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Submitted by
Colin Mcray
a Racer
from Ontario
Date Reviewed: February 16, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Blue Mountain | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Orleans cycle | | Strengths: | U dont expect to get get much for such a low price... Think again! First time i tried them with my bike i was ammased.. its all around strenght will make you a better rider | | Weaknesses: | Well there is 1 weekness... for the heavyer riders 200pounds+ they will bottom out on you. | | Similar Products Used: | i've tried most manitou shox but these are my favorite | | Bike Setup: | My bike well lets c i got some Psylo rock shox on back i ride my manitou on front double spoked 400$ rims beauty's! and i run an Giant Iguana frame (light as hell) | | Bottom Line: | The bottom line is Manitou is about the same quality as rock shox but their cheaper! Go for manitou. Try them out once and i'm telling you that you will not be dissapointed. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alex
a
from Nottingham
Date Reviewed: July 5, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | MBR trail, Coed-Y-Brenin | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Carsington (with bike) | | Strengths: | Plush Manitou Travel, excellent TPC system, pretty solid. | | Weaknesses: | Flexy, had to replace them after 2 years.
Been replace by superior models. | | Similar Products Used: | Manitou SX
Manitou X-Vert E
Headshox
Manitou Six Comp
Others at various times | | Bike Setup: | Dawes Edge Comp 99, becoming progressivly customised. | | Bottom Line: | Why do people buy RoickShox Judy's? Manitou botom end is lighter and plusher, Mazzochis are tougher and lighter! Whatever, my Spyder Rs have served me well, soaking up bumps and never pogoing - sadly they got to the state where it would cost me as much to fix them as it did to get some mega disounted (less than half price) 2001 Manitou SXs. So generally, these forks are some of the best in the budget end of the real(fully damped) MTB forks, and I beleive that manitou have kept it up with the range. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
xico faria
a Downhiller
from alentejo
Date Reviewed: September 14, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Backyard Downhill | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$950.00 | | Strengths: | it rocks, best shocks for the money (US$950)!!!!! | | Weaknesses: | none at all | | Similar Products Used: | Rockshox Sid, Psylo | | Bike Setup: | esmaltina, shimano 7sis, Manitou spyderR | | Bottom Line: | It Rocks, best shock i've ever used, better than Sid, bomber or the new psylo | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
E R
a Cross Country Rider
from Michigan
Date Reviewed: July 5, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Highland | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | town & country | | Strengths: | It hasn't broken yet | | Weaknesses: | It has to be bottom of the line manitou | | Similar Products Used: | rockshox | | Bike Setup: | rockhopper comp | | Bottom Line: | it came with the bike, one day I'll have enough money for the bombers that I want to be on the front of my ride. No one should buy this fork unless I'm selling it to you. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Donovan
a Cross Country Rider
from Greenville, Sc
Date Reviewed: June 22, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Paris Mtn | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Universal Cycles | | Strengths: | Orange | | Weaknesses: | Leaks & Breaks | | Similar Products Used: | Marzocchi's & Rockshox | | Bike Setup: | KHS Comp ST- wife's bike | | Bottom Line: | Followup to my post below. Noticed that the nrakes needed constant adjustment to keep from rubbing the rims, turns out the fork has cracked where the spring inserts to keep tension and the brakes from rubbing the rims. One side is missing the entire hole, and the other side is beginning to crack.
My wife had better luck with Universal Cycles, she sent them a couple pics of the cracked fork and they are promising to upgrade the shock with an SXR for no charge.
I'd say this shock is right up there with the Suntour ballistic you'd find on the huffys at walmart. It's definitely not something that belongs on a $500 bike.
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Submitted by
Richard Belton
a Weekend Warrior
from Connecticut
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Clarke's Cycles | | Strengths: | It looks like a winner | | Weaknesses: | rebound damper inside busted after 2 months of trailing | | Similar Products Used: | haven't had the chance ...yet | | Bike Setup: | 99 Rockhopper Comp A1 fs | | Bottom Line: | The Rebound Damper inside of the fork broke after about 6 months of having the bike, but I purchased it in December, so I really only had about 2 months of trailing on it and I was disapointed when I was about to hit a trail with my friends, and all of a sudden....I realized that my Spyder R that was supposed to have 80 mm of travel now was a solid fork. This peice of crap doesn't even move, but to the rescue my good " Pal" at Clarke's loaned me a rigid fork while he sent the Spyder's to Manitou to be fixed....will this fork ever be recalled? will there ever be some justice for the riders condemned with this fork? NOBODY IN THEIR RIGHT MIND SHOULD CONSIDER THIS FORK!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Clint Johnson
a Racer
from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Date Reviewed: May 11, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | da bench | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$245.00 | | Purchased At: | Doug's Spoke n Sport | | Strengths: | Stiff, plush, good for bigfer riders, better than Judy. | | Weaknesses: | Fork boots come off easily, leaks from hte seals. | | Similar Products Used: | Judy SL, the stock RST that came on the bike. | | Bike Setup: | XT Drivetrain, Race Face Next LP w/ B/B. | | Bottom Line: | The fork is pretty damn good. The only problem is the boots and the leaking. You can take the boots off, and control the seals by making sure they're on tight. Bigger riders(like me) will like the stiffer springs and adjustability of it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Donovan
a
from Greenville, SC
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Universal Cycles | | Bike Setup: | KHS Comp ST | | Bottom Line: | OK so I KNOW it's a cheap shock, it came on a 2000 KHS Comp ST from Universal Cycles which was fairly cheap ($500) too. But it leaked immediately and has a huge spring effect with no damper, it's basically a pogo stick. I based my purchase on the below reviews, knowing that my wife doesn't ride hard or often, so I figured for her it would hold up fine. No the case if it leaks right out the box. So 1 measely pepper each way for the shock and lots of rotten chili's to Universal Cycles, who have given me lousy customer service and have done absolutely nothing to help me out. The last I heard they were leaving messages to Answer and blowing me off. Double whammy, no more Answer products and no more Universal Cycles for me. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David
a Weekend Warrior
from Langley
Date Reviewed: November 30, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$160.00 | | Purchased At: | Sports West | | Strengths: | Cheap, light weight | | Weaknesses: | Not long lasting | | Similar Products Used: | Rock shox Judy | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Rock Hopper | | Bottom Line: | Don't buy this fork because it's garbage, it's not going to last. The spring would just freez all of a sudden and not work (espacially in winter.) I would recommend this fork only for people who ride streets. If you want to ride hard-core, use a bomber or a boxxer. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason Kennedy
a Cross Country Rider
from London, England
Date Reviewed: October 18, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Peak district | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Nottingham, England | | Strengths: | Looks good | | Weaknesses: | Appalling build quality, plastic bolts that can't be undone, crappy ride adjusters, mind seized after about 15 rides in mostly good conditions | | Similar Products Used: | Marzocchi Z2 96 | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale Killer V fat tube version | | Bottom Line: | These forks suck arse. They need regular servicing but are so poorly made that you can't get them apart. My dealer did not recommend I use a grease gun regularly which might have helped, but complete seizure in six months is v.poor. I certainly won't be buying another Answer product. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Noppinger
a Weekend Warrior
from Towson, MD
Date Reviewed: October 6, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Sam's Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | Hudson Trail Outfitters | | Strengths: | good value. durable and well rounded. | | Weaknesses: | If pushed real hard or you do a few big drop offs, you are likely to bust the dampening system inside. Mine broke after about 6 months of use. Come to find out, there was a manufacturers defect with this model. Many of the experienced bikers and bike shops (including Manitou themselves) mentioned there have been a number of similar problems reported. Manitou did not formerly issue a recall for the fork and they could not even tell me why not when confronted with the issue. However, Manitou was good about fixing it..for free. Haven't had any problems with it since. May upgrade to a better fork within a year or so. | | Similar Products Used: | none. first fork. | | Bike Setup: | 1999 Specialized Rockhopper A1 Comp | | Bottom Line: | Good overal fork for the money. Suggest this product only for an entry level to intermediate level rider. Hard core riders should seriously think about an upgrade! Would advise having the defective fork mechanism inside replaced in advance, before the warranty runs out and before you get on the trail and have this thing bust on you. You won't like the feel of the fork when it goes!! It's good to go after that!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
NEATO
a Cross Country Rider
from CALI
Date Reviewed: August 26, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | CLEMINTINE LOOP | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$179.00 | | Purchased At: | PERFORMANCE | | Strengths: | PLENTY OF TRAVEL, REALLY ADJUSTABLE, LOOKS AWSOME, PRETTY LIGHT. | | Weaknesses: | MAJOR FLEX PROBLEM.
I BROKE SOMETHING MAJOR INSIDE (IT WOULDN'T EVEN MOVE) THE FIRST WEEK I RODE IT BUT MANITOU FIXED IT FOR FREE | | Similar Products Used: | ROCK SHOX INDY XC | | Bike Setup: | COSTUM BUILT GT ZASKAR
BONTRAGER RACE WHEELS, RACE FACE BB CRANK AND SEATPOST, SRAM 9.0SL, ALL KIND OF GOODIES | | Bottom Line: | GOOD FORK FOR THE MONEY, BUT NOT IF YOU AS RIDE HARD AS I DO! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
evan
a Weekend Warrior
from us
Date Reviewed: August 15, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | plush | | Weaknesses: | warm up time | | Bike Setup: | rockhopper a1 fs 1999 | | Bottom Line: | during summer = very good
during winter, try walking...it takes a good half day ride to get these things to warm up enough to make much of a difference, my friends 120 mt. bike from toys r us was giving a better ride then mine for a while, bottom line, don't keep the bike in the garage if you want a smooth ride, but then again, the manitou spyder is much better than any rock shox jett you could buy | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim Cowie
a Downhiller
from Longmeadow, MA
Date Reviewed: August 4, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Shinipsit State Forest | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Worked Ok for its price | | Weaknesses: | After two months this was totally shot. I exploded the dampening cartridge, so I had it replaced. The first time I rode on it after that it broke again. | | Similar Products Used: | old rock shox quadra 10 | | Bike Setup: | 1999 rock hopper comp with upgraded to XT | | Bottom Line: | If you like to ride fast and hit big drop offs this fork is not for you it will fall apart. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
MAC
a Cross Country Rider
from Etowah, NC
Date Reviewed: July 24, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Ashville Arboritum | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Adjustment
Looks
Damping
Strength
Low to No Maintence | | Weaknesses: | Sometimes the shock boots wouldn't stick to the bottom, But who cares, doesn't affect reliability or performence. | | Similar Products Used: | Manitou Magnum, Rock Shox Jett | | Bike Setup: | 1999 KHS Alite 2000, minor upgrades, bar ends, grips, lizard skins, etc. | | Bottom Line: | I am an ametur cross country rider and these shocks are perfect. Even though I am light (135) the shocks still have perfect damping and rebound thanks to TPC sport. They have unparalled reliability and no maintenence, I have only greased them once and never done anything else in 6 months the still work the same as when I first got them broken in. The shocks came with my bike (good choice KHS), and I have never regretted getting that bike. My friend let me use his bike on a trail ride before just cause I wanted to once. At the time his bike had come with Rock Shocks Jetts, I noticed that the shocks were stiff as hell and they where on there loosest settings, something had broken they would barely move. When my friend finally decided to switch to manitou he got a pair of Magnums. When we took out the Jett we noticed the head bar was bent due to stress, how cheap. Although the Magnums are just as dependible so far they just were to soft even for a light person like me, even on the hardest setting. They were like a pair of pogo sticks. You could really tell when my friend rode them, he weighs atleast 150 if not more. He'd pop a wheelie and when the tire came of the ground the shock would rebound like an inch from the wheight on it. On the bumps the Spyder R with it's TPC sport would rebound far faster and more surely than the Magnums. But something I don't understand, if you put a pair of 99 Spyder R's with TPC sport beside Magnums or many other shocks you will realize that the shocks are so much bigger in diameter. Why is this? Is it a strength issue? I have also heard the Spyder R's are finished with SUB-7 material and the Magnum and Spyder arn't. As you all know the Spyder series was replaced by the Magnum series in 2000, they are very much the same shock, but I like the Spyder series better. Does anyone know the difference between a Spyder R and a Magnum R? 5 Flamin' Chili things! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam Di Lullo
a Cross Country Rider
from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: July 5, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | too many to list | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Adjustabilty
Price
looks
travel
| | Weaknesses: | what??? weaknesses? no way Jose! | | Similar Products Used: | Suntour, RST | | Bike Setup: | NAKAMURA PROFILE SUSPENSION | | Bottom Line: | I bought these at a very cheap price (90$US) and i llove 'em
Smooth Travel, They look awsome and are very easy to adjust. I upgraded from a Suntour Fork and it was the smartest thing i did Bike wise. I am very light and they still work great. I WOULDN'T HESITATE TO BUY THEM IF YOU WANT A NEW SUSPENSION. 5 Flamin'Thingis. Oh yeah. They get 80mm of travel and weighs 3.2lbs.YAAAYYYY!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Richardson, TX, USA
Date Reviewed: February 17, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Rowlett Creek | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Light, Inexpensive, Maintenance ports | | Weaknesses: | Fork Boots don't stay attached
Can't move the adjustment knobs | | Similar Products Used: | Bought to replace my 97 RockShox Indy SL that was stolen | | Bike Setup: | Mostly stock 1997 Gary Fisher Paragon | | Bottom Line: | I really like the fork. The first bike I bought was rigid, then I sold that bike a got one with the Indy SL. That was a big improvement. When I bought the Spyder R, that was another big improvement. I seems to be stiffer and it takes the hits and drop-offs better. I also got 17mm more travel (63 to 80mm). The Spyder seems light and handles very well.
I've used the stock internals and my friends say that it pogos a lot on climbs. Of course, I weigh 210 (on a good day). I really don't notice it, and I figure, at my wieght, what can I do about it? I've heard I can switch springs, but I like the way it handles the bumps.
The problems I've had are with the fork boots and the adjustment knows. The fork boots are hard to get attached to the bottom of the sliders, and when you get them attached, they come off after 2 or 3 rides. The knobs on top of the fork are supposed to adjust the preload (I think), but I can't get them to turn.
I bought it because it was less than $250 at the shop. I know you can get them cheaper. For the price, it's a great performing fork.
I plan to upgrade in the future. I really like how the Manitou Spyder performs, so I'll probably stick with Manitou.
I think Manitou replaced the Spyder line with the Magnum line in 2000. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scratch
a Cross Country Rider
from Sheffield, UK
Date Reviewed: February 1, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Cheap
Low maintenance
Keep working | | Similar Products Used: | Rockshox Judy XC | | Bike Setup: | 1999 East Peak, Pace RC36 EVO MXCD Forks, Hope/X517 front wheel, XT/X517 rear, XT V's + levers + shifters + rear mech + cassette. Rest as it came. | | Bottom Line: | These are an excellent value budget fork. Lets face it at £229 (UK) they are cheap - but the performance isn't.
I found these forks to be excellent, with one exception - even for me (a rider of 185lbs) they felt a little stiff with the standard spings stacks - although I did bottom them out occasionally.
Low maintenance - more like maintenance free - a few squirts with the grease through the grease prot and off you go. In 10 months of use, I only stripped these forks once, and that was only purely out of curiosity as they were still as smooth as ever. They now are happily continuing in use on my second bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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