Description:Long travel forks inherently dive when you hit the breaks right? Not this unit. The concept isolates braking from the suspension travel. The linkage system works to resist dive by transferring the forces created by the rotational motion of the brake rotor. Even though the unit doesn't dive under braking, it remains fully active. 4" Travel, coil with air cartridge internals, 3.5 lbs.
Submitted by
hora horacek
a Weekend Warrior
from Surrey, UK Date Reviewed: September 15, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Singletrack of Death, Morzine France
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Pin-point, it rails into berms, light, plush (if you get the right spring)
Weaknesses:
Obviously due to its design there is a slight flex by the hub but then again I use carbon bars so can't complain plus you don't notice unless you are a jump-thing. Other weakness- cost? got my cheaper!
Similar Products Used:
***** ****, every suspension fork on the market?!
Bike Setup:
04 Heckler, Ti-sprung, Chris King Hset, rear wheel ISO, Hayes anchors, XTR, Thomson etc
Bottom Line:
This fork bring out the smoother rider in you- you get off of the brakes more (it does lockout slightly at the front)- so I leave off of the brakes now. It rails, truely it does and with their strongest spring it will never bottom out.
Someone said "nowadays you need at least 130mm travel" Yes but what are you doing on the forks? I've come from 150 travel and the extra 50mm was wasted on me as I rode the bike very badly (i.e not smoothly).
I beleive the forks are improving my riding skills naturally and that has got to be a good thing.
Will post more as I ride
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Submitted by
Big Red S
a Downhiller
from London Date Reviewed: September 26, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
Doesnt dive (much) Piss easy to service - 2 minute strip down max. Free upgrades for lifetime
Weaknesses:
Axle path goes forwards rather than just upwards- makes the bike bounce rather than roll over obstacles like kerbs. Locks out under heavy braking
Similar Products Used:
Manitou Sherman, Marzocchi Drop off '03 (both demoed), Marzocchi MXC, MXC ECC, z1 Wedge, Rock Shox Judy '99, Rock Shox SID '02
Bike Setup:
Klein attitude comp standard spec, with the forks changed, and Hayes HFX comp (approx 165mm rotor) brake. Hope Bulb/Sapim/Mavic X317 front wheel
Bottom Line:
Good fork. Doesnt dive much, but the preload increaces under braking. Definatley better under braking than other forks, but not as good under braking as other forks are not under braking. Incredibly plush, because of the single side, and very serviceable. It is an amazing fork, but i dont think that justifies the price tag. The free upgrades for life, and USE's customer service go some way to redeem that though....
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Submitted by
Bernard
a Weekend Warrior
from Lake District, UK Date Reviewed: August 6, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Bike Treks, Ambleside, UK
Strengths:
The SUB fork offers an almost vertical axle path and hence almost constant trial. The leading link design handles non-axial loads far better and thus rolls over objects far better than teles. The fork does not dive under braking. This forks does all of these things well, in fact extremely well.
I expected it to be good but the fork is a revelation. Because the fork does not dive under braking I set it to sag about 30mm and in use it settles into the mid 50% of travel on the rough trails we have plenty of in the Lakes. Thus, the suspension neither bottoms or tops out but conforms to the surface like proper suspension should and unlike any bike fork I have ridden previously. The net result is incredible traction. If the front wheel slides on loose wet boulders I normally back off but with this fork it simply recovers grip. With anti-dive braking you can crawl down a steep bank on the front brake in full control. It looses appreciably less energy rolling over large bumps than teles, making rocky climbs much easier. Being able to leave the suspension compliant obviously helps this. It also makes holding a line on rocky down-hills in the wet a lot safer. I am also amazed how active the fork is to high frequency ripples – better in fact than my Pace coils sprung forks. Stiffness: Is excellent. I suspect USE have opted for a degree of over-build to prove reliability but it benefits stiffness for us heavy riders. You never notice there is one leg.
It is well engineered and looks good.
Weaknesses:
It is expensive
Similar Products Used:
Rock Shox, Manitou, Marzochi, Fournales, Pace.
Bottom Line:
The SUB fork offers suspension way beyond any thing else I have tried. It is not the lightest suspesion fork but the stifness, stability, traction and energy saving from it's ability to just rollover objects will make you go faster, up and down hill. The SUB is the best suspension fork on the market.
$
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