Manitou's Minute line offers their new stable platform valve (SPV), one of the most sophisticated damping technologies ever developed. With SPV, your fork is extremely active, soaking up bumps, but highly resistant to pedal induced bob.
Submitted by
Bob
a Cross Country Rider
from Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, USA Date Reviewed: May 13, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Aliso Woods
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Rock n' Road
Strengths:
Sucks up the bumps, holds a line, excellent adjustability, sweet ride!
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Rock Shoxs
Bike Setup:
2005 Kona Dawg, Hays 9, Minute 2:00
Bottom Line:
Outstanding fork, I like it more with every ride.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
steven burgess
a Cross Country Rider
from white water Date Reviewed: April 27, 2006
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Joels Bike Shop in 1000 palms CA.
Strengths:
Levels the terrain for you, I rode a cannondale headshock and a manitou six prior to this. The difference from the headshock to the six was noticeable, but the six to the minute was night and day. The 2:00 has given me more controll over the highspeed areas of a XC trail, and increased my proficenties in low speed technicals. The fork maintains a constastant stiff state that improves efficiency, and climb potential greatly.
Weaknesses:
its orange, other than that I can not find any other weakness
Similar Products Used:
manitou six
Bike Setup:
cannondale F300 frame, manitou minute 2:00 fork, Rhino Lite rims with XT hubs, Hayse disk brakes, shimano rapid fire shifters, panaracer fire XC tires, FSA head spacer, coda crank set, crank brothers mallet pedals
Bottom Line:
buy the damn fork
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Graham
a
from Phoenix, AZ, US Date Reviewed: November 23, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$230.00
Purchased At:
(through a friend)
Strengths:
Strong, Durable, Plush!
Weaknesses:
none so far
Similar Products Used:
Rock Shox PILOT XC Air
Bike Setup:
2004 NRS3, some aftermarket :-/
Bottom Line:
This fork is very good. Sometimes it seems too plush, but you can adjust that. For me anyways, I weigh in at 130 so its great. Those 200 and above will probably want something stiffer, and maybe thats where the people complaining about plushness come from. At high speeds this fork soaks up gravel... amazing. At low, technical speeds, it doesnt do anything. Which is exactly what I wanted. SPV and everything is great. Get the fork, you cant go wrong.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bob the Builder
a Racer
from Cahlifonia Date Reviewed: October 26, 2005
Favorite Trail:
you
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Cowcle Soilutions
Strengths:
Um...looks cool...um...ya.
Weaknesses:
um...don't own it yet...um...ya
Similar Products Used:
Rock Shox Judy TT...loid o'crahp...um...ya
Bike Setup:
Trek 4500 w. Deeore,and...um...ya...thahts it.
Bottom Line:
Um...ya...sweet....yah. BUY BUY BUY!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Simeon
a Cross Country Rider
from Greece Date Reviewed: September 5, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
SPV, stability, 130mm, weight!
Weaknesses:
the stickers come off easily
Similar Products Used:
Psylo
Bike Setup:
2 wheels and 1 stumpjumper fsr 120!
Bottom Line:
It's the best fork. Very light. I've used the SPV volume once to find the best for climbing and I forgot it since then. Climbs like a rigid fork. It's so sweeeet! Buy it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
chris hart
a Cross Country Rider
from blacksburg va Date Reviewed: September 4, 2005
Favorite Trail:
VA creeper Trail
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$187.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
This fork has completely changed the feel and performance of my bike. Tipping the scales at over 200 lbs I have had horrible issues finding a fork that that will support my weight when climbing and still be plush enough for the technical stuff. This fork is a godsend. The SPV is incredible as it gives a very stable platform for climbing (almost as efficient as a lockout) and then completely transforms and absorbs the bumps with a consistant plushness!
Weaknesses:
Only that the stickers are beginning to come off!
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi EXR Pro, Rock Shox Duke
Bike Setup:
04 Haro X2, Minute 2:00, Fox Vanilla, Race Face DH crank, SRAM 9.0 drivetrain, Sun Hill Rod Rims, Hussefelt DH Stem and Bars, Hayes One Discs.
Bottom Line:
Awesome fork especially for a noob on an average CC/FR bike. This fork could potentially make any rig better.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tien
a Weekend Warrior
from Colorado Springs Date Reviewed: June 5, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Captain Jacks, Chutes
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$250.00
Strengths:
Manitou Service, uses motor oil
Weaknesses:
SPV is finicky.
Similar Products Used:
Pyslo Race Air
Bike Setup:
Titus Switchblade
Bottom Line:
My original 04 Minute Two makes a clunking noise when it tops out, giving you the feel of a loose headset. After adjusting the rebound, dampening, change dampening oil, it still clunks. I called Manitou service, and after I finished the description of the problem, my Minute was diagnosed with a "Sticky SPV" valve issue. Since it's still under warranty, Manitou mailed me the replacement part. I opted to do it myself because I can't help my need to know how. I've serviced Rockshox forks before, but Manitou is a bit easier. They use motor oil except for the dampening.
I heard the SPV in the 2005 is better made. The bottom line is that this product is good for the cost, and since the manufacture is willing to fix whatever wasn't right with the product, it made it okay.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ian
a Weekend Warrior
from South Australia Date Reviewed: January 30, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Prospect Hill
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
SPV, low maintenance, , travel
Weaknesses:
some oil leavage
Similar Products Used:
Rock Shox Psylos
Bike Setup:
Jamis XLT 2 with 4 way Manitou rear SPV
Bottom Line:
Fantastic shock, sturdy for rough stuff smooth for climbing and power holds through turns and burns to assist in controlled cornering. Best forks I've had.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andrew
a Weekend Warrior
from Big Lake, MN USA Date Reviewed: September 10, 2004
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Came on Bike
Strengths:
Very smooth, travel perfect for trail riding. SPV works pretty well, never even think about having a lockout.
Weaknesses:
Lasted than 50 miles! Horrible reliability. Bringing it to lbs where I bought my bike to see what can be done. Almost $2000 bike and shock lasts 50 miles.
Similar Products Used:
Monitou Black, Rock Shox SID, Cannondale Lefty
Bike Setup:
All stock Jamis Dakar XLT 2.0
Bottom Line:
I hate the fact that this shock already is broken. I saved for years to get a nice bike and it is already broken. I fear how long this problem will take to get resolved. I will post again when it is over. Very dissapointed...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Roberto
a
from U.S. Date Reviewed: September 2, 2004
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Well, it feels great. Smooth action and lots of adjustability... too much sometimes.
Weaknesses:
Reliability and poor customer service. I am the service manager at one of the largest shops in our metropolitan area. Two of us have Minute twos because they feel great and offer excellent adjustability, but! Both of the forks are back at Answer/Manitou right now because of bushing problems. They also told us 48 hours turn-around time and it looks like they will be pushing more than a week. It's been 4 days since they received them and they haven't even been processed yet! This would be a very crappy situation if these were customer's forks. Though, come to think of it, it's even crappier because it's mine!
Similar Products Used:
Coil Bombers. My 01 bomber has been through 4 bikes and is little out of date, but I swear it feels better now than it did 3 years ago.
Bike Setup:
SC Blur with 5th element rear shock.
Bottom Line:
I think this fork is made for a particular group of people. The SPV works when setup correctly and when used with a stable platform rear shock that is also setup correctly, it provides a great balance. I've ridden my Blur with different forks (the aforementioned bomber) and diff. rear shocks (Fox float). Changing either dramatically reduces that wonderfully balanced, "stuck to the ground" feel that I love the Blur for. Oh, almost forgot, the Minute works best going fast. At slow speeds it doesn't soak up small bumps very well. But at high speed it does great. I'm looking forward to getting it back and hopefully it won't break again.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brad Herder
a Racer
from Pittsfield, MA Date Reviewed: June 28, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Hucker's Choice
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
100mm of super plush travel.
Very nice feel to it when recommended SPV pressure is used.
Very harsh ride if enough SPV pressure is used to prevent bobbing while standing.
Noticeably lighter than my Black.
Weaknesses:
WARNING - SPV is NOT a substitute for Lockout.
I was under the impression when I bought this that SPV was like lockout and would prevent "pedal induced bobbing" while sitting OR STANDING.
Well, after using it for a week and tinkering with air pressures quite a bit, it appears SPV prevents the fork from moving until a certain amount of weight is applied to it. So, you put a moderate amount of pressure in the SPV side and the fork doesn't budge as you pedal while seated (or on small hits especially while going up hill where very little weight is on your front wheel). If you stand bring your weight forward, the fork to squishes down big time and if you pedal standing up, it bobs horribly - worse than any fork I've ever owned.
You CAN prevent bobbing while standing by putting a lot of pressure in the SPV side, but then, the fork is pretty much rigid at all times and only moves for big hits, and it seems to have a bit of a kick to it even on the big hits - giving you a pretty much horrible ride at all times.
When I read "prevents pedal induced bob", I thought, they would have accomplished this by sensing the speed of a hit because your pedalling cadence is slow compared to hits from running your wheel over rocks. However, speed of the hit has absolutely nothing to do with it. If you stand up SLOWLY and move your weight forward the fork sags down - a lot. If you then pedal while standing, it bobs like crazy.
All Manitou has done is produce a fork that doesn't move until a certain minimum amout of weight it applied to it.
SPV is not the rocket science I assumed it was. I'm EXTREMELY disappointed.
Similar Products Used:
Manitou Black 80/100 with Lockout, which I was happy with but the lockout keeps failing.
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher Sugar 1, SRAM 9.0 stuff, Avid mechanical brakes.
Bottom Line:
The fork has an absolutely fantastic feel to it - when adjusted to prevent bobbing while seated only.
If adjusted to prevent bobbing while standing, you'd be better off with a rigid fork since they'd both feel about the same but the rigid fork would be lighter.
The 100 mm of super plush travel is horrible for racing if you like to stand at all.
I'm very disappointed. I just paid a ton of money for a fork that isn't what I expected. I feel Manitou should let consumer's know what preventing pedal induced bob really means "seated" pedal induced bob, not standing. Actually, it has nothing to do with pedal induced bob at all. That fork has no idea what the pedals are doing.
If you're a racer - don't buy this fork.
If you're a non-racer and want a really plush ride, go for it!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
JT
a Cross Country Rider
from santa cruz ca us Date Reviewed: June 27, 2004
Favorite Trail:
gazos creek
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
ABS
Strengths:
light weight 3.6 lbs,tunability,spv works,stiff and precise,sucks up big hits when needed yet real stiff when pedaling.
Weaknesses:
the lowers are off center!!!! the lowers set my wheel over to one side by 4mm!! thats alot(my wheel is perfect true/dish) had the shop switch out the lowers for a new one that manitou sent but its still offset!! watch out for this!!
Similar Products Used:
fox 125 rlc, heavy but a great fork!R.S.duke good fork light also.
Bike Setup:
blur,xt,minute 2 130mm
Bottom Line:
works good as a crosscountry/epic ride fork (not a freeride fork)light,strong,BUT the offcenter problem may cause me to return it!(im working with warranty dept)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mountainbyte
a Cross Country Rider
from ct Date Reviewed: June 8, 2004
Favorite Trail:
WESTWOODS
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Cutting Edge
Strengths:
Amazing shock once its set up right.
Weaknesses:
Takes a few rides to dial in just right, seems a little heavy off drops and jumps, (bike seems harder to land on both tires vs. front first...).
Similar Products Used:
Psylo SL, Fox, SID XC 100mm, others...
Bike Setup:
Stock Jamis XLT 2 2004
Bottom Line:
This shock is for someone who has some experience with an air shock, and wants the next chapter in great suspension. I don't know the difference between this shock and the 3:00, but if I need a new one, I can't imagine the 3 could be so much better than this. It's for anyone who does not want to stop and fiddle with adjustments on a ride.
The minute 2:00 is practically the soul of my XLT 2. On my way to Westwoods it acts as if its locked out thanks to the SPV air chamber. Then when I hit the techs it strokes very nicely, and predictably. My Psylo was as plush but the lockout stopped working long ago. Plus, my Psylo required constant fiddling on the trails, and was sloppy and flexi after the first month.
Adjustments... This shock is set it and forget it. There's some experimentation involved in the initial set, but don't be afraid to use all the settings (Rebound damping, Air spring on left, and "lower limit resistance" that could have been a knob on the top right, but is a bolt, probably because the whole philosophy is to elminate the need for mid ride fiddling as the Psylo requires.
Mine is set so that the SPV is around 50, the red hex nut I mentioned is turned inward 1/4 to keep the shock from bottoming and the Air Spring left leg is about 110psi(I weigh 190).
I entered my first race last weekend. Most of the other bikes were XC bikes. I passed 2 on the hills, I could see their 80mm forks moving. As long as I could stay in my seat, the fork acted as if I had it locked out. I conserve a lot of energy without having the bob factor to worry about.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Luke Sheehan
a Cross Country Rider
from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Date Reviewed: May 27, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Mountaineers Trail
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
light for its travel/stiffness, spv system, nice anodised finish
Weaknesses:
price?, the adjustment stickers come off way too easy
Similar Products Used:
RSTs, Skareb super, duke xc
Bike Setup:
yeti asr sl, bit o xtr, dash o xt, pinch o race face
Bottom Line:
this is a great fork, I've got the 100mm version and it's nice and stiff, better than the dukes and easily as good as the skarebs (and they are only 80mm travel). I've got the spv pressure set at 90 psi and the volume adjuster set at one notch from max ( i'm about 180lbs- pizza and beer dependant)and it works pretty well as far as I'm concerned - you can easily make the forks bob when you crank whilst pedalling but its definitely less so than with non spv forks and bob is totally eliminated whilst sitting (not that I've ever seen much of that anyway). The fork is pretty plush - not quite as silky as the skareb- but this fork has let me get away with some stuff (particularly riding at night on dusty race tracks) that my other forks wouldn't have. I have also seen some oily dirt encrusted around the fork seals, but nothing any worse than any other fork has. Bottom line is that this is a great fork, not a ultralight xc race fork (which is a good thing)but still works as agreat race/ trail riding fork for the heavier/ more aggressive(read unco) rider.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sean
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver Date Reviewed: May 20, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Apex, Portal, Poison Spider
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Foothills Schwinn
Strengths:
Coming from a motocross background, I'm a firm believer that the fork is the most important part of any MTB. This is the best fork I've ever ridden. The design is so rigid that I havn't noticed any flex or twisting, even under full braking with my phenomenal Juicy 7 disc brakes. The SPV is incredible as long as you stay in the saddle. Stand up, and you might as well be pedaling a pogo stick. Otherwise, the fork action is smooth and predictable. Like others have said in this thread, I've noticed a little caking around the seals. But this is minor compared to the oil seapage I noticed in one ride on the supposedly higher-end Fox fork. After about 300 miles off road, I havn't had any problems with this fork.
Weaknesses:
For anyone over 200lbs, you will have to max out the air pressure to get the right stiffness. I've read that some Clydes have installed stiffer springs for better performance. I'm about 210 lbs, and I'm on the cusp of wanting a stiffer front end. The aluminum shrader valves are butter-soft. For a fork that requires frequent pressure adjustments, it would be nice to have more durable threading.
Similar Products Used:
Fox, RS, AMP Link
Bike Setup:
2004 Jamis XLT 2.0
Bottom Line:
The beauty in this fork is its versatility. It's not the most expensive in its category(although its close), but it outperforms everything else. Take it from the guys at MTB Action. They rate the Minute as one of the 10 best products available and call it a "phonomenal upgrade". I have to agree.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kris
a Cross Country Rider
from Clark, CO, USA Date Reviewed: May 15, 2004
Favorite Trail:
local
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$450.00
Purchased At:
cambria
Strengths:
light, stiff, smooth
Weaknesses:
difficult to dial in
Similar Products Used:
Fox R100, Manitou Air Elite
Bike Setup:
Moots Smoothie, SRAM XO, Race Face: stem, Ti BB, Next bars and cranks, Avid: Arch Supremes, Ultimate levers, Mavic CrossRide
Bottom Line:
The fork is light, stiff (the reverse arch helps stability at speed and cornering), and the travel is noted on the medium and larger bumps. The SPV limits BOB when climbning out of the saddle and minimal motion is noted with normal climbs. I do not feel that a lock-out is necessary due to the SPV. I'm still doing fine adjustments with the rebound, Air and SPV. The valves, knobs, and overall contruction are top-quality. After a lot of research and 250 miles I feel that this is the best 100mm fork for the stiffness, weight, and performance for cross-country riding.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dirt Eater
a Cross Country Rider
from Western Washington Date Reviewed: April 26, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Oh so many.
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$599.00
Purchased At:
on the net
Strengths:
Very plush, when adjusted properly (using the special socket that comes with it to adjust the red cap) you'll never feel it bottom out. I have been playing around on some jumps and had friends tell me I bottomed out, but didn't feel a thing. However after looking at the fork, the tell-tale line of grime on the slider was within 1/8" of the crown. THe SPV is wonderful, but a little touchy due to the small air volume, one you find your sweet spot though, it is simply beautiful to ride.
Weaknesses:
This is actually a follow up to an earlier post where I noted an issue with the post style disc brake mounts getting stripped. Thank God for my LBS, because the Answer customer service was worthless. The LBS cleaned up the threads that were left and gave me some longer screws which have worked with zero problems. The threads on the SPV shraeder valve are aluminum and recessed so that some shock pumps won't work, mine stripped these threads too before I noticed, $30 for a new part. Of course the instructions say to only use Manitou's shock pump, but I figgured that this was one of those thing companies say about their products, like how Shimano says that you can only use Shimano shoes with Shimano pedals and how Easton says that their seatpost must be installed by a qualified bicycle mechanic. If having their shock pump was that important it should be included with the shock -- almost $600 for a fork, you would think they could afford to include a $5 or $10 pump.
Similar Products Used:
Fox RLC, SID, couple others.
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Blur with anodized frame, 5th Element stable platform air shock, Manitou Minute 2:00 stable platform fork, XTR derailleurs and cassette, Truvative TI bottom bracket and Team Stylo crank, carbon bars and seatpost, Terry TI saddle, Stan's No Tubes custom Wheelset with American Classic Hubs, Chris King headset, Hayes disc brakes with Hope's Gothic rotors and Crank Brothers Candy TI pedals. - My significant other.
Bottom Line:
I am very pleased with the performance of the fork it is worth the money. But I am not impressed with some of the design points. Threads should not be made of aluminum or magnesium or any other soft metal, using a thin steel threaded insert for the post moounts would have almost no weight penalty, same with making the two shraeder valves of something harder or at least not making them difficult to get to. Hopefully these are just some bugs that will be worked out after this first production year for the '05 model. As I stated before, Answer's customer service needs some work too, if you cant deal directly with the people you're selling to, you shoudn't even call it customer service.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sean
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Angeles, CA Date Reviewed: April 26, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
-SPV is awsome -it looks good. -nothing to fancy shmancy -really lite for a 100mm fork -smokes the skareb any day -great cutsomer service
Weaknesses:
-getting the spv right kinda annoyed me cause im a impatient man (but i called manitou and they helped out)
Bike Setup:
Trek liquid 55,stock except for tires,saddle,handlebar,seatpost and shifters. (I dont like those shifters that are integrated with brakes)
Bottom Line:
THis fork is a very good buy. The SPV is flawless (once you get it right) and the SPV in the rear works well in relation to the fork. Its really lite so all you weight watchers can breath a sigh of reliefe. If you go on rocky/sandy/bumpy single tracks and fire roads this fork is awsome. YOu can climg up with ease and come down like a bullet. Plus the customer service is great, they dont hassle you at all.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bob Foote
a Cross Country Rider
from South Korea Date Reviewed: April 9, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
This fork is very light and smooth. I purchased it off of Ebay since it came off of a brand new bike that was dismantled for parts. It is the 100mm travel version and I was quite glad that I did not get the longer travel one. My bike is a Giant Rainier and the head angle got a little more slack when I installed this fork. It does not affect my riding any in the steering area though. I love the smooth and plush travel right from new. Unlike coil spring forks and cheaply sealed forks, you don't need to break in the seals or spring by riding it forever. It handles bumps superbly while stll controlling the pedal bob motion. It takes some trial and error to set the fork up the way you want, but you can do it easily and consistently.
Weaknesses:
The only weakness that I have noted is the blue aluminum rebound adjustment know on the lower leg feels sloppy. It really should have a shalf made of steel or an alloy instead of plastic. I would be willing to sacrifice having a fork a few grams heavier if it made the rebound adjustment feel more solid and substantial. For this small flaw I will take away one Chili for overall rating
Similar Products Used:
The fork that came on my bike originally was a Manitou Axel Super. That fork was not too bad, but it is a night and day difference from the Axel to the Minute 2
Bike Setup:
03 Giant Rainier, Semi slicks for urban and packed trail rides, Minute 2 fork, shorty stem and flat bar with bar ends. Truvativ Stylo crank set and PC-99 chain
Bottom Line:
If you are looking for a smooth, light fork for all around riding ( nothing too crazy ) then this fork will outperform your expectations. It is a well designed fork without the gimmick of adjustable travel, but the useful technology of Stable platform valving.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Clyde
a
from Northern Colorado Date Reviewed: April 5, 2004
Favorite Trail:
The One I'm On...
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$450.00
Strengths:
SPV works as advertised, it's light, plush, very tuneable, reverse arch is probably stiffer than putting the arch in front which is wierd, but true...EXCELLENT service manual available online - better than RockShox (which is good) and Marzocchi's (which is nonexistent...)
Weaknesses:
Hmmm... I'm noticing a little bit of oil caking on the stanchions during every ride which means that this fork will most likely require pretty frequent maintenance but that's pretty normal so, no complaints - just be sure to download the manual and have your tools ready. Also, when the SPV works best you're going to trade off some small bump sensitivity.
Similar Products Used:
This is my first SPV fork but the plushness reminds me of my old 1999/2000 SID 100 - the best 4 inch air fork ever - until possibly, this one. Other air forks I have ridden extensively are DUKES, SIDS, PSYLO Race (good fork, ugly color), Manitou XVERT Air (crap), 2000 Marzocchi Z.1 X-Fly and 2003 Z.1 FR SL (both crap)FOX FLOAT 100 (good but overrated)and there are others...
Bike Setup:
This is on an 04 Blur w/5th Element, Crossmax Enduros (great wheels!), SRAM 9.0 triggers/X.0 (I'm sold - Shimano, you screwed up), Thomson cockpit, Easton carbon bars, RaceFace Turbine cranks.
Bottom Line:
After having a great experience with Manitou's Swinger SPV rear shock on my big and burly AC, I decided that the technology worked and I would give the Minute Two a try for my new xc rig. You should probably know that I am the most finicky, "fork-sensitive" person in the world. It's kind of a running joke with my riding buddies. At any given time I will have the guts of several forks littering my shop as I try to figure out why they feel like crap. So, when I say I like one, you can generally rest assured that you'll probably like it too.
Anyway, after about 150 miles of rocky, Colorado singletrack, I can unequivocally say that this is a great XC / light trailbike fork. I don't think that SPV or inertia valving makes as much difference up front as it does in the rear (insert wiseass comment here)but I definitely felt faster on the flats with this fork. Once you stand up and hammer, the SPV means nothing. Steering precision is actually better than I expected from a 30mm fork. Stiffness is adequate for aggressive XC. Hard side deflections - like when you bang up the side of a rut at speed - don't seem to faze it. Very nice.
I'm 205 lbs. and have this fork set up with 85 psi in the SPV and 115 in the main chamber. The difference of 5 psi on the SPV side (red) makes a huge difference on the trail. If I ride anything less, the SPV is gone - anything more and I give up a little too much on the small, quick chatter bumps. The fork uses a good amount of it's travel well but, like any air fork, it will pack up at the bottom of the stroke. Still, this fork feels very good and very predictable - no hard ramping, no bounce.
Also of note, Manitou has really upped their game with their web support. They now have easy to read, full-color manuals with pics available online so you can confidently service your own fork.
I'll post again in a month or two. There's a Moab trip coming at the end of this month. If something's going to blow up, it usually happens here. We'll see how it holds up.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jason
a Racer
from Michigan Date Reviewed: March 11, 2004
Favorite Trail:
The Ridge
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$550.00
Purchased At:
Rochester Bike Shop
Strengths:
Stiff A Lot of Adjustability. SPV works as it should feels better on the trail then it dose riding around the street/parking lot. Very smooth weight for 100mm is the same as the skareb in 100mm
Weaknesses:
Takes a couple rides to get it tuned for your Preference.
Similar Products Used:
Fox F100X
Bottom Line:
The fork works great once you have had time to set it up. a test ride in the parking lot does not begin to discribe how this for works. great fork for a aggressive rider who jumps(less the 4ft) as well as goes fast. If you race and want a 100mm fork get this over the skareb it weighs the same but is much more stiff.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pstar
a Weekend Warrior
from Wellington, New Zealand. Date Reviewed: March 10, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Anikiwa, Marlborough Sounds, NZ
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Light, Stiff and tuneable as can be. I have the 100ml travel set and cant fault them yet, plus they look hot!
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Black Elites 100-120, Manitou Carbons, Rock Shoks Duke Uturn(S**T!).
Bike Setup:
04 Hardtail Giant XTC se2, Hayes hydros XT drivetrain, Answer Carbon risers, Crossmax XL wheelset. Built for hard riding without the pain uphill!
Bottom Line:
These forks do all thats promised and more, set the presures and you're all go! Forget about travel adjustments on the fly, seems a waste of time to me! The SPV is a dream when climing but they still seem supple when ramping through rock gardens. I found my initial set up was super smooth with the red compresion adjuster right in but tweeking it out makes a difference, as now they really firm up near the end of the stroke. Basically they do as promised!! I did look at the 130's but the angles of the bike turns it into a Harley! If your bikes set up for long travel go the 130's you will notice the difference straight away when manualling/floating sections. Not to mention the climbing!!! Still super stiff and negates the triple clamp option for freeriding (you cant beat it for weight!). Seriously if your looking to upgrade forks performance wise, you cant go past the Minute 2's.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
DirtEater
a Cross Country Rider
from Western Washington Date Reviewed: February 13, 2004
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Price Paid:
$599.00
Purchased At:
Jenson
Strengths:
Got a good deal from Jenson USA. I could have gotten it a little cheaper, but they gave me free shipping and a FREE Chris King headset.
Weaknesses:
I got this fork yesterday, got the steerer tube cut down and mounted to the frame, then when I went to mount my front brake caliper, the threads inside the bottom post mount sheared completely off at about 50-60 in-lbs of torque. These screws are supposed to be torqued to 110 in-lbs as per Hayes instructions. I was tightening the screw and it just stopped getting any tighter, when I pulled the screw out, the threads were clogged with the aluminum from the fork's threads. I was the ideal definition of pissed off.
Similar Products Used:
Fox RLC, RockShox SID, couple others
Bike Setup:
2004 Santa Cruz Blur, XTR set up with Truativ Team TI bottom bracket and Stylo Team crankset. Also running Hayes 6" discs and the new super light tubless rims from Stan's No Tubes.
Bottom Line:
I will contact Answer/Manitou tomorro to find out what they will do to remedy the situation. I will post another review after all is said and done and I actually get to try riding the fork.
I'm not going to discourage anyone from buying one of these forks, they are built well and the previous two reviews speak of their great performance. The first thing I noticed when I opened up my fork was the attention to detail.
I'm sure I just got a bad fork that slipped through QA, I just wantedto bring attention to this so that anyone getting one of these forks makes sure their caliper is solidly mounted. Brakes are important, half way down the hill is a bad time to find out you don't have them!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
j-unit
a Cross Country Rider
from leesburg, VA, USA Date Reviewed: January 19, 2004
Favorite Trail:
wolf ridge, harrisonburg, VA
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
-reallllly plush -super-adjustable (SPV, main air chamber, rebound) -no need for lockout when riding flats -130mm at only 3.6 lbs -super-durable anodized and lazer-etched finish -soooooo stiff
Weaknesses:
only ridden for over a month, but after about a dozen trailrides, some pretty big stair sets, and a few 3-5' ledges, this fork is flawless.
Similar Products Used:
2002 rock shox psylo sl, 2000 rock shox sid xc, 2001 manitou mars race
Bike Setup:
2004 trek liquid 55: -swinger 3-way spv -full 2004 XT grouppo -bontrager race lite tube less disc wheels -geax blade 2.25's -thomson post -laser v ti saddle -time atac xs pedals
Bottom Line:
this fork is nasty. i'd never be able to afford one if i didn't get a great deal on my 55 from my lbs, so if you have the $ it'd be wise to check out the minute, as it is a fair bit lighter than the fox talas or vanilla. if the new clique "all mountain" applies to the way you ride and you want a fork that truly can do it all, from light racing/road riding to light freeriding, this is the fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
45 ACP
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Angeles Date Reviewed: December 30, 2003
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$550.00
Purchased At:
Sundance Cycles
Strengths:
SPV tuning, very stiff, smooooooth
Weaknesses:
I don't like the post style disc caliper mount.
Similar Products Used:
Vanilla 125, Manitou 1, 4, SX-Ti, Judy.
Bike Setup:
'04 Yeti AS-R SL set as a trail bike
Bottom Line:
Once you figure out the air pressures, this fork is great! My Vanilla is crap (constant oil leak), and the Rock Shox offerings don't fare well for us Clydes. The Minute stroke is smooth, the seals don't leak, the legs are stiff enough to hold a line, and the customer service had been trouble free (ordered the firm ride kit). Really nice match for any SPV rear shock.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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