Strengths: BEST! It is the softest and nicest fork I've ever had, light, beautiful look, easy to get full travel. Cheaper than FOX. List price is about 750€ in Finland.
Weaknesses: All 3 airvalves leaked, manual had crappy pressure recommendations, could be a bit stiffer.
Bottom Line:
I have the 100mm version, it really has 100mm travel. Valves cost 60cents to change, no problem! Adjustment is easy when you read the reviews here. Use fast setting, I'm 62kg and use about 22/65psi. Lube tubes before every ride especially during the firs 10 ridein hours. For a rider of my weight the fork is stiff enough and should last for many years. Weight is 1521 grams, with oil, rimbrakebolts and 19cm steertube. I call that light for a superb 100mm fork! I love this fork, if you have the money buy it!
Bike Setup: Santacruz superlight, shimano XT, Hayes MFX Mag+, thomson stuff et.c.
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Submitted by
Tim
a Cross Country Rider
from Western PA
Date Reviewed: December 1, 2003
Strengths: Long, Long, Long, lasting fork,(thanks to Open Bath) Smooth if set up correctly.
Weaknesses: Flexy fore and aft with disc brakes ( due to '02 single bushing design, they changed that for '03), Pain to set up air pressures, Neg. air (doppio) leaks between chambers and out the top. You need an adapter to set the pressures. ECC knob a pain to grip to turn. Ecc on 80mm? what for? Lockout perhaps more useful. Pain just seams to fall off lower legs. Seals are expensive. No rebound adjustments. It makes a ton of Clunking and clacking noises. Plastic caps on top suck.
Bottom Line:
Our Team has been using this fork for two seasons. They have been relaible for the most part, but are just lacking some key ingrediants we'd like to have in a 80mm travel XC fork. Mainly a lockout and stiffness, side to side for precise steering, and mostly fore and aft. Because of the large bushing at just the top of each leg, the fork would flex under braking, enough you could see and feel it. Even after new bushings were installed. A 100mm version on a FS bike would be nice for just everyday trail use. But even with that in mind a lockout is so nice with that amount of travel.
Similar Products Used: Fox F100x, Sids of all types, Manitou Black, and Rock Shock Judy ('98)
Bike Setup: Bluestone (RMI Titanium) 19.5L
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Submitted by
roger brown
a Weekend Warrior
from spring hill tennessee
Date Reviewed: September 11, 2003
Strengths: light / plush now dependable
Weaknesses: not a good manual for set up
Bottom Line:
I have had this fork for 9 months. I changed the oil to 5wt and rode with the Marz techs oil settings. 2 weeks ago I took some advice from the guy a couple of reviews down and changed to his levels and my fork changed completely. I now have 95mm travel instead of 80mm and it is plush like it should be. I am using 25/75psi and like it just fine. This is a great fork just change the oil levels! 165lbs Thanks for the good advice
Similar Products Used: marz x fly / marz atom race / rs psylo / rs judy/ rs duke
Bike Setup: sugar2+ xtr hayes
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Submitted by
Lloyd
a Cross Country Rider
from Malibu, Calif
Date Reviewed: July 18, 2003
Strengths: More travel than I used to have (50mm). The fork weight was a plus. Marzocchi was good to deal with.
Weaknesses: Never got the 100mm of travel. Constantly had to adjust the air pressure. Negative valve always leaked. With the factory recommend pressure settings their was never any travel. Poor fork for the price.
Bike Setup: Intense Tracer, XTR groupo, hayes brakes, fox float rl shock, mavic f219 wheels, chris king hubs.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
SRR
a Cross Country Rider
from Tacoma, WA
Date Reviewed: July 16, 2003
Strengths: It's a Bomber and it's longer and lighter than my old reliable Z2 Atom 80. Great value at clearance price.
Weaknesses: It requires some setup for best results.
Bottom Line:
If this fork proves to be as reliable and trouble-free as my old oil/coil Z2 Atom 80 (3000 miles/3 years/Pacific Northwest grunge/no boots/original seals/2 oil changes/no noticeable slop, wear or leaks), it will be the best fork I've ridden so far. I switched to the longer fork principally for the sake of slackening my head angle a wee bit but a got a lot more return than this. I couldn't be happer with my decision.
Tuning is not a big deal, if you read the posts here carefully. I filtered them for a dozen or so that sounded credible, approached my weight and riding style (165/hammer), and seemed to agree on certain points:
5wt oil(definitely), 35/87cc, 30/90psi.
This formula seems to be the charm for me (and others apparently)and saved me a lot of trial-and-error. No need to experiment further (although I have dropped the positive pressure a couple pounds since for an even more supple ride -- 27/85). Full travel, no bottoming, no complaints, and no desire to compare with the 'factory' recommendations. I use the fast rebound setting exclusively and no longer mess with the other settings, even for sustained climbs. My bike is very light and efficient already and I prefer to be dialed-in to one consistent feel.
I used the settings above, gathered from reviews here, as my initial reference and fiddled no further. Before that, however, I put 15-20 hard hours on it to ensure that it was adequately broken in, so I wouldn't have to second-guess things later on.
FYI: When I dumped the oil the first time, the left leg was BONE DRY from the factory, so it might be a good idea to check this beforehand (Marzocchi is famous for this sort of oversight).
Similar Products Used: Too many to list, going back to first-generation Rockshox, Manitou, and Marzocchi.
Bike Setup: XC Dually (Amp B4 w/Risse Astro 5 in the rear)
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Joel
a Cross Country Rider
from Lindsay
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2003
Strengths: Looks amazing, super stiff, smooooth once you break it in, ECC is a great feature.
Weaknesses: Negative chamber loses air fast, hard to get positive chambers equal, doesn't come with a shock pump, ECC knob a little awkward, see below for more.
Bottom Line:
Well I got my fork, brand new, and the ECC leaked, so it would only stay locked down for about 2 minutes. No problem, it's under warranty, so back to the distributor it goes. Small problem, they don't have any spare parts for it, won't for 5 more months. So i get it back and ride it, it works fine except for that, for 5 more months. Then i send it back to Marzocchi to have the part fixed. Took them almost a month. Not impressed. But now that i have it, and the ECC works and i have broken it in and experimented with the air pressures, it's awsome. I am running pressures 15-20 psi below what the manual recommends and it is workin great. Bottom line, decent fork, little pricey for the amount of grief i went through with it, a little bit of a b!tch to set up, but works excellent once it is. STIFF
Similar Products Used: Just crappy forks, this is my first good one.
Bike Setup: Klein Attitude Comp, all aftermarket, sweet ride.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Eric
a Cross Country Rider
from Princeton Jct.
Date Reviewed: May 5, 2003
Strengths: Laterally stiff, excellent compression stroke, ECC is exceptional, handles great, very well damped, gets full travel.
Weaknesses: No infinite rebound adjustment, ECC cap a bit hard to turn fast, my left leg looses air pretty quickly
Bottom Line:
At $350, a great fork. After initial break in- it usually felt too stiff during break in- this thing is now buttery smooth and gets a full 3" of travel (I bought the 80 mm version). Get on the bike, compress the fork twice (I guess that lubes the seals), and no stiction for the rest of the ride.
Front wheel now tracks incredibly well on rooty trails- far better than the Manitou did. I can actually feel the fork taking the edge off hits and keeping the tire planted. No pogoing, either.
Handles superbly. I need to get another, grippier and wider front tire, as I can now feel how that's robbing so much traction from the front of my bike.
Depending on the conditions, I turn the rebould damping halfway or all the way open- I would prefer infinite adjustment, but this works well for me as it is. ECC is heaven on climbs- lowering the front of my bike by 2.5" has gotten me up climbs I have never made before. Wish there was actually a lever on the ECC cap though- kind of hard to flick quickly.
I have to refill the left air chamber every other ride or so (once or twice a week, depending on weather), but that's a small nuisance.
I ride roughly 30 lbs positive and 80 negative, with rebound adjustment turned halfway for most flat trails.
Great value, executed well, but just a little bit short of perfect.
Submitted by
Barry
a Cross Country Rider
from Edwards, Colorado
Date Reviewed: May 4, 2003
Bottom Line:
Well, I read all of the reviews below, and needless to say I was a bit nervous. I am DEFINITELY not one to spend countless hours tinkering with settup of any kind on my bike. I had a custom fit done 3 years ago, and have ridden the same setup since then. However, I took my rig in for some R&R to the LBS, and discovered that my Manitou Mars fork had separated from the steerer crown. (I guess that was the clinking noise I heard when going off of drops and waterbars!). Anyway, it was definitely time to purchase a new fork.
So, I did my research, and it came down to the 03 Skareb and an 02 Zoke Marathon. I found the Marathon on line for a pretty decent deal, and went that route after much consternation.
So, the ride. I have set this fork up much plusher than my old Mars, and it has been a joy to ride! I am going downhill with much more confidence than I had last year (I probably shouldn't have waited to get a new fork). Very plush, without bottoming out.
Weaknesses - well, maybe it is me, but getting the right amount of air in the chambers has been tough. I have a manitou fork pump, and have to use the adapter to fill the air in. Unscrewing the adapter while it is attached to the pump is tough, and you can definitely hear some leakage, so I am not sure exactly what I have in the chambers. I gave up on the scientific method, and have now gone along to how it 'feels'.
All in all, I am very happy, as my riding (and body) is definitely more plush and faster than before.
Similar Products Used: Manitou Mars, Marzocchi Bomber
Bike Setup: 01 Racer X
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
jeff
a Weekend Warrior
from orono maine
Date Reviewed: April 19, 2003
Strengths: great for 3-5 foot drop offs, gives very smouth landings, helped by fox vanilla shock in back.
Weaknesses: doesnt compress well on trails, regular riding in the woods
Bottom Line:
If your a real mountain biker than you shouldnt be worried about the small stuff, what really matters is that you dont bottom out on the 3-5 foot drops.
Submitted by
Victor
a Cross Country Rider
from Sacramento, CA
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2003
Strengths: Stiffness, smooth, lightweight
Weaknesses: The ECC didn't function, should come with a 100 psi pump, dust cap on right side leg is cheesy and will probably fall off somewhere down the trail
Bottom Line:
Great fork. I got it for the stiffness and improved steering precision and it meets my expectations. It's hard to dial in the air pressure with the 300 psi shock pump I have; I don't feel like buying a second pump quite yet. Once the air pressure is dialed in, it holds air quite well. I can go at least 4 weeks without any noticeable fade, unlike my SID which leaked air and required frequent pressure checks. The one problem I had was with the ECC not locking down and I had to send the fork back to Marz in Valencia at my expense and 2 weeks downtime. So, it works great once past the initial problems.
Similar Products Used: SID SL 2002 (very flexible and leaks air)
Bike Setup: 2002 FSR XC, mostly factory stock
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Alexander, NY
Date Reviewed: April 14, 2003
Strengths: Smooth travel, Lockout option, good looks, adjustability.
Weaknesses: SET UP! Negative air spring leaked air, ECC has tendancy to creep up, air valves let air out when pump is taken off.
Bottom Line:
Well, I loved the Marzocchi Z-5 that came on my bike - but when I saw the 2002 Marathon for $340, I could not resist. After I Installed my sparkling white new fork, I found that the negative air chamber was not holding air. I was mad. Very Mad. I did not want to send the fork back, so I thought I would look at my situation. The valve core had a bad spring - AND they are the same valve cores that are in car tires. Being a little mechanically inclined, I went to the hardware store, bought a package of valve cores for $.99, and a tool for $2.50 - problem solved. The negative air chamber leaks air when I take the pump off - but it could just be my pump. The ECC feature is cool - but I never really use it. When I do - it creeps back up on me slowly. BUT...The fork is VERY stiff, and VERY smooth. BY FAR the smoothest I have every ridden. The set up is very difficult, but once it's dialed in it's good to go. I am 175 lbs - ride technical / cross country and use about 30psig positive and 115psig negative. In spite of all the problems I have encountered with this fork, I would definatly recommend it to others. Also, if anybody knows how to fix the ECC without sending it back, email me. Nice first try Marzocchi.
Similar Products Used: Marzocchi Z-5, Rock Shox Judy TT, Rock Shox Judy 100, Rock Shox Duke Race, Manitou FS.
Bike Setup: 2001 Gary Fisher Big Sur, Kore clipless, Avid arch rival brakes, Marzocchi Marathon 100, otherwise stock.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
nathan
a Cross Country Rider
from sacramento ca
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2003
Strengths: ridden this fork twice. i just wanted to point out a tech. issue with this fork. Mine didnt come with a shock pump, so i used my brand new wrench force pump, 0-300 psi. I found it to be very innacurate at low presssure- 50 psi off!!! i thought something war wrong with the fork until i took it too a bike shop. I thought i had less than 5 psi in there and they checked it with their marzochi o-100 psi pump and it read 40 psi in the pos legs. they also said that it sho8uld come with a pump but mailorder places like to steal them out of the box and sell them seperatly. fyi!
I got this fork to round out a buildup on what I wanted for an xc race/endurance machine. I knew I needed a good, all around fork that was going to be very durable. Let's just say I have purchased my last Rock Shox product! This fork is killer! I have the 100mm version and after getting things dialed in (which does take some tinkering but more than worth it) this fork performs beyond my expectations. Nice progressive travel and very precise tracking and steering make this an awesome trail fork. At only 3.2 lbs, it's light enough to be raced. I think this is the best weight to performance tradeoff I have ever done and for $339, its got to be one of the best deals out there. If you get one, call Marzocchi tech support right away and give them your riding style and weight and they give you tuning specs to start from. Set it up that way then fool with it to your liking. Great product! 5 flaming alien turds from me!
Bike Setup: Rocky Mt. Blizzard (yeah steel IS real!), RaceFace/SRAM mix, top end.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Richard
a Cross Country Rider
from overland Park, KS
Date Reviewed: March 27, 2003
Strengths: ECC control, stiffness
Weaknesses: Oil/air leakage, weight
Bottom Line:
When the shock worked it worked as one expects a marzocchi product to work but that was inbetween sending it back to the factory for rebuilds - 3 times in one year.
I am not an overly aggressive rider and I don't jump off of high places yet this shock always found a way to blow up after a couple of rides. The factory would take it back each time, fix it under warranty and then return it quickly. But even the best service in the world cannot replace a crappy product. It now is on it's way back to the factory with explicit instructions not to return, I want my money back or a newer and hopefully better shock.
I'm scratching my head over how I got such a lemon of a shock after seeing all the rave reviews here - anybody else had these kind of problems?
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