The all-new Öhlins RXF34 m.2 is a completely revamped 29er downcountry fork built to get the most out of the latest crop of long-travel XC, marathon, and short-travel trail bikes. Significantly lighter with simplified single air internals & shorter 120/130m travel, the second generation RXF34 is a completely different animal, yet still ready to make your lightweight, short-travel trail bike faster and more fun…
Öhlins RXF34 120/130mm light trail fork
Premium Swedish suspension maker Öhlins has been updating & upgrading their mountain bike forks with m.2 (mark two) versions of their 140-170mm RXF36 all-mountain trail & 160-180mm RXF38 enduro/freeride forks. Now the smaller 34mm stanchion fork gets its own overhaul, dialed back to 120-130mm of travel to pair to modern 100-130mm travel cross-country, downcountry, and light trail bikes.
Öhlins says, “Modern short-travel bike design needs suspension to match. The RXF34 m.2 is designed to maximise enjoyment of the downcountry riding style. Go fast. Keep momentum.”
What’s new?
The secret to big weight savings is a brand new 27% lighter OTX18 downcountry damper, optimized for shorter travel, lighter bikes, and less-aggressive riding styles. An evolution of the twin tube separated oil circuits & 2+1 air chambers of the gravity-ready TTX18, this new one tube OTX18 damper still gets the same 18mm internal piston but a simplified 1+1 positive & self-adjusting negative air chamber that Ohlins says is better suited for fast, lightweight trail bikes.
The simplified damper still gets premium fine-tuning adjustability, with 15 clicks of low-speed compression, 15 clicks of rebound adjust, plus 3-position high-speed compression for fully open descending, supportive trail & locked-out climb mode.
In fact, there’s even more adjustability now, as Ohlins has added an easy-to-use air volume spacer system that allows the rider to simply snap together up to 5-6 volume spacers to modify the air spring curve to their liking.
Plus, Ohlins offers a large database of setting that they’ve tested, ridden, and can recommend for mountain bikers looking to further customize their ride.
Stiffness has always been a key target for Ohlins forks for precise steering and overall predictable handling, and the new RXF34 m.2 is said to have received a new “flex pattern tailored for lightweight trail riding”. The fork’s closed-end lowers help boost stiffness, increase air volume & trail durability, letting the fork deliver smooth small bump sensitivity & plush travel so mountain bikers can tune to their individual riding style.
Tech details
The new RXF34 m.2 is a 29er-only mountain bike suspension fork with 44mm offset, and the option for 120mm or 130mm of travel. Even though it features a simpler single air OTX18 damper, travel is still not easily adjustable, but it is now at least possible. Swapping from one to the other seems to require a complete fork service and replacement of some of the damper’s internals.
The new downcountry fork sticks with the same 34mm stanchions, one-piece crown & steerer, and floating axle design that uses a pinch bolt in addition to the standard 15mm bolt-on axle in order to decrease axle friction while maintaining high stiffness. The new fork of course gets updated to modern Boost spacing.
The shorter travel, lighter Öhlins RXF34 m.2 fork is said to weigh just 1698g (without volume spacers) and is still rated for eMTB use. Designed for 160mm post mount brakes, you can bolt up to a 203mm rotor, and fit up to a 29 x 2.6″ tire.
Ohlins RXF34 – Pricing, options & availability
The all-new Öhlins RXF34 m.2 fork is available to order starting today, replacing the original, factory preset to either 120mm (531mm axle-crown) or 130mm (541mm a-c). Either travel variant of the revamped downcountry fork will set you back the same $1180 / £1185 / 1294€, as you aim to upgrade your short travel 29er trail bike.
First Ride Impressions
We’ve had the new RXF34 m.2 fork for only a few short weeks, but have been squeezing fast trail rides in between breaks in snow and freezing weather. Swapping out the stock Fox 34 Step Cast fork on the Canyon Lux Trail, the new Ohlins fork added a bit of extra weight, but a noticeably boost in stiffness and confidence on technical trails.
Check out our detailed First Rides impressions and the actual Öhlins RXF34 m.2 weight.
