April 27, 2016, 11:54 p.m. -  DrewM

#!markdown The XF Trace performs differently than the newer RS (Pike/Lyric/RS-1) and Fox suspension with self-adjusting negative air springs. It definitely won't win a on-the-shop-floor-push test against these companies but out on the trail I think it offers a competitive option. If you like more support from your fork damper, especially near the top of the stroke, the Trace stands tall and as soon as you are into the sag point (I'm running ~20% sag) it has good small bump and initial traction. As Wayne noted, and as was hopefully evident in the article, the build quality is awesome. XF have also really taken a hard line in terms of machining ~ all the internal components out of aluminum where many companies use plastic for weight and cost savings . Anyways, to each their own, and I don't see a value in saving a couple hundred bucks on a fork that doesn't work for you when there are lots of great options, but I do think depending on personal preference the new Roughcut HLR X-Fusion forks are worth a look.