The crown jewel of the Skareb line gets even better for 2005. The primary change is the addition of Manitou's IT (infinite travel) remote adjuster. Using the IT system, the rider can easily adjust the fork's travel, on the fly, from 0 to 100mm and everywhere in between. If that wasn't enough, you also get Manitou's SPV (stable platform valve) Evolve damping, revised for '05 for better small bump sensitivity.
Submitted by
bvpp00
a Cross Country Rider
from Netherlands Date Reviewed: December 30, 2008
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Ebay Germany
Strengths:
IT travel! Very very handy. Holds air well.
Weaknesses:
SPV, I was never able to get it right. Higher SPV pressures make the fork feel much harsher.
Similar Products Used:
Manitou Axel
Bike Setup:
Giant NRS2
Bottom Line:
I bought the Skareb especially for the IT feature and I must say the IT is really great! I can climb very steep climbs now, where my friends cannot. Very easy to use also. I have had no quality problems with the fork so far. Although a drop of oil did leak out the air valve when inflating to high pressures a couple of times (did'nt unsterstand where it came from, actually), but no more than a drop and that's it.
I found the SPV almost being impossible to setup. Higher SPV pressure does eliminate bob, but it makes the fork overall much harsher, not only small bump complaince but overall. Or so it felt. So I am running a fairly low SPV pressure, and the fork feels very plush. It bobbs quite a bit out of the saddle, however. Altogether, I am no fan of SPV.
Overall I am happy with the fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Allen
a Racer
from Nevada Date Reviewed: March 2, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Bicycle Blowout.com
Strengths:
IT travel
Weaknesses:
NOT reliable
Similar Products Used:
Fox, Rock Shox, Marzocchi
Bike Setup:
xtr, Ritchey wcs
Bottom Line:
When I first got the fork something was wrong with the airspring; it wouldn`t hold any pressure so I had to send it right back to Manitou, when I got it back `repaired` even though it was a new fork it lasted about 4 months before it had to be sent back again to have the SPV replaced. I know the other owners here had a good or Ok experince with this fork, but this fork was a big disappointment for me and I probabaly will stay away from Manitou in the future.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Wes Roode
a Cross Country Rider
from Japan Date Reviewed: September 24, 2006
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
Lightweight, very tunable
Weaknesses:
Bit flimsy, takes a while to tune in, seals seem to leak if the fork is not set up properly. Needs overhaul regulary
Similar Products Used:
SID
Bike Setup:
Fisher Sugar
Bottom Line:
This fork does what it is made for XC riding. I would`nt recomend it to anyone who wants a fork they can just fit and forget about. SPV system is`nt for me, I`d much rather lockout There are alot of very rocky downhills here and compared to my old Fox Float 100 these really do feel like butter. Overall these a a great xc fork
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mumps
a Weekend Warrior
from Japan Date Reviewed: May 14, 2006
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Light, stiff, true 100mm travel, ITC is excellent, very very tuneable
Weaknesses:
-Came with bad seals -Not a fan of the SPV platforming - much prefer real lockout
Similar Products Used:
Skareb Super, Skareb Elite, RS SID Race, RS Pilot
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher HT upgraded all over
Bottom Line:
First off, I havn't ridden every fork on the market and their brother like some of the reviewers here but as light weight XC forks go there were only really three (SID, Reba, Skareb) untill the R7 this year and I've ridden all 3 skarebs and several different SIDs but not Reba (or R7) so the SID and other Skarebs is the basis of my comparison. Firstly the SID - the Skareb is better in every department stiffer (I'm on the light side at 160lb and I can flex a SID but not the Skareb - for my weight there I would not notice if a fork was stiffer than the Skareb), much longer travel (I really get 100mm travel) as oppose to the SID which only go through 1/2 its travel no matter what you go off. This is subjective, but it the travel 'feels' much nicer smooth rather than spongy. The SID to me feels like an older generation fork like the Mars. Comparing to the other Skarebs (Skarebs are nice and cheap in Japan right now since everybody here only like to buy the latest and greatest i.e. the R7 so Ive built up several bikes including my own with different Skarebs), -The Elite is not great since the Skareb's travel is too linear without either the compression damping of the Super or platforming of the Platinum making the Platinum much better all round. -Compaired to the Super however I'm not sure. The lockout on the Super is excellent and the compression damping really really works giving you excellent control to make on the fly adjustments according to the terrain. On the otherhand I've been trying to twiddle the many nobs on the Platinum for 6 months in search of the right balance of small bump compliance and anti-bob and just can't find the right spot. I much prefer the manual control of the Super. The Platinum is also marignally heavier and more expensive. The thing Platinum really does give over the Super however is ITC which is work brilliantly. Being able to drop the fork down to pretty much the lowers only means you can climb the steeps with the bike pretty much horizontal almost elliminating the need for handle bar pulling/ weight shifting etc. Unfortunately, looking at the reveiws below, the ITC system seems to have quality issues. Much like some of the reviews below, 2 weeks after installing the fork (and unfortunately in the middle of a race) the fork started going down... and not coming back up. - This is not due to poor adjustment as mention below - it is due to bad seals. Manitou's rep in Japan did a good job of fixing up my fork in a week but when I tried to call Manitou in the US I was on hold for 40 mins before I gave up. Since I got it fixed it has been working fine. The Platinum is also highly adjustable with speperate nobs and valves for compression rate, platforming level, rebound damping and compression. All of these controls really work - unfortunately getting the right balance is somewhat beyond me. If anyone has some tips I would appreciate it (I weigh 160 and ride what might be marketed as "agressive" XC).
Anyway, end of ramble to sum it up= ITC is great when working, SPV is not so great. Shopping again I might have bought the cheaper Super instead. However with the R7 out for half a year now I bet there are pletty of Skarebs out their on sale and they beat the hell out of the SID.
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Submitted by
Jim
a Cross Country Rider
from Ga Date Reviewed: January 19, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
lbs
Strengths:
Weight
Weaknesses:
UHHHHH
Similar Products Used:
Fox Rock sh
Bottom Line:
Man oh man, yes thats my review like 1 or 2 back. Must have jinxed myself. I noticed a poping noise sounded like a headset (Got a King) so obviously not the headset, it was fork. I let the air out of the SPV side and oil went everywhere out of the air inlet. Fork has some plastic thing inside that stops the rebound, it shatered. Super cheap! Other damage done I guess without plastic part in place, its also not meant to float around inside of fork. I have an old Judy on my bike now, that fork must be 6 or 7 years old but still fine, thats says alot about 500- 600 dollar forks nowdays. I would go back to a fox tera logic fork but from reviews they all leak, uhh any suggestions????!!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dan
a Racer
from Seattle, WA, USA Date Reviewed: January 4, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Devils Gultch
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
Private seller
Strengths:
Very reliable and NO MAINT. issues unlike other forks.
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Sid World Cup
Bike Setup:
Moots YBB
Bottom Line:
I love it!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim
a Cross Country Rider
from Ga. Date Reviewed: January 1, 2006
Fox came on my Cruz in 03. I loved the fork but it wouldnt stop leaking oil. I finally litarly threw it in a dumpster. Any ways I wanted to get Fox fx100 but didnt want to spend 700+. Got the platinum, no regrets 4 24hr races alot of other races, I dont even think about the fork, it does its job. Not as plush as the fox but hey no leaks. Takes a while to dial in but what fork doesnt. Any way worth the money to me, btw I'm usually weighing in at 185-190, so dont let the light wieght of fork scare you.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Spanaway, Wa USA Date Reviewed: September 8, 2005
I've riden this fork across the western half of the US, to include Moab, UT and Durango, CO.
First of all, it took some time to dial in the fork. Specifically, getting it to compress far enough and still pop back up to 5 inches of travel without having to hold a wheelie for two or three seconds. I still need to release most of the weight up front to get it to return, but it's not difficult at all.
The ride seams plush to me, and it is noticably stiffer than my old SID (that might not be saying much). Bottom line here is it is a nice ride and bottoming out wasn't much of a problem, even on really rough downhill areas.
I think I am liking the platinum more and more. The ability to compress the fork doesn't help so much with the bobbing (it still has about 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches of travel even when locked down) as it does with the overall geometry. With the front end lower, I can get better traction and momentum while climbing. It took me a while to notice it, and it's possible that it's in my head, but I am certainly VERY satisfied with the fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Spanaway, Wa USA Date Reviewed: June 11, 2005
Favorite Trail:
one from all 50 states
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Really cool inovation. The remote is a must for all my future forks.
Weaknesses:
None noted... maybe the paint is a little weak
Similar Products Used:
RS Sid SL, Fox RLC
Bottom Line:
This is a really cool fork. To the person below, you need to adjust your air pressures and it won't sink on the descents... I thought the same thing when I first tried it out. Make sure you have the right pressure in the top and bottom.
I will post more after more riding.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nicholas Vipond
a
from Ottawa ont Canada Date Reviewed: May 30, 2005
Favorite Trail:
my own
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$600.00
Purchased At:
bushtukah
Strengths:
SPV is amazing no bob when sitting
Weaknesses:
IT is brutal on technical desents the ride hights drorps and all travel islost
Similar Products Used:
Rock shox sid world cup
Bike Setup:
Brodie sauce full xtr crossmax sl wheels rock shoz sid dual air rear
Bottom Line:
Good fork but IT dosent work
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andres Duarte
a Racer
from Guatemala Date Reviewed: April 27, 2005
Favorite Trail:
academia-duarte.com
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Bicimania
Strengths:
-SPV Evolve is incredible, you wouldn´t notice until you compare it to the rider besides you. It really block pedalling forces without blocking any bump.
-Infinite Travel: WOW!! the best innovation in forks, First, you can climb the steepest hills. Second Configure your bike with a high handlebar, so you can descend more like a Dhiller, but when you need a low hanlebar, the IT will lower the handlebar 3-4 inches.
-100mm of travel at 3.4lb,
-IT at the handlebar: much much better than lockout
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Fox 80Fr, Manitou Super Ti, but nothin is similar to this fork.
Bike Setup:
Giant XTC Composite 2
Bottom Line:
The best fork for XC Racing, The best climber And a super descender.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
a Racer
from WA Date Reviewed: January 14, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
Remote travel adjust, and very stiff due to it's reverse arch.
Weaknesses:
not many, However I would've liked to see this fork under 3 pounds, but 3.4 is not bad for how stiff it is
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi MXR air, Rock Shox SID Team, Manitou Black Elite
Bike Setup:
Kona Explosif Hardtail
Bottom Line:
Anyway, for value, weight and performance, You can't beat this fork. It works just as Manitou claims. The new SPV Evolve is what it needed.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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