Mountain Biking - Fox fork break in time?

I have just over 60 miles on my 2010 F120 fork and I'm still waiting for that "buttery" plush feel I've read so much about. It's a bit smoother than when I first rode it, but still has noticable stiction. Can anyone give a rough mileage for this break in period? Closest I found was "serious break in period" and "several weeks."

Maybe I'm just not riding enough rough terrain? SF doesn't really have much in Golden Gate Park (yes, I WILL progress to tougher stuff elsewhere to make better use of my Trek Fuel :p)

Did you set the sag correctly? Does it have external compression adjustments (they can make a big difference)? It does take a little bit to break in but it should be pretty damn smooth right out of the box.

Mine was butta' from the get go.

I have just over 60 miles on my 2010 F120 fork and I'm still waiting for that "buttery" plush feel I've read so much about. It's a bit smoother than when I first rode it, but still has noticable stiction. Can anyone give a rough mileage for this break in period? Closest I found was "serious break in period" and "several weeks."

Maybe I'm just not riding enough rough terrain? SF doesn't really have much in Golden Gate Park (yes, I WILL progress to tougher stuff elsewhere to make better use of my Trek Fuel :p)

+1 to 66


My Vanilla was smooth outta the gate.
My float was fairly smooth right away, but nothing like my PIKE.

Fox is nice, but slightly inflated.

Yep, I set correct sag for my weight (140 lb) but increased it 5psi since I found it a bit too soft. I don't really bother flipping the lockout lever halfway for compression (though it doesn't list that adjustment in the website).

Just to give a [very] rough idea of the stiction, at walking speed it takes probably at least a 2 inch square edge to even activate the fork. My old Judy C was silky smooth on the smallest bumps :(

I don't think stiction is your issue as much as general setup or even expectations, but you might pull that fork apart and make sure that your fork has sufficient fluid for lube level. That Fox fork should be way better than any Judy ever was....

Hmm, I'd like to avoid pulling it apart now, at least until I get some replacement oil. But the lockout is working just fine, with play not more than 1mm - oil should be fine since lockout works off oil, right?

Is the lockout threshold cranked up too high?

(Assuming the 2010 forks still have this)

Fork is much better now after turning it upside down and deliberately running over potholes :) Still surprised it took so long to wear out the stiction.

Where did you find upside-down potholes?

Or did you mean "pot lights"?

My old Judy C was silky smooth on the smallest bumps :(

Yeah.. I think you're confusing "smooth" with flexy and mushy. That fox fork shouldn't feel anything like an old judy if its working properly.

Also, setting sag by pumping it up to a certain pressure is not how you do it. You need to measure the actual compression of the fork with you, and your gear, on the bike.