Fox 38 vs RockShox ZEB | Compared Simply

    The Fox 38 and RockShox ZEB are the two most popular suspension forks for enduro, freeride, and trail bikes gone downhill. There’s a bunch of comparison all over the internet, but they’re all super long, and at the end all they talk about is how both forks are just extremely similar. We've spent lots of time riding each fork and can report that there definitely is a difference in how each fork rides, so we wanted to save you time and compare the differences simply. Choosing between the two truly comes down to a simple comparison.

    Read on for a short and sweet comparison and get the lowdown on which fork will be best for you and how you ride!

    Both forks have 38mm stanchions and are meant for enduro and freeride mountain biking. The ZEB has low speed compression, high speed compression, and low speed rebound adjustments. The 38 has all the same, plus high speed rebound.

    Basically the ZEB is less adjustable, but that makes it easier to set up.
    The 38 is more adjustable, but that makes it harder to set up.

    The ZEB is the burlier brother of the Lyrik, and the 38 is the burlier brother of the 36. While both forks are noticeably more stiff than their lil' bros, they were engineered with different stiffness intentions. The 38 has stiffness added all around, while the ZEB’s added stiffness is mostly torsional. This means both forks feel super precise when changing direction at high speeds. The ZEB does have more fore/aft stiffness over its little brother the Lyrik, but the 38 has much more fore/aft stiffness. Fore/aft stiffness is what you feel when pointed straight, and it’s definitely noticeable when charging hard on the 38.

     
    The 38 is more stiff plowing straight through stuff, but both forks feel super precise when changing direction. This means the 38 does love smashing straight through chunk, but the ZEB feels less harsh since it’s a little less stiff and more compliant.

    After spending lots of time on both forks,
I can confidently say that the on-trail feel is the true deciding factor between these two.

    Both forks are insanely plush and smooth, so much so that there’s no need to even discuss which is more plush or smooth. These forks are both, absolutely, without a doubt, the best burly enduro forks on the market. Neither are better, they just feel slightly different. So, here's what it comes down to in our opinion:

    When I say slightly, I’m talking a 5% difference in feel when in the hands of a frequent, rider and I’m serious - we're splitting hairs.

     
    Both forks use similar damper and air spring designs. The way the 38’s air chamber and damper are designed gives it slightly more of a traction oriented feel, while the ZEB's gives it a slightly more poppy and active feel. The 38 uses less travel more efficiently, which provides more traction. The ZEB uses a little more travel more frequently which gives it just a little bit more pop.

To me, the 38 feels more like a single crown downhill fork,
while the ZEB feels more like a heavy duty trail fork.

    The Fox 38 is more adjustable, more stiff, feels more “traction-y”, and weighs a little more. The RockShox Zeb is less adjustable, less stiff, feels more “poppy” and weighs less.

     
    While I did very briefly touch on points and didn’t get super in-depth on trail feel, weight, etc, we truly feel as if everything is so close that deciding between the two just comes down to those few hair splitting factors that we pointed out - planted vs poppy.

    Some other quick specs are that both forks can be set to 150, 160, 170 or 180mm of travel, plus the ZEB can be set to 190mm. The top-tier ZEB Ultimate is $999 coming in Black or Slab Grey, and the Fox 38 Factory is $1,249 coming in Shiny Black or Shiny Orange. There’s also more affordable models of both forks: The Fox 38 Performance Series Elite and the RockShox ZEB Select.  

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