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Submitted by
Catalin Strava
a Cross Country Rider
from Medias, Sibiu, Romania Date Reviewed: June 3, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | eBay | | Strengths: | Some protection for scratches when falling. | | Weaknesses: | They DO NOT SEAL. Dust, sand and mud will get between boots and stanchions in the end and because permanent contact with stanchions there will be fine scratches on your precious stanchions. The boots will remove all lubrication from stanchions. | | Bottom Line: | Do not use these boots! Do not use ANY boots! If there would be a need for boots, Manitou and others would have put them in place. These boots will scratch your stanchions with sand trapped inside. The sand and dirt are getting inside on the arch opening, no matter how well you wrap boots, even when you ride on roads! The precious lubrication on stanchions will be removed after first hour of riding! The stanchions should be lubrified after every ride and with boots it's like you never lube. If you are afraid of dirt getting inside you should think about special seals like Enduro Fork Seals. Manitou Evil Genius seals have double sealing rings and with proper service periods you should not worry about dirt getting inside.
Don't be afraid of basic service (cleaning only!) for your fork by manufacturer specifications, it's easy, believe me! Enduro Fork Seals have excellent picture tutorials.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Darrin Wilson
a Weekend Warrior
from Valrico, FL USA Date Reviewed: May 11, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | too many to list | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$10.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Nashbar.com | | Strengths: | looks cool, protects fork tubes, keeps sand out, no more worries about scrathes on bike rack. | | Weaknesses: | you actually have to read the directions when you install them. with a little triming in the right spot they fit perfect. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | 1999 Specialized RockHopper A1 Comp RockShox Dart3 w/ Remote lockout | | Bottom Line: | dont cut these to just cover the tubes! just trim the flap above the notch taken out to get them around the crown i that spot if needed. They work great and look cool if installed right. most complaints I see below did not read he directions or just plain installed them wrong. use your head, they need to be under the crown so the stay in place. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Catalin Strava
a Cross Country Rider
from Medias, Sibiu, Romania Date Reviewed: February 21, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$10.00 | | Purchased At: | eBay | | Strengths: | They protect the stanchions from scratches and dirt. Scratches on stanchions will ruin bushings and seals. Dirt is not a problem for today's seals. | | Weaknesses: | They should be more abrasion resistant like the chainstay frame protector. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Manitou R7 100mm | | Bottom Line: | These boots fits really well on Manitou R7 100mm, 30mm stanchions. They don't slip at all and stay in place. The suspension is not affected in any way.
Do not cut them! Just velcro the extra around crown. Easy installation in 2 minutes! Looks good.
Remember to remove them when cleaning from heavy dirt, there is a place between the arch and stanchions where excesive dirt may get inside. I think is a great product that prolongs the fork life and really needed for expensive forks.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gobbi
a Cross Country Rider
from Poland Date Reviewed: May 17, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$13.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycle shop | | Strengths: | Easy to mount (no fork disassembly), look nice | | Weaknesses: | Durability, too expensive | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Rock shox judy 2 | | Bottom Line: | If it fits your fork it will work fine, do not cut it as they write in the manual (leaving fork boots to be almost touching the crown). Will protect better.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jace
a Weekend Warrior
from Raleigh, nc, usa Date Reviewed: September 13, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Beaver Dam (South Loop) | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$14.00 | | Purchased At: | REI | | Strengths: | They stay in position on your fork forever, as long as you don't ride or sit on your bike. | | Weaknesses: | With minimal riding they slide up, exposing several inches of the stanchions. This makes having the boots on your forks pointless. Another weakness is the price, $14 for 2 little squares of neoprene, what was I thinking!? And they are cut-to-fit so by the time I realized they blew ass I had already cut them, making it impossible to return. | | Similar Products Used: | none, but I am sure anything else is better. | | Bike Setup: | Marin Northside Trail AXC ('05)-stock and a NEXT with shiny mexican upgrades | | Bottom Line: | Don't waste your money on this terrible product. Actually, they might work well if you have forks with a small amount of travel, but probably not. I would have to suggest buying the accordion type boots, even though they look stupid. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kent
a Cross Country Rider
from Yuen Long, Hong Kong Date Reviewed: March 22, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$9.00 | | Purchased At: | LBX | | Strengths: | Flexible, simple, easy to install, it really keep dust out of my fork tubes. | | Weaknesses: | if dirt get on top of it, is hard to clean. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | it works with 01 SID SL(80mm) | | Bottom Line: | It does what it suppose to do. 5 falming chilis ! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
AlienKossa
a Weekend Warrior
from Spain (Galicia) Date Reviewed: January 4, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$15.00 | | Purchased At: | Local Shop | | Strengths: | Flexible and why not, looks cool (till now at least) | | Weaknesses: | A little hard to fit sometimes | | Similar Products Used: | Rubber boots | | Bottom Line: | They are made from neoprene, so they aren't like a raincoat. If you want them to keep the water, mud and grit out you can try to seal them externally with some silicon grease (or petroleum jelly). This little scuba trick works fine to me.
It's usefull to have some sewing machine skill in order to get them adapted to some forks too.
3 chilis because they need help to work fine. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alexander
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto, Ontario, Canada Date Reviewed: August 18, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$15.00 | | Strengths: | None | | Weaknesses: | It does not fit the new Mars Elite Air 2002. The boots tends to ride up during a long ride. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Rockhopper 2000 A1 FS Mavic 517 rims,LX hubs, DT stainless steel Spokes, RaceFace crankset, XTR Front Derailluer, XTR rear derailluer, LX shifter, Levers, RaceFace handlebars, seatpost, stem, Velo saddle. | | Bottom Line: | This product must be redesigned by Lizard skin to fit 2002 XC forks. It is the only product on the market so far. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Toby Brayley
a Cross Country Rider
from Hampshire England Date Reviewed: April 22, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$13.00 | | Purchased At: | Action Bikes | | Strengths: | Look okay keeps crap out of the seals | | Weaknesses: | Expensive and velco round the back gets muddy | | Similar Products Used: | n/a | | Bike Setup: | Trek 4500, xt , lx, deore , hope monos on d521s, z5 s | | Bottom Line: | Good for what they are, do the job fine many people complain cause they cant fit them , i had no problem and most people with forks that come with no boots have a pair and they fit fine they also look a damnsight better than normal rubber boots | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
rob
a Cross Country Rider
from Australia Date Reviewed: March 14, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$10.00 | | Strengths: | Keeps the sliders and seals clean. Keeps everything else out. | | Weaknesses: | I'd prefer not to have to put them on, but after having my bushings replaced at a hideous cost, i'll give these a try to save money in the long term. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | 2000 Rockshox Sid Xc | | Bottom Line: | I don't know how a piece of gravel gets in these, unless the fork sliders are made of matchsticks. On my SIDs, nothing can get inside these because they are so tight on the fork. I'd use them on all my forks, but always remember to take off when cleaning bike. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ed Salazar
a Cross Country Rider
from San Mateo CA Date Reviewed: January 7, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | not telling | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$15.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Keeps the dust off. | | Weaknesses: | Need to keep them clean. | | Similar Products Used: | Stock boots | | Bike Setup: | Bonte Race, SID Race, XT | | Bottom Line: | I started using these when my Mag 21 was the hottest thing out there. I use them now on a maintence nightmare of a SID Race. Primarily, the skins keep the summer dust and dry stuff out. They are not perfect but they come off easier than those stupid looking stock springy boots (which collect a good share of dust and trail crud inside). For the skins to be effective you need to take them off and clean them off once in a while. I give them three of the too much of my aunts authentic Mexican turds. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Geoff Mills
a Weekend Warrior
from unionville ct Date Reviewed: October 5, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | The one I just made | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$13.00 | | Purchased At: | UniversalBikes.com | | Strengths: | None they're crap, you couldn't fit them on a straight piece of tubing if you wanted to. | | Weaknesses: | everything, they suck | | Similar Products Used: | Nonebut im going to get the reg rockshox ones...mabye they'll fit. | | Bike Setup: | Trek 8000 | | Bottom Line: | Hmmmmm...thats a hard one I mena they dont fit on my 01' judy sl so they suck...I just spent 13 $ and got them in the mail...the box says cut to size so I just about cut them in half because thats the only way they would fit. DO NOT GET THEM, IT WAS THE WORST 13$ I EVER SPENT. THey don't even deserve a flamin chilli, instead im gonna put them in the flames on a gas grill. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James
a Cross Country Rider
from Oxford MS United State Date Reviewed: August 31, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Bonita Lakes, MS | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Price Paid: |
$14.00 | | Strengths: | Looks good, and sounds good on paper. | | Weaknesses: | Doesn't fit my Manitou fork at all...There is now way that thing goes on there. | | Similar Products Used: | Nothing. | | Bike Setup: | Trek 6000, Manitou Fork. | | Bottom Line: | If this product fits your bike, you are lucky, and you might get some function out of it...Otherwise, take your fork apart, and put on some regular fork boots, or nothing at all. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SPUD LEE
a
from PROVO, UTARD Date Reviewed: July 26, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | NONE | | Weaknesses: | MAKES NO SENCE, MODERN WIPERS AND REGULAR BOOTS WORK WELL. | | Bottom Line: | LIZARDSKIN FORK BOOTS CONSTANTLY SCRAPE TEFLON SLIDERS, AND ANY DIRT WILL CAUSE TEFLON EROSION. THESE MAKE NO REAL SENCE. CALL MARZOCCHI THEY WILL CONFIRM.
THE REAR SHOCK BOOTS MAKE MORE SENCE, AND FOR CHAINSTAY PROTECTOR, NOTHIN BEATS A CUT DOWN OLD TUBE WITH MATCHING ELECTRICAL TAPE.
CHEERS | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sherman
a Weekend Warrior
from British Columbia, Canada Date Reviewed: April 13, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Looks cool | | Weaknesses: | doesn't stay put expensive for what they are | | Bottom Line: | I read some of the reviews and I think leaving them on the long side will help them from coming off of the seals. I cut mine so they do not work worth a damn!!!! I just put some zipties on them and they work ok now. Not a good product in my opinion. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
gordo
a Weekend Warrior
from seattle Date Reviewed: March 22, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$10.00 | | Strengths: | easy to install, keeps dirt & mud out just fine. I don't understand all the whining. They went on my Judy just great. No trouble at all. | | Weaknesses: | I can't find a weakness. They've been on for months and I just washed the bike. NO debris under skins. Seals all OK | | Similar Products Used: | Stock boots | | Bike Setup: | GT Zaskar LE | | Bottom Line: | These things work great for me But could probably benefit from multiple sizes for fitting on brands other than RockShox wthout stiffeners. Four flamin' chilis cause nothing is perfect! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Mountain View CA Date Reviewed: February 27, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Henry Coe | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$13.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance.com | | Strengths: | Cheap and easy to install | | Weaknesses: | Not as simple to use as fork boots | | Similar Products Used: | Regular fork boots on a previous fork | | Bike Setup: | Stock Santa Cruz Superlight with Sid-XC | | Bottom Line: | With so many new forks coming sans boots, the lizard skins are the cheapest and easiest way to seal the forks, short of taking them apart and putting on real boots.
The key to the lizards is to leave them on the long side. If they are shorter than the exposed slider, they will pull away from the seat area when the fork springs back and let in dirt and muck. As well, the neoprene seems to shrink slightly over time. For my Sid-XC's, this meant cutting off only about 1/8". Next time around I doubt I'll cut anything off. The newer skins look even nicer than my old ones, with a larger overlap on the lower fork leg.
The upside to the skins vis-a-vis real boots, is that one can take them off completely and really clean both the inside of the skin and the fork. I take them off and clean them everytime I wash the bike (as well as clean and lube the sliders and fork seals), and so far my forks are as pristine as the day I bought them, even after a year of abuse. I'll likely stick with these in lieu of real boots. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rod Angler
a Weekend Warrior
from NOLA Date Reviewed: December 14, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | hooper | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$12.00 | | Strengths: | Cheap | | Weaknesses: | Don't fit, don't stay put. Not terribly durable. Get grungy fast. And the don't fit. Hard to get on forks, they don't fit. They don't fit. How could you release a product that didn't have enough material/size to fit all normal forks? Amazing. | | Similar Products Used: | OEM rubber fork boots | | Bike Setup: | yep | | Bottom Line: | These have been redesigned lately, but I have the older models and they simply do not fit on my Manitou Mars 1. This is a major problem, as you need to remove them frequently to keep them clean.
They seem to hold water.
The OEM type rubber boots, funky looking as they are, work best. My Manitou Mars 1 came without the rubber boots, but a call to Manitou and they were on their way, free. They should have shipped the fork with them in the first place, like many of their forks do.
The Lizard Skins are useful for headset and rear shock, but save your money on the fork boots, as they are very much worthless.
Zero auto-combusting, anus-ripping large diameter red-meat turds for these babies. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
shorty
a Weekend Warrior
from Boulder,CO Date Reviewed: December 14, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | nice look as long as they are new | | Weaknesses: | look dirty after the a short time (even on the dark red ones I had); they just DON'T WORK!!! | | Similar Products Used: | riding w/o them | | Bike Setup: | MAG 21 on a MERLIN Taiga | | Bottom Line: | Don't waste your money on that junk. Sure, they keep the dirt; but not away from your fork but inside themselves and that means exactly there where you don't want it. Especially the small dirtgrains which are worst for the fork find there way in easy, stay there and work against your seals. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom Cavenagh
a Cross Country Rider
from Oak Park, Illinois Date Reviewed: September 21, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Cable Wisconsin Clusters | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$15.00 | | Purchased At: | Mailorder | | Strengths: | None | | Weaknesses: | Didn't fit, Didn't stay put, Didn't do squat. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Litespeed Pisgah with Marzocchi Superfly | | Bottom Line: | I bought them because my shock is bootless. They are absolute junk - don't waste your money. If I could zero chilis I would still be overrating them. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross-Country Rider
from Peak District, England Date Reviewed: October 24, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: | Hayfield-Edale trails | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Stay fixed down on the fork. | | Weaknesses: | Don't work! | | Similar Products Used: | Standard rubber fork boots. | | Bike Setup: | Dave Hinde custom frame. Judy SL long travel forks. | | Bottom Line: | The standard Judy boots don't stay down if the fork is working hard, so I bought some of these Lizard Skins. They stay in place well but can't cope with British mud, grit sand and water. When I take them off after a ride there's more mud on the stanchions than if I hadn't been using boots at all. More mud gets past the seals than with the original (pretty useless) Judy boots - Lizard Skin boots are a waste of money. The reviewers who think they are fine should try riding in some British conditions! | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim
a Racer
from Denver Date Reviewed: October 17, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: | Miller's Gulch | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Looks Kewl | | Weaknesses: | Dust and water gets under them easy | | Similar Products Used: | normal boots | | Bike Setup: | GT | | Bottom Line: | Lizard Skins has got some good stuff on the market, i.e. head set skin. But these are a bad idea, boots do a better job of keeping off the elements, and if your forks don't need boots use Judy Butter.. They look kewl until you see the dark side of them. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mr. bojangles
a Cross-Country Rider
from Kincardine Date Reviewed: September 25, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: | Boler | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | stay on the fork | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | stock rubber boots | | Bike Setup: | Peak lightweight stuff | | Bottom Line: | dont come off seals after big hits, work great for short travel forks. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Willy
a Racer
from SLC, UT Date Reviewed: September 14, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: | Wasatch Crest | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Ease of installation | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Stock Boots | | Bike Setup: | K2 Rock Shock SID | | Bottom Line: | Things work like there supposed to. I don't ride in to much mud or water but I've never had any problem with anything getting into the forks. I raced the NORBA CC in Deer Valley,( that was damn dusty) and when I cleaned my bike afterwards there was no dust under the boots. I take them off each time after I clean by bike and have no problem getting back on. Maybe some of these people having problems should work on their forearm muscles. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sylvain
a Cross-Country Rider
from Ottawa Date Reviewed: September 13, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: | Gatineau trails | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Works well ONLY on the back shock. | | Weaknesses: | Sucks for the front shocks | | Bike Setup: | GT XCR 3000 GT Zaskar LE | | Bottom Line: | These lizard skin fits on the chainstay good, the back shock good and keeps the durt of no problem. But how the hek is it suppose to stay on ROCKSHOX 98-99 series. There is not enough room for them to stay on the one piece suspensions. That sucks big time | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sean C.
a Cross-Country Rider
from Houston, TX Date Reviewed: September 12, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: | Memorial Park | | Duration Product Used: | tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | NOT A ONE! | | Weaknesses: | BINDS, ANTIQUATED DESIGN DID NOT WORK RIGHT W/ CAST BRIDGE JUDY FORK, MEANT FOR MODULAR/BOLT ON BRIDGES? | | Similar Products Used: | MTN SPEED SEALS AND NO STUPID BOOTS! | | Bike Setup: | GIANT XTC SE2 FRAME, JUDY XC FORK | | Bottom Line: | THIS ONE SUCKED TOO! | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Martin
a Cross-Country Rider
from Vasteras Date Reviewed: July 14, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: | most of them | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Keeps smeg off my fork | | Weaknesses: | not really made to fit an A-bomb | | Similar Products Used: | old boots | | Bike Setup: | Giant carbon, Marzzochi z2 atom bomb | | Bottom Line: | I take them off and wash them once in a while, my seals are squeeky clean. And those of you who cant get them on, stretch them a little around the fork and they will reach a perfect fit after a couple of hours. -1 pepper because they dont make them in different sizes, z1, z2, z3's are a bit thicker in the tubes than most forks. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Cross-Country Rider
from Texas Date Reviewed: July 11, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | They work well and seal the fork on my full sus recumbent | | Weaknesses: | Pain to put on if you don't have strong fingers | | Similar Products Used: | Stock boots | | Bike Setup: | Nils Palm Wind 63 full suspension recumbent | | Bottom Line: | These would not be the hot ticket for a long travel fork but for a short travel fork on a street recumbent they work well. Keep it feet first. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Hans Persson
a Weekend Warrior
from Lund, Sweden Date Reviewed: July 6, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: | tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | Looks cool | | Weaknesses: | Impossible to get on my Marzocchi Z3 | | Bike Setup: | ParkPre Pro 825, Marzocchi Z3, XT | | Bottom Line: | At least I could not get it on my fork. But I got a refund, so I'm still happy... | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Taint Pretty
a Cross-Country Rider
from Dallas, Texas Date Reviewed: April 19, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Lokk okay | | Weaknesses: | Hard to get on right and then they might not stay on. | | Bottom Line: | Go with a normal boot if possible. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David
a weekend warrior
from Wichita, KS Date Reviewed: October 30, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These things are VERY hard to put on right. They don't really even fit my RST fork (like Lizard Skins claim they should). I could'nt even get them to completely cover my fork seals, and so everything got in there - dirt,water..you name it. I finally decided to remove them and save myself some hassle. About the same amount of garbage gets in the seals w/o them on. They are WAY too expensive for what little good they do. I can't speak for those who have other brands of forks, but if you own an RST 260, walk away from Lizard Skins and don't look back !! If they could make boot that is a little less one size fits all, and come up with something a little suited for particular makes of forks, they might have a better product to offer. I will be looking forward to hearing if any of you have suggestions for a better boot, even if it's home-made. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lew Hanna
a weekend warrior
from Lawrence, Kansas Date Reviewed: August 18, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This is a great product if you enjoy fork boots that are nearly impossible to put on, won't stay on the fork under conditions that force a lot of fork action, and refuse to keep grime and grit out of your fork. Overall, they are a great way to ensure the destruction of your fork in no time. The pair I bought made their way to the trash can in about two weeks. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ian Mac Allister
a weekend warrior
from B'more, MD USA Date Reviewed: April 8, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
My bike came with an RST381 which gradually became stiff in the first few months of riding(my trails are wet, no dust). I was a newbie then so I didn't understand until my roomie felt like fooling around with my fork and took it apart finding it full of water. The standard boots don't do much of anything. Ergo, my LizardSkins purchase. They worked great for me. Then, I went to dusty Illinois and rode around, not very much in fact, and the fork started to freeze up. It didn't look like there was an open- ing in the velcro when I broke down my fork, so I didn't know how the dust had gotten inside. I cleaned everything including the Skins. From what I could tell it appears that the Skins became permeated with dust, and that dust traveled through them into the fork! I wrote |
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