Description: 66 series classifi ed as an extreme single
crown FR fork, suitable for large/ safe
drops, jumps & gaps. Don’t case,
overjump or pile drive this product.
Submitted by
Big Mark
a Weekend Warrior
from Oakland, CA Date Reviewed: September 4, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Anything on Montara Mountain
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
Private seller
Strengths:
Extremely stiff, ETA is awesome and makes climbing a breeze. Fork is pretty light for as burly as it is. This fork is also very adjustable. Very plush!
Weaknesses:
I have not found any weaknesses yet. This fork rocks.
Similar Products Used:
Fox 36 Vanilla R, 888RC, Shiver, Super T.
Bike Setup:
2004 Santa Cruz Bullit with Deemax wheels, custom green powdercoat, Juicy 5's with 203mm rotors, saint crank, Crank Brother platform pedals, DHX 5.0 Coil with Ti Spring. Michelin DH 32 2.8 front DH 24 2.5 rear, Michelin Dee Max wheels, Diabolus Stem, FSA DH Carbon bar, Thomson Seatpost, SDG Belaire Saddle, X9 shifters and R deraileur, XT front deraileur, Brake Therapy FLoating Brake.
Bottom Line:
I have been riding this fork for going on three months now and like it more every time I take out for a ride. I went to Northstar this past weekend and the fork rocks. There is no question that it is thoroughly broken in after that trip. The fork is super adjustable with both external rebound, compression and the awesome ETA travel adjuster. The ETA knob is very easy to engage by turning a dial about 2/3 of a turn making my Bullit climb like a much lighter trailbike. I believe this fork must have been designed with the Bullit in mind. It is the perfect match.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
rey singson
a Weekend Warrior
from makati, philippines Date Reviewed: April 1, 2007
Favorite Trail:
any where that points down
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
ETA adjustability, compression adjustment. alloy steerer, stiff and plush. doesnt bottom
Weaknesses:
downtube clearance with the wider lower arch. no positive click to engage ETA - can be acticated accidentally. older fender doesnt fit. new one hard to come by
I have used marzocchi forks for a long time. Reliability, Big Hit performance, and user friendlyness has always been its strong suit. the 66 light is no exception. I used the first generation 66's and always found their lack of travel adjust to be their biggest flaw. I still have to pedal up to my local DH runs and the tall first gen 66 didnt make it easy at all. Marzocchi pulls thru with this fork - i got it on order the moment i knew it was in the pipeline. What i wasnt prepared for was the downtube clearance issues. Almost had a hydroline chopped of by the edge of the lower crown, so if you have straight downtubes with cable hangers watch out for clearance. Also I wanted to use my older fender - but i found out it didnt fit and will need a new one. apparently the new one is rare as I have it on order with the local dealer and it hasnt arrived yet. Will probably get it on line. its a good fork. Dont let its "simple" internals compared to Foxes and new gen Rock Shox put you off. its still a great fork
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Hunt byrl
a Weekend Warrior
from las cruces, NM, USA Date Reviewed: March 3, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Negotiator
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$450.00
Strengths:
Bombproof
Weaknesses:
Mine doesn't have ETA and only gets 160mm not 170mm of travel.
Similar Products Used:
Jr. T, Nixon, Dirt Jumper, Sherman, Mozo...
Bike Setup:
Raleigh ram
Bottom Line:
fork kicks ass. nice and hard to bottom out.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Simen
a
from Slovenija Date Reviewed: July 21, 2006
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$780.00
Purchased At:
Bikestore.cc
Strengths:
Stiff, functional buttons, adjustable
Weaknesses:
Not as smooth as Fox
Similar Products Used:
Z1, 36Talas, 32Talas
Bike Setup:
RM Switch/X9/729+Nevegal
Bottom Line:
This is one stiff fork. All buttons really make a difference and all travel can be used just fine. I find ETA perfect for all who still do climbs on their FR bikes. Tighten the nut that holds the red (compression) button- I lost mine.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Hernan
a Weekend Warrior
from Quito/Ecuador Date Reviewed: July 2, 2006
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Price Paid:
$600.00
Purchased At:
pedal shop the best
Strengths:
I been riding this fork by 3 days (5 hours total) and I have to tell you this is an awsome fork. Not so heavy, 170mm travel plus ETA external rebound and preload adjustment.
Weaknesses:
Too pretty, I dont want to scratch it.
Similar Products Used:
2003 z1 eta qr20 and 130-170 adjustment sherman trough axel fork.
Bike Setup:
SC bullit freeride set up.
Bottom Line:
I though my broken z1 eta freeride was the stiffest fork in the market, no, of course the lowers of this fork are amazingly stiff. I been riding it by 3 days so I wiil post a new review in a couple of months. Of course it needs to be broken in.
By now great stiff fork with many adjustments and plush ride (is going to be plusher once brake in).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
'fiend
a Weekend Warrior
from SoCal Date Reviewed: November 9, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Lower Sam Merrill/Echo Mtn/Sunset Trail
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$660.00
Purchased At:
Speedgoat
Strengths:
170mm travel. Single crown. Lateral stiffness due to 35mm stanchions and 20mm thru axle. Looks cool. Large knobs with definitive clicks.
Weaknesses:
None detected, other than it's a bit porky.
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
2003 Bullit with 5th element. 203 mm discs front and rear. Gravity dropper post. IRC Trailbear 2.5 tires, etc.
Bottom Line:
I recently got this fork to replace the '03 Z1 FR I had previously. The old fork bothered me for three reasons. First, it had only 130 mm travel, which just never felt balanced with the 178 mm rear travel on the Bullit. Second, the ETA on the Z1 stopped working after about a year. The lever was flimsy plastic that stripped out. I suppose I could have taken it in to the shop, but I have limited time and would rather ride. Third, once I put an 8" disc on the front the torsional flexing of the fork became noticeable and bothersome. When I saw that Marzocchi was introducing a 170 mm travel single crown fork with ETA for 2006, I figured that was the perfect solution for these problems. Needless to say, I am not disappointed. The front and back travel is now balanced. Whereas the Z1 would botton out regularly on faster/rougher/steeper terrain, the 66 Light does not. The ETA works perfectly and is a huge benefit if you intend to climb. The lever is huge and smooth - easy to reach down and flip the ETA on or off while riding. Finally, the 35mm stanchions (vs. 32mm on the Z1), combined with the 20 mm thru-axle (my Z1 was standard QR), make the fork much stiffer and therefore confidence inspiring. Although expensive, the fork has been an excellent upgrade. I recommend it to anyone who, like me, has a long travel DS bike that is used regularly for climbing. If you don't want the ETA then you should look at one of the other 66 models.
$
Overall Rating:
