The fork that team Gary Fisher's Ryder Hesjedal won a NORBA National on, the Black Elite air offers 80mm of travel and incredible stiffness at a reasonable weight.
Submitted by
Carlton Lahmann
a Cross Country Rider
from Tally, Florida
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2003
Strengths: Easy to adjust, reasonably priced
Weaknesses: stickers fall off
Bottom Line:
Before I buy a product I read reviews first. Ratings hold alot of weight in my decission making process. So because of that, It is only fair that i submit my own. I weigh 210 lbs and ride extremely aggressive. I have recked that fork numerous times and it still functions as smooth as butter. It holds air extremely well, and is easy to adjust. I would say if you were going really fast down a technical rooty section that it does pack up a little, but it is only an 80mm fork. What people don't understand sometimes is that certain forks are made for a specific style of riding. The 80mm black elite is made for xc racing. So sacrifices have to be made. It is not a free ride fork.Because of my weight I did not have to order a spring kit right off the bat. And when I switch to a 100mm in the front I can turn around and put it on my girlfriends bike and once again no spring adjustment. And if your in the market for buying a used fork. Air forks are also the way to go. I have been riding a year on it and it works better now than when I got it. Its broke in. I can not say anything negative about this fork, It has been there for me when i needed it the most. I give it an A rating.
Similar Products Used: black comp, marzocchi marathon
Bike Setup: Full xt, trek fuel
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Submitted by
pedalAZ
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix, AZ USA
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2003
Strengths: Stiff for its weight, reasonable performance, ease of service
Weaknesses: Lower stanchions bent in a crash; not as smooth as the replacement fork that followed
Bottom Line:
I reviewed this fork on 3/27/02 below when I had less than 4 months experience with it. It died in a crash in January this year. The dropouts ended up way out of alignment, so I could not mount the wheel straight. I am trying to rebuild the fork with new lowers, for use on another frame.
The replacement was a Fox Float 100R which I now much prefer to the Black, despite gaining some weight (about .3-.4 lbs). The Fox is smoother, especially in rough, technical terrain, allowing me to ride faster.
The Black is still an OK race fork, but I wanted to tone down the enthusiasm from my first review now that I have more perspective.
Bike Setup: Large Titus RacerX trimmed out to 23.0 lbs
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Submitted by
Alan
a Weekend Warrior
from Winston-Salem, NC
Date Reviewed: December 25, 2002
Strengths: smooth progressive damping; never bottoms
Weaknesses: must add air at least every other day
Bottom Line:
The Black Elite Air is a big improvement over the previous Magnum, and has yet to bottom out like the old fork did on hard hits. The damping has made the handling noticeably better in fast rough sections, and I get less bobbing when climbing. It seems to handle drops well, and I don't have to pull up as much over logs and rocks as before. The steering is stiff, very predictable. My only complaint is having to pump air in it nearly every ride, but maybe that is the norm for air-sprung forks. Overall, I'm glad I made the upgrade and this was a great deal on the price.
Weaknesses: None yet, I have heard the stickers fall off but not yet
Bottom Line:
Excellent fork for the money. i am a big rider (250#) and this fork NEVER bottoms out. I ride a lot of tech singletrack with switchbacks and this fork rails the berms. This version is candy red with a lockout. I dont see much of a change LO on Vs. LO off, but Idont use it that much. This is a big improvment over My old Manitou. Buy it if you are a XC rider who loves those switchbacks
Bike Setup: Avid Arch rival, Rockshox SID XC w/lockout, XT,Mavic 517 on a Raleigh M7000
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Submitted by
Michael
a Cross Country Rider
from Calabasas, CA
Date Reviewed: November 23, 2002
Strengths: Stiff, Plush, just the right amount of travel, complements the Vanilla R rear shock, good value.
Weaknesses: Not reall a weakness, but the lock out still allows the shock to travel about one inch.
Bottom Line:
A dramatic improvment over the SID SL. Steering is now precise and predicatable at all speeds and under all situations. Very plush with a full 80mm of travel. The rebond adjustment works well and really helps you dial in the shock. I gave up 3/4 of a pound on weight but I didn't even notice it. I will have to follow up on my review after a year to report on reliability.
Bike Setup: Titus Racer X, XTR drive Train, King Hubs, Mavic 517's.
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Submitted by
Sebastian
a Cross Country Rider
from Witten, Germany
Date Reviewed: October 8, 2002
Strengths: Steifigkeit, Aussehen, Verarbeitung, Performance ist traumhaft
Weaknesses: Aufkleber, aber das Problem ist ja anscheinend bekannt...
Bottom Line:
Diese Federgabel ist ein Genuss, nachdem sie nun eingefahren ist fährt sie sich traumhaft. Sie ist leicht, spricht genial an und ist super für den Einsatz mit Scheibenbremsen geeignet. Der Lockout ist an Anstiegen und auf langen Straßenfahrten unsersetzlich.
Bike Setup: Specialized Rockhopper Comp Disc 2001, Manitou Black Elite Air mit Lockout, Ritchey WCS Vorbau und Lenker, Michelin Wildgripper Sprint
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Submitted by
David
a Cross Country Rider
from Lincoln, NE USA
Date Reviewed: September 24, 2002
Strengths: Super Plush! Eats up the singletrack like nothing I've ever tried. Lockout works like a dream. Forks looks Super-Sick!
Weaknesses: Can't find any...
Bottom Line:
For $199.99, this fork was a STEAL! Soaks up small and big hits alike, and never bottoms out. I got the black version with the lockout. Too bad Colorado Cyclist doesn't have them any more, or I'd order a second one! If you find this fork for a reasonable price, BUY IT!!!! Soaks up small hits much better than the RockShox Duke, and still takes the big hits. This really is more like a 100mm fork with 1 inch of sag...
Bike Setup: Univega Alpina 700, Hayes Mechanical Discs, Black Elite Air, WTB Nanoraptors, EggBeater Pedals, XT Components...
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Submitted by
Jake
a Cross Country Rider
from East Greenwich, RI, USA
Date Reviewed: September 20, 2002
Strengths: awsume performance, stiff as hell, MicroLube port, not to heavy, SWEET LOOKING!!!
Weaknesses: high maintainance, long breakin period, takes getting used to, to soft and heavy for serious XC racing
Bottom Line:
This fork feels like no other 80mm fork. it feels like it has a lot more travel. the beuty of it is that its damping lets it go through as much travel as needed on smaller hits and the same amount of travel on big hits. what i mean is that the fork knows how hard it needs to be, the harder the hit the stiffer the damping. i can sit on the bike and push it through 80% of its travel and drop 4 feet and have it go through the same amount. what this means is that it smooths out anything withought bottoming on hits. it is really hard to bottom this fork, even at low pressure!!! the down side of this is that it is to soft for a serious XC racer but if you trail ride and race on the side than this will be the best thing that ever happend to you. This fork does need a lot of maintainance and be well adjusted to work right. the unique feel takes a little getting used to. this for also comes with complimentry braging rights as well, even my LBS loves it.
Similar Products Used: 01' judy sl with total air cartrages
Bike Setup: Schiwinn Moab 2 tricked out
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Submitted by
Rob Farthing
a Racer
from Edmonton Alberta Canada
Date Reviewed: September 10, 2002
Strengths: light and stiff, almost no maintnance required, very plush and smooth at high speed/rough terrain. Travel feels more like 4" than 3.
Weaknesses: bobs under hard pedaling/climbing (initial travel too soft), with lockout this would be solved. Stickers come off but I reglued with weather strip adheasive (purchase at any automotive body shop). Haven't come off since.
Bottom Line:
Amazing trail riding fork for heavier riders or those who appreciate stiffness. Fork of choice for enduro XC rides, but too much bob for racing. With a stiffer initial travel setting, this would be the perfect XC/enduro fork.
Weaknesses: Uh, none so far, but the stickers probably won't last.
Bottom Line:
Fantastic fork! Rode it only 4 miles before taking the plunge on the Seven Springs 24 hour race in PA last weekend (8/31-9/1) for an acid test. I know I broke it in on the rocky downhills. The fork performed flawlessly, eating up everything the trail could throw at it. Can't speak to the tuneability...I must have just dialed it in perfectly by accident. Hit a dip at speed that I didn't know was there and this baby just swallowed it whole, preventing a major wipe out. I'll post back if things change, but so far, a great product. For $200, I'll give it 5 steamers on value even if it explodes tomorrow.
Bike Setup: Aeon Isis, Thomson stem and post, Avid disc front and SD7 rear and levers, King (what else?) headset, Azonic WF bar, RF Turbine cranks and rings, XT derailleurs, Mavic 317 front w/ XT hub, Bonty Mustang rear with XTR hub, Selle Italia Max Flite saddle, Eggbeater pedals, WTB Mutanoraptor 2.4 front, Conti Vertical Pro rear
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Submitted by
Karl Raupp
a Cross Country Rider
from London, Ontario
Date Reviewed: September 2, 2002
Strengths: PLUSH! Stiff, looks good, blue colour matched the blue on my Trek good enough that I kid people that I custom painted the fork to match.
Weaknesses: Gotta buy an air pump and the tool plus grease for routine servicing.
Bottom Line:
Man, this is ever a nice fork for cross country riding. I feel the sign of a good fork is to absorb the trail and not give any signs that it's working - and this fork does that! It's so plush, smooth and stiff it's hard to believe that it costs so little. It flat out stomps on the fork it replaced (still using it on a second bike). Put me down for 5 flamin' hotties cause this fork rocks!
Submitted by
Jerry
a Racer
from Vancouver, Washington
Date Reviewed: August 6, 2002
Strengths: Stiffness, Plushness, and all around good suspension
Weaknesses: Are there any?
Bottom Line:
This fork is awesome out of the box and on the trail, it's stiff, increases brake strength and flattens out the roughest trail without being a beast. At only 3.5lbs this fork is reasonable for racing but a little on the heavy side. The lockout is like a dream and the tpc quickrange stuff makes adjusting the fork a whole lot easier. Possibly the only problem with the whole fork is stickers which keep wanting to come off, this in the scope of things is a minor problems any true biker won't care. 4 flamin chilis for the value because it's expensive for a trail fork but worth it and 5 chilis for overall due to the awesome performance.
Similar Products Used: Rockshox Judy SL 2001, Manitou Spyder R
Bike Setup: 2001 Specialized M4, Black Elite, Avid brakes, XT hubs laced to Mavic 519 rims, Easton EC70 handlebar and seatpost, Selle Italia Flite seat, IRC Mythos, XT shifter and derailleurs
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Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Basking Ridge NJ
Date Reviewed: May 13, 2002
Strengths: Stiff, great looks. Very smooth fork. For such a stif smooth fork, it's amazing that it only weights 3.2lbs It's even better now that Manitou put lockout on it
Weaknesses: None so far
Bottom Line:
This fork is great. I work and ride for Librty Cycle in Basking Ridge, NJ, so I get to try out a lot of new components. A while back I put two of the Black Supers on some bikes, and i knew that this was a great fork. After calling Manitou and finding out that in 2002, it will come wth lockout(a must for XC riding), I was totally sold on it. For general XC riding, I doubt that you could find a better fork to use. If you are considering new suspension, spend a lot of time looking at this fork.
Similar Products Used: Judy, Sid, Marathon, Black Super Air 120, Psylo,X vert, Mars
Bike Setup: Giant Team Frame with liberty cycle badging, XTR shifting, Avid TI brakes, Thompson stem/seatpost, Crossmax with explorer pro's, egg beater pedals(best pedal ever)
Strengths: Stiff and plush after breakin. The lockout is a good thing for fire road climbs.
Weaknesses: None so far.
Bottom Line:
This fork is one of the easiest forks to set up out of the box. Add air and go ride . There is a 100 mile or so break in period. After that the stickieness goes away. Mine took about 50 miles of good hard single track. steers like a dream. and the lock out is great for climbing. The new 2002 black has better stickers that stay on. and its got lockout standard for same price.
Great Fork! I am 175lbs and this fork is plush but provides precise steering. No flex. Stiffer than the Marathon. Travel feels better than a Duke Race.
Hi,
this fork will be on my purely racing hardtail. I like the lockout but it is too cumbersome to use. I tried friends skareb with spv and liked it very much. Can I upgrade my ol Read More »
Does anyone know if these two forks are all air coil? Is there any such thing or are all forks designed with some type of spring/coil assist. I'm a light weight 130 lbs, looking t Read More »
My bike has a Manitou Black Elite Air fork and it could use bushings/seals/etc. I know it's a few years old but I imagine it's worth servicing. Does anyone know a place that does t Read More »
I'm done with the bike for the year and I want to go through my fork. I know the bushings need to be replaced and might as well do any other parts I can get also. I've looked for t Read More »
