Submitted by
Joe F
a Weekend Warrior
from sharon, ontario, canada
Date Reviewed: April 10, 2004
Strengths: Pretty light... decent fork for the price range. Got it on my 2000 Giant ATX 850. Great for what it's MEANT to do. NEVER use it for anything else.
Weaknesses: DO NOT jump or do anything on this fork. Just simply trail ride it. As i found, you can break it quite easily. I hit the local jumps and toasted the fork when i cased a double. I split the fork's inners in HALF! sucks.
Bottom Line:
NEVER EVER DO ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BUST THIS FORK. in other words, just ride it on a trail, LIGHTLY. don't put your full weight on it. if you're like me and suck, you might just toast it by putting your weight on it. otherwise it's a solid fork. I'm actually surprised it held up this long. My cuz did the same to his fork, and sold me his 'fixed' jett xc fork. it's a piece of crap... consider the following. I abused this fork for a few years before it broke. I jumped on it, and dropped, and raced. It did what it was supposed to. and fairly well. So I guess you can't fault rockshox for that. OH well. I'm never buying a rockshox again because of the hassles in repairing it, as well as the crappy parts inside. you could buy it if you do only xc and light trail rides like i did when i first got it. then i did harder stuff and screwed it over. meh. so if you're looking for durability, look somewhere else.
Similar Products Used: None, really. Maybe my friend's SIDs.
Bike Setup: Full deore drivetrain, some decent rims, (still) crappy RS Jett XC, titec stem and bars, koski saddle and seatpost, etc. it's a giant atx 850.
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Submitted by
Tate C
a Weekend Warrior
from South Australia, Australia
Date Reviewed: April 26, 2002
Strengths: They were nice and soft and stiction free (for a period).
Weaknesses: They were very weak and the adjusters work badly (if at all). I started doing jumps on my Trek hardtail. Nothing serious only got about 60cm above ground at the most. All of a sudden clunk, they started bottoming out all the time. The adjusters didnt work and they clicked lots. To the untrained eye, sure, they were fine but ever since i did these jumps they started performing really badly, far from what they were when I bought them so I traded them in with my old bike and they didnt notice (hehe).
Bottom Line:
When i bought these they were great, nice, endless, smooth stiction free travel. They started becoming sticky and my bike was old and too small so I started to neglect my bike and thrash it. I expected the shockers not to perform as well but far from what they did. Strangely if you tipped the bike up on its seat, you could pull the forks out about a cm or two which wasnt a good sign. They started bottoming out alot and the adjusters didnt work.
Don't buy these forks if you are intending to have them for a long period and intend on thrashing your bike. Simply, they are not strong enough.
Strengths: low maintainace plushhhhhhhhh(now) almost everything else
Weaknesses: stupid top caps(!!!!) elastemers
Bottom Line:
this is a update to my first review.OK here is the deal.i had no trouble for my first year. but after that it slowly got stiffer and stiffer,so i took it apart and found the bottompart of the elsatmer cut up w/ a huge chunk missing.I took a hacksaw and cut of the elatemer part with the chunk in it(bout4-5mm).I noticed a lack of oil so i put some light fork oil in it(the big hole where the elastemer goes)and put it all back together.Now it feels o-so-plush but still plenty of travel.Little work for a great work.works great.How can you go wrong?
Similar Products Used: z5s,magnums and r's,judy tt and xc,rsts, trek mogul black dimond
Bike Setup: look below
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Submitted by
Yuri oy
a Weekend Warrior
from Victoria BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 24, 2001
Strengths: Resonably good weight, doesn't make trails harder than on a rigid fork, good price.
Weaknesses: not enough travel, my fork got all messed up after 7 months of use during a cross country race, but than again u have to maintain it every 25 hours while I was riding it for like 150 and didn't maintain it.
Bottom Line:
good value if ur looking for a good cross country fork but it's not gonna withstand urban freeriding for very long.
Similar Products Used: judy tt, judy c, 1999 jetts c, maneteu xr-80, rock shox indys
Bike Setup: 19.5" aluminum frame
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Submitted by
Don
a Weekend Warrior
from Trenton,NJ US
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2001
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
This shock works great for me. I'm 185 lbs. and ride mostly single track. I'm a fairly conserative rider. My limits are are 24" logs and drops so I really can't say how this shock would hold up to extreme riding. My neighbor,who is a more aggressive rider, has the same shock on his Trek and he loves it! My advice for anyone who rides in the central New Jersey area is - do not waste your cash on poser shocks. The Jett XC works just fine.
Submitted by
Arun Aharam
a Weekend Warrior
from Ellicott City,MD,USA
Date Reviewed: October 10, 2001
Strengths: -Good performance -weight -sturdy -can take a beating -travel
Weaknesses: -none that I have found in my bike tourtures
Bottom Line:
Im a light guy at 100 pounds as i am only 13. BUT i still can kick a bikes A** real easy.I have taken my bike to patapsco stae park(mclinin area),rockburn(swinging bridge trail).i have never bottomed out there. I have even let my 200 pound friend go off a 6 1/2 footer near my house. and for a 45 dollor fork there is only one thing to say....... thanx Rock shox
Submitted by
Noah Bronstein
a Cross Country Rider
from Corvallis, Oregon, USA
Date Reviewed: September 3, 2001
Strengths: Cheap, kinda cool looking (but not really)
Weaknesses: no rebound or compression damping, no negative travel, heavy
Bottom Line:
This fork is allright if you are not too serious a rider. It acts like a pogo stick though, and if you hit a bump before a turn you might lose some control on the turn due to the amazingly fast rebound. If i step as hard as i can on the pedals and then relax it bounces me into the air. Its rigidity is decent, though.
For all you new riders looking at this: rebound damping is what slows your spring down after it compresses and is comping back up. Rigidity will allow your fork to feel buttery smooth. Compression damping is what slows the descent of the fork when you hit something. All three of these things are good on a fork. The most important things to look for are: price, travel - around 80 mm is good - and rebound damping.
Bottom line: if you are just looking into the sport and are low on cash, you might want to get a "judy TT" or "Magnum R". If you are just a casual rider and never intend to do any crazy hill riding or cliff jumping, this is a decent fork for you.
Bike Setup: KHS Alite 2000 w/ LX rr derailer, Clyde rim and XT hub in front. Rest is stock.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Jason Jammallo
a Downhiller
from Marblehead, Ma, 01945
Date Reviewed: August 19, 2001
Strengths: The fact that u now have seniority over all ur dumb friends who have RST shocks
Weaknesses: cheap cheap cheap. everything. not enough travel at all. ok if ur 120-150 lbs.
Bottom Line:
DOnt buy these. they came stock on my bike and i hated them. i upgraded them to judy c's and those are jsut fine. do not buy if u r a serious downhill or freeride biker. theyre terrible
Weaknesses: Not expensive enough for the bike shop guys
Bottom Line:
Face it, you're not as hard core as you think you are, just like me. That's why this shock is perfect for me. It cost me $45 from Pricepoint, $15 to cut threads, and 15 minutes to put it on. It's great for folks who have real jobs and understand they aren't interested in winning any races. Put this on your older bike (and you still have an old bike because your first child and your student loans are both coming due) and enjoy what you've got. The shock is smooth, it doesn't bottom out, it weighs less than the old 21R. I considered putting Speed Springs in my old shock, but why not just buy a new one when the springs cost $43 and internet shops can sell this entire fork so cheap?
Got an older bike? a budget? a wife? This shock breathed new life into my bike.
Strengths: The Jett xc is a fine beginners fork. It has 75mm of travel. That is not too bad for someone under 140 pounds. The fork is alittle stiff But not to bad considering how much it cost. The bottom line is, Don't by a wall mart bike no matter how cool you think it is. It will break on the first day you ride it hard because it's cheep. A jett is much better. It is made by a fork manifacturer that make the forks on profesional's bikes, So you know it will last a lot longer.
Weaknesses: I have been spoiled by being able to have had ridden some more expensive forks so I could find a few things wrong with the Jett. My advice is forget being cheep. If you have the money, by a bike that is alittle under a grand. do your homework on the bike you want to buy, and compare it to other modles of the same price or lower. Get the bike that has the most bang for the buck. don't get a full suspention bike the first time you buy because you don't know if you might want to race . But if you have to have a full suspention, Get one like the Specialized FSR or Gary Fisher Sugar. Get one that is effencient for climbing, downhill, and sprinting.
Bottom Line:
Like I said earler. Don't by from a department store. They will break on you the first time you ride it hard. Rock Shox has made forks for the Profesionals racers for years. If you buy a rock Shox rather then a department store brand, You will know it will last alot longer.
Submitted by
Carp
a Weekend Warrior
from Northeast Pa
Date Reviewed: December 26, 2000
Strengths: Very plush. For X/C riding, it does an admiralble job. Handles small, moderate and some pretty heavy hits quite well. Quiet so far.
Weaknesses: Occasional bottom out on large hits. Pre-load adjustment is average. Otherwise, a good buy.
Bottom Line:
After riding a number of trails in the area, some of which have been used for NORBA races, I feel this shock serves my needs quite well. If you are not a racer or an extreme rider, but enjoy average to pretty rough X/C riding, I feel this shock will let you enjoy the ride as much as any others out there and it won't drain your wallet. It saved my son from serious injury when he hit a 6" road curb head on at extreme speed. Blew out both tires and crushed the front rim but maintained control and no other damage. Like most of this stuff, satisfaction is very personal but when it comes down to it, we get way over concerned with the technical aspects and forget it's about riding and being outside. Enjoy and happy holidays.
Favorite Trail: Local gamelands and Merli Sarnoski Park
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Purchased At: Bill's Sporting Goods (came on bike)
Similar Products Used: Bargain basement stuff. No high end products yet.
Bike Setup: Raleigh 2000 M-80, All Deore equipped. IRC mythos tires, Tectra brakes, Cateye Vello I cyclocomputer, Zefal Dually air pump and a water bottle (or 2).
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Submitted by
Mark
a Weekend Warrior
from Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: December 26, 2000
Strengths: Cheap,Low maitenance,Adgustable
Weaknesses: Weak crown, no disk mounts, Can't take a beating
Bottom Line:
A good value shock. Good shock for beginner to intermediate riders or people who don't want to beat up their bike a whole lot. Don't buy this shock if you intend to go flying off jumps or doing extreme downhill riding. Buy this shock if you enjoy a cross country ride.
excellent Fork at a good price, i would have liked some more travel put i've taken some nice drop offs and jumps and its survived. But great fork, i'd recommend it for any one who a bigginer, or any one who isnt an aggresive rider. Thats why i'm upgrading to Judy XC's soon, need more travel. ROCK SHOX ALL THE WAY...
Purchased At: Came With My RM Fusion(Baught From A Friend)
Similar Products Used: Rock Shox Quadra 21(R) And RS Mag 10's Both good reliable Old Model Rock Shox
Bike Setup: Rocky Mountain Fusion,Sun Ryno Lite Wheels on stock hubs,new seat.
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Submitted by
Ian
a Cross Country Rider
from Victoria B.C.
Date Reviewed: November 26, 2000
Strengths: Adjustable, adaptable, plush, not pricey, reliable.
Weaknesses: Crown could be a little stronger.
Bottom Line:
This is a good fork, I am an intermediate rider who uses his bike for commuting as well as off-road. My bike came with an old set of RockShox elastomasters which had become very springy and bouncy--so much so that I supermanned the bars--and the Jett is a big improvement. No its not a Marchonzi but it does the job just fine. I keep the pre-load pretty tight and I just soften it up a notch when I am on the trails. I've taken some good two and three foot drops and I have yet to bottom it out. There is minimal bob on the climbs and it soaks up the downhill quite nicely. When I purchased the shox I needed to buy a new threadless headset and a new stem, but with the money I saved it was no problem! My only criticism is that the crown could be a little heavier, I find I really need to lean on the front end to hold the line on the more technical downhill stuff. I know its a 'recreational' fork but come on--not all of us have $500 to burn. On the upside though its makes it easier to lift the front end up when going up and over big roots, logs, etc.. The bottom line? If you are a rider who uses his/her bike for the roads and the trails, and does not have $ to spare buy the fork.
