Similar Products Used: psylo xc,Z1 wedges and Junior T
Bike Setup: santa cruz bullitw/5th element,raceface everything,mavic deemax (f+r) M4's
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Submitted by
James
a Weekend Warrior
from UK
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2003
Strengths: They look great, feel even better, strong, surprisingly light, plush, made by marzocchi!
Weaknesses: none, except they make the back end of your bike feel like a rock! oh, and the instruction manual is confusing, but they're set up nice from the box anyway.
Bottom Line:
Great forks. Shame you can't buy em new anymore! Better than forks you would buy for more.
Submitted by
Milkman
a Downhiller
from North Shore
Date Reviewed: September 30, 2002
Strengths: Super plush and very strong
Weaknesses: Came with too little oil.
Bottom Line:
Best fork I've ever had. Handles everything well. It bottomed a little off anything over 3ft after I first got it, but after topping off the oil and adjusting the preload it works great. Great fork for the Shore. No compliants.
Bike Setup: Cove Stiffee, Hayes, Race Face, XT, etc
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Submitted by
Hardcore
a Downhiller
from Germany
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2002
Strengths: - loads of travel - fast response - cool design
Weaknesses: - creaks - cracks
Bottom Line:
Don't buy, because if it starts to crack and creak NOONE will ever help you. Marzocchi Service is worse than all nightmares together. They don't want to help with problems. Can't understand their good image. Losers! If the fork works it's one of the best!
Similar Products Used: RST, Rock Shox, Headshok, ...
Bike Setup: Brodie Evolution (Hardcore Style)
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Submitted by
Tom
a Weekend Warrior
from chris_warrington@yahoo.com
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2002
Strengths: Smooth and bloody strong
Weaknesses: You must be having a lough
Bottom Line:
Best fork single crown fok i have ridden and especially good value,but if you,re a bigginer or don't do anything narly then its a waste of money but if you,re like me and go big the by these sweet babes.
Bike Setup: Saracen frame,halo's,magura hs33,z1 drop off,dmr speed guide
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Submitted by
Dougal
from sunny lichfield, uk
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2002
Strengths: 0 flex, large amounts of travel, well constructed, low maintainence
Weaknesses: maybe a little heavy? but then again, weight means strength and you aint gonna be breaking these
Bottom Line:
having used a pair of ironically named 'fly light' z5's and been less than impressed by their crap travel, weight of a tank etc.. i thought i'd been put off bombers for life... picked up a pair of these when buying a new cannodale and was convinced. first ride out fo the box was impressive enough and they just get better and better. plenty of adjustability and the forks respond to anything from the smallets to largest of hits. if your bike and wallet can take it, buy them, if not, buy them anyway.
Submitted by
Jan Machac
a Weekend Warrior
from Czech Republic
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2002
Strengths: Function! ... and it looks cool...
Weaknesses: Not available with the QR20Plus in my country... The workmanship of the sliders isn't prefect, but it will be damaged soon anyway...
Bottom Line:
The best performing Bomber I've ever ridden. Even Jr.T (2000) doesn't absorb little bumps so good... The new floating speed sensitive valve works really cool. It isn't lightweight thing, but who cares when it works so fine. Adjustability is very good too and my new softest springs are really "the best stupid thing I've ever bought for my bike";-)) I like things that work hard. I love this fork. Good for anyone that wants 5 inches of buttery travel and full adjustability at a sweet price.
Bike Setup: Benest Freelander (steel freeride frame with 12cm of travel), XSIV DBH1 discs, SRAM etc...
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Submitted by
David
from England
Date Reviewed: April 5, 2002
Strengths: 1) The Z1 drop off is bloody sloid in its build. 2) Single crown fork which comes with 130mm (5in). 3)And i got them for £250 on sale from close to £300 in 2001!
Weaknesses: None that i can think of at the mo, but i have only had the fork for about 6 months, but none so far.
Bottom Line:
This fork is a good buy for its price, good travel for a single crown fork. Can be used for any MTB aspects (within reason).
Submitted by
Liz Dower
a Weekend Warrior
from Manchester (UK)
Date Reviewed: February 26, 2002
Strengths: SMOOOOOTH...even before they had bedded in they were taking outalmost everything I could throw at them, and now, it just takes everything out. They give no brake flutter (unlike my old white bros.), and they are solid as hell.
Weaknesses: Bed in time...sure it'd be nice if all products would work perfect out of the box, but it ain't gonna happen!! Also, I had a little trouble fitting my CONEX head plug into the steel steerer (the id of the tube was slightly undersize), so I had to modify my steel CONEX with the claws off my ally one to get it to fit.
Bottom Line:
I was a little concerned about getting these forks for 2 reasons:
1: They are a single crown, and I was used to tripples.
2: They are a longer travel fork than my old pair. I was worried about the change in ride possition since it has taken me about 3 years to get a bike that fits me well.
Well, as for the number of crowns, they are nore solid than my old tripples, and give another inch of travel, oh yeah, and they are way easier to fit and remove (obviousely).
And as for the ride possition, well, its better now than it was.
All in all, for the money, an excellent 5" fork. For the extra money, the Z1 Free ride is NOT worth it in my mind as all you get is a remote lockout. (sure its VERY useful, but not worth the extra layout). This is my first pair of bombers, and I don't think I will ever buy another manufacturer again!
Similar Products Used: White bros DC118, manitou magnum R.
Bike Setup: 1999 Specialised Rockhopper A1 Comp frame, full XT groupset, shi*mano 636 spd peddles, mavic 521 rims on XT hubs.
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Submitted by
Ricardo Santos
a Weekend Warrior
from Portugal
Date Reviewed: December 12, 2001
Strengths: smooooooth, stifffffyyy, good lookin' sucker
Weaknesses: nopss, sorry!
Bottom Line:
Best single crown long travel fork there has ever been.Not to expensive not to heavy.Still waiting for the longer spring set to upgrade it to 130mm (5 inch travel).These forks come with 110mm travel stock :((Found it out on the first stairs)Bottoms out almost as easily as my old Z4 with 100mm travel.Hope this problem ends when I exchange springs...
Favorite Trail: could tell u but had 2 kill u next
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Purchased At: maiacycles.com
Similar Products Used: MXR, MXC,z4 01' with springs, 01' z1 dropoff, 01' jr T, shiver DC I could go on, I have the previlege of working in a bike shop :))
Bike Setup: Sunn xchox alu 98, Z!, maguras....
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Submitted by
Jeff
a Racer
from Littleton CO, USA
Date Reviewed: October 20, 2001
Strengths: -smootheness of travel -adjustability -weight...(for the application) -duriblity thus far MCR
Weaknesses: -either too soft of springs or too soft of oil...I bottom on anything over 6 feet
Bottom Line:
Great fork for DS for the majority of us, very forgiving, doesnt bottom on the trail ever, with a little mechanical ability is very adjustable. Only problem is it bottoms over anything 6 feet or bigger, true I have some tuning to do to it, but just excpect this. No fork is going to be perfect for everything. Honostly, my ideal fork is a Super T 170 mm w/the extension control cartridge, and the option to ride it at 135mm of travel. To me that is perfect. For now the Z1 is sweet for DS, DJ, and it does a respectable job over drops. The best single crown, 5 inch travel fork out.
Favorite Trail: it wouldnt be my fav. if I told u...
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Purchased At: Santa Cruz
Similar Products Used: Z3 QR-20, SID SL, Judy XC, Judy Race, SX, SX-R, Mars Elite, Shiver *quick ride, 02 Super T *quick ride
Bike Setup: 02 Bullit...fun stuff
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Submitted by
D R
a Weekend Warrior
from Hades
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2001
Strengths: Now I believe what others have said all along...try Marzocchi. Although I haven't h ad it very long, the first ride was awesome. No squeaky monkey noises from the fork! The fork I bought is actually a Z1 Wedge(110-130" travel) fewer adjustment knobs than others but has preload adj. the Judy Race I had always made weird noises (squeaks & clicks)had it checked by my LBS, they said it's fine. Yeah the fork absorbs bumps but instead of a "fine" fork I'll take the spectacular Marzocchi Z1!
Weaknesses: will let y'all know if anything happens even remotely out of the ordinary
Bottom Line:
Marzocchi z1 EXCELLENT, all previous others LACKLUSTER