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.
Bike Setup: 2004 haro 8.1 with 2002 marzocchi bomber zi freeride
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Submitted by
Joey
a
from new brighton, wirral, england
Date Reviewed: June 18, 2005
Strengths: light, strong, plenty of tyre clearance, v-brake mount
Weaknesses: springs are slightly too soft for me, but i weigh nearly 16 stone
Bottom Line:
brilliant budget fork. i ran a z1 dropoff for 1 year and it snapped, forcing me face first from 6 feet in the air into a rock. i got this a few weeks after, basically so i could get riding again. its now been going for 18 months with no trouble apart from rusty brake bosses coz i run discs and one of my mates robbed the v-mount protectors and threw them into a river coz i robbed his front wheel. Perfect for XC riders, jumpers, 4X, street.
Similar Products Used: Marzocchi,rst,rockshox,zoom,
Bike Setup: Specialized p1, Halo sas rims. Black and gold colour scheme
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Submitted by
Evan Bell
a Downhiller
from Kitchener Ontario Canada
Date Reviewed: March 26, 2005
Strengths: sweet fork!!!!!!!!! strong and verry plush!
Weaknesses: short travel, 110mm
Bottom Line:
this fork has taken the best beatings i have given it. It is cheap(caint remember ho q much tho) i have done 10 sets on this fork. 10 foot drops. 6 foot drops to flat. totally recommend this fork. it is light and strong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUY IT NOW!!!!!!!
Strengths: everything! these forks are typical marzocchi. they are plush, impossible to bottom out/top out, they are THE best single crown, long travel freeride forks ever!!
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
these are a must buy to anyone with any sense of anything -
Strengths: Very high quality low maintenace forks easy to fit and setup to riding style. Very hard to bottom out!
Weaknesses: The forks are very soft and are a shock and at first but after a while i got used to them
Bottom Line:
In the end i think they are pretty damn good. I would recommend them to some one who wants a reliable pair of forks. I would also recommed them to someone who is quite lite because they're quite soft but as long as you don't weigh a lot you should be fine.
Submitted by
Ash
a Weekend Warrior
from Stafford Staffordshire England
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2004
Strengths: Never bottoms out, even when you do the big stuff. All the travel you will ever want (130mm). Its amazing at climbing and decending. You can even do an xc race with it, I've done it.
Weaknesses: you cannot ajust them easily
Bottom Line:
An amazing fork. You wont get any better for every type of riding xc, freeride, jumping. If you do any of these it's a fork you should should strongly consider. But this fork is not for people that ride on roads a lot. It would bounce a lot so you would lose speed.
Submitted by
Tyson Scott
a Weekend Warrior
from Idaho Falls, Idaho, United States
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2004
Strengths: never bottomed it out, EVER. Took a six foot drop off onto pavement, and it didn't even phase me. Eats up the big hits, and smooths out the rough stuff. Works great for climbing too.
Weaknesses: If I ever find one, I'll write another review
Bottom Line:
This is the pimp dizzle. I've never had a lick of trouble with it. It is just like a gift that keeps on giving. Never looked back since I got it. If you have the chance to get one, definetaly check it out. It is the best part of my bike, and makes every ride great.
Submitted by
Joe Muddiman
a Weekend Warrior
from Leeds, W. Yorks, England
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2004
Strengths: Extremely good value, great performance once bedded in, beefy looks, and their strength. Also the squishy sound of the oil!
Weaknesses: Internal preload is a hassle, so is travel adjustment; not that you really need to bother seeing as Marzocchi set them up amazingly well at the factory.
Bottom Line:
Get them. Save about $250 over the Drop Offs and buy yourself some new wheels or an iPod.
Similar Products Used: Manitou Six, RST 321, Marzocchi Z1 Drop off
Bike Setup: 16" GT Arrowhead
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Submitted by
Marcu Bogdan
a Weekend Warrior
from Bucharest, Romania
Date Reviewed: February 8, 2004
Strengths: 130 mm travel, absorbs any shocks, stairs, jumps, smooth ride, hard to bottom
Weaknesses: Untill now everything feels and looks perfect :)
Bottom Line:
Very good fork. Althrough it has only 30 mm strachions it feels pretty stiff, absorbs any shock, going down some stairs or doing some jumps it`s a kid play with these forks. Very hard to bottom, and i am over 100 kg :) For the price they are awesome.
Similar Products Used: RST junk, Manitou, Rockshoks
Bike Setup: Magellan PolarX 14.5" dirt jump frame, Marzocchi Z1 Wedge 04, shimano and hayes hidraulic disk brakes, irc kujo dh 2.65 tires and so on ...
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