Model/Year: Talas RC2 2006

Pros: - Rideable travel adjust settings
- Air sprung
- Plush and smooth
- Stanchion stiffness (thanks to 36mm stanchions)
- Hi/low speed compression

Cons: - Cost of replacement parts
- Low quality stanchion coating
- Premature bushing wear
- Foot nut broke

Recommendation: I love Fox products and the 36 Talas is no exception. In my mind there isn't a more plush fork option on the market today. The Talas RC2 offers great adjustability that can be adapted to any environment with a few turns of a dial or pumps from a shock pump. The benefit of having high and low speed compression really put the RC2 a step above the lower Fox models.

However, I have had multiple Fox forks and the majority of them have had premature bushing wear, to the point of needing to replace them (a $200 install) or replacement of the lowers. I opted for the second option because I found cheap ones online.

I must also say that the coating of the stanchions (pre-Kashima) is rather fragile and you better get used to changing seals every other week or you'll be needing a new upper crown assembly soon.

So its a tough choice whether or not to recommend the Talas. It's performance is exceptional, but it will require top tier maintenance if you want to keep your investment working well.

Pros: The new 2011 Fox Talas has a lock out function which creates the perfect fork. I love this new fork and if you have more than just one type of trail you like to ride this is fork for you.

Pros: Linear, travel adjustable, stiff as you could ever want a fork to be. It's the fork that I hold all bicycle suspension forks in comparison to (and end up finding most others wanting).

Cons: Others (not me) have had issues with maintenance.

Recommendation: Every bike would come with this fork if I had it my way.

Pros: Everything

Cons: Nothing

Recommendation: Sweet fork. Best of the best. I use it for xc, its lightweight, and downhill, its super stiff and has lots of travel.

Pros: 2010 TALAS III model is great super plush and great control over the travel as well as dampening

Cons: none

Recommendation: Great fork for those of you who want to do a little more than just all mountain however this unit is so light for its travel and capabilities that it can be used easily for 15 foot drops with transitions.

Pros: I love the ability to lock this fork out at 160,130, and 100 mm strokes. It helps on long climbs and with the set lever you can set this will riding. you just have to reach down to the crown to adjust then bounce on the bike and your off flying up the hill or just flip the lever to a higher setting and the fork extends and your ready to go. This fork is very plush and has taken everything that i have given it and could take so much more. i doubt that I will ever punish this fork.

Cons: None as of yet.

Recommendation: I recomend this fork to anyone take drops over three feet.