Submitted by
aybarssurucu
a Cross Country Rider
from Izmir-Turkiye Date Reviewed: August 19, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Datca-Goat's Cave
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$175.00
Purchased At:
From a Friend
Strengths:
Stiff, after 6 years no leakage, no dirt inside; even in muddy winter rides.
Weaknesses:
With air spring system, it's deaf to small bumps. But I changed the right leg's parts with the coil and pre-load adjuster of my old Z-2, played a little bit with the rebound adjustment. Now because of SPV system pre-load adjuster works like a rebound adjuster ;)
Similar Products Used:
I cannot count :)
Since 1996 nearly all RockShox models
Many of Marzocchi's
From the start most of Fox's
Bike Setup:
Mosso XC prototype non-series hardtail frame
XT M765 Group
Bottom Line:
Nothing to say more; 6 years and at least 20.000kms on this fork. I'm riding XC courses and long XC marathon courses. I'm a mountain bike guide, so no chance for me to use a part that cause a fail...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark
a Weekend Warrior
from Chandler, AZ Date Reviewed: April 14, 2006
Favorite Trail:
any
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$320.00
Purchased At:
Rage Cycles
Strengths:
Well built, plush, stiff, very durable
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
none this good
Bike Setup:
This fork has been on three different bikes
Bottom Line:
This fork has been the single best upgrade I have ever made. I have had it on my Klein Mantra, my GT hardtail, and now on my new Sette Reken hardtail, although I think it complimented the Mantra best. I see that many people dislike the little ECC lever. I have hardly ever used the ECC so I have had no problems with it. This fork has saved my butt in many a hairy situation, and it really allows you to push your riding to new levels. This is not a wimpy little XC fork, but more aggressive XC, borderline all mountain fork. I have had absoloutely no problems with this fork, and I see that the newer models of this fork, have only gotten better. For a 100mm travel fork, it doesn't get any better than this.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Scott
a Weekend Warrior
from Perth Western Australia Date Reviewed: July 7, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Plush travel, quite light weight, adjustable, easy to maintain, lock out is very useful
Weaknesses:
Lowers scratch easy, stickers come off, but pull them off anyway and you have a stealth 'bomber'
Bike Setup:
1999 Trek 6000 with avid sd & 1d 7's, riser bar, new saddle and these forks
Bottom Line:
These are great forks for most riders. The are well made (except for the ecc lever, but i'll get to that). I bought these secondhand without the ecc lever, and am still locating the air adaptor (luckily the previous owner was about the same weight as me). The are plush and progressive and very stiff. My bike now turns when and where i want it to (before i was just a passenger). Anyway, if you ecc lever breaks, and your feeling a little handy, make a remote lockout with an samll L brecket, some spare cable/housing, an old shifter, a brake noodle and some cable ties. email me at emailscottwilliams@yahooc.com.au for some photos if your interested.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
PFunk
a Weekend Warrior
from Arcata Date Reviewed: June 10, 2003
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$275.00
Purchased At:
speedgoat
Strengths:
Well made, low maintenance, works like a fork should
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
n/a
Bike Setup:
n/a
Bottom Line:
THis is a follow-up to my review posted last fall. I have been riding this fork hard for almost a year now, and it has required absolutely no maintenance or repair. No oil leaks. No broken parts (I have the aluminum lock-out lever). No loss of air pressure. Nothing. The way it should be.
One thing I will say again about this fork - the ECC lock-out is brilliant. I use it all the time on long climbs. Completely eliminates any bob and at the same time lowers the front end for better climb geometry. I'm hooked. Of course, once out of the lock-out, it handles big and small hits with ease. Improved my riding skills over the rough stuff big time. Also a relatively light fork for the performace and durability you get.
Much better value than FOX IMHO...
Great job on this one Marzocchi....
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Troffers
a Weekend Warrior
from Surrey Date Reviewed: June 7, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Oxshott woods
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At:
Bike shop where i work!
Strengths:
Stiff, strong and light
Weaknesses:
Takes time to bed in (but it's worth the wait..!)
Similar Products Used:
Manitou spyder (rubbish!), countless forks tested on bikes in the shop...
For the price they are the best forks i've tried. Took a week or two to bed in but who cares! I've serviced them and put in a 5wt oil recently and now they're as smooth as silk - reacts well to small bumps and undulations but can handle the big hits too thanks to Marzocchi's simple yet effective damping. If you want some quality forks and are on a bit of a budget, then you can't go wrong with these puppies!!!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andy
a Cross Country Rider
from Clarksville, TN USA Date Reviewed: May 6, 2003
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
online
Strengths:
tough and easily adjustable
Weaknesses:
CRAPPY LOCKOUT LEVER THAT BROKE BEING IGNORED BY MARZOCCHI CUSTOMER SERVICE
Similar Products Used:
rigid, cheapies, tested a bunch before settling on this one
Bike Setup:
2002 Kona Bear, custom built
Bottom Line:
The fork was great until the lockout lever broke. I tried from the time I owned it to get the aluminum lever from marzocchi, to no avail. Now that the lever has broken off in a light-duty crash, the lockout cannot be used. If anyone knows how to get ahold of someone at Marzocchi, please let me know. In the end, the fork is good but customer service will make me go to someone else. Bad way to lose a customer... ARE YOU LISTENING MARZOCCHI????
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
bobo
a Downhiller
from los angelize Date Reviewed: January 5, 2003
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$279.00
Purchased At:
Wheelworld
Strengths:
air, full 100mm travel, looks, price, they work
Weaknesses:
none really for a fork that costs under 300 beans
Similar Products Used:
too many to list
Bottom Line:
This fork is great for aggresive XC. Lockout is pretty sweet for climbing. Alot tougher than other forks in its category in my opinion. Another plus is that there is no need to buy springs in order to set it up to your weight since preload is air adjustable. Mine are in mint condition and collecting dust since I swithced to downhilling. E mail me and I'll give 'em to ya for less than half of what I paid.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tom simpson
a Weekend Warrior
from Albany wa Date Reviewed: December 29, 2002
Favorite Trail:
mt clarence
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
great southern bikes
Strengths:
1 they look sick 2 there cheap 3 there marzzocchi
Weaknesses:
1 they scratch to easy 2 stock springs are to soft 3 they creak
Similar Products Used:
sr suntour shox cheap crap
Bike Setup:
02 avanti hotdog
Bottom Line:
A good fork for the money and hey there marzzochi. they have there let downs with the soft springs and the creaking other than that there a good fork for the money dont buy if youre an aggressive rider who likes stiff shox
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Skinny D
a Weekend Warrior
from Bangor Date Reviewed: December 28, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Gwydyr forest, N Wales
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Stiff, durable, easily maintained.
Weaknesses:
Massive stiction, question over air to coil upgrade on ECC model
Similar Products Used:
RS 99 Judy XC
Bike Setup:
02 Enduro Comp
Bottom Line:
The forks stiction really bugs me. The fork doesn't feel plush in comparison to the RS Judy (which was super plush but flexy as anything) due to the stiction.
The fork ramps up so that getting the full 100mm is nigh on impossible, too much air and it ramps up at 60/70mm, too little and it runs at 50% sag.
Theres 15mm of negative travel on this fork which drops it to an 85mm fork.
No fault of the fork but the 130mm Enduro requires a Z1 freeride coil on the front, not an 85mm MXC air.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Forrest
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle Date Reviewed: December 8, 2002
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Gregg's Greenlake
Strengths:
Super rigid, ECC is a great concept, super durable.
Weaknesses:
ECC knob
Similar Products Used:
RST-281(junk), Manitou SXr (plush but flexy), Black comp 80/100 (new bike, no opinion yet)
Bike Setup:
2000 Kona Blast, thomson post and stem, Time Aliums, upgraded rear wheel to XT-DT-Rhyno.
Bottom Line:
The fork is the third I've had on the bike and I have put probably 1500 miles on it so far. I bought the air vesion for the adjustability. I lube the tubes with silicon spray when I lube the chain and so far this has kept anything from sticking to the tubes and damaging the seals. It has not leaked so much as 1 pound of air, I quit checking the pressure more than once a month after a couple months. The ECC knob comes loose easily, I put lock-tight on the screw a couple months back and so far so good but I carry an extra knob in the seat pack just in case. It took at least 100 miles before the seals were fully broken in and reached the final plush level but big deal. I am a big guy at about 250 lbs and highly recommend this fork for big guys like me.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Daniel S
a Cross Country Rider
from Moskow, Russia Date Reviewed: October 22, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Very differentiated: from racing to aggressive X-country
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
my shop
Strengths:
The very name BOMBER speaks for itself! The fork is “IMMORTAL”!!! YOU BET! Many of my friends “torture” different Marzocchies (MXC, MXR, Wage, Z1’s) for several years by now with very little maintenance and service if any at all and they all still work nearly flawlessly! This is M’s quality I appreciate the most. Hopefully it’s well applicable to the rest. It WORKS GREAT!!! Responsive to minor hits even when pumped-up hard, VERY sm-o-o-o-o-th 100 travel, but NEVER bottomed! Never! (when pumped-up in accord to the manual recommendations, of course), damping is fine with some funny oil sounds (who cares), pretty stiff, seals are very good – they don’t leak, and keep all the dirt and water outside even in severe conditions and without the skins. I adore the ECC!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Though it has some “byproduct ills” (sea weaknesses), it’s definitely by far the BEST lockout variant on the market!!!!!!!!!!! No compromise! I started to enjoy uphill climbing with it. Other manufactures may do nice products as well, but unless they incorporate the lockout of a similar kind they remain behind. Heh! Low pressure air springs allow me to vary the fork performance for a wide range of different terrains. It’s pretty light and VERY CHEAP for its performance! After all, it looks impressive! What else should one expect from the $300 fork? Many $500 ones are not that good.
Weaknesses:
No pump included! Silly? May be I don’t need another one, so why to pay more for the fork? Weakness? it's up two your judgement. Plastic lockout lever might be a bad joke! Just a piece of crap deteriorating the entire fork flawlessness... As if some $10 speakers in Mercedes 600. eh!....... that’s sucks. It may go slipping at the most crucial moment. Once I had to stop during the competition for over a minute to tie it up and unlock! Damn! And ultimately the lever went broken in less than a month. I replaced it with a self-made metal one – bigger and two-sided. Feels OK now. Btw – it was not very easy to locate the lever and lock the fork “on the fly.” It’s surely lacking the remote lockout mounted on the handlebar like those of some new RS's forks. Yeah, nearly forgot. I finally switched to disk brake in front from V’s thanks to this fork. To tell the truth, ECC makes the fork slightly change its geometry, so that V pads rub the rim if they’re too close to it or when poorly adjusted. However, if you’re as stubborn and weight obsessed freak as I used to be and like your V’s, than you still CAN adjust V’s well enough and trouble yourself not with the extra expenses for the disks. And one more minor thing you should know. When it’s new - it takes about 10 hours of riding to start performing its best. So what?!!! It’s trivial. Don’t make quick judgments. Have some patience and after some time you’ll forget it’s there! Just perfect!
Similar Products Used:
I’m an administrator of the local veloshop and a member of the bike fan club. So I rode lost of different forks. RS Mg21 – piece of junk in all respects compared to Marzocchi. Super Fatty DL 2002. - Not so responsive as MXC. Expensive and exclusive. Though very strong, rather light and overall satisfactory. It’s mounted on my 2nd Cannondale bike. Judy sl – a raw paw-waw stick! unsmooth, a way to soft, heavy. Just stupid. No way satisfactory for its price! I rode such for 2 years. However, 2-crown Judy is much better. Psylo sl – Leaky seals!!! soft for a 85 kgs rider without hard springs. Somewhat heavy. Requires frequent service. “Dies” quickly. Duke sl – good enough. Quick & rather responsive. Same price as MXC but no lockout. Sid sl – FLEXY! too little travel. Disk brakes “kill” it pretty quickly. It’s definitely overvalued. FOX – very-very nice fork, but costly. Still requires more maintenance than M. lockout is not of ECC type. Good one, but i only tried it several times. it's 1 month old. Z1 FR – very impressed with it!!! Plush, strong, excellent performance, ECC, etc. but heavier, not air, and much more expensive than my MXC-ECC. However, if I were a crazy free-rider I would choose this one for sure. Some White Brothers – very nice, incredibly light, but not for the aggressive X-country.
Bike Setup:
Cannondale hardtail / Complete XT all over /xt disk(f) hub & Hugi 240(r) / Mavic 517 / XT disk(f) and XT rim(R) brakes.
Bottom Line:
Excellent performance. Set it and forget that it’s there. The best price / performance product on the market! Fits different riding styles, except for probably the extreme ones, as DH. Only 4 chills overall just because of some “infant-ills” with ECC lever and fork geometry when it’s locked-out. Nothing more to say. Try this fork and it will speak for itself… you’ll be very impressed, and as happy as I and ALL of my friends who ride such or similar M’s are. forget those silly Judies! Go get M! You won’t regret it! Period!
I made my best to present the product as objectively as I could. Regards. Daniel.
ps to Marzocchi: if you read this, make some nice remote lockout, do something to the fork lockout geometry, and you have by far the best product on the market!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Daniel S
a Cross Country Rider
from Moskow, Russia Date Reviewed: October 22, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Very differentiated: from racing to aggressive X-country
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
my shop
Strengths:
The very name BOMBER speaks for itself! The fork is “IMMORTAL”!!! YOU BET! Many of my friends “torture” different Marzocchies (MXC, MXR, Wage, Z1’s) for several years by now with very little maintenance and service if any at all and they all still work nearly flawlessly! This is M’s quality I appreciate the most. Hopefully it’s well applicable to the rest. It WORKS GREAT!!! Responsive to minor hits even when pumped-up hard, VERY sm-o-o-o-o-th 100 travel, but NEVER bottomed! Never! (when pumped-up in accord to the manual recommendations, of course), damping is fine with some funny oil sounds (who cares), pretty stiff, seals are very good – they don’t leak, and keep all the dirt and water outside even in severe conditions and without the skins. I adore the ECC!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Though it has some “byproduct ills” (sea weaknesses), it’s definitely by far the BEST lockout variant on the market!!!!!!!!!!! No compromise! I started to enjoy uphill climbing with it. Other manufactures may do nice products as well, but unless they incorporate the lockout of a similar kind they remain behind. Heh! Low pressure air springs allow me to vary the fork performance for a wide range of different terrains. It’s pretty light and VERY CHEAP for its performance! After all, it looks impressive! What else should one expect from the $300 fork? Many $500 ones are not that good.
Weaknesses:
No pump included! Silly? May be I don’t need another one, so why to pay more for the fork? Weakness? it's up two your judgement. Plastic lockout lever might be a bad joke! Just a piece of crap deteriorating the entire fork flawlessness... As if some $10 speakers in Mercedes 600. eh!....... that’s sucks. It may go slipping at the most crucial moment. Once I had to stop during the competition for over a minute to tie it up and unlock! Damn! And ultimately the lever went broken in less than a month. I replaced it with a self-made metal one – bigger and two-sided. Feels OK now. Btw – it was not very easy to locate the lever and lock the fork “on the fly.” It’s surely lacking the remote lockout mounted on the handlebar like those of some new RS's forks. Yeah, nearly forgot. I finally switched to disk brake in front from V’s thanks to this fork. To tell the truth, ECC makes the fork slightly change its geometry, so that V pads rub the rim if they’re too close to it or when poorly adjusted. However, if you’re as stubborn and weight obsessed freak as I used to be and like your V’s, than you still CAN adjust V’s well enough and trouble yourself not with the extra expenses for the disks. And one more minor thing you should know. When it’s new - it takes about 10 hours of riding to start performing its best. So what?!!! It’s trivial. Don’t make quick judgments. Have some patience and after some time you’ll forget it’s there! Just perfect!
Similar Products Used:
I’m an administrator of the local veloshop and a member of the bike fan club. So I rode lost of different forks. RS Mg21 – piece of junk in all respects compared to Marzocchi. Super Fatty DL 2002. - Not so responsive as MXC. Expensive and exclusive. Though very strong, rather light and overall satisfactory. It’s mounted on my 2nd Cannondale bike. Judy sl – a raw paw-waw stick! unsmooth, a way to soft, heavy. Just stupid. No way satisfactory for its price! I rode such for 2 years. However, 2-crown Judy is much better. Psylo sl – Leaky seals!!! soft for a 85 kgs rider without hard springs. Somewhat heavy. Requires frequent service. “Dies” quickly. Duke sl – good enough. Quick & rather responsive. Same price as MXC but no lockout. Sid sl – FLEXY! too little travel. Disk brakes “kill” it pretty quickly. It’s definitely overvalued. FOX – very-very nice fork, but costly. Still requires more maintenance than M. lockout is not of ECC type. Good one, but i only tried it several times. it's 1 month old. Z1 FR – very impressed with it!!! Plush, strong, excellent performance, ECC, etc. but heavier, not air, and much more expensive than my MXC-ECC. However, if I were a crazy free-rider I would choose this one for sure. Some White Brothers – very nice, incredibly light, but not for the aggressive X-country.
Bike Setup:
Cannondale hardtail / Complete XT all over /xt disk(f) hub & Hugi 240(r) / Mavic 517 / XT disk(f) and XT rim(R) brakes.
Bottom Line:
Excellent performance. Set it and forget that it’s there. The best price / performance product on the market! Fits different riding styles, except for probably the extreme ones, as DH. Only 4 chills overall just because of some “infant-ills” with ECC lever and fork geometry when it’s locked-out. Nothing more to say. Try this fork and it will speak for itself… you’ll be very impressed, and as happy as I and ALL of my friends who ride such or similar M’s are. forget those silly Judies! Go get M! You won’t regret it! Period!
I made my best to present the product as objectively as I could. Regards. Daniel.
ps to Marzocchi: if you read this, make some nice remote lockout, do something to the fork lockout geometry, and you have by far the best product on the market!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dudeman
a Cross Country Rider
from San Mateo, CA, USA Date Reviewed: October 14, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Double Secret Not-aTrail
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$240.00
Purchased At:
Price Point
Strengths:
Plush -- the negative spring makes for a huge improvement over the 2000 FLylight 100. Stiff. Reliable. Reasonably light. ECC is the bomb for fireroad climbs and sprints.
Weaknesses:
ECC causes some sort of tweak in the hub which alters the brake alignment, whether running disc or rim brake. The rights set up eliminates this problem. Lowers will scratch easily. Stickers are hokey, but you can take them off.
Best fork hands down I have ever used. Can't beat the price. I can't see why people spend so much money on the new and complicated forks when you get more reliability and 98% of the performance in a fork with technology that is a couple of years old.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alvin
a Weekend Warrior
from Spain Date Reviewed: September 12, 2002
Favorite Trail:
all but tarmac
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Strong, incredibly smooth, great response. The ECC, best invention on earth.
Weaknesses:
The ECC plastic lever loosened and stopped working for a while, braking my downhill joy. A quick tighten and no problem anymore, but I'll order the aluminium one.
Similar Products Used:
Rock Shox Quadra, Super Fatty
Bike Setup:
GT Zaskar Race Edition, Mavic 517, all XT/XTR, Selle Italia, ON/OFF Carbon-line goodies and an old and awful speedometer :-))
Bottom Line:
outstanding fork, eats every rock on earth, mine 0 leaks, great value for money. My dealer recommended it to me and I just did the right thing.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andy
a Cross Country Rider
from U.K Date Reviewed: August 2, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Merlin Cycles
Strengths:
Design, Warranty (2 Years), Reputation
Weaknesses:
Not too confident that the ECC Switch on top of the left leg is going to last....just nit-picking really!
Similar Products Used:
Manitou SX-R
Bike Setup:
Kona Kula, XT, XTR, Mavic Ceramics, Middleburn, Flite, X-Lite
Bottom Line:
They say first impressions last, I have just ridden my first twenty miles with these forks and I have to say I wish I had junked my Manitou's long ago and swapped to Bombers (my second Manitou fork cracked - Wont be sending my hard earned money their way again!!) Straight from the box the Bombers performed - If they are this good now what are they like when fully scrubbed in!!! Love the lockout facility, cant praise them enough and all this for 170 pounds sterling - amazing. I honestly could not justify spending anymore than that on a fork if this is what you get for the money. Any level of rider would do well to fit these to thier pride and joy!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
King of the Hills
a Cross Country Rider
from Cardiff, Wales UK Date Reviewed: July 29, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Coed-y-Brennin
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
wiggle.co.uk
Strengths:
Plush with a capital PLUSH. ECC BRILLIANT, perfect for the climbs and road sections. I being under 9 stone - run them at around 15PSI and they're still impossible for me to bottom them out. Factory damping setting perfect also! Had no problems with the ECC lever also.
Weaknesses:
I suppose the lever COULD be a bit bigger and easier to get to. Did take a while to bed in...but this could suggest good reliability??
Similar Products Used:
Judy SL's 99. As unplush as a pogostick.
Bike Setup:
Kinises Maxlite (easton framing), full XT, Mavic 517 w/goldtech hubs, easton handlebars, stem and seatpost.
Bottom Line:
Im from the UK and they are selling like hot cakes. As i said before, i fun them with as little as 15psi sometimes, and are perfect, plush and BRILLIANT.
The ECC gives you the best of both worlds, a plush 100mm travel fork for the downhills - and a short stiff fork for the uphills - PERFECT!
However - if you are a weight freeeeeek, then you may have to sacrifice a bit of reliability and go with the rockshox, as they usually tend to be lighter (dont they??).
If you do choose to buy this fork...YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!! Simply spiffing young chap!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
PFunk
a Weekend Warrior
from Arcata Date Reviewed: July 28, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$275.00
Purchased At:
speedgoat
Strengths:
see my post 7/25
Weaknesses:
see my post 7/25
Similar Products Used:
see my post 7/25
Bike Setup:
see my post 7/25
Bottom Line:
typo alert: I meant to say that the decal on this fork is either red or BLUE (not black) - depending on whether you get the coil (red) or air (blue).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
PFunk
a Weekend Warrior
from Arcata Date Reviewed: July 25, 2002
Favorite Trail:
singletrack
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$275.00
Purchased At:
speedgoat
Strengths:
see below
Weaknesses:
Aaahhhhhhhhh....Ok....it wasn't free.
Similar Products Used:
Similar? yes, I've used other suspension forks before, it that's what this question means, i.e., Noleen Crosslink, Girvin Vector, Manitou (when they used elastomers - I guess I'm dating myself)
Ok, here is the deal. First, everyone who reviews this fork, please specify which one - coil? air? 100mm? 80mm? Secondly, regarding the plastic lockout knob everyone is obsessing about...here's what you do: Pick up the phone, call Marzocchi and say: "Please send me your aluminum lock-out knob." Problem solved. It costs 3 bucks.
I agree with all the good things said about this fork below. And add: I love this lock-out!! (I use V brakes and have not experienced any of the brake rub problems mentioned below.) Using the lockout lowers the front end about 20mm. So in addition to eliminating "bob" when going uphill, your bike is transformed into hill-climbing geometry. Brilliant!
Can't say much about dependability - I've only had this thing for about one month. But it looks sturdy. This is a proven bomber design, so I'm not anticipating any problems.
Ok, one thing you should know about - Marzocchi went with magnesium to save some weight (mine weighs 1680 grams). Magnesium is relatively soft. If you are anal about scratches, don't get this fork.
The fork is black. The decals are red or black, depending on whether you get the coil or air model. If you don't like the color, call Marzocchi and they can send you a different color. I took my decals off. I don't believe in being a human billboard.
Buy it while you can....
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
graham
a
from west yorks Date Reviewed: July 22, 2002
Favorite Trail:
the moors, the woods
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Strengths:
Excellent ride, stiff, responsive, lockout for uphills
Weaknesses:
None yet, except lockout lever had moved round 90 degrees for some reason, still works though, but does feel a bit puny!
Bike Setup:
Orange Mr XC
Bottom Line:
This fork costs under £200, incredible fork for the money, you can get cheaper versions still if you dont want the lockout function, but it is excellent for climbs, dropping the front geometry and locking the fork. Previously had manitou SX E fork which came fitted, which was limp and was creating rifts between me and the bike. This fork has made a massive difference to the ride - far better damping, luvly responsive steering/control, confident ride - cross country, hard trails, technical riding, fast decents, so far it likes it all, and looks rather nice too. Me n the bike are back on form. I wont give it 5 overall, cos Ive only used it for 3 months, but so far its been excellent.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ben S.
a Weekend Warrior
from South Florida Date Reviewed: July 19, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$299.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Smooth, responsive, no stiction, affordable performance, looks wicked, makes my C-dale look like a "real" mountain bike.
Weaknesses:
None so far.
Similar Products Used:
Headshok Super Fatty M
Bike Setup:
C-dale Super V 500, 'zocchi MXC-ECC fork, Avid 2.0 Levers, Avid SD-5 brakes, Titec XC riser bar, rest stock.
Bottom Line:
I love this fork. I have the 80mm air setup. After my LBS told me to get rid of my Headshok, I finally listened. I didn't know what I was missing. This thing is very response, unlike the Headshok. The Headshok is probably well-suited for a racer, due its light weight and stiffness, but for aggresive trail riding, it just didn't cut it. I don't have much use for the ECC since there are not long climbs in South Florida, so I don't care about the cheap ECC switch. The best thing about this fork is that you forget it's there; it just does it's job. I've had no strange noises or sticton, no leaking, no problems so far. I'm a happy camper.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
matt
a Cross Country Rider
from kingston,ny Date Reviewed: July 18, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
Table Rock Tours and Bikes
Strengths:
strong as could be. It is just as the name implies "bomber" becuar is is simply bomb proof. When i am rideing the steep rock gardens i can fly through them wiht ease now. and the sttep climbs found in this part of ny are easy now with the ecc.
Weaknesses:
The stupid plastic ecc lever!! Why would such a respected company like marzocchi put a weak piece of plastic on such a nice fork?? The rest of the fork is unstopable but the plastic lever is a piece of poop!!
Similar Products Used:
Judy xc, duke xc, duke sl, duke race, manitu magium, mars elite
Bike Setup:
santa cruz chamelion, with the mxc-ecc,truvativ stylo team,truvativ sl bb,raceface rings,xtr casset,chris king hubs, 517 rims, dt spokes,thompson seat post,eastion ct2 bar and steam, crhis king head set, panaracer fire xc pros
Bottom Line:
sweet fork. I love the ecc because it makes hills easy for a guy like me that weighs 200lbs. I would reccomend this for to anywone who wants an awesome upgrade from their current fork. I just need marzocchi to make mettal ecc levers, only 4 chilis because ok the ecc lever
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mike casarubbia
a Cross Country Rider
from france Date Reviewed: July 16, 2002
when I need a soild fork I flip the EEC switch a good push on the bars and the bike goes down about an inch and wow!! A good agressive xc position good for flying up hill and good on leveled ground. And on dumpy roads or downhills reflip the switch and up you go an inch a little free-ride feel very nice on rocky downhills. Im 175lbs and mxc ecc helped my riding skills alot!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alex
a
from NYC, NY USA Date Reviewed: July 14, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
phattire.com
Strengths:
excellent stiffness, lockout great for trials, but after less then a week of hard riding, oil leaking from seals in right stanch. excellent rebound right out of the box, good construction, as the legs and arch are one piece and not three separate pieces (which is structurally weaker).
Weaknesses:
LEAKY SEALS! one chili because these problems are just such a pain in the ass to take care of, seals should not leak in the first month. three chilis for value because the fork is otherwise a nice piece.. oh and the lockout lever broke the second day, though it was still relatively functional
Similar Products Used:
have a z1 wedge on my kona roast which i love, it's super plush and extremely forgiving and laterally very stiff. i've used and broken factory set up RS T2s and JUDYs which **suck** but i like the long travel coil/oil competitors of marzocchis but have heard some maybe not so good things.
Bike Setup:
generic Nashbar steel frams with magura 22s, road cog, riser bars, sedona 2.35 tires on rhyno lite rims, mostly shimano otherwise, set up for trials.
Bottom Line:
leaky seals seemed to be a major problem last year with marzocchi, I thought it'd be corrected by now. I am going to contact manufacturer and hopefully their customer serv will take care of problem. will follow up then.
overall i like marzocchi; I love the wedge, only thing that could make it better would be a lockout, which i think is available on a similar marzocchi, but its about double the price.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Simon
a Cross Country Rider
from Sussex, England Date Reviewed: July 7, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Anything not made of Tarmac
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$266.00
Strengths:
Price, build quality, plush travel, precise steering what more can I say ?
Weaknesses:
ECC lockout switch made of plastic slips occasionally, better in aluminium ?
Great value $600 dollar performance for around $260, went from stuttering wrist and forearm bruising travel to plush travel clean & sharp steering, as XC rider was dubious about increasing to 100mm from 80mm, but with this bit of kit the bike just flies. Hill climbing with ECC locked down makes the bike more intuitive, can now stay in the saddle all the way to the top,just seem to get there quicker. I was buying these to fill the gap till I bought my dream Fox Forx, now I'll stick with Bombers. If your reading this Marzocchi change the ECC switch to metal and you've got it sorted !.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Shaun J
a Cross Country Rider
from Orem, UT, USA Date Reviewed: July 5, 2002
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
250
Strengths:
100 mm travel. The ECC cartridge. Rigid. Plush. Lightweight. No bottoming.
Weaknesses:
None except that the ECC lever should be metal not plastic.
Similar Products Used:
Manitou Mars
Bike Setup:
Hardtail with XT all around and Bontrager wheels
Bottom Line:
This is the smoothest and most forgiving fork I have ever tried. The ECC is indespensible, I don't know how I ever did without it. On steep climbs it makes up for all my weakness. It takes all bumps (whether it be a small rock or a five-foot drop) with ease. The best fork I have ever encountered. The ECC is definantly worth the extra cash!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
McGregor
a
from Bay Area, Ca Date Reviewed: July 3, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$275.00
Strengths:
Price, appearance, quality
Weaknesses:
None yet, though the ECC lever looks a little weak
Bottom Line:
I've used this fork for three months now and it's simply the best. After using an X-fly 100 for a couple years, the lock-out feature is a blessing. There is a HUGE difference in climbing steep technical hills with a shorter fork than a 4". Just better control, period. I'm now making it up hills which were much more difficult before on my X-fly 100. I'm 205 lbs, and works fine w/ little flex. Buy it if you can find it. I had to hunt around quite a bit.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bobo D. Clown
a Cross Country Rider
from LA Date Reviewed: June 18, 2002
Favorite Trail:
It's all good brother!
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$260.00
Strengths:
It's a Marzocchi. Looks, Performance, Reliability.
Weaknesses:
none. seriously.
Similar Products Used:
Manitou II's, Rock Shox Mag 21 Ti, crappy judys, Marzocchi atom race (very sweet)
If cost came into mind when looking for a shock search no further. Marzocchi offers the same basic quality throughout all its levels of forks and it's evident here. Its has the same beefy crown and legs as the higher end models ensuring stiffness. These 100mm air forks offer plush travel. A little sticky at first but breaks in beautifully. ECC is cool but I rarely use it. You set preload by inflating to your desired setting. The rebound dampening is internal but the factory setting is perfect. It DOES NOT act like an undampened air pogo stick. For the price this is the fork to buy right now. You don't scacrifice a bit of performance. Marzocchi forks rule. Great Customer Service.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a Weekend Warrior
from Bilthoven, The Netherlands Date Reviewed: June 10, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Houffalize, Belgium
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$260.00
Purchased At:
Local bike shop
Strengths:
- ECC rulez - Stiffness - Plush - Doesn't bottom out if set up correctly
Weaknesses:
- No external rebound control - Get an X-Fly with this feature if you're a weight weenie. Although it's a robust fork, it's not super light weight.
ECC is the way to lockout a fork, and Marzocchi seems to be the only one who knows it. During a long climb I want the front of my bike to point slightly down, and that's exactly what happens with the ECC system. Also this fork gives much more comfort downhill than my old X-Fly does, although it does weigh slightly more. This is an inexpensive, high performing fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from seattle Date Reviewed: June 7, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$270.00
Purchased At:
Gregg's
Strengths:
It's a Marzocchi. Lightweight dependability. ECC is a great feature for extended climbs or on the road. Air forks rule for adjustability.
Weaknesses:
Plastic ECC lever. The shape of the lever is fine, but I knew from previous posts that it could be a problem. Then it happened. I was a the top of a technical climb ready to go downhill when the lever stopped working. Aargh, took all the fun out of a good downhill. I had noticed the lever occasionally slipping, but on this occasion there was nothing I could do to get the lever to grip the rod it turns on. Rode slowly home and used a pair of needle nose pliers to turn the ECC rod.
Similar Products Used:
Manitous rely on bubble gum. Previous fork was a SID with 80mm travel, worked great, but wanted to try more travel
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz superlight
Bottom Line:
Best fork for the money! I wanted a Fox but couldn't justify the cost, and the Marzocchi is lighter. The ECC is great for long climbs, it is a lever that when turned on keeps the fork from uncompressing. This lowers the front end and essentially makes it a rigid fork.
The pastic lever is total crap. Get an aluminum lever like the higher end forks before you end up at the top of your favorite downhill with no suspension.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Anders Drost
a Weekend Warrior
from Copenhagen, Denmark Date Reviewed: May 28, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Kullaberg, Sweden
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
Scanbike
Strengths:
Smooth travel, durability, easy maintenance, simply good quality forks for the money. The best option if your loóking for some forks to suit your old 1" steerer tube frame!!
Weaknesses:
Plastic ECC controller, not light at about 3,8 lbs with steerer
Similar Products Used:
RST Mozo Pro, RS Judy C, Headshock ultra
Bike Setup:
Principia Mac B, XTR, + hope, zipp, kooka, ringlé, sun mixture.
Bottom Line:
You get a mucho forks for your money, plus a ECC lock for long climbs, tarmac and fireroads.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brandon Harvey
a Cross Country Rider
from Sweet Home Date Reviewed: April 30, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Santiam Wagon Road
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$315.00
Purchased At:
Bike and Hike
Strengths:
ECC Lock out by far the best feature for those long climbs, 100mm travel
Weaknesses:
Plastic lever on the ECC lockout
Similar Products Used:
Judy Psylo
Bike Setup:
Kona Cinder Cone(CroMoly Frame): XT/XTR Components, Ritchy Rims, Rock Shock Seat Post.
Bottom Line:
This fork rocks. I just upgraded from the Judy Indy SC with speed springs to this fork. The ECC is great for those long climbs. When you hit the top and ready for the down hill or bumpy XC trail just flip the lever and get ready for the best ride of your life. I would recommend this fork to anyone looking for a new setup. Well worth the cost for a much more comfortable ride. No more sore forearms.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Simpsonville, SC Date Reviewed: April 15, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Tsali, Clawhammer/Black Mountain Pisgah
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
sunshine cycle
Strengths:
NO BOTTOMING OUT!!!! Smooth, very responsive. Do not loose speed coming out of corners due to great response. Air at low PSI.
Weaknesses:
ECC lever could be bigger and better quality.
Similar Products Used:
FOX Vanilla SL, New Manitou's
Bike Setup:
diamond back ztec pro. all stock except for Vbrakes and Crank brother crank.
Bottom Line:
My first weekend riding with no bottoming out or leaking. Life is good again!!!! I was looking for fork that could handle 6'3" and 190 lbs. After recomendations of Fox and Marzocchi along with air, I rode both Fox and Marzocchi. Loved the FOX but not the price. Local bike shop sold me on quality and price of Marzocchi. Can't beat a good local bike shop!! After a couple of 10 mile rides shock was broken in and became even more responsive and smoother. ECC is great if you do a lot of technical climbing. With air shock you loose the sluggish feeling during downhill turns and I don't loose any energy on rocky technical uphill climbs with shock not locked out. Don't waste time trying out other shocks. Put the Marzocchi on and use time saved riding your favorite trail.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris Hatch
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego, CA, USA Date Reviewed: April 15, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$260.00
Purchased At:
North of the Border
Strengths:
stiff, light, predictable, smooth, plush, low pressure, ECC is wonderful... I don't want to stop, but am running out of descriptors.
Weaknesses:
internal rebound adjustment, no compression adjustment (I don't find myself missing it), high stiction until broken in, open bath oil damper makes a funny squishing noise, ECC lever could be bigger and attached more firmly.
This is the best bang for the buck, bar none. If you upgrade to the Marathon, you only save .5 lbs and gain a small amount of tuning, but pay more than double.
I see no reason not to get the air version. With the low pressure high volume system, stiction and leaking are not noticeable. My wife runs this fork as low as 20 psi!
The ECC system makes technical climbs much easier, yet lets you keep a 100mm fork for the way down. Plus, unlike both RS and Manitou's systems, it truely is on the fly. Works great for pavement and fireroads, too.
Break it in by either stairs, curb smashing, or something else before your first trail ride, because it starts out stiff. Sorta like Campagnolo road parts, the good stuff needs and little time before it hits its peak.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Joe
a Cross Country Rider
from Dublin Date Reviewed: April 8, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Denerio in Gran Caneria
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
bikedock.com
Strengths:
Incredibly plush, last forever, ECC (amazing), Stiff, light (3.8 lbs), mega cheap.
Weaknesses:
Not free!!
Similar Products Used:
Z2 Atoms (80mm), Rock Shox SID, Judy.
Bike Setup:
Giant XTC Team
Bottom Line:
GET THIS FORK NOW!!. I have been using the bombers since they came out in 1996, and after a brief (read stupid) switch to RockShox for the hacker, I got the MXC ECC. Judys fall to pieces after 4 spins. Bombers last forever....... The ECC will turn your bike from a 100mm monster to a rigid racer with the flick of the ECC switch.....CLASS....
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Phil Newbould
a Cross Country Rider
from England Date Reviewed: March 30, 2002
Favorite Trail:
West of Ambleside, Lake District
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
Kendal Cycles, Castleford.
Strengths:
Light weight, good looking, air pressure can easily be adjusted with a standard pump, ECC lockout feature excellent for uphills and fast road work.
Weaknesses:
None so far
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
Italian aluminium frame, Mavic X517/LX hubs, Shimano/GT components.
Bottom Line:
Changed from rigid forks to MXC's and was amazed at the difference, far better control and comfort, you can simply ride harder and faster without worrying too much about your obstacles. Set-up can easily be adjusted with a standard cycle pump due to them being a low air pressure design. Excellent value and performance.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
pedro
a Cross Country Rider
from lisbon, portugal Date Reviewed: March 12, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
loja das bicicletas
Strengths:
ecc Cartridge, very stiff and light, locks, beautiful
Weaknesses:
none so far
Similar Products Used:
jett xc, judy xc
Bike Setup:
univega alpina 550, lx derailer
Bottom Line:
great fork for xc and free ride. It has made wonders to my riding
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Irene
a Weekend Warrior
from New Zealand Date Reviewed: March 9, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Craigeburn
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$375.00
Purchased At:
Penny Sport Cycles
Strengths:
Lock Out Plush Travel Durability and reliability
Weaknesses:
Lock out lever snapped in first month(replaced under warranty)
Similar Products Used:
Manitou Spider R
Bike Setup:
Marin Eastpeak '99. Fox Coil over rear Shock. Race face Chain rings, Shimano STX_RC rear derailer, Maxxis tyres.
Bottom Line:
These forks have improved my riding and my confidence 110%. I can't believe what I can ride now and the only thing that has changed is the forks! The geometry of the bike is better also. The difference the lockout makes to my climbing is subtle but any help to climb is good. I recommend these to any one who is contemplating a new fork and is not a weight weeny.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Martin Hauan
a Cross Country Rider
from Aberdeen, Scotland Date Reviewed: February 22, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Loch Avon/Braemar circuit
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$245.00
Purchased At:
Merlin
Strengths:
Much stiffer than the Indy SL's they replaced. Track well and no problems bombing down rough tracks. Climb well.
Weaknesses:
Plastic lock off lever for the EEC distorts and slips around the metal collar it fits on. Used the lock out last week in the Cairngorms and was unable to release when I got back on the flat. Had to use the adjustable on the 'cool tool' to release. Not sure if the lock off had frozen solid and the plastic then just distorted as it was turned. A bit heavy compared with my old SL's.
Similar Products Used:
Indy SL's
Bike Setup:
Univega 970 RAM. Thomson Elite set back seat tube, Viscount VRX race seat (brill!!), Cane Creek ergo bar ends (brill!!), Cane Creek AD5 rear shock, FSA DF instead of the original Ritchey Logic head race, Panracer Fire XC Pro tyres(?)
Bottom Line:
Wish I'd changed my forks years ago. I ride mainly cross country single track and need a product that is bomb proof and dependable. Since changing forks my riding has improved no end, I actually steer the bike now where as the Indy's went where they wonted before. In hind sight I wish I'd spent the extra and got the Marathon as they are about 1 lb heavier than the Indys they replaced. Very good value for the features you get.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andrea Dentini
a Weekend Warrior
from Terni,Italy Date Reviewed: November 27, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Appennino Umbro
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
RuotaLibera
Strengths:
Beautiful, very stiff but light (1.62 kg with alloy steerer). ECC rules, the better way to lock-out a fork.
Weaknesses:
Not yet.
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi Z4 2000, RS Judy TT.
Bike Setup:
Specy Enduro, originally!!!
Bottom Line:
I was thinking about a coil fork to upgrade my Z4 but what fork with lock-out and something like U-Turn for less then 300$? Then I get the MXC-ECC. Marzocchi has done an amazing job. It's light enough and ready with little bump as a coil fatfork 100mm of plush. ECC it's the best way to modify on the run your fork reactions and your bike geometry too. I can now climb as never before without lift up my front wheel. It' like change the fork while you run. If you cannot buy a Psylo 2002 SL (not so cheap and very heavier)or if you want to keep the weight this is your fork!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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