Submitted by
k31ron
a Cross Country Rider
from UK Date Reviewed: October 6, 2008
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Strengths:
Looks good in black, cheap as heavily discounted
Weaknesses:
Mine seems far too soft even on recomended settings I regularly run out of travel.. ETA is rubbish, it seems a good idea but if you hit a big bump with it on you can end up locking your fork down completely at the bottom of its travel! leaving you no further travel for the next bump. quite heavy
Similar Products Used:
manitou
Bike Setup:
Slayer SXC (08)
Bottom Line:
cheap to buy now, but maybe worth saving up for something better
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
middle aged mountain biker
a Weekend Warrior
from northbrook, IL USA Date Reviewed: August 4, 2006
Favorite Trail:
any and all
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
jared at Downshift Cycles
Strengths:
Relative light weight, adjustability, ETA, smooth travel, extreme good looks (sorry, I got one of the last black models), reliability, durability and minimal maintenance.
Weaknesses:
Are you kidding, its a Bomber!
Similar Products Used:
I've tried all the well known posers such as Fox, Manitou and Rock Shox.
Bike Setup:
2003 Ventana El Saltamontes 17" with custom 6" quad-bearing rockers & Romic DD coilover. AM-130-150 (currently set at 140 mm) Bomber fork, FSA Team Issue carbon crankset, Magura Julie discs, xt/mavic 321 w/WTB motoraptors, SRAM X-9, Time ATAC pedals, etc.
Bottom Line:
Nothing compares to these forks, especially now that they are competitive in weight to the other manufacturers. Buttery smooth without harsh bottom out. ETA rules unlike any other system for climbing, you can't believe it if you haven't actually used this feature.
As in my Ventana review, until I was enlightened by a certain guide in Moab, Utah, I was brainwashed by the hype, marketing and reviews by bike shops, magazines, etc. and thought that Fox was it. Don't be fooled by posers and homers, as the best may not always be the most popular, as is the case with Marzocchi. Nothing compares to this fork or any Marzocchi for that matter - as I have owned 5 Bombers and all are superior to the competition, especially since you can wait just a bit and get an unbelievable price if your patient.
This fork is sublime. It has no faults (for you goofs that hear clunking, it is the REBOUND and/or TST set to high). Like good wine, the fork gets smoother with age, as the seals wear-in. There are no faults with this fork (for you goofs that hear clunking, it is the REBOUND and/or TST set to high).
In sum, until you've ridden this fork (or any Bomber of the appropriate type), you can't believe what your missing. These forks instantly improve any bike and will easily outlast the others. They are head and shoulders superior to the rest.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chad Guyer
a Cross Country Rider
from Loveland, CO Date Reviewed: June 26, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Devil's Backbone
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
Mountain High Cyclery
Strengths:
Looks good. Very adjustable. Comes in black, too! ETA is a useable feature as is TAS. Easy to service for the most part. Marzocchi quality parts - no plastic knobs or adjusters.
Weaknesses:
TST is not as good as HSCV. Air assist does not compensate for the additional plushness of another coil. Coil knock inside the stanchions.
Similar Products Used:
Marathon S, Z1 SL, Atom 100, Fox Vanilla R, RS Reba SL
Bike Setup:
all mountain, 6" travel
Bottom Line:
The fork just hasn't provided the plush travel that I've come to expect from Marzocchi. It does everything OK, but not great, like the Marathon was/is. I attribute this to the change to TST and coil/air hybrid.
Initially, the ETA did not work properly, so I had to get that repaired with Marzocchi (I tried an oil change, but that didn't help). Now the fork seems to have a slight "clunk" on initial compression. I have not determined why yet. There is a bit of stiction still even though I've been riding it for 6 months+ now.
I don't like TST at all. The range of compression clicks is too significant and doesn't really allow for that "sweet spot", IMO. I may take the detent spring out of the adjuster. In order to get a plush, Marzocchi feel, I usually run it "off", but then I do suffer some brake dive. Ideally, high and low speed compression are what's necessary (RC2 anyone?).
Overall, I think this fork could be better. The dual coil Z1s are more to my liking as I think they offer a better ride than the coil/air hybrids. The additional weight is not significant enough to buy a fork with a degraded ride. The dual air forks, with the ability to tune the negative spring, are a better alternative. All of one or the other, but not both, is best.
The fork performs best on medium to big hits. Small bumbs are not its forte.
I'd recommend either a Z1 Light ETA or a AM SL (or Z1 SL for the 20mm TA). I think the AMs are a compromise to lighten the Z series forks and it's just not up to par with that good 'ole Marzocchi "cush".
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dan
a
from Westlake, Ohio Date Reviewed: June 13, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Dont have one as of yet
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
This fork is awesome on my Diamondback Response Comp. I chose the 100mm-130mm because I have a HT. The on the fly switches rock, the easy flowing movement is awesome. I dont hear any weird sounds like everyone else has been stating. If you can fing this fork for as much as I did you should pick it up
Weaknesses:
The instruction manual is a little tough to follow. Should clear it up a litle bit. Other than that no problems
Similar Products Used:
marz z3 (was stock fork)
Bike Setup:
18 inch frame avid juicy carbons chris king headset stock cranks, wheels, derailers, shifters
Bottom Line:
I'm in love with this fork
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Matthew Warner
a Weekend Warrior
from Pullman, Washington, USA Date Reviewed: May 25, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Any single track
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$380.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
This fork is very smooth and plush through the full 150mm of travel. At five pounds , it is quite light considering all of the travel and bells and whistles. I have found it to be quite rigid too. On the fly adjustments like TST and ETA are so convenient to tune the fork to terrain and personal taste. As you approach a steep climb you can reduce the fork travel as you ride if you choose to. Simply flip ETA switch, bounce the fork, and it stays down while still providing 30mm of travel to absorb bumps during your climb. When you reach the top of the hill you can return the fork to full travel as you ride with a flip of the ETA switch. TST provides five levels of compression damping with the twist of a dial ranging from a downhill setting to lockout. The coil/air spring combo offers the best features of both worlds. No need to change springs, just change air pressure for rider weight and preference.
Weaknesses:
In order to use TAS for travel adjustment, you need to bleed out all air then refill. Not on the fly. Maybe offering a 20mm thru axel version would be nice for some folks.
Similar Products Used:
Manitou Nixon Elite
Bike Setup:
'05 Giant Reign. Stock except for the AM 1 fork.
Bottom Line:
Buy this fork if you can get a good deal on it, and you want 150mm of super plush travel and on the fly travel decrease for climbing. If you are really clever, you might be able to get a black one like I did.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
victor
a Weekend Warrior
from Winnipeg, MB Date Reviewed: May 16, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Ingolf
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$550.00
Purchased At:
favourite lbs
Strengths:
- damned smooth fork - hyper adjustability - looks slick - most controls very easy to use
Weaknesses:
- compression adjustment could have more fine tuning - weird clicking noise in fork if rebound is set slow - if you care, the very abundant stickers don't last long - travel adjust system (TAS) is a bit of a nuisance to use - no anti-bob system
Similar Products Used:
Black Elite 100/120, all others I have used far from this Marz's level (Judy, SID 100).
Bike Setup:
6" travel, all mountain / freeride bike
Bottom Line:
First, the good:
This fork is so incredibly adjustable and so smooth riding that my 4 year old FR/AM bike feels brand new. Adjustable preload, compression and rebound ,plus ETA, and they all actually work! Some fork manufacturers could learn a lesson from this.
It looks beautiful, despite the stickers for all the controls starting to peel off. I have the 5" travel version, which is black on black, as opposed to that hideous tan colour.
The ETA is a fantastic idea, and does help on those long steep climbs, especially as this fork has a rather long crown to dropout measurement.
The fork has performed admirably in conditions ranging from light cross country to freeride to DH'ing at a resort.
And the not so good... Mostly, these are minor details, and don't really bother me much. However, some folks might care, so they deserve to know:
The most irritating thing is the bizarre clicking noise that the fork makes as it "tops out". Especially noticeable when riding over small bumps, like rocks and roots. Speeding up the rebound a few notches has pretty much made it disappear.
The compression control could have more than five settings (one of which is a lockout). 8 or 10 clicks of adjustment would give just about everyone the control they need.
The TAS, if you are inclined to use it, takes a hellish long time to change the fork from 5 to 4 inches. I don't really bother with it, but some people might like that option. Hint - engage the ETA and push down on the fork - it makes the TAS that much easier to change.
As for the lack of stable platform -well, it doesn't bother me much. Still, considering the price of the fork, I am a bit surprised by the lack of that option.
Overall rating: 4 chilis (the weird noise knocks off 1 chili off an otherwise great fork)
Value rating: 4 chilis - it was kind of pricy, and that was after getting a deal from the lbs.
Would I recommend the fork to others? Yes. It ain't the highest tech, but it makes up for it in buttery ride quality.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tim Spencer
a Cross Country Rider
from Nashville, TN Date Reviewed: March 17, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Hamilton Creek, Nashville TN
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
New, on Ebay
Strengths:
Once I got it dialed in, PERFECT. It's very plush and smooth and after reading the manual, easy to set up. The ETA travel adjust is the envy of all the local bike geeks around here. Love this fork, and the color goes great with a Red Intense Uzzi Slx.
Weaknesses:
Beautiful Gold KNOBS FALL OFF - I have not contaced Marzocchi yet, but from what I've read above, I doubt I'll get any love. If that is the case, I'll be very upset. Also - there is an annoying CHIRPING noise after a decent hit. What is that? Air blow off and should I be hearing that?
Similar Products Used:
Z-1 Freeride
Bike Setup:
Intense Uzzi Slx, Progressive 5th Element rear shock, Saint Cranks, XTR rear derailleur, WTB hubs with Single track rims..that covers it.
Bottom Line:
Great fork, plenty of deals since it's last years model and if you are thinking should I go from 5 to 6? The answer is YES you will notice a big difference.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
robert thomas
a Weekend Warrior
from twin falls id usa Date Reviewed: March 12, 2006
Favorite Trail:
sugar loaf
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$430.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
super adjustable, really gives a good ride, very plush, really like the oversized tst & eta knobs makes it super easy to adjust on the fly
Weaknesses:
(both minor complaints)little confusing to set up the first time, reading the instructions twice slowly helps a ton, have to really push a jolt of pressure on the handle bars to get the eta to get the fork to compress.
Similar Products Used:
fox float, rock shock judy 120mm
Bike Setup:
kona dawg primo 2003 4" rear suspension, lx componets, crankbros stainless, avid mecanical disc, easton carbon straight bar,
Bottom Line:
build this bike in my garage this december, just took it on it's madain voyage, did a quickie seven mile loop. Rode every thing, fireroad, down hill tech stuff, snow, mud, rock gardens, etc. I really gave this fork a beating and it handled bueatiful, loved the eta; could definatly feel a differance in the geometry when climbing the steep stuff. Once compressed the fork preformed perfect. I was riding down one foot stairs and this fork handled awesome. Soaked up vibrations very well. Not sticky at all. Not really any thing major to complain about, this fork does what it is supposed to. Very much holds it's own against some high end fox forks I have ridden. All the riding I do is both up hill and down hill single track. This fork gives the best of both worlds, would not have bought a different fork if I had to do it over again. Would recomend this fork to ANYONE who wants long travel, and wants a good up hill and down hill ride with out compermising anything. Not for a true cross country feller or die hard down hill rider. Read the instructions very carfully, once you know what all the knobs do, setup is pretty simple. Remember to compress your fork before you start a steep section of trail, otherwise it is pretty tricky to put a jolt of pressure on the handle bars to get the fork to compress while you are holding a tricky uphill line. I do plan on racing with this fork later on this season, will keep posted if any problems arise.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
DLH
a Cross Country Rider
from PNW Date Reviewed: February 17, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Solid fork offering from a solid fork company.
Weaknesses:
Bottom adjust knobs may fall off if you don't locktite them. Sooo, now you know -- quit wining and locktite them.
Similar Products Used:
Practically, every fork built by or known to man
Bike Setup:
Couple of wheels - shifters and brakes - on a Coilair
Bottom Line:
This is a smooth, stiff, fantastically adjustable, lite for it's class fork. All the adjustments work. If you don't like the clunk some of the forks seem to develop lower the TAS adjust about three turns. My fork weighs 5lbs on the money with cut steerer and starfangled nut on my digital scale. While I was waiting for my new 66RC I actually used this fork on my stinky for a few rides... and it worked! It is an awsome reliable product -- at a very reasonable weight for a bigboy. BTW - my experience over ten years of useing and abusing Marzocchi products is that their service department personel are professional, friendly, helpful and turn the product around in record time. You won't find a better 130-150mm fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
larry pascua
a Cross Country Rider
from walnut creek Date Reviewed: February 3, 2006
Favorite Trail:
anywhere
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$529.00
Purchased At:
supergo
Strengths:
looks, performance. COLOR (i have the gray one which matches my frame)AM 1 SL
Weaknesses:
nothing so far, i will post again in a week
Similar Products Used:
nixon platinum
Bike Setup:
nomad xt hayes thomson etc etc am 1 SL
Bottom Line:
im impressed from my first trail ride out, cant be anymore happier, had a problem setting it up at first but after calling Marzocchi (great customer service)and got couple of recommendations, off to the trail i go and WOW, this thing is way better than the one i had before (night and day)i will post again in a week. MY overall rating is 4 chilis for now, but im sure it will get 5 chilis from me, just waiting til i get the perfect setting, thats 4 chilis with my improper setting because i have a high volume pump and cannot get the exact reading yet. BUY THIS FORK!!!!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
larry pascua
a Cross Country Rider
from walnut creek, ca. Date Reviewed: February 1, 2006
Favorite Trail:
ANY
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$550.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
I DONT KNOW
Weaknesses:
I DONT KNOW
Similar Products Used:
RC2 FOX PIKE AIR TEAM
Bike Setup:
NOMAD ETC ETC
Bottom Line:
CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO SET THIS FORK UP (AIR WISE)IM CONFUSED, FOLLOWED THE MANUAL BUT NOTHING SEEMS TO WORK RIGHT, DOES NOT GIVE ME THE TRAVEL, ITS PRETTY STIFF, TRUST ME I TRIED EVERYTHING IM A BIKE NUT JUST LIKE YOU. ANYWAYS, IM 180 LBS HELP HELP HELP I STILL BELIEVE THIS IS A NICE FORK EMAIL ME AT LETSRIDEEEEEEE@AOL.COM PLEASE I APPRECIATE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ben
a Cross Country Rider
from MA Date Reviewed: January 24, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Trail of tears
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
Online
Strengths:
Marzocchi quality and stiffness. Sensitivity to bumps great and small. adjustability, ease of use
Weaknesses:
Well yeah it did come in theat ugly color, but I got a black one
Similar Products Used:
Fox TALAS RLC
Bike Setup:
Yeti 575, Magura Louise, RP3...
Bottom Line:
Best fork for me. I road the TALAS for a while but it never felt right. almost had it Pushed, but found a deal in this so I took it. Night and day difference on my Yeti. Yes, the A-2-C is taller, no it did not adversly effect my ride. ETA just makes so much sense, the TAS is easy to use, Rebound adjust is simple and effective. TST is a cool feature that I'm sure I'll play with more in the future. Altogether this made my bike feel right, like it was indeed my bike. I charge faster, hit roots and rocks harder and never flinch. Hey it's a Marzocchi! What do you expect?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
AP
a Cross Country Rider
from Princeton, NJ Date Reviewed: December 26, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
lbs
Strengths:
Solid construction, responsive, versatile, soaks up anything.
Weaknesses:
Color - I have the tan/cream edition.
Similar Products Used:
Manatou Black, Rock Shox Judy, Atom Race, Lefty (not really similar).
Bike Setup:
Ellsworth ID
Bottom Line:
A great fork all around. Works well with my current set up. Plush as anything for not being broken in yet. Getting used to the extra weight and height on the climbs, but the ETA makes up for the height. Still working the learning curve as I have never used such a tall fork with so much adjustability, but glad I went with this one. Great response from small to large bumps, rock gardens to log piles. You can immediately notice the changes in behavior with each turn of the knob, whether tst, tas or rebound. I'll update review as I log in more riding time.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nick Soo Hoo
a Cross Country Rider
from Massachusetts Date Reviewed: December 3, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Vietnam in milford
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$348.00
Purchased At:
Blue Sky Cycling
Strengths:
* Adjustable from 110-130mm *highly adjustable fork * nice metal knobs that turn easily * Works great * light for what it is about 5lb * Strong * Looks different (yellow color)
Weaknesses:
retail cost
Similar Products Used:
Manitou six, splice, fork on prophet 600, wouldnt call them similar
Bike Setup:
2005 modified Cannondale jekyll
Bottom Line:
This is a great fork there is not comparison between this and any of the forks I've used in the past. This shock absorbs bumps alot better in 30 degree weather than the fork on a 2005 prophet 600 in 80 degree weather.I just got this shock so it is not even broken in I have put only 2hours of riding on it today and its performed better in cold weather (oil gets thick) than any of the other forks ive used or tried. eta and tst are awsome they are truely on the fly ajustable. The knobs are easy to turn and have audible click to them. Even though this fork doesnt have a remote I'd consider this just as good since it is very easy to touch the top of the fork and its easy to turn. Tas is alright but requires that you let the air out of the fork to make the fork lower again. This fork is a air/coil hydrid which makes it very adjustable. The stictions are I belive 30mm which should make it a strong fork. If i knew it was this good I would have even paid retail price for it
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Enduro
a Weekend Warrior
from Renton, WA USA Date Reviewed: November 30, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$428.00
Purchased At:
CBO
Strengths:
- 130mm - 150mm travel adjustment - 5 settings: Climb - AM + DH - can drop fork and limit travel to 30mm for climbs or lockout completely - plush
Weaknesses:
clunking sound when riding over several small bumps. not sure if this is just the air cartridge, but can get really annoying.
Similar Products Used:
03 Fox TALAS RLC, 03 Psylo XC
Bike Setup:
03 Enduro Pro: All Mtn1, BETD link for 6" rear, Fox Float RL,EC70 MonkeyLite Riser, Thomson Stem/Seatpost,XTR disc/dual ctrl,XT cranks & derailleurs, SH-540 SPD, WTB Laser Stealth, Mavic x317 rims,Enduro Pro 2.2 tires
Bottom Line:
Overall I like the fork for the price I paid. If I had paid full price for it, I probably wouldn't be very happy with it. Performs very well in many different conditions and feels more plush than my TALAS fork. I mainly ride with 150mm travel which combined with the BETD link gives me a 6x6 all mountain trailbike.
There is an annoying clunking/clicking sound that occurs when I ride over several small bumps. I think this is the air cartridge, but i'm not sure. Most of the time I can tune it out.
Bottom line: if you find a good deal on this fork, then it's probably going to be worth it, but don't pay full price.
Value: I gave it 5 chilis b/c I found a great deal on it. Overall Rating: 4 chilis b/c of the annoying clunk that I hear occasionally.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Philippines Date Reviewed: November 28, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$680.00
Strengths:
plush and smooth
Weaknesses:
strange clunking on fast successive bumps!
Bike Setup:
'05 s works enduro
Bottom Line:
This is a follow up to my earlier review. I have since hated this stupid fork. The clunking sound will make you crazy. it's so annoying for me that i can't enjoy my ride. Don't buy this fork!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Spencer
a Weekend Warrior
from yarmouth, maine Date Reviewed: November 3, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$460.00
Purchased At:
beyondbikes.com
Strengths:
super plush, all adjustments work well. looks killer with the color, too bad it's changed for '06. Fork can handle 5 foot drops no problem and soaks up all bumps and everything.
Weaknesses:
had to lock tite rebound and TAS knobs on bottom. not a big deal, but make sure you do this or they'll fall off and marzocchi won't give you free new ones even though they know about this problem. be careful of TST knob. I did a drop on AM- and it was dicey, just think to set it off locked or AM-. also, this fork works best with an aggresive rider, to some it might feel stiff. overall no major complaints.
Similar Products Used:
exr supra, talas rl
Bike Setup:
04 slayer. all stock compnents but with crank bros 50/50. (these rock) and all mountain 1 (obviously)
Bottom Line:
this fork rocks. if you do any all mountain or light to medium freeriding, get this fork. relatively light, and if you don't have a thru axle hub it still works. made my bike a lot more durable, exr is pretty bad. also relaxed the geometry a little, which is nice. plus, the 05 models are 300 off most internet sites.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ray Dolor
a
from 'Dago Date Reviewed: October 16, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$489.00
Purchased At:
downshiftcycles.com
Strengths:
excellent quality of suspension, the classic Marzocchi plushness, gets as much or more travel as they claim it does, ETA and all adjustments on the fork actually work. The extra pound or so of weight it adds to my bike is totally worth it.
Weaknesses:
strange clunks when you rock the fork back and forth with the front brake locked. Undetectable when riding.
Similar Products Used:
Fox , Rockshox, other 'zokes.
Bike Setup:
04 Joker w. 6" travel setup, RP3 for rear shock, Spinergy Xyclone disc wheelset XT, Thomson, Easton. Total bike weight still down under 30 lb.s........ totally acceptable for a 6/6 trailbike, no?
Bottom Line:
This fork makes my Joker better than ever. Now it really feels balanced front & back. Prior to this fork I was riding the Joker w/ a Fox TALAS 130 RLC. I was happy with it, and the light weight put the bike in the 28.5 lb range, which I really liked. But the the extra inch of travel, and the sheer quality of travel on the AM1 is beyond comparison for me. I could never be happy with the Fox on this bike after having the AM 1. Prior to putting the TALAS on I had a 2002 FR Z1 on the Joker, and I had kinda suppresed the memory of its' quality travel. But now it all comes back to me, and i realize that it too had a much more supple feel than the Fox. I really wanted to like the Fox mainly because of the lighter weight , but this really drives the point home for me that weight ain't everything.
For an extra 40 bucks I was able to get the fork in black, which is way better looking than the funky brown they were trying to force all U.S. riders to buy. Plus, the stickers peel off easily, which some might think a weakness. I really like the looks of the fork without 'em.
I put the TALAS on my Jamis Dragon, where it feels much more at home, and lightens that bike up even more.
So far, so good.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Will James
a Racer
from Tahoe City, CA, USA Date Reviewed: August 26, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Mystery
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Through my sponser
Strengths:
Awesome color, light fork, great plusssssssshhhhh suspension awesome features with the TAS, ETA and TST. Wow!!
Weaknesses:
Not enough of these forks on any bikes for sale through dealers. Why the heck not? Fox this, Fox that......pahhh! And Manipooo they just suck!
Similar Products Used:
Fox Vanilla RLC (good fork but too weak in the crown), Marzocchi Z1 FR SL 150 with doppio air(great fork but the clamping system stinks)
Bike Setup:
Rocky Mountain Slayer 70 (05) with Swinger 4way air, chris king headset, sram x.o drivetrain, magura free ride discs, mavic dee-max wheels, kenda nevegal 2.3 tires, thomson front and rear, maxim riser(mx6), odi grips, terry seat and lots of love.
Bottom Line:
I had the vanilla on this set up and it was great but too flexy but now!! the bike rocks thanks to Marzocchi. Thank you, you Italian studs awesome product. I can rip down the single tracks, launch the bike a good 5ft in the air,even though the fork is not intended for this riding. The bike is amazing and my best friend on his Intense 5.5 with its Manitou Minute 3(it) struggles to keep up....Oh well. Thanx
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
john
a Cross Country Rider
from Manitoba, Canada Date Reviewed: July 23, 2005
Favorite Trail:
anything that hasn't been nuked by motorized vehicles
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
local bike shop
Strengths:
- smooth - excellent adjustability - excellent torsional strength (hardly flexes or twists) - ETA is a nice feature - did I mention smooth? - my condolences to those who ended up with the "Desert Storm" colour scheme. The fork is now available in black. :-)
Weaknesses:
- a bit pricy (but it works great, so it is worth it) - ETA was not functioning right at the start, but seems to have improved. - a tiny bit of fore/aft flex (the price to be paid for less bushing resistance, I suppose)
Similar Products Used:
in order: Judy TT (don't go there, unless you can't afford anything else), SID 100 (surprisingly good), Black 100/120 (not so great -stay away, unless you can get one for cheap)
Bike Setup:
Full suspension - 4 1/2" to 6 " adjustable rear travel.
Bottom Line:
Good Lord, if this fork is this smooth now, I can't wait to see what it is like after it is broken in.
Seriously, the ride quality is absolutely incredible. I have taken it down trails with tons of roots, and you'd barely know they were there. I have ridden it down abandoned railway lines, and the ties barely faze it.
I run it pretty soft (below recommended pressures, as per the manual), but I haven't bottomed it out yet, even on three foot drop stair gaps. With gear, I'm about 195lbs.
It is a tall fork (crown to drop outs) for its amount of travel, so the ETA is definitely handy for climbs.
I can't speak for reliablity or ease of service, as I have only had the fork for a few weeks, and haven't needed to tear it apart for service. I am assured that it is considerably easier than most other brands.
BTW, mine is a 110/130 mm travel model. While I would have preferred the 130/150 model, I suppose it would have choppered the front end even more, and that would have been a bit of a pain, I'm happy with it the way it is - it feels bottomless.
I'll post another review at the three month mark or thereabouts.
Four chilis for Value (because it is a wee bit pricy), and five chilis overall because it is an awesome fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Friend
a
from tahoe city, ca, usa Date Reviewed: July 21, 2005
Favorite Trail:
secret
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
cycle paths in truckee
Strengths:
stiff,plush,and a lot of adjustments
Weaknesses:
It threw off my bikes geometry which is to be expected. I'm not a big fan of dropping the fork for climbs because is changes my seat angle and so on and so on, plus my old fox talas you had to turn the nob a ton of times just to drop the fork which made it a pain in the ass. I'm slowly getting used dropping the fork with the the slight turn of the knob on the this fork. A clicking sound when set at max travel.(solution) If you measure the stanchions when set at max travel you will notice that they measure at six and a half inches. It being a six inch travel fork would not make sense. Don't get me wrong, I think having it set at six and a half is nice but when hear this clicking sound coming from that area you wonder what is going on. I thought is was coming from my headset at first but it was not. So I droped the fork with it's tas control knob down to just over six inches and it solved the problem. By doing this I feel a little bit safer.
Similar Products Used:
talas rlc, and marzochi z1..
Bike Setup:
last years coiler
Bottom Line:
This fork has takin my riding up to a different level. Coil is the only way to go. I thought about the fox 36 but I ruled it out because it was an air fork. Plus it's way over priced.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sam
a Cross Country Rider
from Quadra Island, BC Date Reviewed: July 8, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Pro deal
Strengths:
Strong. Well engineered. Seems very well thought out. All the adjustments are easy to use and let you tune quickly for just about any kind of terrain. Nice on moderate drops as well as the little stuff. I LOVE the TAS for climbing and smooth trails to bring the front end down and tighten up the handling. Nice and stiff too.
Weaknesses:
A few minor issues. I also had my rebound and travel adjust knobs come off on my second ride. I found one but Marzocchi doesn't seem to think it's a warranty issue and wants to charge me $130 for the knob! Luckily the two are the same and I just undo it from the one side and use it on the other to do the travel adjust. I also noticed quite a bit of knocking when I have the fork adjusted for long travel but seems to be fine if I shorten up the distance. A tad heavy but feels like it could take a lot of punishment so not really a problem.
Similar Products Used:
Various older budget forks from Rock-Shox, Manitou, etc.
Bike Setup:
33lb Java all-mountain set-up with cheap component mix and mech disks. 5" travel rear shock. Awesome Schwalbe Big betty Tires.
Bottom Line:
Wicked fork. Love it except for the missing knob and M's unwillingness to send me a new one. Unreal adjustability. Seems bullet proof so far even after some pretty good bails. Definately the best fork I've ever used. All-Mountain is right. Perfect fork for the drops and nasty, bumpy, rooty, wet, rocky, muddy, sandy, hilly, loggy, terrain of our technical BC single track.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Art W
a Cross Country Rider
from Seattle Date Reviewed: July 4, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$700.00
Strengths:
This for works well in all conditions, small bumps or large
Weaknesses:
Stanchions extemely loose on first ride, feels unsafe to ride. Constant clicking etc.
Similar Products Used:
Fox Vanilla 125r, Older Marzocchi's, 36rc2.
Bike Setup:
Turner 6pack, XT, King, Thomson, Time
Bottom Line:
After one ride I can truly say this fork really performs. Small bumps or large, the AMI mows through everything. All in all, performance wise this fork rocks.
Now the negatives. I only have one ride on this fork and the right side stanchion is extremely loose. It makes a clicking sound with every hit, and feels less than secure.
After having a Fox fork for 3 years, I went to Marzocchi hoping to avoid these issues. Tomorrow I’m going to contact Marzocchi in the hopes of having the issue quickly resolved. Stay tuned as I’ll be updating this post in the next week or two
I'll go with 2 chillis overall for now, but will update once I have the problems resolved.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Wayne H
a Weekend Warrior
from Portland Date Reviewed: July 3, 2005
Favorite Trail:
too many to list
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$750.00
Strengths:
performance, fine tuning
Weaknesses:
cheap stickers
Similar Products Used:
marzo MX Pro w/eta
Bike Setup:
5" travel front and rear full suspension trail bike.
Bottom Line:
This fork performs extremely well. It is a great trail fork that. My only complaint is that on the first ride, both the lower rebound and TAS knobs fell off. that really sucks. But whatis worse than that, is how crappy Marzocchi is at getting me new replacements. They build a great product, but dont seem to care about it once it leaves the store. Nor do they seem to care about their customers. I had to leave 2 messages with some guys voicemail just to get a call back to find out about replaceing my knobs. My first message was never returned, the second one was not so nice, but they finally called back. My biggest complaint is that they would not warrenty the knobs. it is apparently my fault for not checking the torque on the little screws that hold them in place. I guess I should probrably dissasemble the entire fork to make certain they torqued everything properly at the factory. So I pay for the knobs.... and they send me everything for the upper knobs (e.t.a. and t.s.t. adjustments). Like what part of LOWER knobs did they not understand. I even told them their functions (rebound and t.a.s.) to avoid confusion. So now, I have to pay more money, and go through the voicemail BS all over again. Overall, I think my knob situation was out of the ordinary. They build a great performing product, one of the best. But it is realy dissapointing that they dont stand behind it, or support their customers, should you ever have any problems.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Marcos
a
from Bogotá, Colombia Date Reviewed: June 27, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$770.00
Purchased At:
From a friend's Bike Shop
Strengths:
All the adjustments (awesome !!), you can fine tune this fork according to your riding needs. Absolutely smooth. The CL and DS positions in the TST definitively make a difference in your riding.
Weaknesses:
hmmmmm.... Can bring you to near to bankrupcy and maybe you can loose your balls if someone (like parents, wife or girlfriend) in your home see that bloody price tag !!! Stickers should be much better quality, in that range of price you're expecting the best quality. Anyway, when it comes to a mountain fork, what really makes the difference is quality and performance, so the sticker issue is something stupid. Ahhh, and last friday I just saw that jensonusa is giving an outstanding price (about 600 USD if I'm not wrong... or less)
Similar Products Used:
Rock Shox Judy TT (pure crap), 2002 Psylo XC (was good for me).
Bike Setup:
2003 GT avalanche frame with a lot of sweet toys.
Bottom Line:
I think this could be one of the BEST forks for 2005 (I think it should be the best). WARNING: this is not for downhill or freeride use (well, maybe the 130-150 mm could take a little freeride). Use it for aggressive XC or "all mountain" and you'll be pelased as long as you own this fork. If you have almost 800 bucks under your pillow and that bothers you and don't want to use them for lighting your fireplace.... this fork could be a good way to get rid of that head ache. If that's not your situation and you want to keep your balls where God put them.... don´t let anyone "sane" see that price tag. And... because of the color (looks cool anyway), it goes better in black bikes.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tom Salmon
a Weekend Warrior
from pleasant hill Date Reviewed: June 17, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Big Boulder
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Down shift cycles.com
Strengths:
Adjustable, resonable weight compared to amount of travel. Comfortable at high speed and very smooth.
Weaknesses:
Cheap stickers, and ????
Similar Products Used:
Fox 125RL,
Bike Setup:
Ventana EL Chamuco, chris king headset, philwood hubs, Shimano drive train, Hayes Brakes 8" rotors, WTB tires and seat.
Bottom Line:
Very happy with purchase. I feel I have one of the nicest forks currently made and I look forward to many miles together. In addition, the experience I had with Jared at Down ShiftCycles.com was great.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
SLO Rider
a
from San Luis Obispo, CA Date Reviewed: June 15, 2005
Favorite Trail:
RIM - Tahoe
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
MTBR Classifieds
Strengths:
Low weight given travel, enough adjustments to make any gear head happy, very stable at high speeds given no through axel and travel length..
Weaknesses:
I'm afraid I'm going to leave the thing locked at the top of a climb and blow it out on the decent. It would be cool if Marzochi would put together a blow-out valve like Fox. Through axel would be cool too.
Similar Products Used:
Fox Talas, Vanilla RLC
Bike Setup:
Ellsworth Moment, XTR/XT, Mavic, avid MECHANICAL
Bottom Line:
In my oppinion it's the best all mountain, heavy duty XC fork on the market. Of course Fox makes a great product, but Marzochi has the fine tuned adjustment engineering down. If you have the cash... buy it. I don't know if I would have paid retail for it, of course I don't pay retail for anything.. My only complaint would be that I can feel it flex latterally in sharp turns at high speeds, which makes sense given the length, low weight and no through axel. Some people complain about the color, whatever, go back to the fing city!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from philippines Date Reviewed: May 23, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$680.00
Purchased At:
lbs
Strengths:
lots and lots of adjustments! smooth , plush travel, bomber quality, color
Weaknesses:
a little heavy but who cares
Similar Products Used:
manitou nixon, psylo race, fox float, z1 bam.
Bike Setup:
'05 s works enduro frame, xtr drivetrain, avid juicy 7, xt shifters, stans, all mountain 1, dt revs, conti verts,thomsons, maxm, odi, wtd shadow stealth saddle, maxm bar etc
Bottom Line:
This thing is perfect for my bike. Had a manitou nixon at first but wasn't a perfect fit for the enduro. My lbs had a 36 as well but i chose this over the fox because of the eta and tst. The fact that it has a coil spring and air preload just makes it much more easier to pick this one over the 36. My rides are 60 % uphills that's why the all mtn1 is the more suitable fork for me.the color is unique and matches my silver anodized frame rather well. If you have the $$$ and frame, buy this fork, you will be satisfied!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sarah
a Cross Country Rider
from Coventry, UK Date Reviewed: May 20, 2005
Favorite Trail:
dogs paw
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At:
Lassy's Layout
Strengths:
This is my second Marzocchi fork and so far I will say this company is amazing at what they do. This for climbs like a billy goat, descends like a lion on a kill in Africa, blazing speed and my god it is so plush I will make my girlfriend jealous since her bike has a Fox Talas RLC. Plush, plush, stiff and super durable.
Weaknesses:
So bloody expensive. I had to sell my mini to get the fork.
Similar Products Used:
Fox Talas RLC 125 (04), Rock Shox Psylo (03), Fox Vanilla RLC 125 (04) and Manitou Black Platinum(rubbish).
Bike Setup:
Yeti 575(black) with rp3, All Mountain 1 110-130, Race Face Deus headset, Race Face stem and bar, Sram x9 drivetrain, Race Face Deus Crankset, Mavic 321 rims on Hope XC hubs, Michelin All Mountain 2.2 tires, Thomson seat post, Terry butterfly saddle and Time Z Control pedals. Oh yeah! Hope mono mini brakes but I will be changing them to Maguras since my girlfriend has a friend who works at a local bike shop and can get a great deal on them.
Bottom Line:
Brilliant fork with so many carefully thought out options and a proven history to back it. Great product Marzocchi. Thank you again for putting a smile on my face.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark
a Weekend Warrior
from Luzern Switzerland Date Reviewed: May 6, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Renggpass
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$560.00
Purchased At:
e-bay
Strengths:
Huge range in travel thanks to ETA and in platform effect thanks to TST. Coil makes for nice linear travel. Bottomless at full travel and I weigh 190lbs. Quick Release is a positive if you do Alpcrosses. The Color is...well uique. Cheap and solid.
Weaknesses:
Quick release - if you're more on the bike-park side of the sport. The fork is taller than others of the same length (common for Marzocchi). Watch your geometry! ?This fork will rake your bike a bit more than a Fox 36
Most of you will scratch your heads when you see that I changed out the Fox 36 for the All mountain one. But here in Switzerland you can count on 3+hours of steady climbing a day. No good on the old fox Fork! Sinking the All mountain fork down to 36mm compensates totally for steep climbs. This works on a frame with a slack headtube angle like my 05 enduro very well. Could make the steering a bit nervous on other bikes. ETA works so quick and easily that I don't miss not having a remote for it. Even on small climbs I drop the fork down and hear the sound of the fork topping out as I bound over rocks and roots climbing like an XC guy. The fork still has enough reserves for comfort, its just that you hear it topping out in the dips. I don't find the 5 tst settings very useful. Shorten the fork, and it doesn't bob, and yo climb. Lengthen the fork for downhill and you don't want anything hampering the smooth coil. I suppose in hilly areas I might set the fork somewhere in the middle TST setting so bobing is reduced, but I still have the full length. Everything here is so vertical up and down, I haven't had a chance to try it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Laythen Young
a Cross Country Rider
from Michigan Date Reviewed: May 6, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Porcupine Rim
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$550.00
Strengths:
ease of set up, best plushness for the money, 5 compression settings that are super useful, bulletproof, gnarly crown, a ETA lever that is improved from older models.
Weaknesses:
maybe weight, and the sensitivity of the rebound. For example if the rebound is set to fast then you will hear a slight knocking when absorbing small hits. This can easily be remedied by decreasing the rebound, but it takes away precious riding time.
Similar Products Used:
03 Marzocchi MX pro ETA
Bike Setup:
03 Santa Cruz Blur, XT, Sun Single Track rims, rainbow tassels, and a pink horn.
Bottom Line:
This fork, when coupled with the right bike(SC Blur in my opinion) will make you drool while riding on any fast or technical trails. I have found that the responsiveness has allowed me to corner much harder while not feeling like my front tire is going to wash out. This fork makes your front tire stick! After I fixed the rebound issue, I could say that the feel of this fork is one that I find myself daydreaming about. So if you have 700 bones lying around, and you want to neglect your wife or girlfriend for a while, then buy this fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Paul Wichelmann
a Weekend Warrior
from Sammamish, WA Date Reviewed: May 2, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Preston Rail Road
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$629.00
Purchased At:
EBay
Strengths:
Super smooth travel. Everything you need, nothing you don't. TAS is a thing of beauty, simple clicks, on the fly, make all the difference. ETA is superb when climbing leaving some room for travel. I never agreed with total lockout, but the blow off threshold of the fox works well too. I have not used the TAS function but it's nice to know it's there when I do. I can't wait to bring this thing to a full 150mm.
Weaknesses:
The only thing I can say right now is that the stickers look cheap but hey it's only stickers. I also don't like the cable tie on the rear of the left leg, but I used a wire tie on the crown with the soft side of velcro to secure. Some people say the color is odd but you don't buy a fork for the color, you buy it for function. It's not a fashion contest when you're bombing down a trail.
Similar Products Used:
Various Rock Shox, Fox Talus RLC
Bike Setup:
Heckler, 5th Element. All the rest of the goodies
Bottom Line:
One great all around fork, the All Mountain name is perfect for this one. This is my first Marzocchi fork and it does not disappoint. Can't beat the stiffness along with how plush it rides. I believe Marzocchi has made the infinite adjustment option obsolete and given the rider what they really want, just enough options to make the fork perform well without confusing the setup. Thanks Marzocchi!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Claudia Jackson
a Racer
from Concord, CA, USA Date Reviewed: April 23, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Zorra Canyon
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
Pegasus Bike Shop
Strengths:
Super plush, super responsive, super stiff and what a great color. TST, ETA and TAS all make this suspension fork the best choice fork I can think of. Wow!!
Weaknesses:
Hmmmmm................well I can't think of anything right now but I will let you know.
Similar Products Used:
Fox Talas RLC (good fork too) but the all mountain rules; Rock Shox Pike Team (good upgrade for Rock Shox) not good enough for me though; and a Manitou Sherman Firefly another good product but this fork keeps on leaking oil and not working well.
Bike Setup:
All Mountain 1 110mm to 130mm on a Yeti 4X (04) with Hope mono minis, Mavic Dee Max wheels, Sram X.O drivetrain, Thomson front and rear, Michelin 2.3 tubeless tires, Rocket V race saddle, Maxim riser bar, odi grips, king headset, Fox RP3 on the frame and Truvativ Holzfeller crankset with gigapipe DH BB.
Bottom Line:
Marzocchi has come a long way with their suspension and for the 2005 lineup they are against some stiff and flexible competition. Fox makes a great product so I see them as the only other competitor out there alongside Marzocchi. Rock Shox and Manitou well.....................NOT!! Foes, White Brothers, Magura, Pace and Maverick also make wonderful products but Marzocchi forks are easy to repair and are in for the long haul. Their products, in my book, are the best. Thank you Marzocchi for always delivering a fabulous product that has never failed me.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
hyintensity
a Cross Country Rider
from colorado Date Reviewed: April 9, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$776.00
Strengths:
Stiff as a rail, plush as a cloud, rattlesnake responsive, sick damping, perfect rebound, every fearture is useful, all systems on the fork eta, tas, tst, work in synergery ( they can all be used by themselves or together) Ease of system implementation. Did I mention how pluish this thing is? Oh my God!
Weaknesses:
Even the color looks good after riding it.
Similar Products Used:
Z1 bam, Talus rlc, rock shox
Bike Setup:
Turner 5 spot xtr, raceface, hayes
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is that I am one picky 6'1" 232lb person and this for has left me wanting nothing more. Talk about stiff It feels like this thing has a telepathic link into my brain I think it and it does it. I have never been able to climb as well as I cas now. With the eta system you can ride at 4" or 2" all the while maintaining a little over an inch of travel which is great for rocky gnarly climbing. If the trail is smooth enough or you are on the road you can fully lock the fork in any of the positions as well. you can also lock it at 6". I found however one position back on the tst leg gave me almost complete lock out for sprinting but would still take an unexpected hit like a pothole or curb without throwing me. did I mention that all of this is easily done with literal flicks of a switch. The swiches are also easily manipulated with gloves while riding. Now when it comes to downhill I really don't even know how to describe just how plush, yet responsive, it is the damping is truly nothing shy of an engineering marvel. It will suck up a grape sized pebble the easily suck up a three foot drop without jingling the change in your pocket. this fork truly is all mountain. This fork is absolutly the best addition to my ride that I have ever purchased. I don't know what else to say. I know a lot of you are looking at these reviews to get some info before you purchase. Get this fork you will not be sorry. If you do cross country/freeride or cross gnarly country riding this is the only fork I could recomend
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
BigLarry
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose, CA Date Reviewed: March 22, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Annadel
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$650.00
Purchased At:
Reeds Cyclery
Strengths:
Strong and stiff for Clydes like me doing aggressive XC. Rated for 8" rotors with standard Quick Release skewer. Great single knob TST (Terrain Selection Technology) shock tuning simultaneously adjusts compression, rebound, speed response and stiffness for stiff climbs, XC knocks, or soft decents in rock gardens. ETA (External Travel Adjustment) gives front down geometry for climbs and front up geometry for descents. Spring in one side but wide range of tuning adjustment with air - at my 260 lbs I got the recommended 15-20% (<1") sag while still below 60 psi, so I didn't need a stronger spring. Fork can be adjusted from 130 to 150 mm with TAS (Travel Adjustment System). You supposed to let the air out of TST before adjusting travel with low enough force to not strip threads. But sone have found you can pull down on the fork to release pressure and easily adjust the TAS knob on the fly if needed. (I never needed.)
Weaknesses:
Color is odd - tough to find a paint job that looks good with it. My Ano-black Heckler is as good as I could find, but it still looks odd. But it makes the fork easily recognized and I get a lot of questions on the trail. The fork only comes with Standard QR skewer. I would have liked a stiffer 20 mm skewer at my size. But Marz doesn't want Free riders to think this is a big drop Free Ride fork, which it's not at it's slightly lower weight - its a do everything All Mountin fork, which means tough XC, rock gardens and small drops.
Similar Products Used:
Manitou Black Elite on my Trek Fuel almost killed me when it's unstahble fork tossed me at 30 mph on a simple fire road (Big ER bill). In spite of the heavy duty spring in the Black (which took two months), the fork would nose dive with my 260 lbs at every brake or obstacle. I would endo almost every ride, which pretty much never happens with the AM1. The Manitou Black felt very noodley and wobbly to me. The AM1 feels solid. Getting a stiffer wheel with stiff XC321 rims may have helped too.
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Heckler with Fox DHX 5.0 shock. Rear has 5.6" travel so I set the AM1 about the middle at 140 mm which works fine and I've never adjusted. AM1 works with my Shimano Saint 8" disk brakes and dual control XT shifter/brakes. There's a clip for the brake cable behind the fork that some don't like because the cable rubs the fork - supposedly removing paint, but a clear cable rub patch comes with the fork and I haven't had a problem in 400 miles of tough use.
Bottom Line:
This fork has it all for tough XC, fast downhill, and mild hucking (only a few feet drop for most, 2' drop for me). It's not super tough like the Marz Z1, but it's lighter and much more adjustable for different terrain. It's much stiffer than my Manitou Black and handles much better. A flip of the ETA lever lets the front nose be pushed way down to the ground for super climb geometry with just a little 1-2" travel for comfort. At the top, flip the ETA lever back and the front pops up 4" and puts you back ready for DH. The TST works super. The weakest DH setting turns the fork to butter and allows me to sail through 8" rock gardens while hearing my shocks going whoosh, whoosh all the time. The XC setting gives me stiff enough travel for hard pedaling but taking the occasional 8" root or rock. The stiffest CL setting is practically a lockout. I much prefer to just use the ETA to lower the fork so the CL lockout is rarely used. I finally found it useful on a very steep paved road decent to stiffen the fork when no suspension was needed but I wanted to stay back in the high geometry and have the fork not drop on heavy braking.
This fork is the top of the line for those who want it all for All Mountain type of riding. Worth every penny of it's high price.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dan
a
from Government Camp Date Reviewed: February 18, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
You can adjust for your weight extremely well by adding air pressure to one side of the fork. The rebound works very well with small indexing. Very plush feal due to the coil. The lock down is awsome for long steep climbs. This fork can take a good drop and make it alot easier on the rider
Weaknesses:
A little heavy at just under 5 pounds. Price.
Similar Products Used:
2004 FR SL 130, good light shock but not as plush or adjustable as the AM 1
Bike Setup:
Turner 5 spot, romic coil,
Bottom Line:
This is an awsome shock for a 5-6 inch trailbike for someone that is more concerned about an all around fork that can take alot of abuse and who isn't concerned about the grams. I ride an even amount of ups and downs, this shock is perfect for someone that does not need to shuttle
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bryan Ciesinski
a Weekend Warrior
from Tacoma, Wa Date Reviewed: February 8, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Anything fast and long!
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$525.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
Adjustibility and stiffness!
Weaknesses:
Maybe the color, but you get used to it! It different!
Similar Products Used:
Some Manitou products, but mainly Marozocchi, Marathon SL, Bomber Z1, and Z1 FR SL, Dirt jumper II w/ 150mm.
I have many bikes (Santa Cruz Heckler & Bullit, and Specialized Enduro) and I was forever changing parts and forks to get that "ultimate bike" feeling. When I finally got the All Mountain 1 fork, it made it happen for my Enduro. It makes it my "all mountain, do everything well bike". Super solid and yet very plush! And very adjustible. 5 to 6 in travel, very soft to locked-out. You name it, the All Mountain 1 can and will do it. My bike building life is complete! Now I can go ride and know I have the best set-up I could ever want! Ride on and live long!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian
a Weekend Warrior
from Spartanburg, SC. Date Reviewed: December 29, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Anything New
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$650.00
Purchased At:
The Great Escape
Strengths:
This fork will do everthing it claims it can do. the eta works like a dream. I got the 150mm and was worried it would not lock down far enough for the climbs I do in Pisgah National Forest, but it locks down to about 100mm, which allows me to get my big ass up the hill. Then I just flick the switch back and I have 150mm of pure rush. The fork tracks well, and the adjustments are limitless.
Weaknesses:
Maz. could have stuck with the traditional black or gray, instead of the yellow. But I have to say the color looks much better than in the pics on their web site. No real weaknesses at this time. I will do a follow up in a few weeks.
Similar Products Used:
Fox RLC, Maz.Z1, Maz.DJ3
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Heckler w/5element coil over. and XT and XTR componets
Bottom Line:
For now I think the fork is well worth the money. I just hope it can hold up on my style of riding. Plus I'm a pretty big dude at 6"3' and 230lbs. As i stated b-4 I will follow up in a week or two. You should buy this fork if do alot of climbing and down hills.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Boris
a Cross Country Rider
from Englamd Date Reviewed: December 17, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Glentress- Scotland
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
BikeDock
Strengths:
Very plush, ETA, easy to set up, easy to adjust on the move Totally confidence inspiring.
Weaknesses:
Can only use the Marzocchi Mudgaurd which is expensive and not vey good
Similar Products Used:
FOX Talas, Rockshox Pyslo and Duke, Various Manitou and Marzocchi MX PRO ETA
Bike Setup:
Enduro Expert 04
Bottom Line:
My Enduro came with a Fox TALAS as standard, but I never really got on with it. The AM1 makes the bike SO much better. The fork is very plush and active with great small bump sensitivity, and I got all the travel straight away. The fork ramps up nicely towards the end of the travel so you don't get any harsh top out at all. I still beleive ETA is the best feature any longish travel fork can have. 1 flick of a switch and the fork drops down to give around 50mm of stiff travel, flick the lever back and the fork fully extends. No twiddling of dials like on the TALAS, just genuine useful adjustment. The TST (terrain selection technology) switch is a simple 5 click lever on the top of the rh leg. Clicks 1-4 progressively slow the compression of the fork from super fast (fast downhills), to vey slow for climbing or sprinting on rough surfaces. Click 5 is a lockout. This works with ETA as well, for steep road climbs just engage the ETA, push down on the bars, choose click 5 on the TST and the fork is locked down. It's as easy as that. Setup is a doddle, set the sag with air pressure in the RH leg, and twist the rebound knob on the bottom of the leg until it feels right. Thats all there is to it. Travel can be adjusted between 130mm and 150mm, although not on the fly as you need to let the air out before you turn the adjuster at the bottom of the LH leg and then reset the sag. But as the Enduro is really a 5" travel bike I've left it on 130 and will probably only ever change it if I go to the Alps or somewhere. Stiffness and tracking is fine and there is no flutter even with a 203mm rotor on the front. Build quality looks to be excellant.
Bottom line - I cannot fault this fork, it's probably the best bit of bike gear I have ever bought.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
James Howery
a Downhiller
from Prescott, AZ Date Reviewed: November 12, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Private Reserve
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Employee Purchase Direct
Strengths:
Weight, sub 5lbs with cut steerer. (w/o cut steerer 5.07lbs, 4.92lbs w/cut steerer). 130 or 150mm of travel. ETA and TST adjustments easy to reach and effective. No need to buy springs with right leg air-adjust.
Weaknesses:
A 20mm dropout would be nice...but the AM series has different stanchions than the FR series, I know the point is that Marzocchi doesn't want the AMs used for FR abuse. We only have our fellow riders to blame for liability reasons, but still it would be nice with 20mm dropouts. To adjust travel from 6 down to 5", you must weight the fork and turn the adjuster at the same time, It's nearly impossible to turn the adjuster without putting any weight on it (when compressing the travel back down).
Similar Products Used:
Shiver SC, Fox Vanilla RLC, Marzocchi Z1, 6" Super T, Mr T, etc...
Bike Setup:
Foes FXR, DHX rear shock.
Bottom Line:
A great fork. You get Z1 type feel and travel if you want it, or increase travel to 150mm for the "Z150" feel, and when you do this, it feels as if you've bolted a DH fork on your bike all of a sudden. TST damping changes are effective, positions 1 and 2 feel pretty much the same, position 3 has noticable low-speed compresison increase, keeps fork dive to a minimum and increases efficiancy, position 4 really "slows" the fork down, and position 5 is essentially lockout. ETA keeps the fork locked down to the same level regardless of travel, this means that in the 6" mode it still goes down as far as it does in the 5" mode, which helps with climbing.
ETA and TST can be used together.
Rebound adjuster is indexed finally.
Travel adjuster can be used on the trail, not "on the fly" unfortunatly, but you can select any travel setting in between 5 and 6", essentially between 130 and 150mm with increments slightly less than 1mm. This allows a lot of fine-tuning if you desire, or just run it to the stops either way and run it in 5 or 6" mode.
Marzocchi has done their homework with this one. Lighter than much of the competition, more features than a lexus or BMW, smooth marzocchi travel (or more firm if you prefer), new bladder-damping system (no hscv), the air-spring adjust is great, it's hard to fault this fork really, and the color isn't that bad once you get it in person either!, although it'd be cool to do this fork in a red-rock color to match sedona and moab :D
This fork is expensive, but worth it, and still a few hundred cheaper than the fox 36.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
What's New
»
BEST OF MTBR - Check out the highest rated bikes, parts, & gear!
»
LED BIKE LIGHT SHOOTOUT 3 - We test all the newest products and latest light and battery technology in this comprehensive guide»
$ 769.00
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
