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Submitted by
mike taylor
a Cross Country Rider
from dallas
Date Reviewed: March 15, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | tyler st pk. | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | how to make this a better fork! take out the mcus, hopefully red, and all the internals. see the compression rods? chop them off at the top, just under the top pedastal. just listen ok. Now go get Dirt Works Long Travel springs, and put in first, without the bottom spacer. it will go down all the way to the bottom pedastal, and the padestal will be between the rebound damper elastomer and the spring. now fill in the top space with the mcus and spacers as necessary, and screw in those plastic caps all the way down. Adjust preload with the spacer clip and that extendo thingy in it. You should have to press firmly with one hand while screwing the cap in. | | Weaknesses: | Now you will have abadass fork! i did this to mine, with shop leftover coil springs, spacers and mcus, and got a pretty fair fork, if a tad heavier. so what. also, lube with 5w30 motor oil, only enough to make it work, don't fill it or anyting! prep m is second if no oil or don't like smell. it will make sound like a donkey though as it moves in/out. do not use judy butter! | | Similar Products Used: | better forks | | Bike Setup: | carbon hardtail racer | | Bottom Line: | cheap reliable fork, creaks when s@#$ gets between crown and stancions. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mike taylor
a Cross Country Rider
from dallas/mesquite/texas usa
Date Reviewed: March 6, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | tyler state park tyler texas expert loop! | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | cheap, simple, mag slider/bridge. like gray matte finish! (carbon/orange bike) cheap to upgrade/replace bushings. no disc tabs, too flexy for disc brake anyway. Good for stair steps (lliteral ones) when standing. very springy. experiment with different spring/mcu combos and you may get a decent fork if you are xc and keep the wheels planted. No 10foot ledges or you die! get a zoke for that! | | Weaknesses: | flexy fore/aft especially after any good drops. tops out really hard on long frame bike. no damping! seals sXXX! mcus are sxxx by themselves. 2nd stage clips likely to bend if fork rebounds too hard! can cause stancions to come out of fork! DO NOT USE JUDY BUTTER! JUDY BUTTER IS xxx AND WILL RUIN IT! use prep m! | | Similar Products Used: | tried low end rokshox, high end tpc, going to buy midline zokes next season. | | Bike Setup: | carbon htl with 50mm stem/short rise bar 165mm 2by crankx8speedxt for xc racing File safety tabs off! they sxxx | | Bottom Line: | this fork is great beginner fork, but get the tpc and put this on your town bike! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rotard
a Weekend Warrior
from his mamma's womb
Date Reviewed: September 6, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
treasure | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
at least no oil leaks
i got to ride today
it took me 2 years before i had to whine | | Weaknesses: |
answer customer service/policy
the number of different chemical reactions those f*^$ing elastomers and various foam rings have with certain lubes | | Similar Products Used: |
Judy XC on a stumpjumper | | Bike Setup: |
Gary Fisher '96 Paragon
+/- a few wheels/ Rderailleurs/chainrings
mainly stuck with the stock setup | | Bottom Line: | The fork itself isn't so bad. a moderate but satisfactory amount of travelwith a relatively smooth ride... for a 175 lb guy who rides to cleanse the 10 high or old crow out of his system before going back to work on monday. My main complaint is about how I was treated by Answer after I cracked a compression rod and saw that some O-rings and elastomers were slowly mutating into an orange pus (some super bike guy at an unnamed local answer dealer recommended that I use Judy butter to lube them). After waiting for an hour on hold, I was told that the recall didn't apply to my fork (possibly correct??? the SC pro) and I would need to order those parts from a dealer. After a month of waiting, they sent me all the wrong sized compression rod. Back to the dealer...blah blah blah..oh who gives a crap. Just get the marzocchi or rock shox or whatever and save yourself the drama. fork = flamers and answer gets a sharp stick in the eye | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
schwinn boy
a Racer
from wyevela ont
Date Reviewed: August 17, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
lite as a fether
you can get englund for them
dont look that bad i gess
wide stanshon tubes | | Weaknesses: |
none
yet that is | | Similar Products Used: |
with englund: sid sx ti spitersR
wit out englund: rst 261 indy c jetts t2 | | Bike Setup: |
schwinn toyota tundra team bike with lx xt & xtr | | Bottom Line: | mach 5 are not the best fork with out englund ...
but they kick @$$ with englund
so if you still can get mach 5 to dayP.S. i will be doing my seson end review soon BYE | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a weekend warrior
from Bellingham, Washington
Date Reviewed: January 10, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I rode on the Manitou Mach 5 XC for about a year. The fork's response was pretty good on the trail, but there wasn't much for adjustment. The one big downside I found with it, was that I was always taking it apart, and maintanincing the elastomers. I live in a pretty muddy area, but this was rediculous. If I let the fork go for more then a few weeks, it'd pretty much cease, and wouldn't perform at all. In the cold, the fork practically stopped working altogether, but during the summer, rode rather well.
2.5 Chili's for this bad boy, rounded to 3. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob T
a weekend warrior
from Victoria B.C.
Date Reviewed: October 19, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I purchased this fork late in 95. The sales man told me it is a low mainanence fork, and would give me very little trouble. since i lived in a remot area at the time that was a bonus. I was very upset about the recallbut stuff like hapens. The store i purcase them at was quick to fix them for me. The fork does a nice job of absrbing the bumps for an elastomer only fork {no damping}. I notice that the fork is not as stiff as led to belive but stering acuracey is not afected to much eccept in tight narow single track. soon i will be looking for a stiffer fork .Untill then this works well for me. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Smiker
a cross-country rider
from Sydney
Date Reviewed: June 20, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This fork came on my '96 Paragon. It's pretty sweet. It did need some grease to get it working well, but now it's pretty nice. I'd like to put some Plush Plus springs in, to replace a couple of the elastomers in each leg. They feel quite light when off the bike, and on. They quite stiff when riding too. When cranking out of the saddle on my risers, I can occasionally hear brake rub, but only on really grippy surfaces. Must be the good front tire. It's grey, which is okay I guess. why aren't there any purple forks? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Wood hippie
a weekend warrior
from the hills near DC
Date Reviewed: June 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Since I am a two hundred pound plus rider I must give some relaxation to Englund for producing an air-suspension system that would appeal to the performance minded rider since it was marketed toward a rider that would give some consideration to a weekend-warrior type rider and if necessary a racer-type although it would be against the grain of Arlo to cater to the 90lb weenie-type finesse -endurance little bastard on the light -ass ti bike. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
FRANK GARCIA
a cross-country rider
from YIGO,GUAM
Date Reviewed: May 5, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
EXCELLENT REBOUND,STIFF AS HELL, CAN TAKE A BEATING. THE GREY COLOR HAS GOT TO GO. RELATIVELY LIGHT. HERE ON GUAM YOU DON'T HAVE JUST DIRT, YOU HAVE STIFF,NON NEGOTIATING CORAL ALONG WITH BIG ROCKS WITH AN ATTITUDE TO TRIP YOU AND SCARE. BUT, WITH THE MACH5'S, IT'S A SMOOTH RIDE. BESIDE THE COLOR, BRAVO ZULU TO ANSWER | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jackson H.
a cross-country rider
from Carmel,IN
Date Reviewed: March 31, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Last November I bought a Gary Fisher Paragon and it came with this Mach 5 shock. At first I kept on complaining that it was to stiff. The store owners told me it just needed to be warmed up like gum. I found out that if you add some motor oil(5 teaspoons) and frequent oiling will improve the performance. Now that winter is over and spring is here, the temperature in Indiana went in the 80's over the weekend cause of that damn El Nino. When they said it needs to be warmed up like gum, I didn't think they ment 80 degrees. Now the shocks work awesome and I'm finally beating my friend David F. in off roading and he has some crappy Nishiki Backroads. Now ride off I jump 3 feet drop and land head first I wish the shocks were stiffer. It needs a locked out system and a stiffness tuner, other wise is great. It's perfect for people that DON'T ride 3 feet drop offs. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David Srugis
a cross-country rider
from Clarkston, MI
Date Reviewed: February 18, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have had my fork for almost 2 years and am really happy. I have rebuilt it twice and found the task very simple. I am only 130 pounds and I had a rebound that was to fast. I called Manitou and they let me talk to a tech and after going through all the options they sent me a softer rebound elastemer. Once dialed in the fork works great. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
andreas
a racer
from South Africa
Date Reviewed: February 15, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Purchased a XC in June 1997. Three weeks later discover that the fork's leg brace is under a factory recall. It has taken 7 (seven) months to get a new leg brace that fits. Manitou were very slow to respond. Twice sent a leg brace that did not fit. Sent bushings that did not fit. I asked for a refund or a new fork and was told no way. I made numerous phone calls, fax's and email's. My local dealer did the same and had to keep on stripping and fitting the next leg brace. I would love give Answer/manitou 5 chilies right up their you know what.
Their service stinks! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevan Yalowitz
a cross-country rider
from Issaquah, WA
Date Reviewed: December 30, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have some 97 speed springs with little use that will fit the following forks:Manitou:
3
4
Mach 5 SX
EFC 2.5,
Mach 5 Comp/MagnumRock Shox:
Quadra 5
Quadra 10
Quadra 21The retail is $65 to $70 but you pick the price you want them for.
These will improve your fork ALOT!E-mail me at wbqf@juno.com ASAP with your price!
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevan Yalowitz
a cross-country rider
from Issaquah, WA
Date Reviewed: November 28, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Everyone,
I have a Mach 5 Comp and I tried many things to get it better such as speed springs. With speed they it sucked because it has no rebound damping. But I found the motherload for this fork: Englund Total Air Cartriges. These puppys have rebound damping, increase the forks travel, decrease the forks weight by 1/2 to 2/3 of a pound. These have no oil that will leak. Each kit comes with one cartrige for each leg each with its own piston. The retail value of these is $100.00 but Bike World(www.bikeworld.com) has them for $69.99. Tell me how you like them and trust me these rule!!!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
sd
a cross-country rider
from macville, IN
Date Reviewed: November 28, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Click Here! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ben
a weekend warrior
from adelaide, australia
Date Reviewed: November 17, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This fork came with my bike (a barracuda a2m), but I had the option of relacing it with an RST Mozo Pro. The LBS dude reccomended that I stick with the manitou - go for quality instead of travel. So far its been pretty good, though pretty hard on the big hits. Im 165lb, so I might swap one of the pink mcu's for a blue in each leg and see if that helps. I may also try some springs in one leg and see how that goes. if anyone has done that and has any comments, email me and let me know. Otherwise, so far, so good. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dudeman
a cross-country rider
from LI, NY
Date Reviewed: November 13, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
DO ALL OF YOURSELVES A FAVOR AND MAKE A FAIR SHOCK AT BEST A GREAT SHOCK AND PUT IN ENGLUND TOTAL AIR CARTRIDGES. YOU'LL HAVE THE LIGHTEST BEST SHOCK ON THE MARKET. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
EM
a cross-country rider
from SF, CA
Date Reviewed: October 29, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Although you can get much better forks today than you could at the time this fork came out, this fork still works pretty well. As soon as you have it dialed into your weight the fork feels relatively progressive and smooth. I'm getting most of full travel. I'm 155lbs and I run 4 blue and 2 red elastomers. Just lube the elastomers and occasionally take off the lower brace and lube it and you have a solid easily maintained fork. As a side note two weeks ago the brake arch cracked on the left side. I was kind of surprised, but I had been riding pretty hard on it for the last year and a half. Answer's customer service was really quick about it and sent me a new one in two days. Soon I'll be replacing this fork, but it has served me very well. Three for the fork and an extra one for the customer service. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Richard Miller
a cross-country rider
from Washington DC
Date Reviewed: October 19, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This shock is pretty damn good. Low weight, and seems pretty rigid. It does
seem to get dirty easily. You will need to lube the insides a lot, but its easy
and the smooth, responsive shock is good pay-off for a little maintenance.
I think I may try to lizard skins. AND I'm eventually dropping some sort of spring in one leg or both. Any recomendations anyone???? I think I'm going to
shot for a partial elastomer, partial spring combo. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
james yalowitz
a weekend warrior
from Issaquah WA
Date Reviewed: August 10, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
my brother has this shock I think Its very good. It didnt have a lot of life
he but with speed springs its like a new shock. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill Killen
a cross-country rider
from newburyport
Date Reviewed: May 29, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
just put the xc on my stumpjumper at the end of last season, so i am now just starting to enjoy the benefits of riding soft in the nose. this fork compliments my bike nicely. It takes the beating that i give it and waits for me to heal so i can give it more. i have yet to bottom out or have speed issues with it. good low/no maintenance shock...so far | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marcus
a weekend warrior
from CANADA
Date Reviewed: May 11, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
THESE SHOX SUCK FOR ME I AM 11 YEARS OLD 90POUNDS THESE HAVE NO GIVE WHAT SO EVER!!!!!!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ian V
a cross-country rider
from Ottawa
Date Reviewed: May 6, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Being my first suspension fork, I don't have much to compare this fork to over
long term use. But after almost a year of use, this XC has held up very well.
It sucks up the small to medium hits great (a little rough on the whammies), and
is very reliable and easy to maintain. Only complaint: the elastomers get stiff
in chilly-to-colder weather. Works great with 160 lbs. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Thomas
a cross-country rider
from Arlington, VA USA
Date Reviewed: April 28, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I just got a bike with the Mach 5 Comp XC and I love the suspension. It works perfectly for me. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tony
a weekend warrior
from Redding, CA
Date Reviewed: February 15, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I just replaced a Quad 5 on my a Mach 5, and what a difference it made. I am fairly impressed with this shock. I like elastomer and coil spring setup. That seemed to make it more plush. And if it had a little more travel..... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lee
a weekend warrior
from Morganton (Oak Hill), NC
Date Reviewed: January 27, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Just replaced a tired and worn Quadra 5 with a '97 Manitou Pro. Problem on installation: the ID of the 1 1/8 threadless is smaller than industry standard. After much filling on the outside of a club roost wedge head, no problem. Will give a 1,000 mile review this summer. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan
a racer
from mass
Date Reviewed: January 20, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
In my opinion i think this fork works great. I weigh 150lbs. and the
elastimers in the shock work great for that weight range. I only
have 1 problem with the fork. It skeakes! when iam riding it
skeakes all the time. Its very annoying. I have tryed every thing to make it stop | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Croteau
a cross-country rider
from Hartshorne Woods, N.J.
Date Reviewed: December 29, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I've been riding the'97 model for a couple of months and I'm extremely pleased with its performance and value. I ordered from my local shop to avoid any problems with my own installation. It's my first shock so I have nothing to compare it to. I selected it because of the expected reliability of elastomers over air/oil. I've been beating on it steadily over lots of technical stuff and I ride all winter long. I didn't change anything since I'm in the weight range of the factory settings. I haven't experienced any packing over the washboard stuff, I suspect the springs are helping to alleviate this. This is a tremendous upgrade to my bike that allows me to ride faster with more control on the downhills . | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a weekend warrior
from Boston, MA
Date Reviewed: November 26, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Following up on my previous review of the Pro XC: I bought a soft elastomer kit (blue) and a little tin of lube... cost about $15. I pulled out the pinks, popped in the blues with a good swab of lube on them. The fork seemed a bit too soft. Took out the top blue and put one pink in- PERFECT! Good in cold weather, does not bottom out, feels great. No problems at all with the shock. Unless you weigh more than me (155 lbs) check out the soft elastomers. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill Solvibile
a cross-country rider
from Philadelphia, PA
Date Reviewed: November 12, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought this fork to replace my Manitou 4 which did not survive a bad endo. I must admit that this fork kicks the #$#@ out of the fork it replaced. It is really smooth and plush. It does not bottom as my other fork did and it hlds a line through the choppiest single track you could find. I was upset with Manitou after my other fork broke and the costumer reps told me that all they could do to help me give me a deal on the replacement parts ($300!), and I was going to purchase a RS Quad 21R until I found this fork on sale for $175. I'm thankful I did for this is one sweet product. You can get them cheap now so hurry before there all gone..... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott Cole
a racer
from Vermont
Date Reviewed: October 22, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
It is a good shock-I did end up blowing it up this season though-but-the awesome dude at the answer company send all sorts of replacement parts -thanks and it is riden' fine | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
RatCrusher
a cross-country rider
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: October 22, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
This shock sucks! It sucks up the bumps, big & small. I love it!
Tracks almost as well as my beloved Chro-Mo fork. There's plenty of
adjustment to set it up, and it's easy to do. So far, no problems.
I used to think my girlfriend Judy sucked. . . Manitou sucks better! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a weekend warrior
from Boston, MA
Date Reviewed: October 14, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
After reading as much a I could about the recall, I decided that the Mach 5's were the way to go. I got mine, post-recall mayhem, for $200 at year-end clearance. These were not rebuilt or remanufactured- they were new. The LBS installed the shock on my Rockhopper A1- a bike that was screaming for shocks.
The steering is as precise as ever- the shock works beatifully. They perform better than the RS Quad 21,(on a chromo Stumpjumper) which seemed really flexy. Fantastic over ruts, rocks and roots; washboard condidtions still rattle the bike like hell.
So far, I have had no problems at all. They have survived a day of downhilling at Mt. Snow and many months or regular off road riding. Other than getting them set up right so they would not top-out so hard, they have been perfect. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
steve
a
from kalamazoo
Date Reviewed: October 12, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I waited for years to go to a suspension fork, and chose the Mach 5 XC because
of its advertised stiffness and the notion of upgrading to oil damping at a later
date. My only issue was that STUPID recall. A problem such as this could hit any
Manufacturer. My company has gone through this, but all the stops get pulled out
to take care of existing customers, and new ones sometimes have to wait. I was
without my fork for 7 1/2 weeks. I think I only got it back then because I nagged the living hell out of them. As
it turned out, they lost my order somehow and once they realized the error it was
shipped out UPS blue label and I was back in business. Problem was, their customer
service had nothing but holes in it and I got jerked around for weeks. Manitou has
a good product, but if they ever hope to compete with you know who, they need a better
system to keep people buying their stuff. I was wishing I went with a Judy for about
5 of those long, beautiful weeks. Product (now) 4 stars, service 1-2. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
kris
a cross-country rider
from Backwoods, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 8, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Manitou and Marin have a deal going where, if you buy a Marin you can upgrade your forks to Manitous for a real low price. So I did. I have considered front-end suspension for years, but always considered it a luxury item for girlie-men who couldn't handle getting their testes hammered by the saddle during extended high-speed careening over pine tree roots. I figured that what I gained in testicular comfort, I would lose in control over my bike. And the question of which is more important, especially now that I have three kids, was sort of a tie.The Manitous worked out fine. I have not had any problems with mine and I like to do rough terrain. I have landed squarely on the front wheel from drops of four feet with my two hundred pounds and all that momentum being absorbed by a couple of weiner-sized hunks of rubber. After removing my face from the mud and relocating my shoulder, I was please to see that my forks and rim took it in stride. I was so happy, I bled on them all the way home.My control over my bike hasn't suffered. My facial cuts have healed. My testes aren't sore. I'm happy. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gen. Patton
a cross-country rider
from Los Gatos, CA
Date Reviewed: August 27, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I've had my fork about ten months. It's my first suspension fork. It works well, especially after some modifications. I put speed springs in one leg and elastomers in the other. The result is better action with some dampening.
The recall was handled poorly. I found that repeated phonecalls and faxes to the customer service person for my area, as well as his supervisor, yielded a quick turn around.
I really recommend speed springs as a great upgrade. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
buck
a weekend warrior
from Madison, WI
Date Reviewed: August 5, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Was leary of suspension forks- like the precice, twitchy handling on my bike but
was tired of getting beat up on long rocky decents. The Mach 5 pro is great- light
enough and SOLID- no loss of precision at speed or even in slow single track. I
set the preload high and it doesn't pogo at all on the flats. It eats up rocky
downhills as well as chattery dirt roads. My only complaint is that it's butt
ugly- last years graphics looked better- it looks like a K-Mart special. Oh- what
am I riding it on? Wisconsin trails- long steep climbs and decents all strewn with
grapefruit to helmet sized rocks half burried in mud, as well as sandy prarie
trails with equally rocky decents. enjoy. 5 stars. or whatever. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian Svehla
a weekend warrior
from Baltimore, MD
Date Reviewed: May 1, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
This year, I bought a Gary Fisher Paragon and it came equipped with a Mach 5 Pro shock. The shock performed ok(ok compared to the Mach 5 SX I bought a month later, see my review) Very stiff, not too much elastomer boing, good travel. But of course, it was recalled. I had the bike for a month, and not I've been without it for a month while the shocks are at Answer. And believe me, Answer is an oxymoron is ever I've seen one. Don't expect to get any answer from them regarding how long you'll have to wait for your shock to be returned!
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bob Mazer
a weekend warrior
from Washington DC
Date Reviewed: April 29, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I have not been on too many shocks, but so far the Pro CX has been great. Smooth riding,
easy to fine tune, etc. I would also say great price, as I got mine for $250.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Judy
a cross-country rider
from Tigard, Oregon
Date Reviewed: April 16, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I've enjoyed riding this fork. I'm fairly heavy, and enjoy a pretty stiff ride, and they haven't sponged on me yet. I've only seriously downhilled on them once, and they were great. I haven't really riden a lot of other shocks, so the frame of reference is pretty small, but I like 'em. Except for the recall. BIG points off for that.
| | Overall Rating: |
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