Have you ever wondered if the Fox CTD Suspension System stands up to all the hype? White Pine Touring powered by jans.com Cycling Team Member, Patrick Batten, put it to the test while riding the 2013 Trek Superfly 100 Elite over a period of four months. Like most mountain bikers, and all bike racers, Patrick held nothing back when testing the Fox suspension system. Read on to see why this mountain bike racer gave the Fox CTD a 5 star rating. And if you’d like to experience this climb, trail and descend suspension firsthand, click here to demo the Trek Superfly Elite 100 SL that is the same model which Patrick tested.
Fork Stiffness
The fork on the FOX CTD suspension system has good stiffness and excellent trail following characteristics. It is easy to set up within a short period of time when carrying a shock pump on a ride with variable terrain. Initially I set the fork sag as recommended in the manual, but have reduced the air pressure for a smoother ride and have not touched it since. The shock works very well on all terrain and I have never had any desire to try to improve it. The rebound is set at the factory recommended setting.
Climbing
The CTD (Climb, Trail, Descend) settings on the shock and fork make the ride customizable for road, cross-country, and downhill biking. The Climb setting is basically a lockout, which makes any time spent on the road more fun. Standing up for a sprint or just climbing a steep hill is more enjoyable without any pedal or weight induced bob.
Trail Mode
In the Trail mode, the fork and shock on the Fox CTD suspension are semi-active, which reduces bob while climbing and still allows the suspension to smooth out the terrain. I use this mode almost all the time as it is very efficient while pedaling my Trek Superfly 100 Elite mountain bike.
Descending
The Descend mode is excellent for longer duration downhills where there is less pedaling required. I really like to use this mode for any downhill sections as it completely opens the suspension and allows me to descend much smoother and faster. The difference between the Trail and Descend mode is less noticeable on the fork than on the shock. I think this is because pedal induced bob is more apparent on the rear than on the front of the bike.
I really like the performance of the Fox CTD Suspension System because it makes my mountain bike perform better in all terrain. I also have the top-of-the-line 2013 32 Float CTD FIT 15QR 100mm Kashima on a hardtail Scott Scale 29er, and find the small bump performance to be better with that fork. For anyone considering a fork purchase, I recommend the higher end model. Overall, I recommend the CTD system for its variable performance modes, exceptional stiffness and excellent ride quality.
Patrick Batten, White Pine Touring, powered by jans.com Team Member