Submitted by
The Boatman
a Cross Country Rider
from Denia, Spain
Date Reviewed: November 10, 2011
Strengths: Reliable, low maintenance, strong
Weaknesses: Lock out failed within 3 months, Heavy
Bottom Line:
Came with my 08 GT Avelanche 1.0 disc and are really not that bad. Good value for money. For riding cross country it's a capable fork. Not the best feedback but if you set the preload to your liking then it will talk to you enough to get by. Forget the lock out it's pants. I am getting old so I don't do big drops any more but I do give these forks some serious prolonged rock and root abuse and they are still going strong three years on. They bottom out even over small drops which is worrying until you get used to the horrible clanging noise. If you are doing any serious downhill or big rock work then you will need something better.
All in all a capable XC fork that will serve you well, (Forgetting the guaranteed lockout failure, which with the preload adjusted will not effect your climbing)
Similar Products Used: Marzocchi, Rock Shox, Manitou, Fox
Bike Setup: 08 GT Avelanche 1.0 disc (stock)
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
jeff
a Cross Country Rider
from danville,ca
Date Reviewed: August 23, 2011
Strengths: shock always works. I've ridden the crap out of it and to me it still works perfectly, probably 'cause I haven't ridden anything better. rebound adjuster
Weaknesses: lock out doesn't work. I can't take the coils out anymore 'cause the screws stuck
Bottom Line:
Its okay. not the best not the worst. One guy said the rebound is slow. YOU CAN ADJUST IT.
Submitted by
Daemongrad
a Weekend Warrior
from Brockville, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 23, 2010
Strengths: Fully adjustable, light, inexpensive,
Weaknesses: none really for the price, can't complain when you don't pay for more.
Bottom Line:
Awesome. Have had them since a couple weeks into good riding season, alot of XC and all mountain usage, drops(2-5 feet), stairs... about every city and country terrain there is have been put to these forks and they take it... lock out is spongey if you lock it out with sag in the forks, but is like a solid fork if you pop up the front before you lockout.
They recently went downhilling at camp fortune, and though I can't say I did any of the huge drops, they responded very well through the various types of mountainous/downhill terrain as well. I rode out at the end of the day with some cuts/stabs and bruising, but the shocks still work well!
4 chilis would be my overall, but after surviving some real downhill and considering price, these babies are now a 5 chili, earth absorbing machine!
Strengths: its not that expensive and it has lock out
Weaknesses: lock out doesnt really work, when i turn it on and sit on the bike it sinks. When i pedal with it on it sinks even more. The fork bends where it meets the bottom of the shocks when you brake hard with the front brake.
Bottom Line:
good fork but it doesnt seem to have a very solid feel but good for entry level. Rebound is not the fastest. I cant complain tho cause I got the bike for free for Christmas. I am gonna take it to my LBS and see if they and tighten it up and fix the lock out.
Submitted by
me5s
a Cross Country Rider
from Jim Thorpe, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2010
Strengths: Cheap, pretty light
Weaknesses: Long travel on lockout, no on the fly
Bottom Line:
Its an entry level fork and a good spare. Its not SID, so do not expect the responsiveness of SID or the on the fly adjustability. If you are riding serious XC you would never want this fork, but for easy singles and doubles it is a fine fork. As a past poster reported you must keep it clean and lubed, but you must do that with any fork if you want reliability. All in all, pretty good fork for the weekend warrior like my wife; why are you even looking at it for your primary if you are a serious rider?
Bike Setup: Alpha Black hardtail, ChrisKing threadless Headset, Thompson stem, Easton MonkeyLite XC, Salsa Delgado XC Rims and post, Conti-Mountain King Tires.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Tilden
a Cross Country Rider
from NSW Australia
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2010
Strengths: Soft Fork for XC use
Weaknesses: A little bit out of the price range for what I've got so far
Bottom Line:
This is a great fork,It is my first fork with lockout and Proper rebound adjust and Pre-load Adjust. It is a very soft fork and I haven't noticed any oil leakage yet which may happen according to other reviewers.Considering it was the first fork I bought(I have been using stock forks but changing bikes thanks to Ebay)I was curious if I was being ripped of or not, but the people sold it to me are good blokes and great with customer care. Is this normal,are all forks that expensive for what they are limited to doing. Even if it is a DT Swiss or a fox Fork. Of course these are going to be more expensive than dart 3 but are they still very expensive considering to what they are limited to doing.
Similar Products Used: Recon,Tora,M29(even though its an air foirk)
Bike Setup: Avanti Atomic
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
showdog525
a Weekend Warrior
from Bremerton, Wa, USA
Date Reviewed: February 15, 2010
Strengths: Has great features for a entry level shock.
Weaknesses: make sure you use proper size bolts for disc brake mount the holes stipout easily. other than that like problem they are great.
Bottom Line:
Good shock if you take care of it. These are definitely not for HARDCORE but they are real good for rougher trails and small jumps I'm about 200lbs myself and they work great for me.
Similar Products Used: marzocchi bombers, SRsuntour
Bike Setup: Specialized stumpjumper pro M4
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Dimalinch
a Weekend Warrior
from Vancouver, WA USA
Date Reviewed: February 11, 2010
Strengths: Travel, Lockout, Rebound, Weight
Weaknesses: Durability, freeze up in temperatures lower than 35F
Bottom Line:
These came with my 08 trek 6000. they lasted longer than the frame! These are not meant for anything extreme, If you are doing anything risky, then invest in something that will hold up. they bent on me, reducing the travel to about 30mm.
Bike Setup: Trek 09 8500 Frame, RockShox Tora 302, Sram X-5 Derailer set, Avid BB5 disc brakes, Hellbent Handlebars
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
shilka
a Cross Country Rider
from Indonesia
Date Reviewed: January 4, 2010
Strengths: Good rebound, stong, feel easy to take manuver, very2 GREAT VALUE PRICE
Weaknesses: Lock out movement rather long, should be better about <1 cm
Bottom Line:
Suntour epicon 120 mm more comfort at easy terrain with softly rebound. But overall dart 3 is give more advantages, strong, durable, good pop lock, very2 GREAT VALUE PRICE FOR entry level fork.
Submitted by
MTBERMISS
a Cross Country Rider
from Mississippi
Date Reviewed: January 2, 2010
Strengths: 120MM of travel is very rare for a entry level fork. The fork offers a lockout and fully adjustable rebound.
Weaknesses: None after one year and hundreds of miles of use.
Bottom Line:
The 120 mm of travel from a cheap entry level fork is pretty good. The fork is tough and will work well with 6 feet or less jumps. The lockout and adjustable rebound makes it extremely easy to climp hills.
Similar Products Used: Rock Shoc Recon U-turn 351 Full lockout and a Manitou 100mm travel
Bike Setup: Motobecane Fantom Trail Sub 24 pound hardtail. Full XT components. EXTREMELY LIGHT and CHEAP Selcof stem, seatpost, and handlebars bought on ebay.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
jlesser
a Cross Country Rider
from new hope, mn, USA
Date Reviewed: November 19, 2009
Strengths: the only strength that comes to mind with this fork is that it holds the wheel to the frame
Weaknesses: zero control over fork. this fork will do what it wants to do. lockout sucks. compression inconsistant. If you plan on riding in any cooler conditions, this fork locks up Rock solid.
Submitted by
danielnc06
a Weekend Warrior
from charlotte, nc
Date Reviewed: November 15, 2009
Strengths: good travel, soft ride, decent spring rate. compression and rebound adjustment
Weaknesses: lockout still allows 1-2cm of movement.
Bottom Line:
good entry level fork for a light, cheap build. the compression and rebound adjustments are great and have a wide range of adjustment for my weight(140lbs).adjustment is sensitive but works. took a few rides to get it right. overall for the price it is a great little shock and rides well on trails. if your wanting a well built, rebuildable, cheap, entry-level fork, Buy It!
Submitted by
Dark Bike
a Cross Country Rider
from Boston
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2009
Strengths: Preload, Lockout, absorbs most trail trash easy enough
Weaknesses: mushy, and randomly decides not to travel enough
Bottom Line:
The Dart 3 is good for what it is, and entry level component. For blazing down some mildly rough single track it works well, though I had to crank down the preload.
But for anyone who can ride a little harder than the beginner, this fork is a death trap. Almost killed me a few times, now I just avoid jumping over things. Fork isn't responsive enough on large obstacles. I would recommend just getting a better fork.
Bike Setup: Motobecane Fantom Trail, Shimano components, Ritchey Bar and Seat Post, MTB Wheelset, JagWire Derailleur lines, Juicy Avid Disc Brakes
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
KinglyRider
a Cross Country Rider
from Chichester
Date Reviewed: August 22, 2009
Strengths: Cheap, Strong and Reliable when cared for.
Weaknesses: Flexy at times and sticks in the cold and wet.
Bottom Line:
I don't quite understand what people want from these forks, they retail for about £115 which put them very much in the entry level bracket.
Your not going to see sickening performance from a fork like this. They served me well though that's for sure. Slacken the preload and make sure you clean and lube the dust seals every ride it makes a world of difference.
I've had no problems with maintenance I understand that the early 08 models that went out were riddled with problems and Rockshox recalled loads of them. 09 seem fine to me though. I'd go for these if your in the market for a sub £130 fork they're tougher than most other entry level forks.
Hey,
I'd like to service my Dart 3 sl, change the oil, clean the seals/dust wiper, etc. I can't find a service guide anywhere. Has anyone done it before? Fork is feeling pretty Read More »
Hi I have a 2010 Trek 3700 thats seen quite a few intermediate- advanced singletracks and trails. Some with big rocky sections, some fast rolling medium pack. I have some money to Read More »
I have a dart 3 that is plush in warm weather, but gets really stiff in cold weather.
Is this just because its a dart 3 and not a super high-end shock, or is there a way to fix Read More »
I have a Dart 3 that is locking with the the lockout off, but not all the time. Any idea what could be causing it other than the obvious, that it's a crappy fork? That's why it is Read More »
I was checking out my old fork and I measured it's travel, and it shows nearly 115mm of travel. Specialized website says its 100mm, and my new fork is 100mm. 15mm looks like quite Read More »
