Submitted by
Tom
a Weekend Warrior
from N.C. Concord Date Reviewed: November 10, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Popular tent
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
very light, sturdy, durable, can take almost anything, low matenice, light, light, airspring
Weaknesses:
the No BOB adjuster doesn't work on mine, creaks alot, the oil was being displaced unevenly,
Similar Products Used:
Rock shox, Manitou minitue
Bike Setup:
Manitou minute, canecreek rear, xt,xtr, gary fisher sugar 1
Bottom Line:
This is a very good fork and would be exspecially good if you were a cross country rider can be adjusted many different ways, can be super stiff when you want and loose when you want it to it is extremely light probally the lightest suspension fork I have ever touched, and is very durable
But I got the Manitou minute because I wanted a little more suspension in the front
but if your a rider who doesn't do the 3' 4' foot drops then I would highley recommened this
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Monica
a
from TX Date Reviewed: December 20, 2005
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Strengths:
Works great for me. Reliable. Smooth. Light
Bike Setup:
Surly 1x1
Bottom Line:
I love this fork with my singlespeed! It tracks well and handles great. I weigh 120 lbs and I have no problem setting it up for me. The oil level should be monitored to make sure that the no-bob lockout works as it is supposed to but that's about all I have to do for it. Oh yes, I have Enduro seals on it too.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David
a Racer
from Chicago Date Reviewed: June 25, 2003
Favorite Trail:
can't tell
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Lightweight. Stiffer than a Sid. Easy to tune and maintain. Lock-out
Weaknesses:
None for me
Bike Setup:
Jamis Dragon
Bottom Line:
Two seasons of races and no problems at all. The Mars is easy to maintain and I strip it down couple times of year. I've had Zokes, RockShox, and Manitous and I've had good luck with all of them. It helps knowing how to wrench.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Franc Diaz
a Cross Country Rider
from Barcelona , Catalunya, SPAIN Date Reviewed: March 12, 2003
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
Action
Strengths:
Light, super adjustable, lockout feature.
Weaknesses:
You must take care of it or you'll loose it. You must carry a High pressure pump.
Similar Products Used:
SX 97, Spyder R, Black Comp '02
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher Sugar3 '01 with full XT, XT front disk brake
Bottom Line:
Firts trails I rode (6 months ago) I thought this fork was amazing, you can fine setup rebound-compression-preload. But last track I rode with a buddy of mine I tried a 2002 Black. Then I realized that someting was wrong with my fork. The Black one it was very sensible on small bumps and my Mars not. I loose the rebound control one turn and everything changed. Now I have a new behaviour in my Mars, very sensible and now it uses all travel. As I have learned, the more set up possibilities your fork has the more difficult set up has. So take time to adjust your fork and you'll appreciate it.
Value: 5 for the performance Rating: 4 because it is not perfect (stickers, knobs,...)
PS: Forgive me for my poor english. :)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from Louisville,KY Date Reviewed: January 22, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Tsali
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
came with sugar 2
Strengths:
Lots of adjustments. All of which are external. Kinda plush but not super plush. Can trust it to pick a line and stay there. No "pogo sticking" down the trail.
Weaknesses:
LEAKS. LEAKS.LEAKS. After only a few months of riding it started to leak. It ALWAYS leaked a few pounds off between rides, but after a month or so it started to leak.BAD. I would pump it up till it was about to blow o-riings and it would be totally sagging in 4 miles.Had bike two years and shock has been sent back to Manitou twice and shop fixed it once.
Similar Products Used:
Judy XC
Bike Setup:
2001 Sugar 2
Bottom Line:
I am a 200 pound rider so this may have been a little much for this shock. I would not reccomend this shock to anyone. I had that cheap Judy xc for years and NEVER had even one problem. Had the mars super 2 years and sent it to manitou twice. And for the retail they are asking on this thing, they shoud be arrested. On Manitou's behalf they did fix it both times for free. And one of those times was way after a year of riding.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark Stewart
a Cross Country Rider
from Baltimore, MD Date Reviewed: January 9, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Avalon
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
It simply works
Weaknesses:
Still quite squishy even if you pump it up a lot... it's probably just because the spring it comes with is too light for me and Im too cheap/lazy to replace it.
I have blown up every fork I have owned. How you might ask. I really dont know. At 180lbs im not the lightest rider out there but Im not too hard on my equipment. The Mars Super has really impressed me though. Despite my misfortune with blowing seals followed me to this fork, in two years the only problem it had was that the lockout stopped working (ironic since I hardly ever use it). I sent it to Manitou and they replaced the device as well as switching out other inner parts. And it didnt take too long to boot!
The fork does an excellent job with absorbing small bumps due to its coil spring and handles big bumps in style with its air spring. For the weight the rigidity is good but im picky and wish it were a little stiffer. All in all, a great fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Augie
a Cross Country Rider
from Minneapolis Date Reviewed: November 29, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Moab
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Excellent damping and adjustment.
Weaknesses:
None
Bike Setup:
Surly SS
Bottom Line:
The Mars is easy to set-up and has been a great fork to use on a single speed. I keep the boots on since I hit mud quite a bit. Light enough at 3lbs and I'm happy as long as it keeps on going.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Berry
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose Date Reviewed: November 7, 2002
Favorite Trail:
can't tell
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
lbs
Strengths:
not as light as the sid it replaced but more rigid. With the right maintaining I've had a troublefree fork
Weaknesses:
Not a superlight but not a flexible flier either
Bike Setup:
Litespeed Obed. Mostly XT. Sun-ringle wheels
Bottom Line:
I love the ride of my Litespeed with the Mars Super!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Allen
a
from Chicago Date Reviewed: October 31, 2002
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$199.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
I've been riding coil spring forks and I like the action of the air spring for the hilly singletrack I ride in. Dependable for me so far. Rigid for a XC fork.
Similar Products Used:
Manitou SX-R. Manitou 1, 3 & 4. Trek DS2
Bike Setup:
Jamis Dragon
Bottom Line:
With 6 months of riding and the end of the season I'll change the oil and go for another season. It's a good dependable, lightweight XC fork with an excellent spring feel to it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave
a Racer
from Redwood City CA Date Reviewed: October 31, 2002
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Reasonably lightweight. Easy to adjust. Easy to tear down. Easy to work on. Lock out is great
Weaknesses:
None so far
Similar Products Used:
I work in a bike shop and get to ride everything
Bike Setup:
Soulcraft SS
Bottom Line:
i was also considering the SID but didn't like the flex. After upgrading the seals to Enduro's I can now run the forks without boots, I managed to get on the podium three times this season and the fork never let me down
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dan
a Racer
from Boulder, CO USA Date Reviewed: October 14, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Monarch Crest
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
Wheat Ridge
Strengths:
Light weight
Weaknesses:
none so far
Similar Products Used:
Maintou SXr, Marzhocchi Marathon S, Rock Shox SID
Bike Setup:
Specialized 2001 SWorks, Full XTR, Thomson post/stem, King Hubs/headset, etc...
Bottom Line:
I am not denying that problems can occur, but I have had absolutely no problems with this fork after a year of racing and riding this fork every day ~20+ miles here in the west (185lb rider).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jon Howard
a Racer
from Milwaukee Date Reviewed: October 7, 2002
Favorite Trail:
9 mile
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$299.00
Strengths:
Adjustability is a big factor. The lock-out is a plus. I race about 15 races a year and this fork has not let me down racing or training. TPC damping sinply works. The fork is easy to tear down and work on.
Weaknesses:
2oz. heavier than advertised. I don't really care - that's about the weight of a powerbar
Similar Products Used:
Pretty much everything - been riding dirt since the mid-80s
Bike Setup:
Indy Fab SS - who needs gears?
Bottom Line:
I work on my own bikes and I don't wait until something breaks before I start wrenching. Some of the complaints sound like they come from people who abuse their equipment and expect it to last forever without taking care of it. I have old Manitou's and Zoke's which just keep on working - why someone can't keep a bike running for more than a week or two, who knows.
Anyway, my Mars Super has performed consistently for me this past season. I'll probably upgrade to the evil genius wiper seals and try those for next year.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
curtis worthing
a Racer
from oakville, canada Date Reviewed: June 21, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1000.00
Strengths:
micro lube ports, no noticable flex light enough for an xc fork, the lock out works great 9when it works)
Weaknesses:
rebound doesn't work all that well, didn't notice much change when truned up all the way or all the way down. the shock boots hold water and crud around the seals.
Similar Products Used:
'98 SID, 2000 Mars C, 2002 SID SL
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Super Light, Bontrager Race Lite wheels, Icon Cranks, XTR Derailiers/BB.
Bottom Line:
The fork works good when it does work, nothing to write home about though regarding performance. Piece of CRAP, no kidding around. If it wasn't for the service that Manitou provides I'd ditch this fork and take a loss. I've had two Mars forks, the first one is on my Klein Mantra (no choice,steer tube issue) that fork went back once; a bushing shifted inside causing the fork to lock, it was only 1 week old. I bought the second fork 'cause I got it and the frame for cost, from a shop I've delt with for 15yrs. This fork has been back three times now, first time the lock out didn't work when we had it on the wall, then I bought it with the frame and started building up the bike, checked the lockout, didn't work again, sent it back Manitou repaired it and had the fork back within one week. This last time, I was at a 12 hr race and half way through the race the fork loaded up, ( the race was during a huge down pour) I only had about 1" of travel for the rest of the race. When the shop contacted Manitou they agreed to picked up the cost of shipping and replace all the internals. I get the fork back this weekend and will post again later in the season, or maybe next week (when it stops working again)which ever comes first.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
spinjunkie
a Racer
from the mountains Date Reviewed: May 18, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$319.00
Purchased At:
excel sports
Strengths:
none
Weaknesses:
broken more than it worked
Similar Products Used:
manitou sx carbon, x-fly, SID, Judy's, etc
Bottom Line:
This fork, like all mantiou stuff, is a piece of crap! I swear to God these guys are the Kmart of forks. Once it was new, it took an afternoon of fiddling to get the correct oil levels because they were too high from the factory. The fork had constant bushing slop that could never be fully allieveated. Manitou's answer: pump in more grease through the Microlube ports. That's confidence inspiring. You think I'm making this up? Get this -- While at Sea Otter, the SRAM and Avid techs both worked on my bike to adjust it for the race. Without mentioning I was having problems with the fork, BOTH techs noticed the copious amounts of play in the fork and said that I had better let Mantiou look at it. Here's the kicker -- I had been to the Manitou tent before I went to Avid and SRAM and they had supposedly fixed the fork! Plus to add insult to injury, they wanted to charge me for it!
I finally gave up went I went to my LBS and they declared the fork unsafe. This fork is the biggest peice of crap I have ever owned. I figured I'd give Manitou another try after owning an equally dissappointing carbon sx that both me and a teammate had (two seprate forks both from two diferent shops both hunks of junk). But no more. I have bought my last Manitou ever. Why Mountain Bike magazine pushes these buys forks is beyond me. I think ZAP must be on their payroll or in love with the CEO of the company...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Drew
a Racer
from West Virginia Date Reviewed: April 20, 2002
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Came w/ bike
Strengths:
Light
Weaknesses:
Way too springy, needs heavier duty springs. No-bob sucks, had to change the weight of the oil in the shock to get to work even remotely properly. Oil needed changed anyway, cause this shock is more like a pogo stick. Even if the no-bob worked that well, it makes adjusting the thing next to impossible. Super-flexy, even for a racing fork. WEAK, WEAK, WEAK.
Similar Products Used:
Rock shox judy sl, sid xc, sl...Marzy x fly 80, 100, z1 FR
Bike Setup:
Sugar 2, which now has a marzy x fly 100 instead of this piece of junk.
Bottom Line:
My second day on this shock, I blew the hell out of it. Literally, I blew the bushing clear out of its housing. I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary, certainly nothing a shock at this price shouldn't have been able to handle. Amazingly enough, this same bike was on the floor of a local bike shop a month before I bought it. I pulled it off the rack, pushed down on the front, and the shock just gave out...blew it in the shop. They sent the shock back to be "replaced." So, when Manitou insisted that we send the shock to them a second time to be "replaced", I refused, insisting they send me a brand new shock. They did so, sending me a model without the no-bob. I was unhappy at first, but was pleasantly surprised at the adjustability of this shock. I could crank up the damping enough to reduce its tendency to pogo. So, when the no-bob thingy arrived a week later, I chose to ditch it for the more conventional adjustment.
Anyway, 2 weeks later the new shock blew again, this time it lost its ability to dampen, and just bottomed out all the time. It was fixed once again. Within the next month I brought the bike in at least 4 times because the monday after each race I was in, the shock would be completely seized up. Apparently it was ingesting water, which was shown to me after each repair. This was a minor inconvenience to me, but I finally gave up when I blew this shock for a....ummm....4th time. To be honest, I have no clue what happened this time, cause I didn't care. I called that same day and ordered a Marzocchi x fly 100 (which is not one of their best shocks by any means). I have had no problems since, and have ridden 3 times as much on this one as I did the Manitou, and just as hard. I raced this bike all last year, therefore my main goal was weight reduction. However, I got so fed up with these light weight race forks, I accepted the pound and change penalty that came with upgrading to a marzocchi that can handle the day to day abuse that a mountain biker is entitled to put on his/her bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Caleb Enright
a Racer
from friendly, west virginia Date Reviewed: March 29, 2002
Favorite Trail:
tea creak in slaty fork wv
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$340.00
Purchased At:
traded for/at country raods
Strengths:
plush movment in the top end firm on the bottom and can take a heck of alot of abuse(bunny hopping repedidly on the front wheel
Weaknesses:
seals get gummie and let stuff in.
Similar Products Used:
manitou sx carbon/ mars 1/ mars/ sid 100/sid sl/sid race
Bike Setup:
alluminum hardtail xtr/sram9.0[F/R derailors] 9.0 quarter pipes. avid TI brakes and levers atack hubs
Bottom Line:
this fork is quite satisfactory. IT gives in a merciful way yet itll take anything i through at it. including some freeride jumps. it doesnt have much stiction if lubed regarly. i think the seals need worked on they seam to let alot of crap down in there( i took the boots off that has alot to do with it) but overal i would say if you like to tune alot this is the fork for the price. but if youre like alot of people and like to let things go this could cause probs especialy if you ride in wet conditions.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Darren
a Cross Country Rider
from UK Date Reviewed: January 16, 2002
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
The fork is quite nicely finished off- one piece legs are a big improvement over the old 2000 Mars 3-pice legs - both asthetically and functionally. They have more clearence around the brace which is a bonus.
The No-bob really does work - I can't understand why most people have trouble with it. Just don't take the No-bob unit out of the stanchion too many times (I mean like 1-3 times) and if you do anymore than this, just reeplace the silicone o-ring, which sits around the main piston - no big deal - and once you got compression dialed in you don't need to take it out. Oil level is critical though - mm's can literally make a differance between solid lok-out and a bit of movement.
The air spring is very simple to maintain - just take off the air-cap, and pour a table spoon of a heavy grade shock-oil (e.g. 20wt) over the air piston (inside the stanchion) do this 1-2 times a year. It's also relatively plush - you can't really notice the transition between the coil and air spring, as long as you match the right spring with the right psi - e.g. soft spring with a high psi will give a noticable transition from coil to air spring.
The forks overally are easy to maintain, and you only have a few seals to worry about, unlike Rock Shox dual air forks.
The disc post mount is definately better than IS mount in terms of design and ease of fitting the disc caliper.
TPC is an excellent damper design - very good
Weaknesses:
This fork can not cope with moisture. The slightest bit starts to cause stiction. In heavy rain the forks almost cease up. Boots are needed to help shield the seals, but they hold in the crap and moisture. The fork also seems to develop stiction on dry days, after prolonged rides. It seems to have good days and bad days - which isn't really on considering the money it costs, and the supposed level of fork devo. which we are now at. The mini boots are a slight improvement, if you retro fit them, because they employ a foam wiper, which you load up with oil. This helps to combat stiction at first, but then is not so good. Its just like half way through a long ride the forks almost run out of grease and it takes a push on them, via the handlebars, to get the working again - momentarily. This is the forks biggest down fall.
Quality control at manitou also seems to be poor, and general quality of the parts used seems on the cheap side. In my year of running the fork, I've had the following go wrong -
Bushings worn - replaced under warranty Leaking bottom seal on the damper - as a result of the bushing wear (causes the rebound shaft to rock - hence stressing the seal) - the result was the fork would move even when the lok-out was on, due to escaping oil.
The rebound adjuster pops off, out of the bolt, due to air build up inside the leg. Not good - happens randomly, sometimes resulting in alost adjuster.
Finally I don't know in what stripped down state Manitou weight heir forks - the weights are a lie - they should be precise to 0.1 of a pound with an un-cut steerer - mass production should not result in such a big weight variation.
Similar Products Used:
Manitou 4/ SX (96)/ SX Ti (98)/ SX Ti (99)/ SX Carbon/ Mars CL
Bike Setup:
2001 Rift Zone with XTR and Float RL plus Hope XC4 F+R
Bottom Line:
Must try harder!
This forks has mixed personality. One day it is great, on day crap.
Sort out Quality control Manitou, and get your act together on the seals, specifically the top wiper seals.
The forks are too mass produced, or at least that's what it now seems like.
CVi and Raw have both given excellent warranty back-up, but a £400 top-line fork should not go worng this often.
I'm afraid this is my last manitou - I did consider a Black Super Air, but was paranoid about quality control and poor wiper seals and. Manitous seems good for the first few months, but then get worse. The end to this story is that I now have a Fox Forx on order - all metal construction, top reviews and more attention to detail seem to be the benefits of this fork over a manitou.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Adam
a Racer
from Trussville,AL,USA Date Reviewed: November 13, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Oak Mnt. 17 mile trail
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Bob's Bikes
Strengths:
everything about it is at its best level, there is no other shock as good as it
Weaknesses:
none
Bike Setup:
full suspension, 2001 Gary Fisher Sugar 2
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is it is top of the line quality and one of the best shocks out there.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kam
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Angeles, CA Date Reviewed: November 9, 2001
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
off a local gal
Strengths:
light weight all 80mm of travel is there looks great(love that black MRD crown) anti-bob great progressive feel those sweet microlube ports very easy to dial in no stiction!!! holds air(look below)
Weaknesses:
may be abit flexy for heavy people very pricey if it's new scared that it may develop an air leak
ultra easton hardtail frame,mars super(of course),2x9 drivetrain with sram rocket shifters and xtr ders.
Bottom Line:
well, if you a relivitely light person who loves to ride xc and loves to climb, this is a great fork. i'm about 170lbs. and this fork seems just abit flexy. i guess that's to be expected for a 3lbs fork. the anti-bob is great and works extremely well. and the travel is ultra smooth and very progressive. my fork hasn't leaked air or oil. like alot of the regular mars owners are complaining of. i haven't serviced the fork as of yet, but i'm guessing it may be a task my looking at the schematic of the fork, i guess those microlube ports are gonna see some action til i get brave enough to put my fork under the knife. for those of you complaining about the anti-bob not working, please check the oil level in the right leg!!! it is crucial, and won't work if the oil level is low. also, why are people complaining of buying a air pump??? this is an air fork people. it's easy to set up, took me about 2 minutes, and i haven't had to touch the rebound or compression once as of yet. i got this fork for $150 from a local gal, and it's worth every penny. don't buy it if your over 200lbs.,do 3ft or more drops,or don't like the idea of buying a pump for the fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Markus
a Cross Country Rider
from Germany Date Reviewed: October 28, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Lightweight
Weaknesses:
After 270 km, it makes no difference whether Lock-out is "on" or "off": The fork almost doesn't work any more.
Similar Products Used:
Mars
Bottom Line:
This fork ist the most expensive an heaviest rigid fork I've ever seen. I' m going to send this piece of crap back to the retailer.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chas Arvey
a Weekend Warrior
from Atlanta, GA Date Reviewed: October 4, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Camp Thunder and Tsali
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
I'll rate these guys after my first visit
Strengths:
1. Made it home on my roof rack without breaking 2. Plush, more so than my K2 Carbon Smart Fork 3. Weight 4. Red
Weaknesses:
1. Strength, or lack of. In all fairness I weigh 275 and beat up most forks.(except the K2 Carbon and Marzocchi) 2. Lockout quit working after at mile 24. ( but I did get to climb twice with it and was impressed both times) 3. Much maintaince required 4. Must buy grease gun and pump( My bike shop gave me the pump )at extra cost.
Similar Products Used:
lots.
Bike Setup:
01 Gary Fisher Sugar....Panaracer Fire XC(from Japan), Terry Fly Seat, then oem.
Bottom Line:
My other bike is a K2 Carbon OZ with a carbon shock. Very sturdy, built like a tank. As I mentioned eariler I weigh 275 and ride really hard. I knew that this shock was not built for my kind of riding. This shock came as oem my new Fisher Sugar 2. I really liked the bike and bought it knowing that I would buy a heavy duth Marzocchi later. The shock might be ok for light racer guys. It might also be ok for someone buying a cheap air shock for their second bike. I don't know what this shock would cost after market but I would speculate that it would retail for around $250.00. Therefore I am awarding 3 crap piles for value as it could be worth this much to the right customer. As for overall ratings....I....think....2 crap piles. Low overall rating due mostly to the fact that the lockout stopped working after two rides.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jon
a Racer
from State College PA Date Reviewed: September 7, 2001
Favorite Trail:
no-name trail
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
mtbr.com
Strengths:
light easy to dial in anti-bob microlube ports
Weaknesses:
anti-bob is fiddly to work on needs more maintenance than coil forks
The price is a little misleading, since there's a story behind this fork. I originally bought a Mars-1 off the Marketplace, rode it for a year, and was never that impressed with it. The MCU/air spring gave it a very progressive feel, and it never seemed to get full travel, no matter how I set it up. Then I found out about Answer's fork recall, and instead of pounding an insert into my steerer, the shop sent it back to Answer. After a few weeks, I got back basically a Mars Super, but with my old lowers put on. It's got boots, a coil/air spring, and a lockout. I've put a few rides and races on it, and I'm impressed. The spring rate is much more linear, and with the lockout, I can set things up softer, and not worry about bobbing on the climbs. I do wish there was an easier way to adjust compression damping, but the factory setting feels pretty good, so I haven't pulled the anti-bob out yet. And, unlike some other people here, I had a great experience with Answer's customer service people. Both people I spoke to were friendly, and considering I got a nice new fork, the few weeks wait were acceptable.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Riaan van Niekerk
a Cross Country Rider
from South Africa Date Reviewed: July 25, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Knysna
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$499.00
Purchased At:
Local shop
Strengths:
Very plush, use full travel, lock-out capability and adjustability. Doesn't leek air or oil.
Weaknesses:
None on the fork, service guys from Manitou (on-line) needs to go on PR. Purchasing of pump (a must!) and prep gun and lube adds to the $$.
Similar Products Used:
Judy's, SID's, have experience of other Mtbr's Marzoc's and HeadShok's.
Bike Setup:
Kona, Full XT
Bottom Line:
Flex - Seems to be on everyone's mind. My weight is 210 pounds, so I'm used to a bit of flex. The Super is a little bit less flexy than a average light weight XC shock. (More flex than a Roch Shox judy XC '98). Plushness - Excellent Travel - goes all the way (I weight 210!) Adjustability - best from what I've experienced (SID included) Service - Quite good in SA Maintenance - like the SID if your a mechanic at heart, the best, (bear in mind the oil level and spillage when removing the lock-out). Performance is extremely sensitive to oil level. Comparison - Better than the SID, mainly because of the lock-out.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brij Lunine
a
from Santa Cruz Date Reviewed: July 24, 2001
Favorite Trail:
full moon
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Another Bike Shop
Strengths:
Having the lock-out option (when it works) is awesome for climbing. Very plush ride for 155 llb rider. Seems stiff to me-- no break rub when standing. Reasonably light-- it really weighs 3.2llbs.
Weaknesses:
Somewhat hard to get dialed in, lots of maintenance. It's impossible to check the oil w/out having to replace what you inevitably spill. Anti-Bob got less and less lock-out until oil was replaced and run at higher level. Needs lots of regular care. Instructions w/fork are weak, on-line are really weak too. Customer support are better but this company needs technical writers and some customer service training. Also: easy to damage seal on Anti-Bob + DO NOT mess with the small adjustment screw it will really decrease your low end compression. In other words if you have the time and expertise to work on your fork every few months it can be worth it-- it compare favorably in use with rock shox though
Similar Products Used:
Rock Shox Judy SL, SID
Bike Setup:
Santa Crux Super light, XT/LX, Fox RC, Bontrager Rims, Easton Bars etc-- (stock set up)
Bottom Line:
If you can get a deal on them and like locking out they're for you-- but be ready to work on them-- (see other reviews of the Mars line).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Eric
a Cross Country Rider
from Ann Arbor, MI Date Reviewed: July 9, 2001
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$540.00
Strengths:
* Smooth * Good performance (once you get the proper spring) * Light
Weaknesses:
* Bit flexy for me at 190 lbs * Stock spring is very soft and it was difficult to get a spring kit from Manitou
Similar Products Used:
Many different Manitou forks since the original elastomer one.
Bike Setup:
Tomac "Buckshot" hardtail, Mavic X-max UST wheels, SRAM drive, Easton CT2 bars and stem, RF ISIS BB, Next LP's, and Headset, Flite saddle, Paul Motolight brakes and levers.
Bottom Line:
I really like this fork once it is set-up properly. It's smooth, the damping is good, and the lock-out is easy to reach/use. If you weigh over 175lbs, plan on getting a spring kit to firm up the ride. This would'nt be a problem if these kits were readily available but, they are'nt. I ordered mine from Manitou on line and I waited about a month and a half for it to arrive. I had given up hope of ever seeing it - no e-mail confirmations/notice of ship/replys from Manitou. With the firm spring installed (pretty easily) the fork improves dramatically and I really like the performance.
I notice quite a bit of flex and get brake rub (even though set with very generous rim/pad clearance) while standing and through turns. However, I guess I've come to accept this with a light race fork. I typically have broken the lowers on lighter Manitou's after a couple seasons of hard riding / racing (normal XC conditions) and suspect this fork will be the same.
One last gripe - removing the anti-bob to change compression damping. It can be finicky to get the anti-bob to work again after being pulled to change the damping and adding oil to the recommended height (oil will need to be added as, it spills out when you pull the anti-bob). It seems very sensitive to the oil level.
Just on performance I'd give 5 stars but, do to customer service of getting a different spring and durability issues - I'll give 4 out of 5.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Denva from Oz
a Cross Country Rider
from Australia Date Reviewed: June 27, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Lysterfield
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$950.00
Purchased At:
Borasi's Calton
Strengths:
Very, very plush. Excellent feel even in the rough stuff. I think know Manitou have got the right formula going. The loc-out is good, but the switch should be on the handlebar. That shouldn't take away from the fork being better than any other XC race fork out there this year.
Weaknesses:
Could be a tad lighter.
Similar Products Used:
Mars Cl, Sid XC & Sidney, Lefty & headshok Ultra.
Bike Setup:
Esp 9sl gearing. XTR brakes. Mavic wheels. Thomson stem, Syncros bar( broke the hyperlite), Esp 9sl Levers. Selle Marce Ti saddle. Orbit extreme h/set. Hutchy Tires....excetra, excetra, excetra
Bottom Line:
Best fork if you've got the money. Also one slight downside is that if you want to do maintance you need to buy a shock pump, the manitou lube and gun. Extra's I only realised about later...but still worth it (the fork).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Grieder Stefan
a Weekend Warrior
from Basel Switzerland Date Reviewed: June 22, 2001
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Verry plush,stiff,easy to maintain, use full travel,good damping
It`a good fork.One of the best i rode so far.You can go fast and hold almost any line you want,it soaks up everything and its stiff enough.The plushest i`ve ever tried.I love it and can go faster on my home trails!
I got it pretty new and used it only a couple of months,so we`ll see how things are looking a little later.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bjorn Victor
a Cross Country Rider
from Belgium Date Reviewed: June 20, 2001
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Fietsateljee Dupont
Strengths:
light, rebound adjustment really works (!), very responsive, lock out lever (I do not use it much, but it is nice to have)
Weaknesses:
none so far
Similar Products Used:
rock shox judy xc and the judy fork made by Specialized
Bike Setup:
specialized s-works hard tail, magura, mavic, XT,...
Bottom Line:
It is a very good cross country fork (do not use it for anything else). You do not feel it is there and that is what a good fork should feel like, right? Bottom line: I am a happy owner. If you can, buy one.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
What's New
»
BEST OF MTBR - Check out the highest rated bikes, parts, & gear!
»
LED BIKE LIGHT SHOOTOUT 3 - We test all the newest products and latest light and battery technology in this comprehensive guide»
$
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
