Submitted by
Aaron McGraw
a Cross Country Rider
from Oil City, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: January 2, 2004
Strengths: (update) its still going. I have tried to demolish this fork since 1996, so please keep that in mind when you scroll down and see negative reviews.
Weaknesses: Heavy and limited travel. So far the only damage to the fork is a 1/8 diameter hole in one boot and some scratches to the decals.
Bottom Line:
At this point, you are bound to find this fork on a used bike on Ebay. Don't let it put you off. While it is not the best suspension fork out there, it certainly is amongst the toughest. It will work when you get it--unless someone has abused it beyond imagination.
Bike Setup: Acera, LX, Specialized goodies, Aluminum frame, Titec and Kalloy cockpit stuff with a JD Suspension Stem and JD bar ends. Nashbar clipless pedals. SDG Comp leather saddle
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Aaron McGraw
a Weekend Warrior
from Oil City, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: September 16, 2002
Strengths: It's better than a case of Chlamydia, and you can get rid of it unlike the herpes. It's the only thing besides the frame I haven't upgraded...Umm....It works.. Sort of. kind of like me. This fork is an underachiever, and so am , so I like it.
Weaknesses: Okay, it's heavy...and to get the suspension I wanted i had to add a JD suspension stem..
Bottom Line:
Comes in handy for pounding pesky bike-trail muggers. BUY ONE. SUFFER THROUGH IT. You will be a better person for doing so.You top-end Rock Shok and manitou folks make me want to puke. I scrounge for beer money at the end of the month....hence, I cannot upgrade. If anyone has a longish steerer-tubed fork in 1 inch diamater that will accept cantis at the price of a case of Yuengling Lager, drop me a line. (mcgraw@pennsmart.com)
Strengths: Yes, its VERY strong. and it is also very capable of stopping your front wheel from rolling away.
Weaknesses: going up and down is definitely a weakness with these
Bottom Line:
Well, the nice man at the bike builders told me that the SR Duotrack were an excellent fork, and surprisingly fell right into the budget of the last few pennies i had left over after finishing my custombuild. (but had planned on a rigid, since we're talking 7 years ago) I thought he was doing me a favour. that nice man has given me 7 years of thinking I had a nice bike, until I tried a mates GT LTS with real suspension. Bugger! These forks, as said elsewhere are utter rubbish, but try as you might you wont break them! I am going to replace them as soon as I can.
Bike Setup: Alpinestars CR500 with lots of nice bits (these forks being the exception)
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
David Ritchie
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin, TX USA
Date Reviewed: January 17, 2002
Strengths: Keeps your wife from nagging you about how awesome your bike is.
Weaknesses: None as long as their on your wife's bike.
Bottom Line:
I was dumpster diving a few weeks ago, when I found this descent looking fork still in a box. I thouhgt it was a K-Mart shock, but I guess someone upgraded and just put the Duo Track in the K-Mart box. This puppy is awesome. First of all; my wife thinks that her bike is as good as my StumpJumper now.(No more nagging). Second; it weighs a ton so now my wife can have those buns of steel I've always wanted. Third; you can probably get your wife one free cause I'll bet one out of three dumpsters stock them. So you see, all these guys who are writing trash about this poor shock either are rich, don't have wives or cannot realize that there is good in everything, depending on how you see it. All I can say is, my wife is happy I'm happy and my wallet is happy. By the way, I'd rather pay a measly $125 than $600 to make my wife happy. Two thumbs up from me. SINCERELY... Cheap a** Husband
Strengths: It was my lucky day I was riding my Foes DHS Mono down flying circus (a shore trail ) and I see this hobo on the trail ,he says he found this fork lying in the bush and he wanted to know if I had a use for it . That was the best day of my life because I got an awesome fork for free . The first great feature of this fork is the ajustability you can change the travel from 1/5 of an inch to 1/4 , to 1/2 just buy letting some air out of your tires , also the ease of maintenace and lubrication , just ride in the rain , enough water will seep into the fork to eliminate all stiction . I'm also in way better shape since buying this fork , I get a real workout just riding on pavement because the fork added like 40 lbs to my bike !, finally my brakes were way to powerful before , I was always going over the handlebars , but now this fork flexes foreward so much that my brakes are like 1/10 as powerful as they were before so I have no more problems . I think every hardcore rider should buy one of these forks today if you want all of the great features I mentioned !
Submitted by
Thorsten Lauer
a Cross Country Rider
from Germany
Date Reviewed: June 26, 2001
Strengths: It looks good and came with the bike i bought 1994. Still not falling apart after seven years and lots of miles (mostly forestroads not really heavy duty).
Weaknesses: No real suspension work visible. heavy.
Bottom Line:
Does it realy work as a shock absorber, or is it only a kind of heavy rigid fork? is there really elastomere inside? I would never buy such a fork anymore, even when it is fixed to a cheap but good bike.
Similar Products Used: some "modern" forks tested in the last weeks
Bike Setup: Touring MTB
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jerry Giese
a Cross Country Rider
from Irving, Tx, USA
Date Reviewed: May 3, 2001
Strengths: cheap
Weaknesses: 1 inch of travel. Too Heavy. Bottoms out over rough sidewalks, small sticks, and everything else.
Bottom Line:
This is the cheapest, worst piece of Šhit that I have ever used!!! I have used rigid forks with more travel than this. The Fork has no noticable travel. It has too much play. In fact, the fork moves farther forwards and backwards than it does up and down. Everytime I put on my brakes it feals like the fork sways about 3 inches. This fork is so Šhitty that i would give it a negative 5 chilies if I could. I mean this fork is crap. This fork even looks as bad as it preforms. If you are stupid enough to buy this fork for $100+, then throw your bike away and just give up!
Submitted by
Mr. Wizard
a Cross Country Rider
from the Pacific Northwest
Date Reviewed: April 22, 2001
Strengths: It still hasn't spontaneously fallen apart...
It takes a little bit of roughness out of gravel paths.
Weaknesses: The arch flex is so extreme that it robs most of the front braking power (you can pull the lever to the bar even if you start with the pads rubbing the rim).
Shock absorption is no better than a fat tire and cushy grips, while steering and feel are much worse than a rigid fork! My confidence level while riding on this fork is very low.
On an otherwise nice looking bike, this thing is rather ugly, and obviously cheap.
Bottom Line:
This is the worst component I think I've seen used on a "real" MTB.
Bike Setup: This fork is on an old Trek 830 that was sitting in the garage until I recently cleaned it up for someone to ride.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Shawn
a Weekend Warrior
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: December 29, 2000
Strengths: It can travel about 1" !!! It is heavy, makes u work harder, and provides good exercise.
Weaknesses: Stupid name, looks like... well... faeces. About as effective as a rigid iron fork, but heavier and more dangerous to use.
Bottom Line:
It's still working after 4 years! Even then, it's not worth buying. Get a Rock Shox or something that works as suspension. If someone gives it to u, regard him/her as an enemy. Alternatively, he or she is hinting that u need to lose weight.
Strengths: Yeah right, you think this product has strengths?
Weaknesses: Oil bath? Try sand bath! I actually took a look inside, it didn't even have elastomers. Inside was a piece of styrofoam. If you want to throw your money away, by all means by this shock!
Bottom Line:
NEVER, EVER, EVER BY THIS PRODUCT. A RIGID FORK IS BETTER!
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin, TX, USA
Date Reviewed: April 12, 2000
Strengths: I kinda like the "club" idea...atleast it's nice to know they are good for something...Well, I guess you could get them just to say you have full suspension and impress your friends....
Weaknesses: Ok...first off, 1 inch of travel doesn't do squat. Truthfully, my arms shake a lot more on this than on my old rigid fork. They came with my bike, so I'm not sure about how they measure up price wise.
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is that these shocks are good for two things: 1) Hitting people. 2) Trying to impress your friends.
But in all seriousness, if you aren't gonna race for a living or seriously, who needs incredible, $600 shocks anyways? These are ok for a first pair, I guess.
Similar Products Used: None, this is my first front suspension fork; but I have tryed some rick shox on a friend's bike, and they were a lot better :)
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
tu madre
a Cross Country Rider
from never never land
Date Reviewed: March 19, 2000
Strengths: Strenghts? what strengths? Are they even shocks? I could have sworn that they were filled with sand.
Weaknesses: At like 1/2" of travel, you might as well ride a rigid fork. Too expensive at $125. I would make someone PAY ME to even sit on a bike that had them. Oh yeah, Did I the sand?
Bottom Line:
If you are a serious biker and you are riding these things, take them off your bike right now and piss and POO all over them and then they will at least smell better (and ill bet that they will look better too.) In all seriousness now, I dont like this shock. If you are thinking about getting this thing, please do yourself a favor and go buy a Rock Shock Indy C for cheap. That fork at least has some travel.
Similar Products Used: any rigid fork. And maybe then you will have more travel.
Bike Setup: Well, back in the day (7th grade), the nishiki blazer was my first full suspension bike and I loved it. Till one day I took the fork off and went to a creek and threw it in and left it there for some 8 year old to find (and ill bet he did the same thing as me after riding it too.)
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
a Weekend Warrior
from Mass
Date Reviewed: January 19, 2000
Strengths: too expensive for $125, $1.25 maybe. This is the worst that ive ever ridden on.
Weaknesses: Everything the shocks are made of suck, not one strenth in them. like someone said before, the only thing these shocks are good for is beating someone with, id give them a 10 for that because they're so heavy.
Bottom Line:
These shocks have no use, are they supposed to be used for bikes? Don't buy these for this kind of money, buy a marzocchi or a rock shock. The first time i rode on the shocks, i went over a rock, and the frame broke in half. These shocks have no travel, 1 flamin chili
Similar Products Used: Trek VRX 300, Specialized FSR, (demoed)
Bike Setup: stock
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Matthew
a Racer
from lunenburg,ns,canada
Date Reviewed: December 28, 1999
Strengths: are yo kiding me what a peace of junk i wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole
Weaknesses: opps..... said it in the strenghts
Bottom Line:
i wouldnt give it a 1 hot pepper for a rating but its the lowest you can,,, what is it made from a block of old tooth paste and sliding curtan rodsif you wont a shock just for the sake of it get a low end brand name shock,,rock shox, manitou,... not this junker
