Having grown up following motorcycle racing very closely, including racing them myself, I’ve always had admiration for brands that deliver excellent products to the highest performing machines and athletes in the world, yet don’t gate keep. Brands that allow themselves to find their place in the market for common consumers while staying true to their core. Which, in Ohlins case is knowledge, quality and race pedigree.
Recently Ohlins’ focus has broadened from gravity racing to the highly competitive, high performance, demanding world of World Cup XC racing, which has evolved to incorporate more technical (and high-consequence) downhill segments.
The Ohlins as the RX34 and RX34 M2 are good trail forks, Although Mike questioned, if Ohlins wasn’t aiming at too much of a niche market by calling the RX34 M2 a down-country fork. Although lighter than the RX34, it still didn’t have the pedigree to compete with the likes of the Fox 34 SC when it came to outright XC performance.
Ohlins recognised that to understand XC, they had to partner with a team with championship credentials – and the BMC Factory Team was the perfect match. Everything they’ve learnt from this close partnership can now be access by us common folk, who dream only to ride at a fraction of the intensity a world cup rider can achieve.
Ohlins have supplied us with their absolute best for review. The RXC34 m.1 Carbon fork with the new XC-optimised OTX14 damper and the TXC2air shock with their race proven TTX twin-tube technology.
A closer look at Ohlins
Both units came in the remote version, although non-remote are also available. The lock out is driven by their push-to-lock, double actuation, triple position lockout. It’s one of the best executed lock-outs I have seen. Furthermore, it even gives you the option to run your dropper post remote below the lockout remote, which is a neat feature for those trying to keep their set up under-bar.
The RXC34 m.1 Carbon is one of the lightest forks in the market with a 34mm leg platform, weighing in at 1490g with expander. Opt for the 100mm and you’ll save an extra 20g. The new Fox 34 SC with Grip SL damper is lighter at 1422g, if you’re counting grams. The alloy version of the RXC34 is 100g heavier, a reasonable compromise for the drop in price and increased durability. Seeing that this fork shares the same body as the original RX34s, it’s nothing short of impressive in regard to how much weight they have been able to shave off the finished product.
The carbon steerer in this RXC34 version is a beautiful component, saving not only weight but also giving the fork a very distinctive look, without being unnecessarily flashy. Form and function aligned perfectly. The added stiffness is an added bonus – more on that later.
The new OTX14 is an XC focused damper with different shim stacks to better manage the oil flow, optimising it for the demands of XC racing. The OTX14 has been combined with a new two-chamber air spring, which features a large negative chamber for a supple off-the-top feel and easy actuation, absorbing all the small bumps and deliver traction in abundance while still ramping up and supporting the rider when needed.
In terms of adjustability, the remote version tested here is limited to the 3 modes of compression damping and 12 clicks of rebound, while the non-remote version sees an added 10 clicks of low-speed compression. If you’re serious about racing, the remote option is the one really worth considering.
The TXC2Air shock is, at first impression, miniscule. For those mostly used to trail and enduro components (such as myself) it’s hard to comprehend how you can deliver so much performance and differentiated dampening feels out of such a low volume can. Weighing in at 250g, this isn’t even the smallest shock they offer, with the TXC1 getting an even slimmer body and lower weight.
The internals have been tuned to maximise traction while still delivering great support when both pedalling on the saddle, punching up a climb or attacking a sprint. Just like the fork, the shock has only rebound adjustment available to you on the remote version (12 clicks), while an extra 16 clicks of low-speed compression are added to the manual version.
Ohlins suspension set up
The Ohlins set up was installed in place of my regular 2023 Fox 34s (non-stepcast) and DPS shock on My Norco Revolver. I’ve built this bike to be faster and lighter than my trail and enduro bike – but still with a burly build. Both Ohlins units deliver 120mm of travel and I had an immediate weight saving both in the front and rear, even though I had my reservations with how well I’d get along with the carbon steerer and crown.
Carbon steerers are no joke and even though most of us will likely be happy to install our own forks, maybe even cut steerer tubes, I happily gave that job to the pros. We confirmed the weight at 1490g for the fork and 250g for the shock (with an extra 70g for the remote).
On the trail
Riding the Ohlins RXC34 m.1 Carbon around my local trail network of fire road climbing and tight technical singletrack both up and down revealed a fork that is at home travelling across terrain efficiently. Yet it delivered great small bump sensitivity reducing small trail chatter and stood up to the challenging descents I threw at them.
The TXC2Air shock was less impressed with my riding style and approach in open mode, with some noticeable lack of support while trying to respond to the terrain. The 3 modes offer open, pedal and lock; they are distinctive and easy to set while using the very intuitive 3-position remote.
Who’s the Ohlins suspension for?
I found the RXC34 m.1 Carbon to be a fantastic fork that would suit most riders looking to get world-class suspension in a package that has a meticulous build quality, plus a myriad of tuning options along with low weight.
Getting both together, with the lockout remote, makes for a very convincing option as it will deliver an extremely balanced, purpose built suspension set up that will be at home on almost any terrain you can throw at it. Racing against the clock or just racing yourself.
Ohlins RXC34 M.1 & TXC2 Air RRP:
– RXC34 M.1 Carbon $2349.95 ($1999.95 for alloy steerer and crown)
– TXC2 Air $969.95
From: ohlins.com
Pros:
– High quality build and low weight
– Supportive and supple suspension
– Matched suspension feel front to rear
Cons:
– High overall cost of the carbon variant
