New 2002:
New designed oversized, ulstrastiff one piece magnesium sliders. TRIPLE bolted, service friendly hollow tech crown (cold forged). The already awesome stiffness of the fork (which is crucial with the disc brake use in mind) has been enhanced again. Both dropouts and disc brake fitting eyelets (IS compatible!) are equipped with magnesium corrosion protectors: maximum corrosion protection and lowest tolerances bring along perfect disc brake caliper alignment. Sliders with an integrated disc brake hose guide ensure a clean and esthetic hose routing.
Submitted by
Nick
a Weekend Warrior
from Amherst, MA Date Reviewed: October 17, 2006
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
eBay NOS
Strengths:
Lightweight (a little over 3 lbs), stiff, tight seals, solid high-quality construction
Weaknesses:
lots of stiction and break-in time, poor small bump performance
Bike Setup:
'95 Trek 930 w/ quake air, tektro v-brakes and other various upgrades
Bottom Line:
This is for the '01 65mm version. I got this NOS fork through Magura USA ebay, as the price was unbeatable and perfect for my aging short-travel frame. The quality of construction first impressed me, with no junky plastic inside or out. The pump adapter for adjusting the pressure was difficult to deal with at first, as it can let out a lot of air if not at the right angle. When first testing it, it had an unbearable amount of stiction which softened up after I lubed it and rode it for 50 miles or so. The fork is nice and stiff, as it was designed with racing in mind, so small bump performance is poor but it takes big fast hits beautifully, and climbs really well. Taking the metal spring off of the seals has helped with the stiction, although it is still lingering and needs regular lubrication. For a short-travel frame and fast xc riding, its been a good dependable fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
michael david
a Cross Country Rider
from great britain Date Reviewed: August 1, 2003
Favorite Trail:
thetford forest
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
halfords bike hut
Strengths:
stiffness and wieght
Weaknesses:
making adjustments to preload setting ended in breaking my shock pump
Similar Products Used:
marzochi z4 2001 air foks
Bike Setup:
dave hinde m3 hardtail for cross country racing
Bottom Line:
i got the forks real cheap as they were a clearence item in the shop . when i asked freinds i got a mixed bag of reviews but for twenty quid i could afford to try them out . the forks are plush and stiff as they get but adjusting the air pressure is a pain you have to hold the pump straight up while pumping . wich is how i managed to snap the end of the shock pump i didnt hold it up straight ever get the chance to ride them trust me magura brakes are rubbish but there forks are top notch. and they do a fork to suit most needs micheal david (cycle nut )
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Marcel Frenk
a Cross Country Rider
from Nijmegen, The Netherlands Date Reviewed: September 14, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Rijk van Nijmegen + Cristalp
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
Fietssport Vincent Ede
Strengths:
Available with Magura FirmTech integrated hydraulic rim brakes, precise steering because of their stiff construction, great service available from Magura/Rond. And: the faster you go, the better it seems to perform.
Weaknesses:
No lock-out as standard, although it is available at the expense of 250 grams extra weight (and that is without a steerer mounted remote lock-out lever). Could have been lighter if Rond had used a bit more hi-tech (but that would have raised the price as well).
Similar Products Used:
(in this type of bike): Manitou SX-R / Mars(hmellow)
Bike Setup:
Specialized M4 FSR-XC
Bottom Line:
This is a follow up on my first review on this fork. After one year of hard labor, I had the fork serviced at Magura/Rond. Somehow the adjustment needle of the dampercartridge had broken, the damping had gone too soft, and needed replacement. New specification sealings went in as well. Since then: virtually no loss off airpressure, and the current upper seals have proven to be effective in keeping the dirt out. The service costed a measly $ 45,-, Magura/Rond cares about it`s customers! Magura/Rond sells the Quake Air as a racers only product, but I think it is a fork for anyone who likes to ride fast. Other models are more comfortable, this one gives you the best compromise in weight versus performance.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Przemek Gawel
a Racer
from Czestochowa, Poland Date Reviewed: February 2, 2002
Favorite Trail:
the red one
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
Bros , NL
Strengths:
cheap for its weight, very good big impact performance
Weaknesses:
play since new and not removed after complaint. very poor small bump performance, no compression damping adjustment.
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
XT/LX, ritchey rims, XTR and AVID AR 5.0 v-s, cheapest race ready possible.
Bottom Line:
****this is for the 2001 mode***** Mine has a play between stanchions and sliders since it's been new. I complained at the shop in the Netherlands and it was not eliminated, although I guess I got a totaly new lower part (different stickers and paint). This is really unpleasant, because the fork chatters as I push the front brake. I used to ride a rigid fork before, so I am not feeling the lateral stiffness advantage over other products. Mine holds air very well, I haven't used a pump since I set it up 4 months ago. However in winter the fork got _really_ hard and it worked only on very big hits, such that almost would break my handle bar. I,ve also put on marzocchi boots (they fit prefect) , wich kosted ~15$ and it was a three-minute procedure, because crown is detechable. I lubed it under the seals and to my surprise ther wasn't any gunk although I rode in pretty muddy conditions. The possibility of rebound damping adjustment is wide, although when I push the fork with all my weight and release it immediately front wheel doesn't loose contact with ground even at the minimum rebound damping setting, whereas my friends forks do hop a bit in such a trial. Generally it is quite good fork for racing, especially when you weigh more than 80kgs. I never bottomed it out, because it has a progressive compression characteristics. However on small bumps it reacts much too little. I wouldn't regret buing it if it hadn't play.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Marcel Frenk
a Cross Country Rider
from Nijmegen, The Netherlands Date Reviewed: January 30, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Rijk van Nijmegen
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$450.00
Purchased At:
Fietssport Vincent Ede
Strengths:
Very good suspension characteristics, precise steering because of it`s stiffness. In the Netherlands servicing is handled by the factory itself, they can customize the fork`s characteristics for a very reasonable fee. These forks are cheap if you consider the quality of their performance. They are basically very durable, but... (see below)
Weaknesses:
Not quite the lightest, could be more high-tech (and expensive) if Magura/Rond only dared to as bold as RockShox. In the muddy climate we endure, the fork needs a bit too much maintainance for my likings. Air pressure drops too quick, needs a regular refill. Very fiddly airvalve setup. Upper seals are not effective enough in keeping the dirt out. The manual offers little information and tips on the maintainace you have to spend on these forks. Improvements in that respect are welcome.
My fork is a 2001 model, with FirmTech Magura brakes. Main difference with the 2002 model are the lowers, they are now beefed up for even more stiffness, and now have steel inserts on their dropout`s to protect the Magnesium. 2002 model has gained some weight. I use this fork since february 2001. The Magura/Rond Quake Air is not the plushest suspension around. Although it tracks the ground perfectly, you don`t get a magic carpet feeling. But even if you set it up a bit too soft, it never seems to bottom out. This fork offers a firm suspension that saves your ass when you need it to, the faster you go, the harder the impacts are, the more it seems to be in it`s element. This fork bridges the gap between the lightweight xc-race forks (RS Sid, Manitou Mars) and the semi-freeride forks (RS Psylo, Manitou Black, midrange Marzocchi`s). If about 70mm (bike magazine from Germany measured 81mm of travel) of effective travel suffies, but you want very precise steering and high speed/big impact safe performance, the Quake Air delivers the goods. I found the standard damper setup still a bit too soft for my liking, out of the saddle climbing or sprinting saw too much suspension movement for my taste. The Rond folks tuned the dampercartidge for more low speed compression, which worked very well to counter the wish for a lockout system. The suspension still moves when out of the saddle, but now it feels firm. The firmer low speed compression setup did not alter it`s high speed characteristics. Living in the Netherlands means that you ride around in the mud a lot, so most of the time you come out off the woods with a very dirty bike. You than notice that the upper seals on the fork are not very tight, and trap dirt and moisture in between them and the second seal. If you don`t clean that very reguarly, dirt ant water will pass the secound seal, and the fork starts to lose airpressure. And the dirt will eventually grind away the bushings and forklegs. I think the same thing goes for forks like the RockShox Sid and Manitou Mars, so Rond is no exception. In comparison with older forks they perform better, but need way more maintainance! Where are the truly effective forkboots (like on the RS Mag21) and/or upper seals (like on the Rond Hydro Pro)? Is it really too much trouble for forkbuilders to think up something effective to keep the elements out? You don`t need an half hour of cleaning and lubing after every ride on a Cannondale Headshock, because it has effective shockboot. Here`s an idea for you forkmanufacturers: mould a tightfitting shockboot onto the upper seal, and water and dirt stay outside the fork! It would reduce the required maintainance with at least a factor four (once a month or so). Like it was in the good old days. My bottom line for the Maura/Rond Quake Air: I like the performance, I like that they are built to last, I like the quality of service Magura/Rond offers. I hate the amount of maintainace required to keep `m going.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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