Submitted by
gmartink
a Weekend Warrior
from Arvada, CO, USA Date Reviewed: August 13, 2009
Favorite Trail:
White Ranch
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
A shop
Strengths:
The price, Air Sprung, Stiff for its price, Adjustability, and the pop lock is nice
Weaknesses:
I would have liked it to come out of the box at 130mm but the 100mm has been enough travel. No real weaknesses.
Similar Products Used:
Bomber EXR (I think that was the model)
Bike Setup:
Kona Caldera
Bottom Line:
I love this fork. After blowing out two sets of seals in a Marizochi I got this guy and the first day on the trail was amazing. I ride everything with this and it does not seem to mind. I have hit some dirt jumps, some mild down hill, and lots of stuff in between. The fork is holding up great. I way 180 lbs and the fork eats up the stuff I run over.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
inbredgreasemonkey420
a Cross Country Rider
from Boise, Idaho, USA Date Reviewed: August 13, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Loon Lake Loop
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$75.00
Purchased At:
Paradise Bicycles (M
Strengths:
Awesome value, lockout, air shock at this price, DURABLE.
Weaknesses:
None, period.
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi MZIII (a real pile), RS Recon, Marzocchi RCV 160mm, RS Judy
Bike Setup:
19" On One Inbred HT, Hayes Nines, Deore Shifters, XTR Derailleurs, Ritchey stem and headset,Truativ Crank, Thompson seatpost, WTB Pure Saddle, SRAM X5 Chain, Sunrims Blackeyes
Bottom Line:
For the money, there is no better fork out there. Thank god for SRAM, they have returned Rockshox to the top in suspension designs (at least in XC). I am 6', 200lbs and have a reputation among my friends for being really hard on equipment. But this shock has stood up to all the punishment I can dish out (even some HT downhill) and yet feels plush on the downside and responsive on the uphill. This fork is not for serious DH, but if you're rocking this on a DH track, then odds are that the rest of your equipment won't hold up either (and will probably break before the shock!) Where else can you find an air fork with lockout and durability for this price?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
R0B_Z0MBIE
a Weekend Warrior
from las vegas NV-USA Date Reviewed: January 7, 2009
Favorite Trail:
bootleg canyon
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$209.00
Purchased At:
cambria bikes
Strengths:
design, ease of dialing the fork in, great fork for the price
Weaknesses:
heavy
Bike Setup:
specialized hardrock
Bottom Line:
i weigh 230# and this fork actually works what a great under priced fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
gcurtis
a Cross Country Rider
from Tampa, FL, USA Date Reviewed: December 17, 2008
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$225.00
Purchased At:
Cambria
Strengths:
Responsive, adjustability, ride quality. For the money very hard to beat.
Weaknesses:
probably weight, can completely eliminate all the rebound dampening, but it's not really a problemP
Similar Products Used:
Rock Shox Recon, Fox Talas RL
Bike Setup:
2000 Fisher Sugar 3 XT/LX, with a few upgrades along the way to keep the old girl going fun to ride. Cane Creek Cloud 9 rear shock, Avid BB7 front brake, Rhino Lite rims, better seat, stem, pedals, handlebars etc.
Have the new fork at the 100 mm factory setting.
Bottom Line:
This fork has breathed new life into my old bike, finally replacing the Mars 1 Manitou 80mm. About freaking time...
I've got back to riding two times a week on average the last year and a half, graduating to much tougher trails and putting this old bike through harder riding than I did in the past.
Thought about buying a new bike of course, and have demoed a couple putting in some decent time on an '08 Trek EX9, along with my riding buddies '07 version and a new Fisher HiFi. But I have cheaped out so far adding an upgrade here and there commensurate with the overall value of the bike, but making it more competitive in ride quality compared to new. It's really quite tolerable. Hence the choice of this shock. Can't say that I'm disappointed at all.
Anyone looking for a good performing modern shock to upgrade a lower end stock unit, or an older bike like mine, you can't go wrong with this shock for the blow out prices available. I checked out a bunch of shocks before ordering this one.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jblakegriffin
a Weekend Warrior
from Terre Haute, IN, US Date Reviewed: October 10, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Brown County or Kickapoo
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$209.00
Purchased At:
cambria
Strengths:
Very solid construction. Great value for your dollar. Adjustable travel. Lock out.
Weaknesses:
weight,
Similar Products Used:
rock shox duke. Replaced the Rock Shox Dart 2
Bike Setup:
giant yukon fx. Upgrade the crank with RaceFace DH. With these two major upgrades this bike is Unbeatable for the price.
bike under $900 Race Face DH $200 Tora 318 solo air $209.
Total of $1309
Bottom Line:
Great fork for the price.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Farmer Ted
a Cross Country Rider
from Fort Collins, CO USA Date Reviewed: September 14, 2008
Favorite Trail:
fast and technical
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$185.00
Purchased At:
Cambria
Strengths:
plush ride, very adjustable, fixed floodgate, great damping
Weaknesses:
weight and I wish I could turn the rebound damping completely off...I like a 'boingy' fork on the rebound.
Similar Products Used:
rockshox sid
Bike Setup:
xt hardtail
Bottom Line:
I put together a hardtail this summer for those times when I wanted to ride a hardtail instead of a full suspension bike. I went round and round on what fork to put on it. When I saw Cambria was blowing these out, I decided on the Tora. Although it's a bit heavy, this fork is dynamite! It is incredibly plush, and has the lockout with the fixed floodgate which 'blows off' and allows the fork to activate for big hits when it is locked out. The damping is great and you can even adjust it for up to 130mm of travel if you take it apart and take the spacer out. I've been riding a SID on my Specialized Epic for the last 5 years and this fork works just the same, it's just a bit heavier and doesn't have the negative air chamber. I have absolutely no complaints and if it has the same longevity as my SID, I'll be even happier.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
rtskcp
a Weekend Warrior
from Mendham, NJ, US Date Reviewed: July 4, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Lewis Morris
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$380.00
Purchased At:
Marty's Reliable
Strengths:
Extremely forgiving, pop-lock feature, great price for a solo air shock.
Weaknesses:
A little on the heavy side, air cap on fork is difficult to remove when refilling with air.
Awesome fork, preformance is outstanding compared to the regular Tora 318. Worth the extra money for the upgrade. Have about 60 plus miles on it and have had no problems whatsoever with bottoming out or anything along that line. Can easily adjust stiffness for users weight in seconds. Poplock feautre is a must and makes uphills a breeze. I have heard the Tora line has had a few defects in the past when still getting broken in but have not experienced any problems at all. Fork is great for anyone that rides a 3-4 times a week for a couple hours at a time. I can already see that this fork will be able to take a beating and will last without having to be rebuilt in six months. I strongly recomend this product to anyone looking for a fork under the four/five hundred dollar price range.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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