At just over 4 pounds, it is the lightest coil sprung, 5.5 inch fork on the market. And, thanks to that coil spring and our ultra-refined and patented (RLC) open bath damping system, it is also one of the plushest forks money can buy. There comes a time when you just want to throw marketing jargon out the window and ride. That’s when the vanilla - good old, straight steering, true tracking, velvet smooth vanilla – shines like a diamond.
Submitted by
CrotchRot
a Weekend Warrior
from The OC
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2008
Strengths: Weight, Looks.
Weaknesses: Not plush enough when the going gets rough.
Bottom Line:
I expected better performance from 140mm of coil. I am a longtime Marzocchi fan, that is having to turn to other brands now that they are made as bad as the rest. It is a VERY sad day when I can't rely on Marzocchi anymore. And to make matters worse, no one has stepped up to take their place. I was hoping it was Fox, but this fork feels almost just like the fox air forks I have ridden in the past. Nothing allows you to hold a line through the really nasty stuff like old Marzocchi. Now if I can just find a 2005 Z1 FR1 in great shape on ebay I'll be OK. This forks gonna go.
Submitted by
Dirt Merchant
a Weekend Warrior
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: August 23, 2008
Strengths: Fork performed well right out of the box and is plush with excellent small bump sensitivity. It handled medium sized hits competently. It comes with three springs which makes it convenient to get it set up properly. The weight is very reasonable for the travel, price and performance.
Weaknesses: There is definitely more flex than I would like and for the number of features it is quite pricey. I had durability issues with mine and ended up swapping forks as a result.
Bottom Line:
A very nice fork that works well but it is not suited to more aggressive riders. Besides the noticeable flex I developed a creaking noise where the stanchions meet the crown. This also happened to two of my riding buddies who were riding Vanillas. It may be that the heat and humidity of Singapore play havoc with the press fit. The local Fox distributor was good about fixing the problem (not a cheap fix either) but the fix would only last a few months before the creak would come back. My new fork (A Marzocchi AM3) is not nearly as plush or active but it is much stiffer (and heavier!) and I have not had any durability issues.
Similar Products Used: Marzocchi coil offerings like the Z-1.
Bike Setup: Santa Cruz Chameleon hardtail with the usual mishmash of Shimano parts.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
clarky78
a Weekend Warrior
from Nottingham, England
Date Reviewed: June 11, 2008
Strengths: Adjustment's are effective, sometime's feel quite smooth
Weaknesses: Flexy, rattly, inconsistent
Bottom Line:
At first these forks are kinda stiff and need bedding in, but then the start to rattle over small bumps like the bushings are loose. I'm forever trying to determine if my headset is loose. This seems to be a known problem as TFT mention a workaround they do on there website.
They can be pretty plush usually, don't feel like they anything close to 5.5" of travel though.. Kinda odd, they feel too stiff over small stuff, to soft over big stuff. Being a longtime FS rider I don't concern myself to much as at the end of the day I dont have any rear suspension on this bike so I cant hit anything to big anyway.
Up hill stomping proves these flex, my disc brake scrubs when i lean the bike over, same goes for quick turns, just riding in a straight line and making a quick flick makes the brakes rub and doesnt feel very responsive. Also tuck under when braking. I do feel that they are just to skinny, and would consider maybe 36's as a minimum. Heck they even made my Shiver's feel stiff and that's saying something!!
Despite all this i'm going to give them 3 chilli's because the damping adjusters are good and they sometimes absorb thing like roots completely which is good..
Similar Products Used: Rock Shox Indy SL, Marzocchi Z1 (original), Shiver, Boxxer 151
Bike Setup: Marin Rocky Ridge 08 Stock
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Patrick MICHEL
a Weekend Warrior
from Bloomfield, MI
Date Reviewed: May 4, 2008
Strengths: Good solid Fork, the bare minimum features (Coil, Rebound & pre-compression) mean less parts = less that can go wrong. Comes with 3 springs, nice when you weigh 210lbs. Very easy to change settings while riding (impossible on OEM RockShox Judy J2 you had to stop to change any settings)
Weaknesses: The only thing I changed was to remove the blue FOX stickers as I like my bike BLACK and don't really care to show off what fork I have.
Bottom Line:
Very good fork, feels so much stronger than the OEM RockShox Judy J2 that came with the TREK Fuel 70. Has more travel (140mm) than I really need, but the overall bike handling in the technical parts is really improved. Now that I have a good fork in the front it makes the Rear shock "feel" like it could use an upgrade.
Similar Products Used: Upgraded from the Stock RockShox Judy J2 that broke (plastic ring in damper) after three years.
Bike Setup: Trek Fuel 70, Fox Vanilla 32 R, RockShox Bar (original with Trek Fuel 70....
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Joseph Velasco
a Weekend Warrior
from Manila, Philippines
Date Reviewed: April 24, 2008
Strengths: Fox quality, light and mid priced. Plush springs, reliable. Post mount and cable lock. 140mm travel!!! looks great.
Weaknesses: expensive for us tight budget riders.
Bottom Line:
my first fox fork. Never knew quality forks performed so good. my first fork was an rst gila, it was very heavy and the springs were so stiff. then the xcr performed a bit better. But the vanilla is smooth. Very simple and easy to use. Less adjustments means less things to go wrong. The basics of mtb forks is in the vanilla. For me, I don't need lock-out and other adjustments yet.
Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Phoenix, AZ
Date Reviewed: February 8, 2008
Strengths: This fork is solid. I'm 6'2" 210lbs, installed the green springs (the stiffest) and this thing just eats up everything...smooth as silk...very plush...great quality.
Weaknesses: None so far
Bottom Line:
Low maintenance all purpose fork, very high quality and very light...provides great control. Looks great on your bike and inspires confidence on the trails. If you're looking for the best coil fork, buy the Fox Vanilla R. I'd recommend it to anyone. I'm giving it 4 Flamin' Chilis because of the price. It's not cheap, but it is Fox so you're getting the best. It gets 5 Flamin' Chilis for the overall rating...fork performs brilliant.
Bike Setup: Jamis Dakar XLT - Fox Vanilla R - Fox Float R rear shock - Shimano LX crankset, derailleurs and shifters - EA70 riser bar & seatpost - WTB comp head set - Crappy Hayes Hydro brakes
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Alright I am about to grab a new fork. I have a dumb question that I cannot find a great answer to, so I need to ask you genius folks.
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