Submitted by
XAlwood
a Weekend Warrior
from Netherlands Date Reviewed: July 2, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Nijmegen
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
Standard fork on my
Strengths:
Very smooth working fork
Very lightweight
Not too expensive
Lasts for quite a while
Weaknesses:
Not very rigid
It can be very bouncy when you drive over multiple small bumps
Doesn't appear to be very strong
Similar Products Used:
Judy TT
Bike Setup:
2002 B1 Weblite, 2005 XT-discs, 2007 LX Bottom Bracket, rest of the drivetrain is XT.
Bottom Line:
The fork has worked quite good for me... Had a good five years of fun with it and it massively outperformed the RockShox Judy TT.
The fork does loose its stiffness over the time though... It doesn't provide you with a very stiff frontend of your bike. You feel like it just isnt really fixed to your bike.
Also the holes to put grease in wear out and don't work for me anymore, it's impossible for me to lubricate the fork from the inside and you can't hold your fork upside down because the oil will leak out.
I have always missed the lockout too on this fork. Because it's so flexy you do want to switch it off once in a while, when driving on the road. And after 3 years the damping starts to wear out. Now, 5 years in use it really bottoms out under heavy braking and it just doesn't keep my wheels on the ground anymore.
Bouncy front tire and lifting rear wheel...
Instead of repairing it for 240usd I'm probably switching to a Reba soon...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brett
a Cross Country Rider
from Davis, CA, USA Date Reviewed: August 23, 2006
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Strengths:
In my application on a roadbike conversion I can't honestly say how the fork would perfrom in it's intended role. It did feel like it would be a decent performer on the trail compared to similar priced forks. I can't endorse it though.
Weaknesses:
Sudden catastrophic failure of the right blade!
Similar Products Used:
Many
Bike Setup:
2001 Specialized Rockhopper Comp
Bottom Line:
These forks came on a 2001 Specialized Rockhopper. This bike was a warranty replacement for a 93 Rockhopper which I'd already replaced with an Enduro Pro. As such they have been on a bike that was only lightly used as a roadbike conversion. They have a total of 360 road miles on them, 0 off-road miles, no jumps, curbs, crashes, roof racks, or anything that could possibly lead to trouble.
On my last ride the right fork blade suddenly failed without any earlier indication of a problem. I was fortunate to be only at about 10 mph on level road and able to stop without incident. Looking at the fork, I see an extreme amount of play and slop on the right blade, and oil coming out of the bottom of the fork as well as leaking out of the top when the bike is flipped over.
This is a rather surprising failure on a component that has not seen anything other than smooth roads, and only for a couple hundred miles. Yes it's an 01 model, but I have plenty of other bikes of a similar and older vintage that have never seen such a failure despite actually having seen off-road rising and heavy usage.
I am concerned that even if I spend the money to have this fork rebuilt at my LBS that I will run the risk of another premature catastrophic failure which I don’t want to chance. If this is an isolated event then perhaps it was just a bad batch of materials and a rebuild is appropriate, I don’t know, but if this happened at speed the results would have been ugly.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
tom
a Weekend Warrior
from bloomfield ny Date Reviewed: August 21, 2006
Favorite Trail:
drier roads
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
gander mountain
Strengths:
absolutely amazing fork for the money. great dampening once its broken in, perfect out of the box for me since im only 130 pounds, anyone heavier may want a stronger spring and heavier oil. i beat this fork to death on my dirt jump bike, i couldnt afford a more better fork at the time, and it has held up. extremely lite wait
Weaknesses:
a little bit flexable, takes a LONG time to break in
gt moto, hand built double walls with disk breaks, and now i have ordered a manitou sherman slider plus to replace the magnums, but im going to put them on my beater rig since they hold up so well
Bottom Line:
you CAN NOT beat these forks for the money. makes the rock shock jetts look like absolute crap. if you can get your hands on a pair do it, there even good to have as a set of extras in case you bend your forks. this fork would be great for any trail riders who want a light well rounded fork. if your broke and need a frok for a dirt jumper, rest assured that these forks will hold up to anything short of being slammed into a brick wall at 30 miles an hour.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Shaun McCloud
a Weekend Warrior
from St. Cloud, MN 56301 Date Reviewed: April 19, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$70.00
Purchased At:
Price Point
Strengths:
Oil damped, can get different springs, fairly cheap
Weaknesses:
none yet
Similar Products Used:
N/A
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher Jousha frame, Shimano Deore XT front Derailure, Shimano Alivio rear Derailure, Shimano Deore hubs with Mavic X139 rims, Shimano 8 speed cassette, 2002 Tru Vativ 5D Crankset, Fox Vanilla rear shock, Shimano Acera EZ-Fire Plus Front and Rear Levers, Shimano Alivio V-Brakes
Bottom Line:
So far I love the fork. Have to finish breaking it in and then get a new spring and MCU for at as @ 220+ lbs the stock spring is way to soft for me. It is actually my first oil damped fork (just upgraded from a very bad Pacific Summit). I would recommend it to anyone on a budget and/or as a first suspension fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
James
a Cross Country Rider
from Ct Date Reviewed: November 12, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Mansfield Hollow trails
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Scotts Cycle
Strengths:
TPC damping works very well. Fairly stiff.
Weaknesses:
Takes a while to break in.
Similar Products Used:
Manitou Magnum, RockShock Jett, Rockshock Judy TT, and Manitou Mars.
Bike Setup:
Manitou Magnum R, Gary fisher Hoo koo e koo hardtail. Shimano parts deore and LX
Bottom Line:
Very good forck for the averge rider and for someone trying to save money.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
stef
a
from thornhill, ontario, canada Date Reviewed: October 19, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
ebay.ca
Strengths:
good travel, nice look, can hold fairly harsh riding
Weaknesses:
tops out (opposite of bottom out)
Similar Products Used:
RST 156, rock shox judy TT
Bike Setup:
ironhorse sonic frame, maxxis tires, XT deraillers, kona stem
Bottom Line:
u can do drops just fine, ive done a 5ft ledge without bottoming out, i used to ride bmx so im not a little girl about a hard landing, be a man , if it bottoms out dont cry about it, not for downhill,good for freeride and cross country, RIDE EVERYTHING
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
JP
a
from Olympia, WA, USA Date Reviewed: August 8, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Forest Park in Portland, or anything in Oregon
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
On Fisher HKEK from River City in Portland
Strengths:
Simple. Cheap. Probably as mechanically strong as most of Manitou's forks.
Weaknesses:
Not terribly sophisticated. Not necessarily built for extreme use.
Similar Products Used:
Just low end stuff.
Bike Setup:
Fisher '01 HKEK aluminum w/avid disk and mostly bontrager parts.
Bottom Line:
I don't do jumps. I just ride as hard and fast as possible. I'm 155 lbs and I have no complaints. The thing is really easy to strip down and repair (I did only for setup and inspection). Unless you bust the tubes or crown, there just isn't much else to break. The bushings have held up and there is only ONE OIL SEAL to fail. That's right- damping is via oil weight and the valve slider has no o-ring to wear out or blow. Naturally it feels like zero dampening out of the box. Try some heavier oil. It comes with 5 wt. I finally settled on a nice 40 wt engine oil. I am not joking! 40 or 50 wt is perfect to control bob under the slighly higher preload I use. Just be sure to use SINGLE WEIGHT oil. Multi weight supposedly damages seals and parts, and is much more toxic as well.
The preload also works very well for me, but it takes some effort to adjust it while riding. Though low end, this fork is probably still better than most forks available 6 years ago. Given good treatment and maintenance, it should serve riders under 200 lbs well enough.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Travos
a Cross Country Rider
from Murrieta, socal, usa Date Reviewed: July 29, 2002
Favorite Trail:
nursery
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
I. E. bikes
Strengths:
works for a while, came with bike
Weaknesses:
turns to crap, damping valve is gone, grease ports are stupid because it will just build up in there, extremely flexy, adjuster doesnt do anything, compression is over-damped.
Bottom Line:
stay away from em
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chuck
a Cross Country Rider
from nashua Date Reviewed: July 18, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
10 speed spokes
Strengths:
good for the money, works good overall, has micro lube
Weaknesses:
cant adjust travel,
Similar Products Used:
manitou black
Bike Setup:
gary fisher tassajara w/ manitou magnum and deore derailuer
Bottom Line:
my fart smells bad... oh ya this is a pretty good fork for the money.. its not the best but its not the worst... this is a good buy and it suits me well
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a Weekend Warrior
from Nashua NH USA Date Reviewed: May 30, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
WAy better than my old crappy jett fork (That thing sucked)
Weaknesses:
none yet
Similar Products Used:
Jett Judy Bomber
Bike Setup:
Hookooekoodisc
Bottom Line:
good shox, better than the rs jetts
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
chris
a Cross Country Rider
from canada Date Reviewed: April 24, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
soma cycle
Strengths:
Cheap and good travel for the buck
Weaknesses:
no external ajustible rebound dampening
Similar Products Used:
2001 manitou sxe
Bike Setup:
2001 gary fisher hookooekoo with avid disc and and all xt drivetrain except cranks. and I switched out the manitou magnum for marzocchi bombers
Bottom Line:
They are crap switch out if they come on your bike or go buy a jett for 1/2 as much
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andy
a Weekend Warrior
from Sheffield Date Reviewed: April 7, 2002
Favorite Trail:
anywhere fun
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
came on bike
Strengths:
cost, strength, very smooth once worn in
Weaknesses:
looks(stickers are rubbish)ajustment desn't work
Similar Products Used:
Nothing this good for that money
Bike Setup:
programII frame deore transmission alivio brakes
Bottom Line:
these were crap at first and i hated them but once i'd worn them in they work like a dream they came on my bike which got for half price so they were a bargin. i've taken big jumps and never bottomed these things out, I am small though but they don't absorb little things with me on the bike. I don't think I could do a 30ft though
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Paulo Rasera
a Weekend Warrior
from Bento Gonçalves Date Reviewed: March 25, 2002
Favorite Trail:
DH da Eulália, DH do Reboque
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$205.00
Purchased At:
Bike Tech POA
Strengths:
Its good for an entry level free rider - absorbs all the small and medium bumps and its good on fast speed descents
Weaknesses:
has only external preload adjustment, but ya have what ya pay...
Similar Products Used:
RST 380
Bike Setup:
GT Pantera stx rc crank, alívio 2002 shifters, v-brakes and hubs, rear derailleur deore lx, front stx
Bottom Line:
This fork is very good for the price that its paid. It has only compression adjust but it works well with the tpc doing the rebound work
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jared
a Weekend Warrior
from Myrtle Creek, Oregon, USA Date Reviewed: March 24, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Steamboat section of North Umpqua trails
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$100.00
Strengths:
Performs well. Good for medium difficulty trail riding.
Weaknesses:
Kinda bouncy. All or nothing ajustment
Similar Products Used:
Rock shox.
Bike Setup:
Hoo Koo E Koo by G Fisher.
Bottom Line:
Few complaints as far as trail riding. A lot of times it doesn't absorb as much shock as I'd like it too though.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Hammer
a
from Seattle, WA, USA Date Reviewed: March 13, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
stock on bike
Strengths:
You can pick one up for $80 or less (that's about the only strength).
Weaknesses:
Everything, including the ugly paint and stickers It is like riding a pogo stick. Not much adjustment.
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi Z.1 and Jr.T, Girvin Cross-link Elite, Headshock, Judy XL
Bike Setup:
It came stock on a crappy Gary Fisher I bought
Bottom Line:
I rode this fork one day and then swapped it out for a leaky old 1998 Jr. T (which still out performed the Magnum). As for the liar who said he a 30 foot drop on one of these, keep dreaming, you couldn't even do a 3 foot drop on this piece of junk.
If you are a beginner who likes recreational rides, give it a try, but don't plan on doing anything to serious will using this fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Frenchy
a Weekend Warrior
from London, ON, canada Date Reviewed: January 10, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Hardwood Hills, Barrie ON
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Two Wheels
Strengths:
Can take a beating, Decent skock fork.
Weaknesses:
Oil leaks, bad rebound. I put a 2.7 tire on it, and now it bottoms out all the time.
Similar Products Used:
Jett, Jett T2
Bike Setup:
Tek 6500, XT all around
Bottom Line:
I ride XC, and this shock is alright, but I threw a 2.7 tire on it and I bottom out if I hit anything more that 1.5 feet. The preload adjuster is crap. I am buying a marzocchi this season!!!! If you are a beginner, then it is better than the Rock Shock Jett series.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
your momma is hot
a Racer
from 3rd street homeboy Date Reviewed: January 8, 2002
Favorite Trail:
there is a little place by a golf course that i like
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$380.00
Strengths:
these are some tight shocks. i did huge drop offs on them. ive hucked one 30 footer on it. still strong. rides like a dream. kills the manitou sx crap
Weaknesses:
psh aint one
Similar Products Used:
sx sxr elite SID(sweet)
Bike Setup:
schwinn rocket 88 stage 4 costco RULES
Bottom Line:
this is a tight sweet shock. go buy the thing. its worth all tha cheddar you spit for it. aight.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ben
a Weekend Warrior
from Riverwoods Illinois Date Reviewed: October 21, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Kettle Moraine
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
RRB Cyclery
Strengths:
Get absorbtion. Hard to bottom out. Has the manitou oil well(MCU) Which is a great help.
Weaknesses:
Takes a while to break in. Feels like crap when you first get them.
Hated them in the begginning. I am only 100 pounds so they didnt move at all. Finally got them broken in and they rock. These shocks are awesome. If you ride a lot these are good and also if you are just a Weekend Warrior like me they are good.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Wilco Brummel
a Cross Country Rider
from Epe, Gld, Netherlands Date Reviewed: July 15, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Ardennen
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
Be One complete Bike
Strengths:
Has enough travel, it is very welll adjustable and does its work on stumpy downhill track good enough
Weaknesses:
No idea
Bike Setup:
Be One Bombus 2001 V-brakes
Bottom Line:
Is good enough for normal cross country and slight downhill
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Zac
a Weekend Warrior
from Shawano, WI, USA Date Reviewed: July 12, 2001
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$60.00
Strengths:
These babies can absorb a LOT!!!! At their firmest, they can take on anything.
Weaknesses:
The preload adjusters hardly adjust enough to be recognizable.
Similar Products Used:
Judy XC, Judy C
Bike Setup:
2001 Trek 4500 21"
Bottom Line:
These can take a beating, and I got mine on sale, so I got to upgrade the piece of crap Jetts for cheap. Plus, I weigh 190 lbs. and am 6'2", and these just take the bumps and keep going. The value is really great for me.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Peter
a Cross Country Rider
from Keswick, ont. Date Reviewed: June 28, 2001
Favorite Trail:
big meanie
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
very smooth and always works like the day I bought them
Weaknesses:
preload adjusters are s**! Micro lube is needed often.
Similar Products Used:
judy xc- jett sl
Bike Setup:
gf hoo koo e koo
Bottom Line:
These forks have an overall great value to them seeing how they can soak up many hits, but im sure you can buy much better for cheaper. Thats why i give them 2 chilis.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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