike more tunable? This will be my first FS bike, so I'm sure the CTD might be nice at first--especially because I ride in a wide variety of terrain. But I'd like to have the option to tune it to my liking once I figure out that is.

Anyways, if the answers to these questions point me to RS, how can I get my LBS to make the switch without spending much? ​


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## moefosho (Apr 30, 2013)

bluntrager said:


> So...here are some questions:
> Would that extra 1mm on the RS stanchions make a significant difference in the ride quality based on my weight? (I'm fearing the "wet noodle" effect).
> *The 1 mm will not be noticeable. Both the Talas and Pike are extremely sturdy forks. *
> Would I be better off getting a completely different fork and hubs with 20mm thru axles considering my weight?
> ...


*replied in bold*
Answer, They are both great forks and I have rode both RS and Fox. I would just stick with what comes with the bike.


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## bluntrager (Jul 7, 2013)

^^Thanks a lot, that is all good to hear. I'll probably stick with the Fox then. Really like the black stanchions though. 

Anyone else who has ridden both, please feel free to weigh in.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

LOL, already? Wait until you get the bike. 

I have a CTD shock. Actually, I find I like it. It's very simple to use. 'C' is a pretty firm lockout, nice if I'm climbing a service road out of the saddle. 'T' is pretty stable, possibly firmer than I'd like, actually, but nobody's holding a gun to my head. I use it on 'D' on descents (duh  ) and I'm finding it works well on flat to rolling singletrack.

By contrast, my RS fork has several compression damper settings. Like six, including lockout. I find I only use it on no clicks, two clicks, or locked out anyway. So the three position concept makes a lot of sense to me.

Why did you order axles? Your bike comes complete.

Actually, the TALAS sounds like a great fork for your use. I can't remember if the Slash is the big honkin' bike or the more modestly sized one, but a lot of "too much bike" problems should be alleviated by using less travel. That will drop your bottom bracket and steepen your head angle.


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## bluntrager (Jul 7, 2013)

Well...I tend to over-think things, and with the amount of money I'm paying, I definitely wanna get the best bike for my buck hah. 

Thanks for the details on the Fox/RS adjustments. Sounds like the CTD concept actually makes more sense for the kind of riding I'll be doing, though I had my doubts at first.

I didn't order axles, but based on my weight (~215 with gear), I thought it might be a good idea to have a 20 mm axle and a fork with thicker stanchions. 

Sounds like you remember my "too much bike post" haha. I plan on doing some XC with it, so the adjustable travel seems like a good thing.

Thanks! Time to quit over-thinking things!


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

I've been spending all morning over-thinking a question about an air line.  There's money to be lost by getting it wrong the first time, though.

Last summer, I got to pretend to be a manufacturing engineer. One of the big points in manufacturing engineering is that in order to come to a better future state, one needs to understand what the current state is. Your current state is that you're riding your old bike, so you're almost guaranteed a better future state.  But, you aren't going to know anything that actually effects you about your new bike until you've had it for a while.

Doesn't the bike already come with some form of big honkin' through axle?

Remember, you've already paid for everything on this bike. If you replace anything, it means you get to pay for that component twice. For bang-for-the-buck, it's pretty much impossible to beat riding a bike stock and spending money on maintenance only. Not that I can do that either.


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## bluntrager (Jul 7, 2013)

AndrwSwitch said:


> I've been spending all morning over-thinking a question about an air line.  There's money to be lost by getting it wrong the first time, though.
> 
> Last summer, I got to pretend to be a manufacturing engineer. One of the big points in manufacturing engineering is that in order to come to a better future state, one needs to understand what the current state is. Your current state is that you're riding your old bike, so you're almost guaranteed a better future state.  But, you aren't going to know anything that actually effects you about your new bike until you've had it for a while.
> 
> ...


Seems like over-thinking is a common theme of these forums haha. Coming from an entry level 29er with 32mm stanchions and 100mm of spring travel, I'm sure I'll be blown away by my future state. It's going to be a torturous wait til late November though. The bike comes with the a 15 mm QR axle, which I'm sure will be fine, but at 200+ pounds, I've been thinking a lot about whether or not I should try to get burlier components while I'll still have a chance to sell their smaller siblings as new. My hope was that if I did decide to change anything (which is now highly unlikely), I'd be able to sell the stuff as new to the LBS and pay a marginal difference, if any. I'm throwin all those thoughts out the window now though and will just be riding the sh*t outta my 29er so I can just lose that extra weight I've been so concerned about haha.


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## QuickNick12 (Oct 9, 2009)

34 is a great fork, the pike however is the best feeling fork i have ridden thus far. Between those two forks though it comes down to what comes on the bike. If you were comparing a 32mm or 36mm stanchion fork it would be a different story, but I would just enjoy the 34mm that comes on the SLash 8


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