Submitted by
matt andersen
a Downhiller
from ringwood australia Date Reviewed: January 25, 2008
Favorite Trail:
long gully
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
farkin.net
Strengths:
strong good travel alot of adjustments 20mm through
Weaknesses:
weaknesses? on these forks? you serious?
Similar Products Used:
manitou stance marzocchi dj 4, dj 3 pikes
Bike Setup:
norco 125
Bottom Line:
best fork ive ridden better than pikes which i was going to get and these are half the price
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
SoLaMaNdA
a Downhiller
from London, England Date Reviewed: October 12, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Les Gets 2, France
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
2nd hand for £200
Strengths:
Brilliant small bump sensitivety. Takes big hits well. Once setup for your weight no other fork will compare. Even the QR version is very stiff.
Weaknesses:
Needed slightly heavier oil weight to get best performance. Lack of preload adjust.
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi Z1, 888, shivers, Z3. Rockshox Psylos. Fox Floats
Bike Setup:
Orange Patriot, Downhill. Turbines, fox vanillia shock, XT, Diabolus, Thomson
Bottom Line:
Best 5" travel fork by far. After a little tinkering it will be perfect.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Stu
a Weekend Warrior
from Carlisle Date Reviewed: September 13, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Pheonix trail, Glentress.
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$350.00
Strengths:
Great looks, strong,nice plush travel better than other forks i've ridden. No flex at all even with QR. Hardly ever bottoms out even doing 5' drops on to concrete,although the standard sring is probably to soft for me( 6'2" and 14stone)
Weaknesses:
Caliper mount!! Why do you do it Manitou? cost me about 50 quid for hope caliper half and 205mm disc. Great for extra braking power also great for braking the bank. If you arn't all ready set up for Manitou caliper mounts don't forget to take this expence in to acount.
Similar Products Used:
Marz Jn'r T
Bike Setup:
AC Team frame,Hope hubs & brakes, sun rhino lites, Easton & shimano bits else were.
Bottom Line:
exelent fork but trading in for 2005 6" travel version to get slacker head angle.Even though this is the company that said 5" was the most travel you could get with 1 1/8" steerer, may be the Marz Z150 has revealed the truth in the one point five verses 1 1/8" debait.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike S.
a Downhiller
from Knoxville, TN..USA Date Reviewed: January 31, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Windrock
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Harpers
Strengths:
Reverse arch
Weaknesses:
Broke fender mount off back of fork with reverse arch !! Downtube mud fender will work i guess,{Peaty uses one all the time}..
Similar Products Used:
03 Z.1={2.7" Mobster rubs, & fork bottoms easier than the Manitiou}---02 Shiver DC{great fork}.
Bike Setup:
03 lg BULLET--24" Trailpimp---26" Singletrack---E-13 srs guide/36t ring--Avid mech. brakes...etc
Bottom Line:
This fork is great.I think it's the Firefly,mine is Black & thought it had spv on the RH leg...ANyway's whatever it is,it's better than the Z.1 i had no doubt{sorry Marzocchi}. Reverse arch IS better & this fork doesn't bottom out as easy ! Seems like a winner!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Eric
a Weekend Warrior
from Eau Claire Date Reviewed: January 17, 2004
Favorite Trail:
city streets
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$425.00
Purchased At:
unrealcycle.com
Strengths:
Stiff as h^$#ll! Travel, Travel, Travel! 110-130mm in a single crown fork is groovy! 20mm hub hook-ups, beefy! 32mm stancheons. This is a heavy duty fork. Tons of adjustment capabilities too.
Weaknesses:
Not really a weakness but its heavy, and the factory spring and oil leave it a little plush for my taste. The rebound adjustment, as cool as it is, doesn't semm to make a noticeable difference.
Similar Products Used:
Marz DJ2 and 3, manitou black(similar features)
Bike Setup:
'03 Identiti DrJekyll, planet x golioth pro bars/stem, fsa x drive xtreme cranks/bb/36tooth ring, halo combat rims(diatech swinger fr.rr hubs), hayes hydros, tioga factory dh 2.3's
Bottom Line:
This fork kicks a#@$! Freeriders, dirt jumpers, urban cowboys, buy this fork(or at least one in the Sherman family). Cross country, light weight fanatics, don't. This is by far one of the most impressive forks I have used. Its plush but sh&^%&t-kickin' tough! This is the clear alternative to spendy double crown forks because it's built on the same premisis, tough. The name says it all, its a tank. Even on the biggest hits, you may blow a seal (if that, even) but you aren't buying a new $500 fork. I will buy another if I ever wear this one out. Only thing I would like to see is a heavier oil and spring. Good show!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
zach
a
from canada Date Reviewed: December 20, 2003
Favorite Trail:
its all good...(exept bad ones)
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
it seems to be strong, ridgid and the ability to switch the travel on the fly is a great feature (i use it ALL the time),i think the decals and the powder coat finish look pretty rad (exept they use bad glue for the decal, so i think its going to fall off soon). the reverse crown, i find, makes it much more ridgid and reponsive.
Weaknesses:
it needs to come with heavier coils and/or oil or somthing, cause im a small guy and i find it too soft.
Bike Setup:
4 by 4 with sherman
Bottom Line:
its wicked and super smooth, but needs to be stiffer, and cheaper.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
will
a Weekend Warrior
from maidstone, kent Date Reviewed: November 21, 2003
Favorite Trail:
PORC
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
crc
Strengths:
-stiff as anything -tonnes of travel -travek adjust -brilliant compression damping
Weaknesses:
-had to tighten up a few bolts when it came, you would expect it to be ready to ride
Similar Products Used:
marzo z3 qr20 2001 marzo z3 1998
Bike Setup:
Identiti dr jekyll, flicks, blakspire guide, v drive x cranks, dmr wingbars, syncros bigbox wheels, and all the other stuff
Bottom Line:
these forks really are the dogs, they are amazingly smooth from day one. the travel seems infinate, as the tpc really kicks in past 2 inches, and never seems to let the fork bottom. in the 5 inch setting the fork is really good over stutter bumps and such-the-like, and just soaks them up like nothing else. the 4 inch travel setting is great for dual slalom and dirt jumping, as it takes away the first inch of ultra sensitive travel. brilliant fork, better than any other single crowner for the money ( and more )
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark Williams
a Cross Country Rider
from Wales Date Reviewed: November 11, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Glyncorwg
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Online
Strengths:
Look great, very beefy, track extremely well, very stiff and super plush. Oh, VERY strong!!!
Weaknesses:
The annoying spring click that I have just started to experience, I have been informed that this is standard, didn't get it on my Freerides or DJ's though (Sorry Huw :P).
Similar Products Used:
Z1 Freerides, DJ3 & DJ2, Vanilla 125RL, Marathons and some old Pace RC36.
Bike Setup:
Stock 03 Stinky bar a re-valved shock and these Flick forks.
Bottom Line:
These forks are the business, saved my ass last weekend, did a drop 6ft to flat and forgot to pull up, lovely nosedive which the forks just absorbed as if it were a 6inch drop. Unfortunately my face didn't do quite so well and hit my stem, stem was fine though!! I bought these forks on the advice of a friend who already had Breakouts, these forks are not the lightest out there but they sure are strong, lush to look at and super smooth. The price I paid is in pounds, mega happy and owe Huw (my personal fork advisor) a major thank you for the recommendation, best forks I have ridden so far.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Patrick
a Weekend Warrior
from Baltimore, MD Date Reviewed: October 6, 2003
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
beefy, smooth, costs a hundred bucks less than the firefly
Weaknesses:
weighs a pound more than the firefly. If you want a lot of travel adjustment, this fork doesn't adjust much (I think half an inch)
Bike Setup:
trek liquid
Bottom Line:
Whew, this is a great fork! It doesn't have the latest cool technology of stable platform valving,and doesn't have the gadgets of rebound damping, etc, but that hasn't bothered me at all (I'm not subtle enough to tell major differences on other forks when I've played with positive air chambers, negative air chambers, rebound damping, and all that). This fork is strong, soaks up small and big hits, and has been totally hassle free. the manufacturer's manual warned of stickiness during the break-in period, but I've not even had that--it has been smooth since day one. The fork seems burly too; I'll see how it holds up, but it's been totally solid on everything I've thrown at it. This is my kind of fork: put it on the bike and never think (or worry) about it again. However, if you want SPV technology or lots of adjustability, this probably isn't the fork for you.
I also wondered about this versus the firefly, and figured out that the firefly is the lighter twin sister. The flick doesn't seem to lose anything in performance, and I'd rather spend a hundred dollars on something other than a pound of weight, so I went with the flick; I figure that myself + camelback + bike will weigh either 200 or 201 depending on the fork, and I can't tell that little difference.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a Weekend Warrior
from Adelaide, South Australia Date Reviewed: October 3, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
JT Cycles
Strengths:
Super stiff, no flex at all (I have the 20mm thru axel version). The travel is so smooth and progressive that it inspires confidence. The firm ride kit has done wonders for the fork in firming up the ride while loosing very little in the way of feel. A good upgrade for anyone over 60kg.
Weaknesses:
I bent the steerer where it goes into the crown after going over a 3ft north shore drop on an xc track and hitting a 6" high berm. I bought the Shermans under the impression that the forks should have been able to take that sort of hit. Costs almost as much as a new fork to buy the steerer/crown/stanchion part to fix the fork. The standard springs are too soft and i'm not a big guy by any means.
Bike Setup:
Haro Escape 8.2, Ritchey Riser bars, Armor 7" hydro discs front and back, Sun rims Double Track rim front with 20mm hub, Specialized S-Works 2.4 front tyre, Geax Blade 2.25 rear tyre.
Bottom Line:
Great fork just dont bend it or it will cost you heaps to fix!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jacob
a Downhiller
from Canada Date Reviewed: September 28, 2003
Favorite Trail:
wentworth dh
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Hub Cycle
Strengths:
Wciedk fork!Looks good and works better!Quick travel adjust is helpfull if you want to go from dirt jumping to big hits.
Weaknesses:
disc tab threads are weak.be carefull other then that though none!
Similar Products Used:
z5,judy xc(haha),judy tt(haha)
Bike Setup:
2001 Norco 125cc wif the sherman,d-wide front rim,mag30 rear(24 inch),8 inch hayes hydro front and back(mag,purple),primo pedals,kevlar dh radical seat,hussefelt cranks
Bottom Line:
I have nothing bad to say about it.It has handled 10 feet with out bottoming out!it has handled 13-14 feet wicked.I have raced dh with it on my hardtail and it soaked up everything!!a wicked fork,worth every penny.buy it if you can.Im never goin back to bomber!!MANITOU FOR LIFE!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
stephan
a Downhiller
from noyal, brittany, france Date Reviewed: September 13, 2003
Favorite Trail:
trails of the customers
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
www.mtbikers.com
Strengths:
You can set up damping, rebound and travel. Stiff, good looking with reverse arch. Rebound and damping are really effective.
Weaknesses:
none for the moment
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi Z1, marzocchi dirt jumperIII
Bottom Line:
This fork works great, very sensitive on small bumps, progressive on big landing, the set up are really effective, particularly rebound. The wheel is stuck to the ground. I like the idea of the rapid travel adjust, but i don't really need it, maybe for steep climbs. But this fork works so well in 130mm travel position.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
orb
a Weekend Warrior
from Victoria BC Canada Date Reviewed: September 2, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Green Ribbon
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
Fort Steer Cycle
Strengths:
- Super stiff reverse arch - TCP+ compressing dampening - Smooth travel handles big hits - Look kick ass on my AC1
Previous fork was a 2000 Marz Z1 CR. Considered Rockshox Psylo SL, Marz DJ3, Marz Z1 Drop Off.
Bike Setup:
2001 Giant AC1, 2003 Sheman Flick Standard Axle, M525 Disks.
Bottom Line:
I ended up choosing standard axle Flick for riding the very rocky, steep uphill AND steep downhill riding we have around Victoria, and the occasional weedend in Whistler or Vancouver. Riding Mt Work trails in Victoria needs a bike that can handle the odd North Shore style drop, but can go uphill as well. I didn't want the weight of a double crown.
So far I've found it to be super stiff for a single crown (tortionally and front to back) fork. Inspires the kind of "point-and-shoot" riding a double crown fork does. The 32mm stanctions have no "sticktion". The TCP+ compression dampening is nice. Very plush in the first 2-3" of travel, stiff in the last 2" to handle bigger hits. If you do bottom it, it bottoms out softly.
The rebound dampening could be more effective. It works, but can't be set as slow as my old Z1. The bike shop included the heavy spring kit in the sale price. I tried the stock spring, but found it bottomed too easily (I'm 185lbs), so I did the spring upgrade and now it's very capable of big hits. The Rapid Travel adjustment is a nice idea, but going from 5 to 4" doesn't make a lot of difference. All it does is compress the fork an inch so the fork bobs less if you need to stand and mash uphill.
I'm extremely happy with the Flick. It's a perfect match for the AC1.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
B
a Downhiller
from NZ Date Reviewed: August 6, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$500.00
Strengths:
Mint lookin' forx, big tubes with minimal stickers. Decent for dh or freeride
Weaknesses:
Maby need heavier weight oil??. i got the 20mm axel version and all its a bit annoying all the bolts and other things needed to be tightened whenever u want to take off your wheel
Similar Products Used:
Psylo 2k1 xc with tullio axel
Bike Setup:
Manic with xt comp for hartail dh
Bottom Line:
nice lookin' and performin fork with heaps of travel and thick sliders that look mint.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
JOHNNY
a
from MELBOURNE Date Reviewed: July 7, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$400.00
Strengths:
SMOOTH AS BUTTER TRAVEL, AND PLENTY OF IT
Weaknesses:
FORK IS REALLY STIFF ON SHORT TRAVEL SETTING-BECOMES A DIRT JUMPING FORK-NOT REALLY A WEAKNESS, BUT ISN'T MUCH CHOP FOR XC
Similar Products Used:
MANITOU BLACK SUPER AIR
Bike Setup:
AC1, MAVIC 521'S, HOPE, AND THE BEAUTIFUL SHERMANS
Bottom Line:
ONE DAMN SWEET ASS FORK. KILLS THE BLACKS I HAD BEFORE IT, IS MUCH MORE HEAVY DUTY (AS IT SHOULD BE) TRAVEL IS SMOOTHER, COIL ROCKS, AIR SUCKS. PLENTY OF TRAVEL-I NOSED DIVED (ACCIDENTLY) A 7 FOOT DROP TO FLAT AND THEY DIDN'T BOTTOM! BUY 7 OF EM, THEY'RE THAT GOOD! PLUS THEY LOOK BIG, BLACK AND BAD
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
will
a Weekend Warrior
from new zealand Date Reviewed: June 18, 2003
Favorite Trail:
devil's tail
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
burly, lots of travel, quality damping, seals not leaking (yet?)
Weaknesses:
travel adjuster has broken - not a major drama but if it's that weak why fit it?
Similar Products Used:
fox vanilla r 125 (on its third set of leaky seals)
Bike Setup:
da bomb cr8, shermans, pedals, wheels etc
Bottom Line:
feels really good, soaks up everything. but why do they fit crappy things like the travel adjuster that dies after a few uses? i'd like to hear how many others have had the same problem and if it's going to cause problems if i don't fix it. at least it's still rideable!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
daddy
a
from uk Date Reviewed: June 13, 2003
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$350.00
Strengths:
it is as strong as it has needed to be, how ever much i crash it just wont seem to affect this fork in the slightest. very very stiff.
Weaknesses:
the glue used to hold the stickers on.
Similar Products Used:
psylo SL(Slightly Looses travel), z1 freeride.
Bottom Line:
this fork is the only one of it's type that does as it's supposed to all the time, it makes no mistakes, you do! if you want a fork that wont let you down, get one of these.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jerry
a Weekend Warrior
from Anchorage AK Date Reviewed: June 12, 2003
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
beyond bikes
Strengths:
Stiff stiff stiff, oh and did I say stiff? Lots of quality travel (more than I need), and the matte black paint is very slimming.
Weaknesses:
Some say weight, I say wait, this thing is indestructable. There are no known weaknesses.
Similar Products Used:
Manitou X-vert air, Marzocchi Z-1
Bike Setup:
Rocky Mountain Blizzard, RaceFace Next LP cranks, Avid mech disc brakes, SRAM 9.0 SL drive train, Thompson post and stem...
Bottom Line:
But this fork. If you are using the fork for it's intended purpose you'll be thankful for the peace of mind that the extra weight gives you (even if it IS all in your head). This thing rocks, there seems to be no end to the travel and it scoffs at side deflections. No really, I've heard it laugh. It laughs all the time, and talks to me, to. Five flamin' poops.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ride free
a Racer
from yurp Date Reviewed: May 6, 2003
Favorite Trail:
nanos
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
sweet tpc+ damping, smooth operation, uses all of its travel without bottoming out too often. the knobs are aluminium (unlike the RS plastic ones)
Weaknesses:
none yet.
Similar Products Used:
psylo sl, manitou millenium, Z1
Bike Setup:
5' travel full susser w. 521, maguras& a chain somewhere
Bottom Line:
manitou have definetely risen the bar with the sherman range. Unrivalled smooth operation, tough build and a cool look. It eats up small hits just as well as the big ones. the best on the market at a reasonable price. When this one goes, i'm buying another one. Oh, and it's not as noisy as the Marzocchis. And it had damping, unlike the marzocchis
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
michael
a
from Mill Valley, CA , USA Date Reviewed: April 27, 2003
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$400.00
Strengths:
Super durable, beafy, and plush. I've only broken the travel adjustment, and that was when I just got it and I didn't know what everything did.
Weaknesses:
weight I guess????????
Similar Products Used:
Manitu black elite, z1
Bike Setup:
Giant AC air, with various upgrades
Bottom Line:
This fork kicks a$$. would only trade it for a Sherman slider. the only reason I didn't give it a higher rating is that Im conviced that there hs got to be a better fork out there.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Derek
a
from Seattle, WA Date Reviewed: February 12, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Gregg's Aurora Cycle
Strengths:
Big plush travel, fairly stiff, looks slick, priced decently. Rapid travel adjust is on top of the fork leg so you can use it without getting off the bike, just flip and it ratchets down.
Weaknesses:
1/2 pound heavier than Manitou says (curse you Manitou!), disc brake mount threads were delicate, had to be very careful to avoid stripping them. Lower travel setting really only eliminates sag.
Similar Products Used:
Nothing this big, my other bike is a Stumpjumper with a Mars Super. But I've owned a '00 SX-R, '01 Black Elite Air, and an '01 SID XC.
Bike Setup:
Specialized P.2, otherwise stock.
Bottom Line:
A sweet fork. Exact same thing as the Firefly incl. even color, but steel spring and steerer. Still pissed about it weighing a full 1/2 lb. more than advertised, but I suppose on a 34.5lb bike it doesn't matter much. I use this fork for urban assault and it sucks everything up, very nice. Nice damping, good progressive spring rate, and not rock-solid but definitely good enough I'd say. With the matte black finish and crown, minimal stickers, and reverse arch along with no canti bosses make it look badass too.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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