Light trail bikes are getting more burly, so Öhlins has updated its lightweight RXF34 m.2 fork with a new longer 140mm travel option. And since enduro, gravity, and downhill riders are always looking to get more out of their suspension, Öhlins has more new upgrade options for them too. New coil spring cartridge kits make the switch from air to coil suspension easier than ever for riders with RXF38 m.2 enduro or DH38 m.1 downhill forks.
Öhlins RXF34 m.2 140mm fork brings more travel to trail bikes
Öhlins Racing calls the longer RXF34 an expansion of its “footprint in the short-travel trail category”. It’s based on the success of the downcountry 120/130mm RXF34 m.2 that we reviewed two seasons ago. You get that same stiffness and plush ride, bringing the same performance upgrade to short-travel trail bikes. Öhlins already called the 2nd-gen RXF34 a trail-ready fork. Now, they’re backing that up with proper trail-ready travel.
What carries over and what’s new in the 140mm RXF34 m.2?
Tech-wise, the longer travel variant is pretty much the same as 2022’s RXF34 m.2 that we covered in detail, here. It gets the same 34mm stanchions, same “trail-optimized” OTX18 damper, and easy volume-adjustable 2xAir 31 air spring with self-balancing positive & negative pressure chambers. It keeps the floating Boost axle, 44mm offset, and max 29 x 2.6″ tire clearance.
What’s new is of course the extra travel, bumped up to 140mm. With that is an updated crown and steerer tube combo that’s a bit beefier to handle the longer travel, and more aggressive riding that comes with it.
That also means that you can’t simply upgrade the previous forks to 140mm with a simple air cartridge swap – like you could between 120 or 130mm. But you will be able to downsize this new 140mm fork to 120/130mm in the future, if needed.
Weight-wise, the new 140mm fork is just over 50g heavier than its shorter predecessors. Now, the Öhlins RXF34 m.2 140mm hits a new claimed 1752g. Pricing is officially the same as the shorter variants. But it has increased a bit since we last checked, now selling for 1450€. While it’s officially available now, we haven’t yet seen it in stock in Europe direct from Öhlins.
Öhlins RXF38 enduro & DH38 downhill fork coil kits, and coil forks
The new cartridge-based spring kits make upgrading from the stock RXF38 m.2 & DH38 m.1 air forks a simpler proposition. But it also means gravity racers can easily swap back and forth between coil and air springs. So, racers get the suspension ride characteristics they prefer for different tracks.
The theory behind going from air to coil springs is often a smoother, more linear performance from the suspension, with improved small bump sensitivity. Plus, improved durability from the simpler coil spring, and consistent performance in changing temperature and atmospheric pressure conditions. But with the already wide air spring tuning range in Öhlins’ 38mm fork platform, this is also about just giving racers more easy tuning possibilities. And helping riders balance fork performance with the coil rear shocks they often have on their big travel bikes.
“At Öhlins, our mission has always been to push the boundaries of suspension performance and provide riders with the game-changing technology they need to elevate their riding experience… With the introduction of these new coil options, we’re delivering on that promise. We’re offering riders a seamless solution to achieve the smooth, consistent ride feel they crave, whether they’re tackling long technical descents or enjoying a session at the bike park.”
– Thomas Westfeldt, Öhlins Racing MTB Senior Manager
Two new separate coil kits are available for $180 / 182€ to fit the latest RXF38 m.2 and DH38 m.1 forks. Plus, another $58 / 59€ to get the springs to match your weight.
The new coil kits are also now offered as a stock build option on the 170mm travel RXF38 m.2 Coil TTX18 enduro fork for $1675 / 1689€. Or on the complete 200mm travel DH38 m.1 Coil TTX18 29er downhill fork for $1395 / 1407€. Get them all now, from your local Öhlins MTB dealer.
