Rock Shox Argyle vs. FOX 32 TALAS?

Hi lee
I am looking to upgrade my forks, I have Fox 32 Talas rlc on my 06 P.2 Cr-Mo. The talas feels flexi, always has, I want a 20 mm front axle what fork would you recommend. I don’t have tons of money. I remember a post where you said the guys from PUSH liked the 318 Argyle. Can you elaborate on that, I see 308, 318 and 409 I believe are the models. Just wandering what your thoughts are.
Thanks and keep on BRAAAPING
Stefan

Hey Stefan,

I’ve heard great things about the Rock Shox Argyle forks. The fact the crew from PUSH rides and tunes them is worth noting. They tell me the new generation of Rock Shox forks have a solid platform with good damping.

There are three Argyle models:

302 – $400 – coil spring with only rebound adjustment, 5.5 lbs

318 – $450 – coil spring with adjustable Motion Control damping, 5.6 lbs

409 – $575 – air spring with adjustable Motion Control damping, 5.2 lbs

At a recent jump jam at Jimmy’s house, a mix of 318 and 409 Argyles were flying through the air.

Mike K styles a 409.

The underside of Nick’s 409.

318, quarter pipe style.

Jimmy Himself, a principle at PUSH, on an older Rockshox.

If you can afford a 409, that’ll be a great fork. I love the tunability of an air spring. But remember you need a new wheel, so add a couple hundred bucks to the price. Call it about $700-800 retail out the door. Ouch.

Or you can rock a 318. You settle for a coil spring, and you still have to build a wheel. $600-700.

Neither option is inexpensive, and both are more than a pound heavier than your 4.0-lb TALAS.

If you’re made of money, go ahead and throw down on a 409 and a new wheel. If you “don’t have tons of money,” ride what you have. A whole lot of people ride extremely well on FOX 32mm forks. Jared Graves comes to mind. Brian Lopes rode them when he was with FOX.

Until you ride your 32mm FOX fork as hard as Lopes rides his, don’t tell me your flexy fork is holding you back. His Lopesness pulls 2.5Gs on the original Fix pump track, circa March 2005.

I ride FOX forks. I feel the flex of my old TALAS and my new F100. Can I say the flex holds me back? Heck no.

Ride your bike.

— Lee