The Z.1 freeride series represents the pinnacle in long travel single crown design. The first Z.1, introduced in 1996, started the freeride movement by allowing riders to perform beyond their previous capabilities which were hampered by poorly performing products. The new Z.1 is made for riders who still love the up hill climbs as much as the downhill’s and allaround riding performance is the difference between a good ride and a great one. We feel that the new Z.1 freeride series unleashes performance demanded by today’s cutting edge riders.
Submitted by
JJ C
a Downhiller
from Poway Date Reviewed: May 5, 2007
Favorite Trail:
billy goat
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$80.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
there ZOCCHI's!! plush and stiff, look good, 130mm
Weaknesses:
hmmmm none
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi 66's, drop off tiples(crap), exr pro coil(crap) manitou sherman, manitou splice comp(crap)
Bike Setup:
06 redline skookum with azonic outlaws, e13 Lg1 chain guide, azonic big drop saddle
Bottom Line:
awesome fork, would buy it again especially for only 80 bucks. Not to flexy even though they are quick release. nice black 32mm stanchions. Awesome all around fork for anything from dirt jumping to freeride to a little dh
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Greg
a Weekend Warrior
from Concord, CA Date Reviewed: February 25, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Mt. Diablo
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
Craigslist
Strengths:
These forks are great. I jump on them, drop on them, and do a little downhill too. They hold up great under anything.
Great forks whether you're dropping, dirt jumping, downhilling, or just riding. These forks are the bomb. BUY THEM
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Submitted by
shikee
a
from texas Date Reviewed: October 5, 2005
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$275.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
nice and plush, eta kicks ass for climbing in the mountains
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
marzocchi 130mm 01 z3
Bike Setup:
'01 rocky mountain slayer, '04 marzocchi z1 drop off 1, 4 piston xt hydros, x.9 shifters/derailleur, race face diabolus cranks and headset
Bottom Line:
my first bike was a schwinn moab with an 80mm mantuna sx, next bike came with a 130mm zocchi z3 which i thought that was the shiznit ... until i got this shock, and i was blown away at what a difference a quality shock meant for my riding style makes
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jeff Kayley
a Downhiller
from Newbury park CA USA Date Reviewed: June 3, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Fast downhill
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$230.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Perfect colors, plush travel, ETA is sick for the uphills, air assist helps everything.
Weaknesses:
Crashed and now the ETA is turned on in the front and back but that isnt really a weakness.
Similar Products Used:
this beats all the other Z.1's out there
Bike Setup:
KHS FR304
Bottom Line:
This fork is absolutely sick, when I got it the thing was to soft and could bottom easy off a 5 foot drop or less, so i put some air in it and not much at all and cranked the rebound down because the air made it way higher and now the fork is so great it is definetly the best free ride single crown fork with 5 inches travel ever, and if it to soft put some air in it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Shawn
a Weekend Warrior
from Bay Village, Oh Date Reviewed: April 25, 2005
Favorite Trail:
RaysMTB.com - check it out!
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$290.00
Purchased At:
BlueSky
Strengths:
Stong and Sexy, 5" travel, easy adjustability, Color(s) Relatively light for how strong it is.
Weaknesses:
It's not installed on every rig out there.
Similar Products Used:
DJ1/2
Bike Setup:
Identiti Dr. Jekyll, Mavic f219s, avid disc, bling blings, Funn Serial Killa, Roox torque bars, all the fixin's.
Bottom Line:
Best fork i've owned. I'm a hucker/dj'r, and need a strong fork. i have no worries about landing a 5/6'ft. drop onto concrete w/ this thing. Or screamin down the roughest hill at Plattekill. It's a good feeling to have a stable rig under your $$$ when death is only a cheap fork away. 10 flammin' dog dribblets for this sukka.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Eric
a Weekend Warrior
from South Korea Date Reviewed: April 17, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Peyongtec Suwon
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$278.00
Purchased At:
e-bay
Strengths:
Smooth, adjustable, ridgid as in no flex, keeps the front wheel on the ground, looks great with the black stanctions,
Weaknesses:
5 lbs plus, lost the rebound adjusting knob on the first trail ride.
Similar Products Used:
Z2 BAM
Bike Setup:
GT i-drive 2003 2.0 with XT derailiures front and back
Bottom Line:
Replaced a RockShok Pilot SL with this fork. My first ride over the root infested, pedistrian lined, foot path wide trail, was like night and day different. I am happy with the Z1, my body is happy with the Z1. But,I did not relize how bad the rear shock was until now. The Z1 DO1 works so well now I can feel the need for a new rear shock.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Blue
a Weekend Warrior
from Middle Georgia Date Reviewed: April 16, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Jenson
Strengths:
Stiff, Haven't bottomed out yet. I can run over anything with this fork. Price--great value
Weaknesses:
Slight bob when i come up out of the saddle Crap logo stickers Noisy- not really a weakness
Similar Products Used:
Manitou Stance-dog crap, froze up and coating on sanctions wore off after 4th ride. Manitou six- Ultimate dog crap
Bike Setup:
Hard trail set up for freeride
Bottom Line:
I definitely would buy this fork again!!! I don't know if the ETA is worth it, might want to go with drop-off2. I rarely use ETA because i forget to turn it off.Somtimes my cables will hit it and turn it on--bad. If you want a fork that can take serious abuse and is almost mainteance free go with this, you will not be disapointed. Be sure to get a brake adapter and a pump. Marzoochi Rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Submitted by
christian
a Downhiller
from Alta Loma Date Reviewed: March 29, 2005
Favorite Trail:
all over the place
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$299.00
Purchased At:
http://www.blueskycycling.com/
Strengths:
pretty much everything. eta is really nice for going up hill. the air preload is great too. i weigh about 200lbs and have the air preload set to 50 psi like the owners manual says and it feels really smooth. the colors are nice too.
Weaknesses:
none so far.
Similar Products Used:
marzocchi mz race that came stock on my bike.
Bike Setup:
04 kona scrap, 04 drop off 1, maxxis 2.5 high rollers, avid ball bearing 7's with 203F and 160R rotors, avid speed dial 7 levers, titec dh saddle
Bottom Line:
great fork for hittin jumps or light to moderate downhill. pretty much what ever you throw at it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Berkeley, CA, USA Date Reviewed: February 11, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Tamarancho BSA, Fairfax, CA
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$390.00
Purchased At:
universal
Strengths:
ETA! Metallic ETA lever (perfectly sized) & knob. Got some airy stuff to adjust. Strong for a 9mm QR fork. Dual coil springs. Kick arse looks. Stickers...easy to take 'em off for that "Ninja" look.
Weaknesses:
9mm QR....Warning (!): keep an eye out for that QR lever tightness...be sure to check before every ride or after few jumps. 'Zoke $30 fender's too way short where it counts. The 130mm does make the angle more slack on my hardtail: good for steep descending, but not so good for switchbacks and fast single track handling.
Similar Products Used:
MX ETA 105mm
Bike Setup:
Xc race (yup, I'm racing this) & trail bike, steel hardtail...lovin' it. Mono M4 8" rotor with 2.1 knobby tire. My old bike wasoriginally born with 50mm fork geometry, so while I was tempt to go big 150mm with the 2005 Z1 I felt the 130mm may allow my strong crmo sttel frame to last a bit longer..i'm still trying to destroy my frame, but all I get are injuries to myself. I weigh 205#.
Bottom Line:
ETA's sweet for the longer climbs. Maybe it's all in the head: ETA's dope.
Damping's fine. Come a long way since them elastomer "damping" - ohhh lordy.... i shudder at the thought. You younger folks may not remember them elastomers...can you say "pogo."
You can get this classic or a '04 Z1 FR QR20mm (even better!) for $350 now... or the 2005 150mm Z1 QR20mm for $650~$700 for the lusty travelers.
Now my frame, she has found true love, after all these years. Bye bye MX 105, was a good affair, but haviing only one cold steel coil-spring made the other leg full of cold air...smart-yes, but not satisfying: compromises suck.
Z1 is the single crown "ring" that rules them all.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian
a Weekend Warrior
from Scotland Date Reviewed: November 17, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Plush. Solid. ETA. SSVF.
Weaknesses:
Crap graphics, gonna take em off. Crap cable guide....who cares, a zip tie set is about £4. Maybe a touch heavy for a lighter rider, but I weigh 200+ and can probably lose the weight of the fork on one ride..
Bike Setup:
Specialized Enduro SX Frame, Zocchi Drop-Off 1s, White Halo SAS F+R, Hope 7" Mono M4s F+R, XT/Deore mix
Bottom Line:
These forks are simply superb. Haven't had much time to set em up yet so still running with no air preload and random rebound!
I weigh 200+ and still haven't bottomed em off 3-4 foot to concrete. I'll wait till I preload em before anything bigger. They suck up anything. Roots, rocks, I don't even bother pulling up at kerbs now!
The ETA really does help on climbs, especially on a full susser. With back remaining active it and the front locked down you can realy pull up on the bars and dig in with your rear end without wheelieing in to a backflip.
I had a pair of rockshox Judys before, which I strangely really liked till I snapped the elastomer, but these blow the Judys away easily.
Only niggle is the graphics which I am gonna remove and the hose guide is far to small for the kind of brake you would expect to fit to this fork for freeriding, but as above you can get a zip tie set of guides for pennies.
5 chillis for value, I would have paid RRP for these if I hadn't got a deal on Ebay and 5 overall. Excellent work from the Zocchi team.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
The Sock
a Downhiller
from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, eh? Date Reviewed: September 24, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Don Valley, Etobicoke Creek, Fish Creek
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Stiff, adjustability, ETA and it's looks damn sexy
Weaknesses:
None so far
Similar Products Used:
'04 Marzocchi Z1 FR, '03 Marzocchi EXR, '02 Manitou Magnum
Bike Setup:
'03 Fluid 3.0, Sun Rhyno Lites on Formula Downhill hubs, Maxxis Mobster tires, rest stock Fluid
Bottom Line:
Great upgrade for trail riding. Replaced stock EXR on Fluid and it's awesome for what I ride. So far taken it on trails and it has taken everything I could throw at it. I couldn't ride hard on my EXR like I can on my Z1. ETA is awesome for climbing, going up hill is a breeze. Not one complaint.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
fergus barry
a Downhiller
from cornwall,england Date Reviewed: September 2, 2004
Favorite Trail:
poldice valley
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
bike chain
Strengths:
super strong ,smooth,it is very good for trails but can also dirt jump well,ive done a 7 foot plus jump on it and not bottomed it (but i am only 14 years old and only about 140 lb) looks good and enables u to corner very well can take big tires.eta realy helps when u want to get some where a bit further away the lack of bobing and the position makes it alot more easy
Weaknesses:
the rebound knob plastic cover fell of somewhere but i can still adjust it
ddg shooter frame,hope m4 front brake, dmr cheiftan cranks,magura hs33 rear brake, mavic rims, maxis high rolers.
Bottom Line:
if you want a fork that can take the hits is strong can dirt jump and gets u from a to b for a resonable price.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jason
a Downhiller
from newark,de Date Reviewed: June 9, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Iron Hill
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
KHS direct
Strengths:
Plusshshhhhhhhh, adjustability, ETA is great for those climbs especially on a tall freeride bike, no more teeter tottering the wheel on and off the ground when cranking up those hills, just drop the fork and go. seriously high quality and badass looking
Weaknesses:
ETA doesnt drop THAT much out of the forks travel, maybe its cuz im running 20psi since im so heavy, travel isnt truly 130mm, i get about 100mm out of it, maybe again thats cuz of the high psi im running in the air preload side.
Similar Products Used:
cheap rst's, roxshox judy
Bike Setup:
KHS FR1500,Kore DS/FR wheelset,AVID 203mm front and back mechs, mallet c's, LX/XT group, AVID sd-5's,marzocchi Z1 dropoff I, WTB seat
Bottom Line:
this fork is GREAT, maybe i got a dud, but some riding/experimenting might change things, im gonna lower the fork pressure, cuz i cant seem to bottom out this fork, so i dont think lowering itwill hurt anything, i cant get the full travel of the fork, but this may be cuz of the high pressure, the same goes for the functionality of the ETA, it only dropps the fork like 2" when compressed HARD, so maybe i can fix this, overall the looks, functionality, and high performance of the fork is top notch, but the decals gotta go, i agree with the previous review, when you pay 500+ dollars for a fork, you expect some etched/machined graphics. overall, 10 flaming columbian hamsters, cuz i think the functionality problems are due to my home setup.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sigmund
a Cross Country Rider
from Ljubljana, Slovenia, Europe Date Reviewed: May 14, 2004
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
www.zweirad-stadler.com
Strengths:
Smooth... sucks up everything nicely - roots, rocks, kerbs... you name it :) Strong... no flex, even with regular axle and 8" rotor. ETA allows you to drop the front a few inches for steep uphills... it actually does make a difference.
Weaknesses:
None yet.
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi MXC Air & Coil, various RockShox and RST
Bike Setup:
'03 Scott G-Zero frame, Deore Cranx, LX shifters & derailleurs, XT 03 rear disc brake, XT 04 front disc brake. Other parts mostly stock.
Bottom Line:
Very nice fork, especially for the nice on-sale price I paid (250EUR).
Been finally able to try it out for a few hours on my usual XC route and the difference to my old MXC is amazing. I weigh 220lbs (ca. 100 kg) live weight and my old for used to make interesting & suspicious sounds under hard braking, not to mention flexing on turns.
The DO eats up everything I throw at it, beit small bumps, or larger roots / rocks. Very smooth riding :) Don't really know whether to attribute the smoothness to SSV-F, or to the general design of the fork. (I run it with ca. 15psi of air-assist preload) No flex, no creaking, even when using an 8" rotor on a regular axle. ETA is a nice feature also, as it enables you to drop the front of your bike a few inches instantly for those steep uphills... and then bring it back to full travel with a twist of a knob...
Would definitely recommend, especially for the money I paid :)
If you're deciding between DO1 and DO2, also consider that DO1 has SSV-F, and DO2 has SSV valving, it's not just the ETA. Ride it before you choose and decide for yourself.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jay mcardell
a
from tywyn Date Reviewed: May 5, 2004
Favorite Trail:
tywn
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$280.00
Purchased At:
www.wiggle.co.uk
Strengths:
good all round fork' nice and plush not to heavy good when on roads with the eta not bad for skate parks.
Weaknesses:
the eta swich is a bit to large, some times if you do a jump you can knock it on with is not good for the forks.but nothin eles these are great forks.
Bottom Line:
great forks recomnend them to any on. but if your not thing of doing much road use get drop off 2.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ben
a
from Sandy Hook, CT, USA Date Reviewed: December 27, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$455.00
Purchased At:
JensonUSA
Strengths:
ETA, !PLUSH! 130mm of travel on 32mm sliders, good looking (black stantions and crown really do the trick)
Weaknesses:
decals?! If i pay half a grand for a fork i don't think that some etched graphics are too much to ask...isnt really a big deal tho - didnt stop me from buying it
Similar Products Used:
friends 'zokes
Bike Setup:
Jamis Komodo Hardtail full XTR
Bottom Line:
I put this thing on a bike that im gonna be riding every day of the summer so i choose this fork - i havnt had much time to ride on it but so far it looks like it will hold out very well on the trail and on the dirt jumps. I love this fork and I love the way it looks on my bike. Way to go Zokes!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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