Although it's been out in the wild for many months on the front of gravel bikes ridden by Fox-sponsored athletes such as Geoff Kabush, today is the official launch of the Fox 32 Taper-Cast suspension fork.
Fox 32 Taper Cast Highlights
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This is Fox's second iteration of a gravel suspension fork. The first was the 32 AX, which debuted in 2017 and was created using an existing Step-Cast chassis borrowed from the brand's cross-country fork. It was a bit ahead of the curve back then. Today, there are more gravel fork options, including the Rudy from RockShox, and more gravel bikes are designed with suspension compatibility in mind.
The new 32 Taper-Cast is a purpose-built gravel fork that offers 40 or 50mm of travel and two damper options. According to Fox, the 32 Taper-Cast is the lightest suspension fork the company has ever built, weighing in at just 2.7lbs / 1226g.
The 32 Taper-Cast features a sleek drop crown profile and new knob shapes that improve downtube clearance, for fitment on all frame sizes and styles. It's compatible with 160mm and 180mm flat-mount brakes. The lightweight, short-travel optimized air spring requires fewer, if any, volume spacers and the design employs the lower leg air/oil bypass channels found on longer-stroke Fox forks.
Fox 32-Taper Cast FAQ
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Have questions about this new gravel fork? Here's the FAQ according to the experts at Fox.
Why is the arch on the rear of the fork instead of the front?
Locating the arch on the rear of the fork puts the arch at a lower point on the tire, which allowed us to reduce the amount of material used and thereby decrease weight. And because the arch sits at a lower point on the tire, there aren’t any issues with downtube clearance on most bikes. We also felt the rear arch contributes to the overall sleek aesthetic of the 32 Taper-Cast.
Why do the lower legs taper down at the bottom?
Given the short travel of the 32 TC, the entire lower leg is not needed for upper tube overlap, this allowed us to taper the legs, saving weight and decreasing frontal area, making the fork more aerodynamic.
How come the new 32 TC has a max of 4 volume spacers compared to the old TC which could accept as many as 7 spacers?
The old AX was, in essence, a shortened 32 SC, many volume spacers were required in order to achieve the correct air spring curve. The new 32 TC features an optimized short travel air spring, which means there is no need for more than a few spacers, max.
How come the 32 TC is only available with a 1.5” tapered steerer tube?
Many modern gravel frames use 1.5” lower and almost all gravel frames that are currently in development use 1.5” lower. We realize there are some frames out there that do not use 1.5” lower bearings and we wish we could’ve offered a solution for those riders but due to the supply chain challenges of COVID 19 we had to pick the single most common size.
Are the top caps/knobs from the 32 TC interchangeable with other FIT4 equipped Fox forks?
No, the 32 TC uses unique low-profile top caps and knobs to help aid frame clearance and for sleek aesthetics.
Is the 32 TC compatible with fenders and if so what is max tire size?
It is compatible with fenders and in fact, each fork comes with a set of fender mounting tabs in the box. Tire clearance with a fender installed is 700x45mm.
Is the 32 TC compatible with a remote lockout?
A remote lockout option is not available at this time. Our testing has demonstrated that locking out the fork does not improve performance in most scenarios and adding a remote lockout adds weight, complexity, cost, and cockpit clutter.
Won’t mud get caught in the trussing on the lower rear fork legs?
Nope! Mud does not fling from the hub area, it flings off of the tire and sticks to the back of the fork brace. The brace on the TC is trussed on the front instead of the back specifically to aid in mud shedding.
Is the rebound knob hard to access being partially tucked into the lower leg?
No. While the rebound adjust knob is fairly protected and hidden to maintain a sleek side profile appearance, it is also sized and knurled to easily spin and count clicks when adjusting.
What rotor sizes is the 32 TC compatible with?
The 32 TC is compatible with 160mm rotors in the low position and 180mm rotors in the flipped position. The same exact “flippable” 140-160mm road flat caliper mount part is used on the 32 TC fork but the positioning is designed as a “+20” accepting 160 or 180mm rotors. 140mm rotors are not compatible with the 32 TC fork.
Why is the 32 TC’s disc brake hose guide angled slightly off vertical?
Because of the 32 TC’s rearward-facing fork brace, the disc brake hose is fastened to the front of the lower leg at a slightly lower position than it would be with a forward-facing fork brace. The upper end of the disc brake hose guide is tipped outward by 8 degrees to prevent the disc brake hose from compressing inward towards the tire during its full suspension stroke.
Why isn’t the 32 TC compatible with 650b wheels?
The narrowest point on the lower legs of the 32 TC – the reinforced area where the bushings press in – happens to be exactly the same place as the widest point of a 650b tire. This limits 650b tire clearance to approx. 30mm, which defeats the purpose of going down to 650b in order to allow for increased tire size and air volume. With 32 TC’s ample 700x50mm tire clearance there is no need to drop down to 650b in order to obtain more volume as you already have plenty of volume, and 700c’s larger diameter provides better rollover and smoothness, as compared to 650b. For these reasons, the 32 TC is optimized around 700c wheels.
- 40mm and 50mm travel options
- FIT4 and Grip damper options
- 12x100mm Kabolt axle
- Flat mount 160 and 180mm rotor compatible
- Max tire size 700c x 50mm
- (Optimized for 700c – not 650b compatible)
- Integrated fender mounts
- (700c x 45mm max tire with fender)
- Longer steer tube to fit larger frames/longer head tubes
- 1 1/2” – 1 1/8” tapered steer tube
- 45mm and 50mm offset options
- Axle-to-crown 435.5mm - 445.5mm
- Claimed weight: 2.7lbs / 1226g
- Price: $769 - $949
The new 32 Taper-Cast is a purpose-built gravel fork that offers 40 or 50mm of travel and two damper options. According to Fox, the 32 Taper-Cast is the lightest suspension fork the company has ever built, weighing in at just 2.7lbs / 1226g.
The 32 Taper-Cast features a sleek drop crown profile and new knob shapes that improve downtube clearance, for fitment on all frame sizes and styles. It's compatible with 160mm and 180mm flat-mount brakes. The lightweight, short-travel optimized air spring requires fewer, if any, volume spacers and the design employs the lower leg air/oil bypass channels found on longer-stroke Fox forks.
Fox 32-Taper Cast FAQ
Why is the arch on the rear of the fork instead of the front?
Locating the arch on the rear of the fork puts the arch at a lower point on the tire, which allowed us to reduce the amount of material used and thereby decrease weight. And because the arch sits at a lower point on the tire, there aren’t any issues with downtube clearance on most bikes. We also felt the rear arch contributes to the overall sleek aesthetic of the 32 Taper-Cast.
Why do the lower legs taper down at the bottom?
Given the short travel of the 32 TC, the entire lower leg is not needed for upper tube overlap, this allowed us to taper the legs, saving weight and decreasing frontal area, making the fork more aerodynamic.
How come the new 32 TC has a max of 4 volume spacers compared to the old TC which could accept as many as 7 spacers?
The old AX was, in essence, a shortened 32 SC, many volume spacers were required in order to achieve the correct air spring curve. The new 32 TC features an optimized short travel air spring, which means there is no need for more than a few spacers, max.
How come the 32 TC is only available with a 1.5” tapered steerer tube?
Many modern gravel frames use 1.5” lower and almost all gravel frames that are currently in development use 1.5” lower. We realize there are some frames out there that do not use 1.5” lower bearings and we wish we could’ve offered a solution for those riders but due to the supply chain challenges of COVID 19 we had to pick the single most common size.
Are the top caps/knobs from the 32 TC interchangeable with other FIT4 equipped Fox forks?
No, the 32 TC uses unique low-profile top caps and knobs to help aid frame clearance and for sleek aesthetics.
Is the 32 TC compatible with fenders and if so what is max tire size?
It is compatible with fenders and in fact, each fork comes with a set of fender mounting tabs in the box. Tire clearance with a fender installed is 700x45mm.
Is the 32 TC compatible with a remote lockout?
A remote lockout option is not available at this time. Our testing has demonstrated that locking out the fork does not improve performance in most scenarios and adding a remote lockout adds weight, complexity, cost, and cockpit clutter.
Won’t mud get caught in the trussing on the lower rear fork legs?
Nope! Mud does not fling from the hub area, it flings off of the tire and sticks to the back of the fork brace. The brace on the TC is trussed on the front instead of the back specifically to aid in mud shedding.
Is the rebound knob hard to access being partially tucked into the lower leg?
No. While the rebound adjust knob is fairly protected and hidden to maintain a sleek side profile appearance, it is also sized and knurled to easily spin and count clicks when adjusting.
What rotor sizes is the 32 TC compatible with?
The 32 TC is compatible with 160mm rotors in the low position and 180mm rotors in the flipped position. The same exact “flippable” 140-160mm road flat caliper mount part is used on the 32 TC fork but the positioning is designed as a “+20” accepting 160 or 180mm rotors. 140mm rotors are not compatible with the 32 TC fork.
Why is the 32 TC’s disc brake hose guide angled slightly off vertical?
Because of the 32 TC’s rearward-facing fork brace, the disc brake hose is fastened to the front of the lower leg at a slightly lower position than it would be with a forward-facing fork brace. The upper end of the disc brake hose guide is tipped outward by 8 degrees to prevent the disc brake hose from compressing inward towards the tire during its full suspension stroke.
Why isn’t the 32 TC compatible with 650b wheels?
The narrowest point on the lower legs of the 32 TC – the reinforced area where the bushings press in – happens to be exactly the same place as the widest point of a 650b tire. This limits 650b tire clearance to approx. 30mm, which defeats the purpose of going down to 650b in order to allow for increased tire size and air volume. With 32 TC’s ample 700x50mm tire clearance there is no need to drop down to 650b in order to obtain more volume as you already have plenty of volume, and 700c’s larger diameter provides better rollover and smoothness, as compared to 650b. For these reasons, the 32 TC is optimized around 700c wheels.
