2013 Fox D.O.S.S. and CTD First Impressions

Simplifying suspension with Fox's new CTD System

Climb, Trail, Descend are the key words to a good ride right? Well, add those words to your suspension adjustments and riding that highly complicated full suspension bike is suddenly much easier.

The CTD suspension system provides simple user initiated on-the-fly adjustment which allows riders to make quick adjustments depending on the current terrain. This system is comprised of a fork, rear shock, and the new D.O.S.S. height adjustable seatpost. All three components have a climb, trail and descend mode making them much easier to understand when out on the trail.

Climb mode provides the firmest low-speed compression setting on the fork and rear shock for maximum pedaling efficiency. On the seatpost, Climb mode is the fully extended position for maximum climbing power.

Trail mode is the middle suspension setting and offers a moderate low-speed compression tune for an optimal blend of pedaling efficiency and bike control over varying terrain. On the post, Trail mode provides a 40mm drop for clearance, a lower center of gravity and better control over obstacles. CTD Trail Adjust forks and shocks offer further fine tuning in Trail mode with three levels of low-speed compression tuning.

Descend mode is designed for steep, aggressive terrain and provides the plushest setting. Descend mode is also the lowest postion on the seatpost for maximum clearance.

This system has optional single and dual remotes for suspension activation between Climb, Trail, and Descend modes. The single remote can activate a fork or shock  and the dual remote activates the fork and shock simultaneously.

After spending a week on the new CTD system, it is obvious FOX has made some massive improvements to the overall workings of their suspension. The fork moves easily through its travel with no stiction while the CTD system provides ample adjustment for any type of terrain.

At the rear shock the CTD provides a much more noticable level of adjustment than previous Propedal FOX shocks. All three settings on the shock provide noticeable changes. We setup the CTD system on a 2012 Specialized Stumpjumper EVO with an FSR suspension design. The system made noticable improvements over the stock Fox suspension making the bike more desireable for extended rides with lots of climbing.

The D.O.S.S post is solid and functions well. Though the posts simplicity provides ample peace of mind in its function, it leaves something to be desired in the remote. The cable actuated lever takes a good amount of pressure to activate, but does offer two levers to allow for actuation to both trail and descend modes. Long term durability seems to be the biggest selling point with the D.O.S.S., but since we have only been on the post for a week we can't comment on that yet. Stay tuned to Mountain Flyer and MountainFlyer.com for more on FOX and the CTD system. -J. Carr Follow @MtnFlyer_Gear on Twitter