Trek Top Fuel: Fox 2 Position Remote Issues and Solution
Fox has been including a 2 position remote with their recent offerings of their Float Forks and Shocks. It is responsible for pulling a gear shift cable 15 mm so the suspension dampers can stiffen up.
Problem
Almost everyone I know, including myself, with a Trek Top Fuel had this remote break on them. Mine failed during the first lap of a 8 hour tag team race. The remote required nearly 15 lb of force to engage. The standard procedure is that you engage Fox through their warranty process and they will replace with a newer revision of the remote. I wasn’t going to settle for that because even their revised remotes are poor quality.
Here are some photos of the internals. Pretty simple, you have a plastic lever that engages a metal/plastic wire carrier. It locks in place if it reaches the release button. When you press the release button, the spring force (mostly from the fork) fires it back into the open position.
As you can see that little plastic notch that broke off is responsible for pulling both your fork and rear suspension cables. The amount of force to overcome the rear shock spring is not much but the fork spring is really strong. This is a simple material choice flaw which could have been avoided if they opted for an alloy lever. It is funny how they made the entire remote housing of of metal but made the most crucial part out of ABS plastic.
The 2018 models are the worst; Instead of working on a higher quality remote they reversed the spring orientation in the remote lockout mechanism so the suspension is now push-to-unlock. If the lever snaps or the remote cable slips on you mid race you are stuck with locked out suspension. Great.
Solution: Scott Twinloc Remote
Scott uses the Twinloc remote as a selling point for their bikes. As a result they are probably the only ones on the market to have invested good amount of time and money designing this part. Many riders on MTBR Trek forums shared great success swapping out their failed Fox remotes with Scott’s Twinloc. I decided to go the same route.
I opted for over-bar clamp because under-bar area on my bike is reserved for the dropper remote. The cost came to about $140 CAD.
Scott Twinloc Remote Part numbers:
242409-222 Under bar clamp
239171-222 Over bar clamp
The remote is high quality and is entirely made out of metal. The long alloy lever glides and engages effortlessly. There is no plastic to be found here. Take note Fox. Scott includes two alloy cable carriers; one for Fox CTD and one for Rockshox DNA3 forks.
This remote has has 3 positions (Climb, Trail and Descend) unlike the Fox 2 position remote. The difference between Descend and Trail is subtle but the difference between Climb and Descend/Trail is massive. The RE:Aktiv XC Shock works great in this setting by providing a solid pedaling platform and yet fully opening up on high speed hits.
If you don’t like to lock out the fork while reaping the benefits of RE:Aktiv shock then just tweak the remote cap cable position till the full lockout on remote doesn’t lock out the fork.
This is a solid upgrade to your bike and one I highly recommend instead of wasting time with Fox’s solution.
So, is it working well?
It has been flawless! I really like the fact there are 1.5 cm long barrel adjusters on the lockout lever. They allows me adjust the cable length so the fork can remain open while shock is locked out.
I have both both remotes mentioned. Any tips on setting up the twinloc? My fork is 2018 Fox32SC with a push to unlock remote. The Fox remote is garbage.
Hey quick question. It looks like this could be mounted so the levers end up under the bar on the right side of the bike if you’re running grip shift. Does that look correct to you since you have the bike in front of you?
Yes, you should be able to mount this version under the bars on the right side. The graphics will be inverted but that’s minor aesthetic issue.
Hi
Just bought a Trek Top Fuel 9.9 RSL 2017, broke the remote on the third run.
So if I got it right, the modes are Climb, Trail and Descend. So the trail mode will be like in the middle of the both? Does it feel ok?
Does it work with the 2017 Fox re-aktiv shock and the 2017 32 factory SC fork, asking because of the 2 mode on them.
That is correct: Climb Trail Descend (CTD). The shock feels great in the middle setting. It is supportive but also active at the same time. Locked out it is really firm but still opens up on hard hits. Yes this remote also works with the stock 32 SC fork. On the fork there is almost no difference between Trail and Descend but Climb is a very firm lockout. Tricky to get it set up right but works great.
Hi
Are the 2 and 3 positions different in the internals ? Or the only difference is the remote lever ?
Will the 3 positions lever work on a 2 positions fox performance elite 2019 ?
Will this setup work with a Rockshox Pike fork?
Soban,
Nice write up.
The Scott Twinloc is marketed for Fox Nude shocks. Is yours set up with a nude or a non-nude Fox Shock?
Thx
-v
Thanks Vaughn. Mine is set up for a non-nude shock. I believe the cable pull amount is the same for all Fox shocks. The only difference between the two is design of the air can.