Submitted by
hookooekoorider
a Weekend Warrior
from San Francisco, CA
Date Reviewed: October 8, 2008
Strengths: Light, good for light xc,
Weaknesses: not much travel
Bottom Line:
Came stock on the hoo koo e koo. After 12 years, the elastomers are pretty much done. Anybody ever use the springs sold by sunrays21 (see below)? Do they work?
Anyone ever used the springs sold on ebay (usually with the title "HD Heavy Duty Steel Springs for Rock Shox Quadra 21R")?
Submitted by
Brently
a Weekend Warrior
from Venice, FL, USA
Date Reviewed: February 5, 2005
Strengths: Oldie but still a goodie
Weaknesses: None!
Bottom Line:
I used this for about 3 years, with no problems at all. Put the bike in storage for about a year took it out for a weekend of single track and boom the elastomers were shot.
I spent months looking for a rebuild kit, with no luck i tried other Rock Shox rebuilds with no luck. So after spending countless hours online i finally peiced together a kit to rebuild them using springs! After 2 years of weekly weekend use they are holding up fine! Cold weather is no longer a problem either!! The shock adjustment actully do something now also!
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A REBUILD KIT EMAIL ME AT SUNRAYS21@HOTMAIL.COM Cost is $40 shipped. Im not sure what the spring rates are, I would say medium. If your over 225 Lbs i wouldn't recommend it but 125lbs - 200lbs its perfect.
Similar Products Used: lots of stuff, to much to list
Bike Setup: Mongoose Hilltopper SX few upgrades
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Submitted by
Rodrigo
a Weekend Warrior
from Santiago, Chile
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2004
Strengths: Es una suspencion liviana, con un recorrido suave, que permite absorver parte de los hoyos del camino, con facil mantencion. El diseño tambien ayuda a que la mantencion (abrir y cerrar) sea facil. Acepta un trato duro cuando se requiere y es ideal para viajar en caminos con piedras (ripio)
Weaknesses: Aunque la mantencion es facil, la gran dificultad para encontrar repuestos aqui en chile, hace imposible el recambio de los elastomeros por lo cual su vida util se va viendo limitada (es una gran pena para mi), ademas que los reguladores podrian haber sido de aluminio en recambio de los plasticos que tiene.
Bottom Line:
He utilizado esta horquilla en varios tipos de recorridos (duros, blandos, ciudad) y se puede sentir como absorve gran parte de los baches del camino, sin embargo le falta un poco mas de recorrido (se siente). Aunque mi bici no es tan liviana como yo desearia, y mi peso es de 60 kg, esta horquilla se acopla bastante bien al conjunto. Lamento si la fala completa de repuestos que existen en mi pais para esta horquilla. Sin duda es una horquilla para quien desee internalizarse en suspenciones a partir de un buen nivel
Bike Setup: Karakoram (16"), pata trasera XTR, delantera XT, manillas LX y STX, frenos XT, juego de direccion K2, neumaticos maxxi
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Submitted by
Josh White
a Weekend Warrior
from Annapolis
Date Reviewed: May 4, 2004
Strengths: Great Beginner fork. Excellent to learn on. Had mine 8 years.
Weaknesses: It's weak, flexy, short travel.
Bottom Line:
This is my Quadra's eulogy. I've never been light, 180lbs out of basic training, and never an easy rider. I've said,"When I break it, I'll get a new bike" for 3 years. At the end of last summer, I noticed it traveled back and forth as much as it was up and down. I still didn't show any mercy. I rode 2-3 light rides and one killer a week on it. I rode way too fast downhills on it. Last Friday, I cased a small double and it gave up the ghost. It bent badly, but didn't break and I didn't get any stiches. BOTTOM LINE- This fork shouldn't have lasted 2 years with me. Somehow it did. Great fork for the price.
Similar Products Used: How can you compare anything we ride now to 65mm elastomer fork? Now have an Indy SL on that bike.
Bike Setup: Basically stock 1996 GT Karakoram. Easton 1.5 bars, Odi Rogue lock on grips, WTB Velociraptors f & r, Specialized shorty DH stem and Body Geometry saddle.
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Submitted by
Andrew
a Cross Country Rider
from Atlanta
Date Reviewed: January 23, 2004
Strengths: I picked mine up used on ebay in mint condition for only $35. MCU's were in good shape but I beefed them up anyway and now I have a great little shock for my second bike. It is what it is compared to modern forks, but if your needs are simple then this one will do the trick.
Weaknesses: YELLOW! A bit flexy if you are a big rider.
Bottom Line:
Great fork. Only the Manitou 4 is a better mcu/elastomer fork.
I was one of the first people in town to buy one at the time it was a great bang for the buck. Getting quite outdated now. Should be alot cheaper though. I would recommend going with a Mountain Speed spring kit. MCU stiffens up alot in winter. During winter dissassemble a couple of times, internals are subject to seizing up when exposed to salt water. A nice fork for less than hard-core riders. Put a cheap suspension seat-post on your bike and comfort level goes way up. Works excellent on city streets sucking up potholes and manhole covers nice.
Bike Setup: Mielle Pegasus 94(9500 miles), 50/50 single track/commute, lots of accesories
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Submitted by
Mark
a Cross Country Rider
from Jacksonville
Date Reviewed: March 28, 2002
Strengths: Low maintenance, great color, excellent price, does exactly what it was designed for, very smooth for an elastimer shock
Weaknesses: limited travel (2.5')
Bottom Line:
A super little shock for light xc riders. Low maintenance and relatively stiff for riders under 150lbs. Good adjustment and enough travel (2.5') to make off road excursions a lot more fun. Maybe the best bang for the buck out there.
Strengths: Work nicely, when correctly ajusted; More than 3 years riding with it and elastomers were replace just one time; Easy to maintenance;
Weaknesses: Needs a brake booster (with magura hs33); When I do some endos stunts it flex; The travel - quite nice. but pearhaps in big jumps if you land bad you will see ... thats no travel enough!!!! OLDSCHOLL - the first generation was the best
Similar Products Used: RST (it sucks), Judy TT (the one that i tested was not ajusted the way that I like)
Bike Setup: Kona Explosif, White Industries Hubs, Mavic SUP 217 rims, MAgura Hs33 brakes, sintesi Dh bars and lots of more
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Submitted by
J-Dog
a Weekend Warrior
from South E-Town
Date Reviewed: July 8, 2001
Strengths: I've used this fork for years now with few problems. I think it's one of the best RS has ever made, as a matter of fact I'm in the market to put on the new bike I'm going to build( so I can retire the other one ). Yes by todays standards this fork has very few perks. But after years of use it's never faultered. I love this fork and I'll never stop riding it!!! If you're like me and looking for a fork that performs well even by todays standards get it, But if you're one of these all or nothing rider's that insist on full XTR then it won't be for you.
Weaknesses: Heavy, so get stronger! Limited travel, but how much do you really need?
Bottom Line:
Even if this thing is a antique, I still find it as fun as newer forks.
this fork is an excellent beginners fork, and it serves it's purpose. ive been using it for 5 years now(came with my hoo-koo-e-koo) and they have held up very well. being on a tight budget i havent been able to upgrade until now, but they let me ride reletavely rough while taking the shock out of the bumps.
all these people who are comparing it to '00 model high end shock and saying the 21rs suck just shut up! sure, even i admit that my new z3s are like night and day compared to the 21rs....but thats a given. the point is, for it's time these shocks performed very well at a very reasonable price. they have needed little maintenance and have given me no problems in the 5 years they were in use.
now my bro has them(up from rigid) and he loves them!
if you can get these for under $50CDN to upgrade from rigid...go for it, they wont dissapoint you for a beginner shock.
Similar Products Used: marzocchi '00 z3 100mm travel
Bike Setup: 96 fisher hoo-koo-e-koo, drivetrain upped to lx/xt 8spd, new rhyno lite/deore wheels, lx v-brakes, thompson elite post, riser bars
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Submitted by
Brendan BOb
a Racer
from S.S. Maryland
Date Reviewed: January 22, 2001
Strengths: Yellow...replaceable brake booster...solid travel...takes a tad bit of effort to bottom out
Weaknesses: Short travel...bottom out pretty easy
Bottom Line:
Everyone here is b*tching about these shocks being yellow, heavy, travel's too short, bottom out, squirting oil, etc.
It's yellow: get over it
It's old, don't be a weight weenie
It's old, don't be a travel weenie
So it bottoms out, whoopie, it's better than a rigid fork, right?
Guess what Bud, there's no oil basin in that jammy, it doesn't squirt oil.
THE bottom line...everyone who bought these new likes mountain biking and have since bought SIDs so they're selling quad 21's for cheap. Go to your local shop or eBay and you WILL find one for under 50. They're cheap they work, and they're yellow!! yay, yellow!!
Bike Setup: My poo bike: GT rebound, Deore XT r. derailer, kore stuff, quite ugly, but that's why it's the poo bike.
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Submitted by
Paul Lanhart
a Cross Country Rider
from Burnsville, MN
Date Reviewed: July 27, 2000
Strengths: +Durable +Low price +Easy to upgrade & maintain
Weaknesses: -Adjustment seems insignificant -Elastomers wear out quickly
Bottom Line:
This shock has offered me an incredible value considering I have used it for 4+ years. I've put over 17,000 miles on this bike and shock with about 4,000 of that on serious singletrack. It's given me good performance all the while, even in the races I've done (I've done 10 in the last 2 years). Does it compare to the new ones out there? No. But I also don't understand all the complaints. This is old technology that was great in its time. If you spend a lot of money to get one of these today, that's your fault, not the shock's.
If you can get one cheap, you're an intermediate rider who races a few races and you don't have a ton of money to throw at toys, then buy it.
Bike Setup: 1995 Kona Muni-Mula, XT components all around, Mavic wheels, original headset and handlebar. Excellent bike!!
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Submitted by
Bleeder
a Cross Country Rider
from Jacksonville
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2000
Strengths: + Inexpensive + Easy to maintain + Easy to adjust + Elastomer durabilty + Relatively light + Good absortion on medium bumps + Good handling in twisting, flat singletrack
Weaknesses: - Poor wear on bushings over time - Decreased elastomer response as speed increases - Elasomer rebounds feels quick on small/medium bumps - Moderate fork flex - Bottoms out on big hits - It's NOT air/oil or coil/oil! Then again, it was never meant to be either!
Bottom Line:
Considering the Quardra 21R's price AND it's INTENDED USE, this is a very good shock for the money. Bad reviews are likely to come from riders who spent too little, thinking they were going to get a super-plush ride from a $100 shock...uhhh...no; no you can't.....
For those on a budget who can't afford to pay $300 for a front suspension fork alone (about the bottom price you'll pay to REALLY see how plush front suspension can be), who likely rides on roads and on moderate off-road trails, the Quadra 21R is recommended. Obviously, this shock is inadequate for the serious rider, but you'd have to spend more money to get the results you want from a suspension fork. In it's day, most bikes sold with the OEM Quardra 21R were in the $600-750 range. I've had this thing for over 2 years before upgrading, and it's been very good at what it was intended to do...soak up tree roots, medium bumps, moderate XC singletrack, and curbs a bit better than a rigid fork. Yes, it does have weaknesses inherent to ALL pure elastomer suspension forks (see above), but as long as you clean it like you would other parts of your bike, change elastomers (harder or softer) to suit your need, and have the knowledge that this ISN'T an expensive air/oil, coil/oil suspension fork, you will enjoy the difference between this and a rigid fork! I've now upgraded to a longer-travel Marzocchi Z3, which is definitely in a class significantly above that of the 21R...but then again, so was the price. A comparison between the two would be unfair. Repeat after me...these shocks are meant for the recreational rider. These were never meant to be for those who seriously race or for trails with extremily serious terrain. One look at the price will tell you that!
