| |
Submitted by
Q
a Cross Country Rider
from Northern Virginia
Date Reviewed: October 13, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Cambria | | Strengths: | Light, reliable | | Weaknesses: | Noticeable flex, less noticeable damper, plastic hardware | | Similar Products Used: | Rock Shox Indys | | Bike Setup: | hardtail | | Bottom Line: | Good low travel (63mm) fork for XC hardtails, with few reliability issues in terms of frequency of maintenance, or lack thereof... When I first got my SLs I installed Speed Springs, so it felt soft and smooth overall, especially compared to when I went back to the stock parts (I had gained weight). The elastomers are ok, but definitely not the natural feel of coiled springs.
I really wished they had designed it with more metal hardware -- aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, anything instead of plastic! The low profile, plastic top cap design just plain sucked. I don't know who came up with it, but what works as a water bottle does not work as a bolt. They are like butter to tools and can easily lose threads on reinstallation. Anyway, it never effected ride (no top cap liftoff), but still an issue when it came time for upkeep. The dampability is not really that noticeable, and the bright yellow paintjob is not everyone's idea of attractive or even tolerable, but neither ever actually hurt performance.
Despite its flaws it has lasted for years. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dmitry
a Cross Country Rider
from San Francisco
Date Reviewed: March 22, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | JensenUSA | | Strengths: | Reliable, resilient fork. Simply bomb proof. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Merlin frame, spinergy spox, xtr moving parts, raceface cranks. | | Bottom Line: | I got this fork 10 years ago. I raced on it for a couple of years, commuted to work, went on countless mountain and road trips and ... forgot about cleaning it. I think I opened it once or twice to apply judy butter for lubrication, that's it. It feels great, I still do like to take it through rough trails and it handles as good as new. I can't believe this fork still functions. I am waiting for something wrong to happen so I can get a new fork, but it doesn't look like it shows any kind of weakness. If you get it - your are stuck with it for a while. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jay
a
from Oahu
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Still alive 7 years later! | | Weaknesses: | Could be alot plusher but overall no big weakness. | | Bike Setup: | Litespeed Obed | | Bottom Line: | The fact that this shock is still functioning like the day I bought it say it all. All the new technology is discouraging when a $600 fork blows out after 6 months. I want parts that I can put on and forget about...The 97 Judy has been old faithful. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Panayot Nakov
a Weekend Warrior
from Sofia,Bulgaria
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Bay Krustio, Vitosha | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | Second Hand | | Strengths: | Durable as HELL; Plush; Veeery light; | | Weaknesses: | Flex(kind of remedied with a better hub)
Damn damping is not too tuneable. | | Similar Products Used: | Suntour-used; Tested alot of stuff(almost everything that's worth it) | | Bike Setup: | Peugeot ALU hardtail, Judy SL97, Crappy Shimano drivetain, Nokian Gazzaloddi front tire(2.3)-helps the Judy a lot;) | | Bottom Line: | A very very tough fork. So far I did 3 head on, full speed hard impacts with it - all of them to complete stop. The fork hasn't moved a bit(although, that didn't save my forehead from being slammed into a truck, with the first headon crash:))! The crown does some funny creaking noise that bothers me. There is flex - not lots, but easily noticeable, but hey, at 1.2kg this fork is as solid as should be expected for such a lightweight thing! The springs are replaced so now it has 100mm springs and 50mm MCU instead of 100mm MCU and 50mm springs, but the current springs are too soft for me, I'm a heavy guy(85kg).
For me, this for is a dream for XC racing - it's light, and moreover, it's dependable. My advice: if you ride XC buy one if you can - you wont regret it!!! Hopefully i'll run a Psylo soon, but i'll never sell my Judy.
Bottom line - excellent XC, but has stood pretty well to my numerous DH abuses!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg Weflen
a Downhiller
from Calgary, Alberta
Date Reviewed: October 27, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Vedder Mtn., B.C. | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Brad's Cycle, Chilliwack, B.C. | | Strengths: | Weight, looks, seviceability | | Weaknesses: | Wearability, tuneability | | Bike Setup: | GT Pantera hard tail, XTRC, and so on... | | Bottom Line: | The shock is basicaly O.K. for XC type riding, but once you get onto some rough downhill stuff WATCH OUT! They flex (even when new) and control can be an issue if it is cold out. The bushings wear out fast! You have got to be into maintainance to keep these shocks healthy. Overall, though, a pretty good set-up on my bike. I use it on all sorts of terrain and it has not exploded or anything like other reviewers claim, perhaps they don't use elbows once they have front suspension!! Three flamers (no more, no less) This shock came on the bike when I bought it, but I don't think that I would buy it aftermarket (way too $$$) Go with one like a Bomber for the price. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
MathewZZZ
a Cross Country Rider
from CA
Date Reviewed: April 24, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Nice looking, I bought it @ cheap price | | Weaknesses: | After 2 years it beant around like a noodle. Way to much flex. | | Bottom Line: | Nice fork for about 2 years. By that time start thinking of another fork. Realy nice looking but not worth the flex at all. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Neven Vulich
a Racer
from Croatia
Date Reviewed: March 22, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | downhill | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Plush.
Travel.
Weight (1.3 kg) | | Weaknesses: | Flex. | | Similar Products Used: | lots of RST-s
RockShox SID
and a lot more | | Bike Setup: | KHS Alite 4000 XT-XTR | | Bottom Line: | Very good fork for racing, lightweight and veeeeeery good
for dropoffs and stuff. And I got it very cheap ... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
sockBoy
a Weekend Warrior
from tn
Date Reviewed: March 3, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | yip yo | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Good performance if upgraded. 97 have flaws that work in your benefit. | | Weaknesses: | sucks out of Box, stock cartridge is very weak. | | Similar Products Used: | ATTENTION ALL 97 JUDY SL OWNERS, there is a design flaw in the 97 one piece slider assembly. Mine broke and RS sent me a NEW 98 set with disk tabs and NEW SEALS BOOTS, WIPERS, AND BUSHINGS FOR FREE!!!! | | Bottom Line: | ATTENTION ALL 97 JUDY SL OWNERS, there is a design flaw in the 97 one piece slider assembly. Mine broke and RS sent me a NEW 98 set with disk tabs and NEW SEALS, CART. , BOOTS, WIPERS, AND BUSHINGS FOR FREE!!!! thats customer service.There was an agreement to replace all broken 97 assemblies in order to avoid suit, best of all it took less then a WEEK!!! for RS, usual turnaround is a month or more. So basically I got a new fork for free. So, I suggest that all of you who have a 97 on piecer to ride the hell outta them to break the arch in ANY way shape or fashion, and trade that puppy (free of charge) for a practically brand new fork. I use speedseals, hydracoil springs,and 80mm carts with plenty of slick honey ....MAN what a sweet fork!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bay
a Weekend Warrior
from Bothell, WA
Date Reviewed: November 2, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
St Edwards | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Light wt., many upgrade parts | | Weaknesses: |
Poor seals, poor qualitiy anodizing, fast wear, too much maintenance, poor shock damping, blew the preload adjuster, MCU & spring??? 1) The seals do not seat tightly; allowing water to enter the fork.2) Water and mud in the fork cause rapid wear of the anodizing on the stantions.3) The worn stantions present too much forward and backward play. This can be hairy when you try to rip a curved berm.4) Beacause of the poor seal the maintenance become an issue you cannot ignore. Rebuilds and cleaning after every other ride. I didn't buy a fork to nurse it. I bought the fork to ride.5) The shock needs some help. I can never find enough damping. Where are you my little shock?6) The plastic sping perch in the preload adjuster snapped after a big hit. I needed to upgrade to the Rockshox Al preload.7) I could never adjust the MCU and spring combination. I never felt right. I replaced it with single steel springs. | | Similar Products Used: |
Rockshox XL, XC, White Brother SC90, Manitou SXR, Marzocchi Z2 | | Bike Setup: |
Kona King Kikapu, Fox Amp 5R rear shock | | Bottom Line: | I am 5'-11, 210 lbs and I would not recommend this fork to anyone my size. If you're 200 lbs and ride hard; look some place other than a light wt Rockshox SL. It's too wimpy and too much work for a tiny performance. It wore out too quickly and required maintenance after every other ride!!! I have finally determined the shock have so much clearance; I can use 30 wt synth. oil and get the best performance damping. It's never felt better! Forget the 5-10 wt oil, the seals never worked and will allow water to mix. This give you nothing but grief and stickly fork performance. I'm using 80 wt synth. gear oil in the stantions. This stuff will keep on performing under water. I figured I have 0.015 wear in the bushing and stantion; this is more than enough clearance for 80 wt synth. oil. With the oil performing, the fork never felt smoother. (Note: I do not recommend these modifications for the new or tight fitted forks.) I also use a liberal coating of England bee hive grease. The upper seals to the bushings are packed with this grease. The preload adjuster broke after a big hit. I had to replace these with the Al preload adjuster. I changed the MCU sping combination to just a single spring. I get more progressive action from the fork and better low speed bump and high speed drop-in preformance. This is just too much work to tune the darn thing for such small performance gains. I've got it working but it's not going to last. The way the seals perform and the wear I see on the stantions; the performance modifications I have make, will fade quickly. I do not recommend this fork. I've ordered a new Marzocchi Z2. I saw a Marzocchi fork being dissassembled. The oil in the fork still looked like oil. The Rockshox oil look like mud and metal filings. I think Rockshox need to improve the plating, anodizing, seals and make the stantions thicker. I know this will defeat the purpose of light wt. ...but it will improve the reliability. ...and it will be a different fork.I have two other rockshox on my bikes. The XL have suffered shock disfunction and required some tuning by the bike shop to fit my riding. The XC is on my wifes bike and it seems to work, OK. My wife is 5'-3 and 110 lbs on a good day. She's not going to strain the equipment. Rockshox, if you're reading this; please build a light wt. higher reliability shock for the heavier stronger riders. I don't need a sub-3 lbs fork that don't perform and require a lot of maintenance. I wouldn't mind a 3-1/4 lbs fork that performs, with less maintenance and higher reliability. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
chris
a Racer
from corvallis, OR
Date Reviewed: October 22, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Light | | Weaknesses: |
Durability | | Similar Products Used: |
PACE RC-36, Manitou SXR & SX, Y2K Judy SL, Marzocchi bombers, | | Bike Setup: |
Judy SL with Englund Air Cartridge kit | | Bottom Line: | These forks, with the Englund air cartridges, are pretty good. They weigh less than 3 lb, and feel great - nice n active. BUT the fork has a flaw, and that is in the durability % seals. They were fine for a couple of months, then all hell breaks loose! The seals let in a bit of water, wear away the bushing, then lets in more water as the legs rock forwards and backwards. Got new seals (took over 3 months to get some), and new bushings (same time). All nice and new on first ride. After two weeks of riding, the bushings are shot again. God only knows what will happen when the rain starts. As standard, these forks should be shot. But with the upgrade, they become reasonable if you just use them for racing (ie don't ride them too often - they can't handle it. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Blake S.
a Racer
from Fayetteville, AR
Date Reviewed: October 22, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
Plush
Lots of travel
Lite | | Weaknesses: |
Flexes a little | | Similar Products Used: |
Monitou Ti | | Bottom Line: | This is almost perfect racing fork. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
AZBiker
a Weekend Warrior
from Pinetop, AZ
Date Reviewed: October 19, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Los Burros | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
This shock is a typical RockShox product - really OK. Not great, but OK. I had the 80mm Long Travel version and it worked pretty good for the two years I had it. | | Weaknesses: |
Those plastic caps that hold the elastomer-spring stacks are high-speed projectiles if you come down too fast and too hard. Actually drew blood when it hit my face. RockShox said never heard of that before - BS. I've talked to several who had the same experience. The cartridge held up for two years (!), not like my '95 XC which went through four until I replace them with a Risse Gem / Speed Springs combo. When the cartridge gave up the ghost, it did with a BANG - litteraly. Blew apart spewing oil like a whale clearing its blow hole. Pretty cool, actually. | | Similar Products Used: |
RockShox XC, RockShox XL, Marzocchi Z2 BAM. | | Bike Setup: |
Y-50 with a Stratos Pro rear shock w/lockout. | | Bottom Line: | Again, this shock is OK. Not great, not bad (compared to some), just OK. Two years under my lard butt and only two major failures (top cap projectile and cartridge explosion). | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeremy Littleton
a Cross-Country Rider
from Raleigh, NC
Date Reviewed: September 8, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
iron mountain trails | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Lightweight, appearance, stability | | Weaknesses: |
none just yet | | Similar Products Used: |
Indy XC's, Indy C's, Marzocchi Z2 Bam, Juxy XC's | | Bike Setup: |
98 Trek 7000 | | Bottom Line: | These shocks are unbelievable!! They work perfect for my style of riding, not too plush yet still well enough equipped to handle anything on the trail. I got a great deal on them too, only $200!! I strongly recommend these shocks to anyone who needs a lightweight, durable fork. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
alex
a Weekend Warrior
from New York
Date Reviewed: July 20, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
light | | Weaknesses: |
it is weak, it bottoms out easily, the cartidge blows like nothing. I don't like it in any way. It doesn't suit my style of riding | | Bike Setup: |
specialized stumpjumper 16.5.
Judy SL | | Bottom Line: | I don't suggest this product. RockShock ripped off its customers, for a shitty fork. My friend cracked his, which shows it weakness. I cracked the cartredge within the first month. I feel the '96 was a better fork. I am going to switch to a marzzochi | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lee Norton
a Racer
from St. Catharines, Ontario
Date Reviewed: July 19, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
light weight, but not 2.65 lbs more like 3 lbs | | Weaknesses: |
Flexy
Type II internals don't work as well as other designs.
Damper has history of blowing up - leaking | | Similar Products Used: |
Amp Fork F3C
Rock Shox Mag 21 | | Bike Setup: |
Norco Torrent hardtail
XT with Cane Creek wheelset | | Bottom Line: | The fork is light at about 3 lbs. The Type II spring system was good for the mid 90's, but has now been surpassed by numerous other manufacturers. The Rock Shox damper has a deserved history as being unreliable. It's range of damping is also minimal. The fork is stiff enough for uphill and level ground riding for most people. If you start riding at higher speeds such as when the trail points downward, stiffening the fork will pay bid dividends. Stiffness is a problem with a lot of forks leading the way to oversize hubs/axles, triple clamp designs, etc. A brake booster can also help stiffen the fork.I would only recommend this fork if purchased at a discount by someone willing to do the following:Throw away the stock internals and replace with either springs and something like the White Brothers damping cartridge, or with an Englund Air kit, which if you want to keep the weight down, is recommended. (See my review under Englund Air Kits.) With the Englund kit and Judy SL you will have a good sub 3 lb fork that you will be able to tune (independent compression, rebound and spring settings), rebuild, and repair yourself without special tools.Install a good stiff carbon fiber brake booster as this will also add torsional stiffness to the fork. I made my own from ¼ aluminum plate as most models in the market are not designed for torsional or twisting motion. Mine weighs 70 grams, a bit more than the 50-55 gram norm, but is twice as stiff in torsion. Braking is also improved, although that is of secondary consequence as V-brakes are so good to begin with.If you keep the rubber boots on, remember to lift and clean underneath as part of your post ride bike cleaning. I also throw on a bit of Tri-Flow while I'm at it. If you replace the boots with a fork wiper, lift the wiper, clean and re-grease under as a regular part of your bike cleaning.With a little work, this is a good fork for the money as they can be purchased relatively cheaply. If you are paying full price, there are better models on the market.3/5 due to light weight and potential.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
chris
a Racer
from stroud,england
Date Reviewed: July 9, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
randwick downhill and crosscountry track | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
nice colour,soaks up all big bumps | | Weaknesses: |
does not soak up small bumps | | Similar Products Used: |
manitou sx ti | | Bike Setup: |
GT Zaskar | | Bottom Line: | overall this is a good bike but when you buy a £1500 bike you exspect somthig better. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg
a Racer
from Richmond, VA
Date Reviewed: July 2, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Poor Farm Park, Ashland, VA | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
Very adjustable, pretty light, funky yellow color which chicks dig, low maintenance, sensitive to the small stuff while handling the big stuff well. | | Weaknesses: |
Sort of pricey which doesn't bother me. You get what you pay for and these rock. I sometimes get a slight sqweaking sound which should go away with some Judy Butter lube stuff. | | Similar Products Used: |
Girvin pro-flex (weird-ass fork) with no damper for a bouncy ride. What fun! | | Bike Setup: |
GT Team LTS, Full XTR standard, Continental Comp Pro 2 rear, Michelin Green something. (It's French so who cares?!) | | Bottom Line: | Nice industry standard shock, medium price, cool color, reliable, low maintenance, (relatively). 2 years and counting. (SID in my future?) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim
a Weekend Warrior
from Greensboro, NC
Date Reviewed: May 11, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Bottom Line: | You guys don't know what you are on about, my Judys have lasted well and retain stiffness, cushioning and all that without any problems. Overall this is definitely a great shock. Maybe a bit expensive but hey, worth it. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brad
a Cross-Country Rider
from NC
Date Reviewed: May 1, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
crack o' yo mama's ass | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
Light for what it is | | Weaknesses: |
Heavy compared to an Indy (and rides just like it after blown cartridges) | | Similar Products Used: |
Manitou EFC | | Bike Setup: |
Y-50 | | Bottom Line: | This fork sucks. Real bad sucks. I can't express it in words. Every time I think about it I want to blow chunks (like every new cartridge does). I think I'm on my 5th or 6th cartridge, but they're not worth the trouble of putting in so fu-k it. The nickel plating is gone on the stanchions and the fork rocks back and forth like a 13 year old girl at a N-Sync show.LAME. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chung Leong
a Weekend Warrior
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: May 1, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Lack of serious weight.
Smooth stroke.
Good looks (matches my bike!) | | Weaknesses: |
Flex.
Not enough rebound damping range.
No compression adjustment?
Easily scratched leg panel decals.
Fork boots | | Similar Products Used: |
1996 Judy XC
1998 Judy SL
Test rides on Manitous, Marzocchis, RSTs. | | Bike Setup: |
'97 Rocky Mountain Element Race | | Bottom Line: | Mine's the short travel 65mm version but it works so smooth it feels like its got more and hasn't bottomed out on me yet. I'm 120lbs. Damping control is there, but doesn't quite have the range like Marzocchis, from ultra springy to sticky slow. However the damping adjustment I have works well for my weight, so that isn't a big problem. It's significantly lighter than Marzocchis too. I used to have Speed Springs in this fork, but recently converted back. Type II springs are better for my weight, and seem to provide that smoother stroke. Probably the springs were scratching inside the fork leg. And the fork boots are good for keeping out dust but not water and mud. After a particularly muddy ride I had to strip the fork to pour water out of the bottom of the fork legs. 5 stars because the problems are relatively minor and the strengths are what I value most. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ed
a Cross-Country Rider
from Novi, MI
Date Reviewed: April 19, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
low maintenance
light
easy to tune | | Weaknesses: |
flexes a lot
not very plush
limited dampening adjustment | | Similar Products Used: |
Manitou Palmer fs ti
RS Indy S
RS quad 5
RS quad 21 R | | Bike Setup: |
Schwinn-custom | | Bottom Line: | Okay, I have lots of things to say about this fork. First, some history-- I bought this fork used off of this site last summer for 200 bones. It is the long travel version. The first thing I noticed was that I was much faster and in more control over technical sections. It also lightened my bike considerably. Please note that the weight listed above is WAY off. I think the fork weighs more around 3 lbs but I know its not as light as 2.65. Anyway, a week after I bought it I tried a log crossing and got about 3/4 up it and stalled. As I started to roll back, my wheel turned and got wedged between two logs. As I continued to roll back the fork twisted until Crack, my arch snapped. I was pissed off to say the least. I called rockshox to get a price on new lowers and to my suprise, they told me they would replce it under warranty!! Even though the shock was over two years old and I was not the original owner, they still did--and I didn't even have to ask, they offered!! Better yet, the sent the 1998 lowers which included the disk mounts ( I have since then found out that there was a design flaw in the 1997 lowers and RS was just covering their ass--probably to avoid future law suits). Nevertheless, RS customer service saved me a considerable amount of money and agony. Now.. the fork. It is not as plush as others out there- but it is also lighter and MUCH easier to maintain. If anyone has ever rebuilt a marzocchi or even some Manitous they will probably back me on my claim that the Judy is the simplest of the high-end race forks. The thing tears down as easy as a baseline model, in fact, easier. I have heard of problems with the cartridges blowing. I weigh 240 lbs and have never had a problem. But I did have the carftridge rebuilt for $15.00 just to be safe. I have also added speed springs to my fork. They add weight and honestly, don't feel much different than the stock MCUs but I needed stiffer springs and they cost the same so I went for it. Flex... oh you better believe it. This fork flexes a lot. BUT, if you want a light, long travel fork, you better expect it. Not to mention that if you are in the market for a race fork you better have enough finesse on your bike to deal with the flex, otherwise you have no business buying such a fork. The only thing I really dont like is the minimal adjustment you have over dampening. The adjuster screw seems to make little difference whether it is turned all the way in either direction. But, I have it set up right and it works great now. If you can find one for cheap, go for it-- it is probably better than anything you have already and you won't need to worry about maintenance as much as other comparable shocks. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Karl
a Weekend Warrior
from WI
Date Reviewed: April 8, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
light, stiff, strong and plush | | Weaknesses: |
NONE so far | | Similar Products Used: |
Tested Manitous, zokes, RST, nothing came close | | Bike Setup: |
Cannondale M400 with LOTs of upgrades | | Bottom Line: | Whats up with all the bad reviews? These things Kick! Great feel, great stiffness and strength, And nw you can get NEW 97's for $199! great fork, great value, the best I ever tried. This is the way to go. Forget those who give these bad reviews, These shocks Rule! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan
a weekend warrior
from Norwich, UK
Date Reviewed: February 10, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
This fork is simply the pants!!!!!! Not only is it amazingly light, but it also has good plush travel at a reasonable price. I'm an urban street/trials rider and I like to hit the local jumps. I've given the fork a lot of stress and it still hasn't broken!!!!!!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mike brown
a racer
from san francisco
Date Reviewed: January 29, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
first of all, i must state with a high degree of enthusiasm that the judy xc experience has been a nightmare for me. why i allowed a friend to give me his old one with worn out bushings after he defected to the marzocchi camp i don't know (spare parts, perhaps?) but hey, i'm not crying about getting bike stuff for free. my judy sl? i purchased it used, i must admit from a friend who had put less than five hundred miles on it. he got a SID. i wish that i could afford a SID. i've had it just over a month now and it seems to perform reasonably well, more or less like a judy xc just with a little less weight. i wish that the rebound WAS a bit slower and i wish that the fork had a bit plusher of a feel to it but hey, for a hundred gungas i'm not going to complain too much. i'm just dead-set against buying any rock shox product ever again for any reason and as soon as i kill this rock shox fork, i'm buying a manitou. a word from the wise and experienced--disassemble a clean your judy frequently. even though it WILL die a screaming horrible death from either (repeated) cartridge failure, bushing wear or stanchion tube grinding(?), your judy WILL cost you in lost sleep and dreadful visualizations. i know. i've been there and am stupid enough to sleep with judy again!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Charles
a cross-country rider
from Pasadena,Ca
Date Reviewed: January 5, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I used the 1997 Judy SL Long travel for one and a half years. For being a top of the line fork, it's performance is pretty adequate for a OEM fork. However, the sad part is, for the price and performance it is a lousy choice of a fork. Case in point? When I had to downgrade to a fsr comp 1998 w/ judy t2, I could not tell the difference in performance. Keep in mind, one has a dampening system and one does not. Oh well......thumbs down to ROckshox. too much hype..lousy bottom line. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Hillman
a racer
from Texas
Date Reviewed: December 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I upgraded to the Judy SL before the fall racing season. Used to have a Indy XC. The Judy is much lighter and has rebound control which the Indy does not have. For me this shock has worked great. It did develop a little bit of a squeek, but a little maintenance with slick honey and this shock stays sweet and comfy. I think that those who do not like this shock are just buying the wrong shock for their application. This is not a maintenance free super plush shock. It was designed for racing. Much like the SID. The SID requires even more maintenance/tuning. Right now the Judy SL can be had for under $300. At this price, it is a fantastic value. There just is no comparison to anything else that is under 3 pounds. If you're a recreational rider who just wants to pound on your bike and then put her up wet...than don't buy a Judy SL. If you're a budget racer looking to save weight and money, while still maintaining good front end performance...get a Judy SL. For me the beautiful yellow thang gets five piles. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Will
a cross-country rider
from USA
Date Reviewed: December 11, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I had a Judy SL w/the 80 kit. I hated it, so I put the progressive mid weight speed springs in it and it was a little better. There was not nearly enogh fork here! I bottemed it out repeatidly.....even w/the damp and preload all the way up. Just got a new bike with a Manitou SX Ti....Love it much better than this pice of %&$#! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dickfor
a weekend warrior
from Ut
Date Reviewed: December 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I like the shock a lot it is fun and has a good feel. I think that is should be rated amongst the highest in its class. If you don't agree with me you can go take a pee. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Hyper X
a cross-country rider
from Hawaii
Date Reviewed: November 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
To begin with, I'm not a all-out crosser, downhiller or terrain thrasher... I'm just a guy who likes to ride trails and stay educated and updated regarding news and product reviews.
I've had my 97 Judy SL 63mm for about 3 years now, and I must say, I bought it based on rider testimonies and magazine reviews when it was compared to the Manitou SX-Ti.
When I got it, I noticed that the Judy was made one-piece and the dropouts were noticeably beefier than the Manitou SX-Ti. It was lighter, has less travel, and costed more. I tested it out my turning it upside down on the steerer tube and compared it to the SX-Ti and noticed that the Judy had a stiffer feel. The local bike mechanic (a guru in my opinion) just notified me that I was making a wise choice because he informed me of a bad design flaw in the '96 Judy SL cartridges (basically blowing up), and the new cartridge was a great improvement with no one coming in to repair them.
Now, the good stuff. The Judy looked cool with that black sticker, and the red dampening knob did a good job when I landed off larger drops. (I couldn't notice it until I landed drops from the curb.) It was very easy to service the fork... cleaning the crown and the stanchions was quite easy.
Okay the bad stuff. The yellow paint started to fade after a few washes and that cool black sticker? Got really messed up in the brush during some trail rides and made the fork look older than its time.
The fork has a slight dead feel now, probably because the response of elastomers do naturally have that kind of feel versus the activeness of spring. My guru friend let me know of a way to modify the Judy SL by replacing the elastomers with a springset (to liven it up more) and if I wanted, I could install dual-cartidges (one compression, one rebound, or a combination) for the more tricky stuff, but, I stuck to the original configuration with the addition of new springs.
The overall vote? Now, it kicks! It handles the smaller stuff better (I don't feel it at my hands anymore) and the progressive nature of the spring handles the larger thumps better! I now ride my bike with the dampening control on full and had no problems since. If you got the elastomer stack and looking for a way to improve its performance, try springs! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a cross-country rider
from Michigan
Date Reviewed: September 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought the '97 SL from the shop where I work at. I broke the original AMP fork off my Amplifier and replaced it with a Girvin Elite. The Girvin worked great, but for some reason neither me nor my co-workers could seem to get it on straight. I rode it for 300 miles and then I gave up and slapped on my unused Judy when my girvin's shock spring started rubbing through the pain on my head tube. (Like I said, bad installation and no way to fix it.)
But I was really surprised at how much the handling improved, the shock action is really plush,it's stiff, and light. My bike went from 27 lbs with the Girvin to 25!.People breaking their lowers just need a better hub. If your wheel isn't tightened securely or your hub just sucks, breaking your lowers is inevitable.Anyways.. the only complaint I have with this is that i already blew through the cartridge, but that's okay since I can get a better one on my employee discount.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Charlie Laboy
a cross-country rider
from Ponce, Puerto Rico
Date Reviewed: September 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have a 98 Judy SL, and it is safe to say it is THE BEST FORK MONEY CAN BUY. Yes, I tried the marzos, but they bob like hell and weigh a ton; Manitous break at the brace seam, and I don't waste my time looking at anything else...so, for the wise reviewers that gave the Judy less than four chilis, EAT YOUR HEARTS OUT!!!!!
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tobias Edlund
a cross-country rider
from Stockholm, Sweden
Date Reviewed: August 21, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Yes, I know. There are better forks out there, but my frame (Klein Adroit) limits the choise to a very easy number: one... So I had to do the best of it. From the beginning, the fork had 63mm travel and Type 2 springs. I was not pleased with this setup. It felt like I didn´t used all the travel. So I mounted the 80mm cartridge, hoping that it would correct the problem. It didn´t. I achieved about 70mm with the new cartridge. 10mm less than it´s capable of. I began experimenting with diffrent length MCU´s and springrates. Not much happend... I finally decided to try the Type3 springkit with medium springs. Before this, my only experience with springs was WB springs, which blew thru the travel only bouncing around a parkinglot. Well, I gave it a try, and bingo. Something happend. It became a completely new fork! I later changed the smaller spring with a soft spring creating more sag (about 0.8 inches). This way I minimized the flex in the fork due to longer travel. So far, I´ve not bottomed the fork, and there is pretty rough terrain in Sweden. The wheigtpenalty is totally overshadowed by the performanceincrese. Rating would be 4 chilis. Because there is lighter and better fork on the market. Both Marzocchi´s and WBforks are plusher... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tigger
a racer
from USofA
Date Reviewed: August 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Judy used to be the hot date, nice legs and smooth performance, sexy and light and desirable, but well, the Italians are soooo much sexier that all's I can say is; so long, farewell, auf weidersehn goodbye. When comparing a stock Judy to a Marzocchi Atom bob (or any Marzocchi fork for that matter), well there just ain't all that much to say. Kinda like the difference between dining at MacDonalds vs. Ruth's Chris. Yes, I'm prejudiced towards the Italian forks, but don't hold it against me, it's performance that matters. The Judy just feels lsow and sloppy, kinda like it was rode hard and hung up wet. Poor perf. on extreme XC conditions, lackadaisical on stutterbumps and horrid on the steeps...
So my advaice to you bikers out there, if you want a good fork, go Italian. You want yellow, eat a pineapple instead. ciao Judy, RIP. It was fun while it lasted.... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim
a cross-country rider
from CT
Date Reviewed: July 30, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have Eglund air's in a JUDY SL LT and have about 80+-mm of travel:
The fork is light and to Eglund's credit-pretty plush. However, the lateral
rigidity of this fork is terrible! Going thru really rough rock-strewn areas is
a challenge just to hold on to the bar because the wheel is going in a different direction than the bike. Weight: light
Performance/handling: Piss poor
Cost: Ridiculous | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Simon
a racer
from Los Angeles
Date Reviewed: July 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
|
$
