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Submitted by
mike taylor
a Cross Country Rider
from dallasDate Reviewed: March 15, 2000
Strengths: how to make this a better fork! take out the mcus, hopefully red, and all the internals. see the compression rods? chop them off at the top, just under the top pedastal. just listen ok. Now go get Dirt Works Long Travel springs, and put in first, without the bottom spacer. it will go down all the way to the bottom pedastal, and the padestal will be between the rebound damper elastomer and the spring. now fill in the top space with the mcus and spacers as necessary, and screw in those plastic caps all the way down. Adjust preload with the spacer clip and that extendo thingy in it. You should have to press firmly with one hand while screwing the cap in.Weaknesses: Now you will have abadass fork! i did this to mine, with shop leftover coil springs, spacers and mcus, and got a pretty fair fork, if a tad heavier. so what. also, lube with 5w30 motor oil, only enough to make it work, don't fill it or anyting! prep m is second if no oil or don't like smell. it will make sound like a donkey though as it moves in/out. do not use judy butter!Bottom Line: cheap reliable fork, creaks when s@#$ gets between crown and stancions.
Favorite Trail: tyler st pk.
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Similar Products Used: better forks
Bike Setup: carbon hardtail racer
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
mike taylor
a Cross Country Rider
from dallas/mesquite/texas usaDate Reviewed: March 6, 2000
Strengths: cheap, simple, mag slider/bridge. like gray matte finish! (carbon/orange bike) cheap to upgrade/replace bushings. no disc tabs, too flexy for disc brake anyway. Good for stair steps (lliteral ones) when standing. very springy. experiment with different spring/mcu combos and you may get a decent fork if you are xc and keep the wheels planted. No 10foot ledges or you die! get a zoke for that!Weaknesses: flexy fore/aft especially after any good drops. tops out really hard on long frame bike. no damping! seals sXXX! mcus are sxxx by themselves. 2nd stage clips likely to bend if fork rebounds too hard! can cause stancions to come out of fork! DO NOT USE JUDY BUTTER! JUDY BUTTER IS xxx AND WILL RUIN IT! use prep m!Bottom Line: this fork is great beginner fork, but get the tpc and put this on your town bike!
Favorite Trail: tyler state park tyler texas expert loop!
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Similar Products Used: tried low end rokshox, high end tpc, going to buy midline zokes next season.
Bike Setup: carbon htl with 50mm stem/short rise bar 165mm 2by crankx8speedxt for xc racing File safety tabs off! they sxxx
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rotard
a Weekend Warrior
from his mamma's wombDate Reviewed: September 6, 1999
Strengths:
at least no oil leaks
i got to ride today
it took me 2 years before i had to whineWeaknesses:
answer customer service/policy
the number of different chemical reactions those f*^$ing elastomers and various foam rings have with certain lubesBottom Line: The fork itself isn't so bad. a moderate but satisfactory amount of travelwith a relatively smooth ride... for a 175 lb guy who rides to cleanse the 10 high or old crow out of his system before going back to work on monday. My main complaint is about how I was treated by Answer after I cracked a compression rod and saw that some O-rings and elastomers were slowly mutating into an orange pus (some super bike guy at an unnamed local answer dealer recommended that I use Judy butter to lube them). After waiting for an hour on hold, I was told that the recall didn't apply to my fork (possibly correct??? the SC pro) and I would need to order those parts from a dealer. After a month of waiting, they sent me all the wrong sized compression rod. Back to the dealer...blah blah blah..oh who gives a crap. Just get the marzocchi or rock shox or whatever and save yourself the drama. fork = flamers and answer gets a sharp stick in the eye
Favorite Trail:
treasure
Duration Product Used:
more than 3 years
Similar Products Used:
Judy XC on a stumpjumper
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher '96 Paragon
+/- a few wheels/ Rderailleurs/chainrings
mainly stuck with the stock setup
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
schwinn boy
a Racer
from wyevela ontDate Reviewed: August 17, 1999
Strengths:
lite as a fether
you can get englund for them
dont look that bad i gess
wide stanshon tubesWeaknesses:
none
yet that isBottom Line: mach 5 are not the best fork with out englund ...
but they kick @$$ with englund
so if you still can get mach 5 to dayP.S. i will be doing my seson end review soon BYE
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Similar Products Used:
with englund: sid sx ti spitersR
wit out englund: rst 261 indy c jetts t2
Bike Setup:
schwinn toyota tundra team bike with lx xt & xtr
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a weekend warrior
from Bellingham, WashingtonDate Reviewed: January 10, 1999
Bottom Line:
I rode on the Manitou Mach 5 XC for about a year. The fork's response was pretty good on the trail, but there wasn't much for adjustment. The one big downside I found with it, was that I was always taking it apart, and maintanincing the elastomers. I live in a pretty muddy area, but this was rediculous. If I let the fork go for more then a few weeks, it'd pretty much cease, and wouldn't perform at all. In the cold, the fork practically stopped working altogether, but during the summer, rode rather well.
2.5 Chili's for this bad boy, rounded to 3.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rob T
a weekend warrior
from Victoria B.C.Date Reviewed: October 19, 1998
Bottom Line:
I purchased this fork late in 95. The sales man told me it is a low mainanence fork, and would give me very little trouble. since i lived in a remot area at the time that was a bonus. I was very upset about the recallbut stuff like hapens. The store i purcase them at was quick to fix them for me. The fork does a nice job of absrbing the bumps for an elastomer only fork {no damping}. I notice that the fork is not as stiff as led to belive but stering acuracey is not afected to much eccept in tight narow single track. soon i will be looking for a stiffer fork .Untill then this works well for me.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Smiker
a cross-country rider
from SydneyDate Reviewed: June 20, 1998
Bottom Line:
This fork came on my '96 Paragon. It's pretty sweet. It did need some grease to get it working well, but now it's pretty nice. I'd like to put some Plush Plus springs in, to replace a couple of the elastomers in each leg. They feel quite light when off the bike, and on. They quite stiff when riding too. When cranking out of the saddle on my risers, I can occasionally hear brake rub, but only on really grippy surfaces. Must be the good front tire. It's grey, which is okay I guess. why aren't there any purple forks?
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Wood hippie
a weekend warrior
from the hills near DCDate Reviewed: June 2, 1998
Bottom Line:
Since I am a two hundred pound plus rider I must give some relaxation to Englund for producing an air-suspension system that would appeal to the performance minded rider since it was marketed toward a rider that would give some consideration to a weekend-warrior type rider and if necessary a racer-type although it would be against the grain of Arlo to cater to the 90lb weenie-type finesse -endurance little bastard on the light -ass ti bike.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
FRANK GARCIA
a cross-country rider
from YIGO,GUAMDate Reviewed: May 5, 1998
Bottom Line:
EXCELLENT REBOUND,STIFF AS HELL, CAN TAKE A BEATING. THE GREY COLOR HAS GOT TO GO. RELATIVELY LIGHT. HERE ON GUAM YOU DON'T HAVE JUST DIRT, YOU HAVE STIFF,NON NEGOTIATING CORAL ALONG WITH BIG ROCKS WITH AN ATTITUDE TO TRIP YOU AND SCARE. BUT, WITH THE MACH5'S, IT'S A SMOOTH RIDE. BESIDE THE COLOR, BRAVO ZULU TO ANSWER
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jackson H.
a cross-country rider
from Carmel,INDate Reviewed: March 31, 1998
Bottom Line:
Last November I bought a Gary Fisher Paragon and it came with this Mach 5 shock. At first I kept on complaining that it was to stiff. The store owners told me it just needed to be warmed up like gum. I found out that if you add some motor oil(5 teaspoons) and frequent oiling will improve the performance. Now that winter is over and spring is here, the temperature in Indiana went in the 80's over the weekend cause of that damn El Nino. When they said it needs to be warmed up like gum, I didn't think they ment 80 degrees. Now the shocks work awesome and I'm finally beating my friend David F. in off roading and he has some crappy Nishiki Backroads. Now ride off I jump 3 feet drop and land head first I wish the shocks were stiffer. It needs a locked out system and a stiffness tuner, other wise is great. It's perfect for people that DON'T ride 3 feet drop offs.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David Srugis
a cross-country rider
from Clarkston, MIDate Reviewed: February 18, 1998
Bottom Line:
I have had my fork for almost 2 years and am really happy. I have rebuilt it twice and found the task very simple. I am only 130 pounds and I had a rebound that was to fast. I called Manitou and they let me talk to a tech and after going through all the options they sent me a softer rebound elastemer. Once dialed in the fork works great.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
andreas
a racer
from South AfricaDate Reviewed: February 15, 1998
Bottom Line:
Purchased a XC in June 1997. Three weeks later discover that the fork's leg brace is under a factory recall. It has taken 7 (seven) months to get a new leg brace that fits. Manitou were very slow to respond. Twice sent a leg brace that did not fit. Sent bushings that did not fit. I asked for a refund or a new fork and was told no way. I made numerous phone calls, fax's and email's. My local dealer did the same and had to keep on stripping and fitting the next leg brace. I would love give Answer/manitou 5 chilies right up their you know what.
Their service stinks!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kevan Yalowitz
a cross-country rider
from Issaquah, WADate Reviewed: December 30, 1997
Bottom Line:
I have some 97 speed springs with little use that will fit the following forks:Manitou:
3
4
Mach 5 SX
EFC 2.5,
Mach 5 Comp/MagnumRock Shox:
Quadra 5
Quadra 10
Quadra 21The retail is $65 to $70 but you pick the price you want them for.
These will improve your fork ALOT!E-mail me at wbqf@juno.com ASAP with your price!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kevan Yalowitz
a cross-country rider
from Issaquah, WADate Reviewed: November 28, 1997
Bottom Line:
Everyone,
I have a Mach 5 Comp and I tried many things to get it better such as speed springs. With speed they it sucked because it has no rebound damping. But I found the motherload for this fork: Englund Total Air Cartriges. These puppys have rebound damping, increase the forks travel, decrease the forks weight by 1/2 to 2/3 of a pound. These have no oil that will leak. Each kit comes with one cartrige for each leg each with its own piston. The retail value of these is $100.00 but Bike World(www.bikeworld.com) has them for $69.99. Tell me how you like them and trust me these rule!!!!!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
sd
a cross-country rider
from macville, INDate Reviewed: November 28, 1997
Bottom Line:
Click Here!
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