With the RXF38 m.2 fork, Swedish manufacturer Öhlins brings their extensive motorsport expertise to mountain biking. With its beefy 38 mm stanchions and adjustable end progression, it’s designed to deliver uncompromising trail performance. But can it shine in our comprehensive comparison test?
Fender Mount: Yes | 200 PM | €1,674 | 2,293 g | Manufacturer’s Website
The Öhlins RXF38 m.2 flaunts its Swedish heritage with yellow decals and blue wiper seals, all rounded off by a colour-matched sag ring – a nod to the Swedish national flag. Retailing at €1,674, it’s the second most expensive fork in this test, right after the EXT Era V2.1, which costs € 85 more. Weighing in at 2,293 grams, it sits right in the middle of the test field in terms of weight.
With a 200 mm post-mount brake adapter, the fork supports 200 and 220 mm brake rotors, and smaller discs would make no sense on a fork in this league. The RXF38 m.2 has three mount points for a mudguard, though Öhlins don’t offer a proprietary fender, meaning that you’ll have to get a third-party model. The floating axle design ensures the lowers don’t warp when tightened, although there isn’t a quick-release variant. The thru-axle can be removed and secured with a standard 6 mm hex key.
Learn more about this comparison test: The best MTB fork – 8 forks in comparison
Aside from the RXF38 m.2, Öhlins offer the RXF36 m.2 Air trail fork, with travel ranging between 140 mm and 170 mm. On our RXF38 m.2 model, travel can be adjusted between 160, 170, and 180 mm travel by swapping out the aftermarket air spring cartridge. Both models feature the TTX18 damper.
At the core of this fork is the three-chamber air spring: a positive and negative chamber plus a separate ramp-up chamber. The latter lets you fine-tune the end progression, or, in other words, the firmness in the final third of its travel. However, this also makes it slightly more difficult to set up. When inflating, the ramp-up chamber must be filled first, followed by the main positive chamber. Due to the sensitivity of both chambers to slight pressure adjustments, fine-tuning is required. There’s a table with recommended pressures on the lower legs. While most of our testers found that the pressure recommendations for the main chamber work pretty well, they weren’t too sure about the ramp-up chamber recommendations. After numerous adjustments, we settled on about 20% less pressure in the ramp-up chamber, which ensured a plusher feel.
Damping adjustments for compression and rebound are managed by the TTX18 damper. The LSC can be dialled in with 15 clicks, while high-speed compression (HSC) has just 3, though each click makes a noticeable difference. The rebound dial also has 15 clicks. The rebound markings, “fast” and “slow,” are clear, but the LSC indicators may be confusing for some riders, as “+” represents firmer (harder) and “–” softer (more compliant) settings.
The HSC’s three settings are unmarked, with the firmest setting serving as a lockout, and the other settings suitable for trail riding and climbing. For a fork of this calibre, a lockout isn’t particularly necessary, and a more usable HSC adjustment would have been preferable.
The Öhlins RXF38 m.2 fork on the trail
On the trail, the RXF38 m.2 sits higher in its travel than the FOX 38 Factory GRIP X2 and RockShox ZEB Ultimate, similar to the Formula Selva S. This inspires more confidence on steep descents, reducing the likelihood of dreaded OTB moments. However, this also affects your riding position, which may not be to everyone’s taste. If you don’t want to lower the cockpit by reducing the number of spacers under the stem, you’ll have to adopt a more hunched riding position to keep pressure on the front wheel.
In rowdy enduro sessions with big drops, the RXF38 m.2 holds up well at first, but reaches its limits in rougher trail sections with plenty of rocks and roots. Particularly with high-frequency impacts, which make it hard to maintain consistent pressure, the RXF38 m.2 struggles to absorb fast, consecutive hits, occasionally resulting in a harsh, jerky response that impairs control. In contrast, competitors like the FOX 38 GRIP X2, RockShox ZEB Ultimate, and Formula Selva S handle high-speed, technical sections more smoothly, offering a consistent performance even at higher speeds.
One highlight of the RXF38 m.2 is the easily adjustable end progression via the ramp-up chamber. With a well-dialled setup, the fork delivers a smooth ramp-up, which is noticeable especially with big individual impacts. Unlike the DVO Onyx D1 38 SL, which tends to bottom out in the last third of its travel, the RXF38 m.2 stands firm in its travel.
Our verdict on the Öhlins RXF38 m.2 fork
The Öhlins RXF38 m.2 excels with its finely adjustable end progression and high ride height, inspiring plenty of confidence on steep trails. However, the complex setup and tendency to lose composure in rough high-speed sections require some skills, finesse, and an active riding style. Riders who are comfortable with fine-tuning and consistently apply pressure to the fork will find its performance solid.
Tops
- Customizable end progression with ramp-up chamber
- High stability on steep descents
Flops
- Requires active riding style
- Tends to struggle on rough, high-speed sections
For more information, visit Öhlins’ website.
All forks on test:
DVO Onyx D1 38 SL | EXT ERA V2.1 | Formula Selva S | FOX 38 GRIP X2 | FOX 36 GRIP X | Öhlins RXF38 | RockShox ZEB Ultimate | RockShox Lyrik Ultimate |
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Words: Benedikt Schmidt Photos: Peter Walker
