Strengths: stiff.. smooth .. great rebound.. gold stantions
Weaknesses: i blew the rebound cartridge and i broke the travel adjustment i had a simailar problem with my old sherman flick plus forks but i got the travel adjustment fixed on thoughs.. i had oil leek out of my fork since i got it
Bottom Line:
Good fork if you buy it brand new and make sure u know how much air to put in the spv air vavle ... be carful if you put to much in you will blow your rebound cartridge... manitou is great with replacing it for free although it is a pain to get it fixed .... if your lucky and send your fork to manitou they might send you travis's
Similar Products Used: sherman flick plus, splice comp
Bike Setup: sinister ridge with hayes 9 with two inch rotors.. single track rims .. diety bars ( 2 inch rise) shimano siant crank set e-thirteen chain guide.. 42 tooth chainring.. 50/50crank bros. pedals
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Reilly
a Downhiller
from Palmer Lake, CO
Date Reviewed: January 22, 2006
Strengths: Super plush, dependable, low maintenance, NO FLEX what so ever, built like a tank, very ajustable, 20mm axel, looks burly
Weaknesses: Mine makes this clicking sound when the fork goes about half way through its travel but it doesnt seem to affect its performance in anyway. maybe another inch or 2 of travel and I'd be estatic
Bottom Line:
Sick fork for freeriding. Performs better than some 6 or 7 inch travel forks. buy it!
Favorite Trail: Wild Thing or Paid in Full at Keystone
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Purchased At: Came stock on bike
Similar Products Used: some suntour fork, not nearly as great as the firefly
Bike Setup: Giant AC1 pretty much stock except for stomp platforms and hayes 8 inch cookie cutter rotors
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
daren
a Cross Country Rider
from st george, UT, USA
Date Reviewed: January 2, 2006
Strengths: rigid, fluid, tough, easy to service
Weaknesses: hmmm none yet
Bottom Line:
These forks rock. No if's and's or but's. I've beat them, hammered them, ridden them in cold and hot and they still eat up little chop like butter and catch me on harsh landings with confidence. I don't know if I just got lucky with this pair, but looking at the other reviews I don't think so. Simply incredible forks! Dare I say it? yes I do "they're better than the fox rlc's I've ridden" you can't say more than that. Buy some if you can find 'em!
Similar Products Used: most high end rock shox, fox, etc...
Bike Setup: stock haro werx
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Don Olson
a Weekend Warrior
from Irwin, Pa. USA
Date Reviewed: June 10, 2005
Strengths: Tough, stiff, plush, overall great fork!!
Weaknesses: travel adjust broke, I don't care, I use 5" all the time anyway.
Bottom Line:
I have had this fork now for over a year and I am extremely pleased w/overall quality, durability adn user friendliness. Super easy to change oils and keep maintained. Fork has been through a tremendous amount of abuse under my 225 Lbs of rock riding self! I am now on a Ventana El Chamuco w/6" of travel and I have both ends of the bike set up stiff and the bike is super plush and responsive. I'd buy my next fork from Manitou for sure!
Bike Setup: Ventana El Chamuco, Race Face Chainrings, XT Der's ODI Grips, Hayes Hydro's, Thomson post, Easton riser, Mallets, XT hubs, 2.4 Motoraptors, CK headset, blah, blah, blah.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Rob
a Weekend Warrior
from Ontario,Canada
Date Reviewed: June 3, 2005
Strengths: Massive fork tubes,length of travel,urban camo paint
Weaknesses: none so far.
Bottom Line:
Manitou products rock period.This fork is far superior to anything ive ever seen or riden.Bye it and you wont regret it.
Similar Products Used: manitou black elite,super air.Manitou makes the best forks,shocks available period.
Bike Setup: 2003 vt2,sun rhynolite wheels,sram grip shifters,thompson post,bontager bars,manitou swinger 4 ways shock with spv,truvative cranks,crank brother mallet pedals
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
JOHN LEE
a Weekend Warrior
from San Francisco, Ca
Date Reviewed: December 6, 2004
Strengths: STIFFNESS, VERY RIDGID, BURLY LOOKS
Weaknesses: NONE. JUST REGULAR MAINTANANCE. A LITTLE HEAVY BUT WORTH IT.
Bottom Line:
I JUST WANT TO SAY, I HAVE PUT 2700 MILES ON THIS FORK AND IT IS STILL SMOOTH AS BUTTER. JUST HAD A OVERHAUL SEALS AND NEW OIL FOR THE 4TH TIME. JUST A LITTLE LOVE AND THIS FORK WILL BE THERE EVERY TIME YOU GET OUT OF SHAPE ON A TRAIL OR JUMP AND IT SAVES YOUR REAR.
Bike Setup: SC HECKLER,HAYES CARBON HD PLUS,RACEFACE TURBINE,THOMPSON STEM AND POST,EASTON DH BARS,SINGLETRACK WITH HADLEY HUBS,WTB LAZER V SADDLE, MAXXIS MINION 2.35,XTR DRIVETRAIN AND CHAIN,RP 3 FOX REAR SHOCK,SHERMAN FIREFLY.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Paul Baines
a Racer
from Middlesbrough
Date Reviewed: October 18, 2004
Strengths: The super stif fork reacts to every bump and the ramp up on them is mental wen adjusted to full rebound. You can set the forks to be a slow rebound wich it brilliant for downhill but not that good for jumps. As i do alot of trail i need a fork that can go long distance without bouncin wich it does when locked down but wen its not its like a downhill fork.
Weaknesses: Have to fill the spv quite alot (every weekish)
Strengths: This fork can be beaten as hell. Sweet ride, great looks VERY LIGHT!
Weaknesses: Get the QR20 version. Seems a little weak in torsion.
Bottom Line:
Great fork for the price I paid, very light and efficient compare to marzocchi. This fork is great for freeriding, but maybe a little too much travel for street use. The standard springs are a little bit too soft for a general rider (160lbs)
Bike Setup: custom Specialized P.1, pro taper bars, Primo BMX grips, sherman
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
HOFFMAN
a Downhiller
from coral gables, fl
Date Reviewed: July 28, 2004
Strengths: Big, stiff, plush, strong, light. If anymore description is necessary, stick with your current fork.
Weaknesses: none yet, will find out soon though, I'm not easy on my equipment.
Bottom Line:
The best fork that I have ever owned, correction, the best fork I have ever ridden. It never bottoms, I've tried on many flat landings, no flex in the fork legs, and the break-in period was incredibly short. I know many people would never ride in the 4" setting, because they feel like that isn't tough enough??? I have done as much in the 4" setting as I have done in 5"s, and can barely tell a difference, in fact they are easier to ride in the 4" setting unless you are riding something huge, or are a crappy rider with no handling skills. Oh by the way, I don't have a job, I just ride all the time, and am an X-BMX'er and jumper if that gives me any credibility. Don't take my word for it though, find someone that has a pair, ride them, and then save your money, they aren't cheap, remember I don't have a job. Find them on sale like I did.
Similar Products Used: Manitou 1, yes the original, 3, psylo, rigid fork, twice, marzocchi z150, z1fr.
Bike Setup: 99' Specialized enduro, upgraded rear, shermans, atomlab, titec, XT, avid barkes and levers, dk ironcross pedals sun bmf wheels, etc.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Tim Venables
a Weekend Warrior
from Britain
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2004
Strengths: every thing! very stiff with 20mm axel and 1.5steerer
Weaknesses: non yet
Bottom Line:
these are a sweet set, cos they can handle almost everything from 4x to freeride. if u ride street u will tend to find there is to much travel, plus the dampening is smooth as a babys bum!
Strengths: Super ridged, good damping. comes in sweet colours.
Weaknesses: A bit soft... so i might have to go bigger.
Bottom Line:
It's definatly an awsome shock, if you're thinking of upgrading to a Double-Crown fork from something like a XC fork.. there's no need. The Sherman Firelfy is super awsome, and it's got a MTBR top choice rating.. so you GOTTA like it! I wish it was a little more adjustable, but if I ever bottom it out, it holds up real well.
Weaknesses: Lower casting are thin walled. Travel adjuster needs to be re-set from time to time.
Bottom Line:
Its going on three months now. Had to return the fork to Manitou. Developed a hairline crack in the sidewall of the lower casting.Leaked oil with every compression. Manitou Replaced it within a week.(Manitou thinks it was a bad batch of welds.Awsome customer support).
I've been Freeriding at Mountain Creek Diablo park (NJ) and Plattekill (NY) seven times so far. The Fire fly has performed as expected. Smooths out the eastcoast rock gardens. Plush on the jumps and bottomed out only after a bad landing off a 6' drop-to-flat.(I should have been in the hospital). Instead I increased the firmness and rode on.(I weigh 178' with downhill gear on).
I also sheard off the quick release axle one one side of the hub.(See Ryan Waters posting below). I replaced the QR axle on the shimano XT hub with a solid 10mm through bolt. (Like the BMX Bikes) 155mm in length. WOW I thought it was stiff before. now its awsome.
As I said I freeride at these Lift assisted Parks. So I occasionally expect to climb to get to a sweet spot. Being able to adjust the travel gets me there much easier than my Marzocci Shiver friends. BUY THIS FORK if you like to cross that line between agressive XC and Freeriding.Go with a smaller travel lightweight fork if you like to XC race. Get a dual crown fork if you only DH.
Bike Setup: 2001 Santa Cruz Bullit,xt components,Azonic Shorty 50mm stem & Thompson seatpost, Race Face prodigy DH crank, fox vanilla RC shock, Avid 175mm mechanical disc breaks, Mavic 219 rims, Maxxis Mobster tires.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Ryan Waters
a Downhiller
from Bozeman, MT, USA
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2004
Strengths: Super smooth, stiff considering that I have the standard axle, light, urban camo looks awesome
Weaknesses: Travel adjustment doesn't work anymore, not as stiff as 20mm axle (obviously), not much compression damping
Bottom Line:
This is by far the best fork I have ever ridden. Of all the forks that I have owned and demoed none have ever been as smooth as the Sherman. My only regret in purchasing this fork is that I didn't get the 20mm axle. I'm not sure how, but I sheared the axle on either side of the hub. So to get the best performance I recomend that you get the through axle. After three months of abuse I have yet to take it apart for a tune, but it still runs just as smooth as the day I bought it. Other than the axle, the only problem I've had is with the travel adjustment. I spent a couple of days dirtjumping in the 4" position because it's stiffer. but I think that I broke something because the knob is now useless. Anyway, this is hands down one of the best forks on the market for freeriding, and they're light enough for crosscountry if that's what you're into. Get any of the Sherman forks with a 20mm axle and you will never regret it.
Similar Products Used: Rockshox Indy c, Manitou mars, Marzocchi z4 and Jr T, White Brothers DH 2
Bike Setup: 15" Kona Shred, FSA Pig headset, 50mm stem and super narrow handlebars, Deore hydro front disk and Avid mech rear, Odyssey gyro system for barspins (Front brake hose is run through the fork), Hussefelts, Deore hubs on Ryno lites, Single speed setup
Strengths: No flex from this fork and the TPC+ Damping is very smooth.
Weaknesses: Possible that the Semi-bath lubrication may require more maintance than other forks.
Bottom Line:
This fork is the best out of the others that I have tried. Better Damping than the Sl and less Flex. The Z1 is just as smooth at speeds over 15mph and very stiff and adjustable,it just doesn't have the smoothness at lower speeds. I also find the 20mm travel reduction useful for eliminating the fork from bobbing too much while climbing. Bottom line this is a good fork for me I like to ride fast downhill trails with it but no real freeride just 2 or 3 foot drops and small jumps.
Weaknesses: As far as rowdy trail riding goes none. After the first 12 hours it started rding real choppy and ramped up to fast. Took it apart and their was no fluid in the semi bath chambers. I sent it back to Manitou and they were VERY helpful and they rebuilt it for free within a week.
Bottom Line:
Very solid fork for trail riding. Feels like it has twice the travel of my Psylo. The best trait I think is how it remains plush over small stuff, but ramps up enough to resist bottoming out when hauling **s. I weigh 190 lb and it is perfect. I wish it had high speed rebound dampening adjustment though.
alright, I pulled this bad boy out from the attic and i couldn't remember the problem. Now, its obvious.
I checked the air pressure and its still at 100 ( where I left it, to see Read More »
Hey everyone,
i picked up a used Sherman Firefly and its ins great shape......other than the bushing slop. Is there anything i can do to help with that, or do i just need to ord Read More »
Manitou no longer has the 130 mm spring in stock. Anyone here have one that they would like to part with, or any spring that will work? I don't mind loosing the travel adjust, I Read More »
