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Submitted by
ADAM P.
a Racer
from Belleville, MI USA
Date Reviewed: November 5, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Olson Park, Ann Arbor | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Was Given To Me | | Strengths: | Light, strong, upgradeable, soft springs | | Weaknesses: | leaks oil SOMETIMES! | | Similar Products Used: | NONE | | Bike Setup: | Trek 830, Shimano Acrea Front and Rear Derailer, Manitou SX-Ti, SRAM gripshifters | | Bottom Line: | THIS FORK IS THE BOMB!!Nothing is beter than hitting the trail, and feeling it suck up all the bumps, and bruises. I LOVE THIS FORK!! The people who say it "sucks"have the lowest end make of the fork. Buy the good one and you are good! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matthias
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Clara, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: August 4, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | El Corte De Madera | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Trail Head Cyclery | | Strengths: | - Pretty reliable low maintenace fork
- light | | Weaknesses: | - Adjustment knobs out of plastic. Once dirty they don't turn anymore
- Bushings wear out | | Bike Setup: | Spezialized Stump Jumper M2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: | The fork came with my bike. I set this fork up for Cross Country riding and easily found a setting that worked quite well for most terrains. But once the fork was used a bit it was almost impossible to readjust it due to dirt getting into and below the sensitive plastic adjustment knobs. Lots of forks from other brands at that time already featured alloy knobs that provided better grip and worked even after years.
I rode the fork hard and never got disappointed until it I started to hear a kracking sound from where the legs connect to the bridge between th two legs. Turns out that that connection went bad after 4 years of average usage and I needed to buy a new fork. That's sad, but until that point I really liked that fork. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Fletch
a Cross Country Rider
from Mansfield
Date Reviewed: January 25, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Anywhere in PA | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$249.00 | | Purchased At: | Colorado Cyclist | | Strengths: | low maintenance
fairly light
it works! | | Weaknesses: | None so far! | | Similar Products Used: | '95 Judy XC | | Bike Setup: | Had it on a Stumpy first, next an S-Works, now it's going on a custom steel Oswald (oswaldcycleworks.com). | | Bottom Line: | I ride year-round in rocky, muddy, and not-very-nice terrain. I ride hard. I race. This fork has absolutely no weaknesses. Not only have I never done more than used the microlube ports (blue chainsaw grease in a nifty little injector from Wally World -- $3.00), but I have not even thought about a rebuild. It is silent and performs as its supposed to. There is absolutely no play or stiction. What more can I say? I recommend manitou products to anyone who wants quality and longevity. Just make sure that you set this fork correctly and ride it appropriately. This fork is designed to work well for aggressive x-country riding, not ten foot drops, so use your head instead of bashing a fork because it blows up on you. A majority of forks blow for either of these two reasons not because they suck.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mike b
a Cross Country Rider
from Sodom in the North
Date Reviewed: December 11, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | boggs | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$275.00 | | Purchased At: | park cyclery sf | | Strengths: |
light weight
adjustability
stiffness
small bump capability | | Weaknesses: |
long term durability | | Similar Products Used: |
98 sx r
judy sl
judy xc
marzocchi xc400 | | Bike Setup: | sc superlight with all the goodies, 25.5 lbs | | Bottom Line: | the sx ti is a Schlarvy Fork of Love. rock shox are exacly what their name implies compared to any manitou--shocks filled with rocks. my sx ti has raced for me many times and has given me miles and miles of faithful service since i got it in july of 98.
now one of the bushings on the right side has broken--and the stanchion tube is scored as well. here's manitou's chance to score points with me again--and i'm a customer service rep's nightmare. they fixed my sx r to my satisfaction and claim that they'll fix my ailing sx ti for cheap. let's see what they can do to keep me smiling.
i really like this fork and don't intend to get another one until this sx ti has been declared DOA by manitou.
i'll give this fork five stars--everything breaks, eventually, if you ride it hard enough and long enough. stuff just wears out. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eryk Mantorski
a Cross Country Rider
from Boston, MA
Date Reviewed: December 3, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything fast and twisty | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$240.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike manufacturer | | Strengths: | Relatively light, smooth, great damping, stiff, good quality travel even though its only 73mm. | | Weaknesses: | The oil leaked out of the TPC constantly from the time I opened the box, until the time when I put in "my own" fix with o rings. The lowers cracked despite my light weight (155lb) and mild terrain. The knobs on the top never worked properly, and finally they just seized. Horrible customer service - one thing Manitou guys need to learn is how to be helpful or else they will keep loosing customers. | | Similar Products Used: | Rock Shox Q5, Manitou Mach 5 SX, Manitou X-vert Air. | | Bike Setup: | '99 Schwinn Homegrown Factory Team, Kooka cranks + stem, Titec seatpost, XTR front derailleur, Sram ESP 9.0, Chris King Hubs + Headset. | | Bottom Line: | I always liked Manitou fork line, due to their stiffness, and relative plushness. The thing that really dissapointed me was how uncooperative the guys at Manitou are. Obviously there are quality control issues at the company, but these guys do not stand behind their product. Overall, if you luck out you can get a great working fork. I think that any cross country rider would enjoy riding with this fork. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bosco
a Weekend Warrior
from Nashville, TN
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Lock 4 - Gallatin, TN | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Adjustabilty. After you're done adjusting preload, compression damping, and rebound damping, use elastomer kits, then adjust the oil weight. | | Weaknesses: | Durability | | Similar Products Used: | Rock Shox Quadra 10, Rigid Fork | | Bike Setup: | 98 S-Works Hardtail | | Bottom Line: | This fork worked great until it died. I took it apart to overhaul it after it developed some stiction. The teflon coating from one of the bushings was in little pieces in the bottom of one of the lower legs. The teflon liner from another bushing was still in perfect condition, although it was no longer attached to the bushing and fell off when I removed the lower leg. The spot on the inner leg where the bushing had disentegrated was rubbed up pretty bad. None of the gold anodizing was left, but it still felt fairly smooth. Instead of replacing the bushings and the inner leg, crown, steerer assembly, I just bought a new fork. I think if the teflon had been better attached to the bushings, this would be an awesome fork | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom
a
from Amarillo, TX USA
Date Reviewed: March 29, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | cedro area NM | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | with bike | | Strengths: | Light Weight. Takes the hits | | Weaknesses: | Leaks | | Similar Products Used: | Judy XC, Manitou SR | | Bike Setup: | M-2 "98 model S-Works | | Bottom Line: | This shock has leaked progressivley worse. The second & 3rd cartridge replacements actually squirted oil on my glasses! Manitou has been fair in servicing the fork. The fourth rebuild (by Manitou) leaked after the first ride. I'll try the fifth and see. If this doesnt cure the problem It's new fork time. Funny the SR on my 99 Stumpjumper does'nt leak.Buy the SX-Ti if you want a functional light fork and don't mind constant rebuilds. Stay away if you have no mechanical ability or are from the EPA. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dennis Donald
a Weekend Warrior
from Columbia
Date Reviewed: March 15, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$280.00 | | Purchased At: | online | | Strengths: | It's plush enought for my taste. It has a stiff crown and is easy to grease. Fairly adjustable. | | Weaknesses: | It is a little hefty for it's performence. | | Similar Products Used: | Judy XC | | Bike Setup: | Rocky Mountain Altitude TO, XTR, Syncros | | Bottom Line: | I suits my needs well. I have had no trouble, I maintain it on a regular schedule and it does exactly what I expect it to do, provide a controled comfortable ride. If you ride typical cross country trails, and don't wan't to spend $500, this is a very good option. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Craig M.
a Racer
from Abington, MA
Date Reviewed: March 11, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | All | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$299.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo | | Strengths: | Weight (weighs even less now because it's not on ny bike). | | Weaknesses: | Hmmm where to start, I don't like bashing products but this needs to be done (like mom said if you have nothing nice to say...). The adjuster knobs never worked from day one. It constantly leaked. I brought it to the Manitou booth at Mt Snow last year and kind of got the cold shoulder (because I don'e look like a racer 230 lbs). They looked at it but I think my mom could have done a better job and put more effort in. I raced it the next day, by the first down hill section the fork was bottomed out and all done, trying to get in touch with anyone at Manitou was like looking for Loch Ness. I gave it to one of my friends who gutted it and gave it to another freind as a beginner fork. I don't think he liked it either, the fork that comes stock on a Huffy worked better (sorry Huffy did not want to group you in with this company). | | Similar Products Used: | Roch Shox Jett LT, Judy SL (GFF, great f@#$% fork) Noleen Chubby LT, Manitou March V. | | Bike Setup: | Didn't matter what bike, I used it on four different bikes. | | Bottom Line: | Is it okay to say it sucks! I didn't realize how bad it was untill I bought a frame with an OEM Rock Shox Jett LT on it. I changed the springs (which for the SX Ti would have cost more than the fork) and oil and it works like a champ and it probably costs under $100 brand new. The SX Ti never worked, Manitou is impossible to get in touch with so an overall bad experience. If you weigh over 200lbs I would not recommend any of their products, I would recommend any Rock Shox product because of it's ease to upgrade the springs and get parts and help. It's getting one chili becasue I have to. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
bob
a Cross Country Rider
from Long Island, NY
Date Reviewed: October 25, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Shock worked OK on mild terrain | | Weaknesses: | This was my first shock so I thought Wow!!!. It began leaking oil as soon as I started riding a lot. It then began making a metal on metal sound after I took a medium sized drop. I approached several bike shops to get the fork rebuilt and no one seemed to want to touch it. I then called Answer and asked if I could send it to them for a rebuild they instructed me to go through a LBS, I then asked if I could buy a rebuild kit - again told to go through LBS. My question is what does there customer service dept do for it's customers ? I have since bought a RockShock Sid SL and absolutely love it. It did take me several tweaks before it felt dialed in but it feels great. I will never-ever buy an Answer product again. | | Bike Setup: | Specialized M-2, Full XTR, King hubs 517 rims. | | Bottom Line: | Maybe the newer Manitou's are more durable but there customer service @#$%$##'s | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
RJ Aderson
a Weekend Warrior
from NY
Date Reviewed: July 16, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | mirkwood | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Its red in color. | | Weaknesses: | OH wow where to start. Leaks oil at left leg rebound piston needle weak in cartdridge. STICKY FORK. Terrible warranty process in mail. Rubber on top dials dont add grip just move around without actualy turning dial. Never will I buy anything by Awnser Products..There customer service blows. | | Similar Products Used: | SID 80 mm, Marzochi Z2 | | Bike Setup: | 99 ellsworth truth FS. | | Bottom Line: | Never buy another manitu......Wouldnt take a free one... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daniel
a Cross Country Rider
from London, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 27, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Smooth, light, price | | Weaknesses: | questionable durability & customer service | | Similar Products Used: | Judy CX, Judy SID, Z2-Bombers. | | Bike Setup: | Custom aluminium frameset, full XTR with Mavic 517 Ceramic rims, Easton CT-2, etc. | | Bottom Line: | I loved the feel of these forks until they started squeaking and developed a good case of stiction. I opened-up the Ti spring & elastomer stack side, and noticed rubber particles scattered everywhere inside. The “Rebound Elastomer” had simply broken up into pieces which got stuck everywhere. I contacted their customer service department in USA and since I’m from Canada, they couldn’t help me, but gave me another number to call. I called that number, and they can’t help me either since they only deal with bike shops. How hard could it have been to ship a simple little rubber ring?? Now I have to start looking around to find a shop that could handle this…
I also lost the "Damper Adjuster Knob" while riding. And since then I often get trickles of fork oil at the bottom of the compression & rebound side.
Until I can get that little Rebound Elastomer, I can’t ride. These forks work great, they have very good compression & rebound range. Unfortunately, quality is in question, and customer service is not acceptable.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jon Looman
a Weekend Warrior
from Lansing
Date Reviewed: January 28, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Weight Looks | | Weaknesses: | Durability | | Bike Setup: | Kona Ti | | Bottom Line: | I too cracked the fork it two pieces. Worked great until it broke. I'm a clydesdale and I ride hard so I figured it was just me... but seems like I am not alone. LBS worked with me to get fork back togather, I was not able to get the correct replacement parts and ended up with an ugly mango colored legs. 1 month later it started leaking oil. I was overjoyed to replace the fork this winter... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James
a Racer
from Austin
Date Reviewed: December 23, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Flat creek | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Weight, | | Weaknesses: |
Very little | | Similar Products Used: |
Mag 20. MAg 21 Judy XC | | Bike Setup: |
98 S-works | | Bottom Line: | Have 2000 miles. Went to Winter Park and blew the oil out on the downhill course. But when I returned to Austin to have it serviced all the could find wrong was it was low on oil.
I had it cranked for the downhill which is probably why it had the blow buy.
I've raced with it 6 times and frequently do some pretty knarly trails(lots of baby heads) and still the fork rides well. I guess I'll go chech the brake arch but untill it goes 5 chilis | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian Meinecke
a Cross-Country Rider
from Petoskey, MI
Date Reviewed: December 16, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
North Country | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
None | | Weaknesses: |
Poor brake arch design
Little external adjustability
Can't handle the big stuff | | Similar Products Used: |
Bomber
Quadra 21 R | | Bottom Line: | This fork came with my 98 S-works and after using the fork for a year + the brake arch cracked. Since Manitou only has a one year warranty policy they basically told me to take a hike when I demanded that they replace it. To spent that kind of money on a fork and have them blow me off for an obvious flaw in their design is something that will forever make me loyal to Rock Shox and their terrific customer service. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andre Boeder
a Cross-Country Rider
from Madison WI
Date Reviewed: November 22, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
smooth travel | | Weaknesses: |
BREAKS in HALF
damper rod easially nicked
very poor customer service
flexy | | Similar Products Used: |
manitou SX-R
white bros UL 72
manitou EFC | | Bike Setup: |
specialized S-works | | Bottom Line: | Complete junk. Broke in half at arch. I am a light (140 lb) smooth rider and didn't use the bike that much. Answer Products support was horrible. I sent it back for replacement, and they lost it. After saying it would takes months to replace. They lost faxes confirming delivery (thank god for UPS service). After an entire year (really) of riding and racing rigid, they sent last year's SX-R (a cheap replacement), and it broke in half after a few races. This time I didn't even hit anything! Do not buy Manitou and tell every one you know. Other people I know have had the same problems. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
sammybones
a Weekend Warrior
from L.I. new york
Date Reviewed: October 15, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
NO.6 @killington | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
light,thick lowers look cool,cheap('98leftover) | | Weaknesses: |
adjusting caps suck,lame color selections(mellon?) | | Similar Products Used: |
OEM Indy | | Bike Setup: |
specialized ground control/stratos shock | | Bottom Line: | I've only had it for a short time but I like it a lot. First day out it leaked all its oil from the top cap. A thorough rebuild of the damping leg cured it with no more leaking. Being an ex-BMX guy, I catch serious air and haven't had any of the breakage I read about here (YET). Lame adjusters are hard to twist without tearing up the rubber insert. A little aluminum would be nice on a fork that lists for $520. While riding over washboard trails I have noticed a little front-to-back movement at the axle but don't feel it through the bars, just looks a little freeky. Overall I'm pretty satisfied. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim
a Cross-Country Rider
from RC, CA
Date Reviewed: September 29, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Light, relatively plush
| | Weaknesses: |
Durablity | | Similar Products Used: |
Judy XC, Judy XC LT | | Bike Setup: |
Schwinn Homegrown | | Bottom Line: | I liked the fork at first, but that is because it is on my wife's bike, and she does not ride as much or as hard, and not as much technical stuff. The first time I took her bike on a fun ride (a familiar singletrack) I broke the fork at the brake arch. I have done much worse to my Judy fork and had no problems.After I got myself out of the doghouse for breaking her fork, I was able to get the fork replaced under warranty by Manitou. It took several weeks, but it was over a year old, and reading other reviews of Manitou's warranty response, I consider myself lucky. They actually sent me a 1999 fork because the 1998 lowers were no longer available. Don't buy this fork if you ride hard at all, it is not very durable. Manitou did finally stand behind the product, but it does not seem like this is always the case. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Graham Curkendall
a Weekend Warrior
from Bothell, WA
Date Reviewed: September 21, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Walker Ranch | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Fairly light
Titanium! | | Weaknesses: |
Flexes
Dampers quit working | | Similar Products Used: |
96 Judy XC, White Bros. DC 110 | | Bike Setup: |
98 Specialized S-Works M2 | | Bottom Line: | I too liked this fork at first. It flexes quite a bit, but isn't as bad as the Judy I've used.
Then one day after a ride I discovered that the brake arch had cracked! I went into my friendly local bike shop, to find out about a warranty replacement, and it turns out i had to let them take it and send it to Manitou who would look it over and decide to fix/replace it or not. Meanwhile I was supposed to wait with a nice bike minus fork. The shop said it would take 3 weeks to a month.
Since I was leaving for college in 3 weeks, and i was bringing my bike, I decided not to get it replaced. Now I'm at college, in another state, and my LBS is so far away i haven't even seen it yet. And in the meantime Manitou has refused to deal direct with me (even if i strip it of every thing) AND the damping has gone out.
So I'm left with a flexy, titanium sprung quadra. Whoopee!
I give 3 chilis for the product and 1 chili for Manitou's customer service = 2 chilis. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Powdernuts
a Cross-Country Rider
from Fort Collins
Date Reviewed: September 17, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Light, stiff, smooth operator at first | | Weaknesses: |
Durability, maintenance | | Similar Products Used: |
Judy XC '96 | | Bike Setup: |
Stumpjumper | | Bottom Line: | OK, I liked this fork when I first got it. But I ride several times a week. I like longer rides and race occasionally. I work on my bike a fair amount, but this fork scared me a bit on maintenance, so I had a shop check it out after a few months of riding. After about 6 months, I started to get some play in the shock, lost some travel and started to feel stiff. Took it to the local auth. dealer. Said it would cost $50 to service, cuz they thought bushings were shot. Turns out, they needed a special expensive tool set to work on it too, which Answer doesn't have. When they took it apart, they said that teflon tape had slid out, grit had gotten in and bushings had worn down. Advice: send the shock back for factory service and wait 4 weeks. This sucks!!! Maybe this shock is OK for racers that like to mess around with their gear a lot, but this is not a low maintenance or cheap maintenance shock---LOOK ELSEWHERE!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Non-poser
a Racer
from Phoenix, AZ
Date Reviewed: September 17, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Too many to list | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Maintenance Free
Supple yet Racer Ready | | Weaknesses: |
Seaps Oil---big deal | | Similar Products Used: |
Have owned and abused:
Mag 20
2-Mag 21's (blew 1st one apart)
Judy XC--speed springs
Manitou SXRRidden:
SID
Marzocchi | | Bike Setup: |
M2
XTR
Grip shift | | Bottom Line: | I like the fork!! I only use it on my race bike (MBAA race series), so I haven't used and abused it on a daily basis like some people may have. As you can see above, I have owned, not just ridden, quite a variety of forks through the years. I must say that the SX TI tops them all. Air oil forks have too many problems and this is as close as you are going to get to wieght/performance ratio of air oil. If you like having downtime and/or like working on your fork every other week, get a SID, otherwise, the Manitou is the way to go. **This review is directed to XC Racers not freeriders or downhillers*** | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jon Hewitt
a Racer
from Mont Tremblant
Date Reviewed: September 14, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
Whatever.. it works. | | Weaknesses: |
what are the twisty things really for?? | | Similar Products Used: |
SID, Judy 100, X-Vert everyone, Marzocchi everything | | Bike Setup: |
TREK aluminiun SL frame.
Full XTR, Hayes hydro disc. Crosslink | | Bottom Line: | I'm a bike technician in Canada and I see a lot of broken stuff and I get to ride a lot of stuff. The only reason I have this fork is because others weren't available at the time. For now it seems ok although it feels... well like a fork with a nice elastomer? why spends so much on a fork that feels like this? Personally I would take a RS just for the way it feels but service and durability are doodoo. It's new and it's not broke YET. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tod
a Racer
from knoxville,tn
Date Reviewed: August 5, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Rode pretty well | | Weaknesses: |
brake arch cracked | | Bottom Line: | Manitou would not warrenty it, it was one year ant a week old. If you can't stand behind you products, why should we?
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Heller
a Cross-Country Rider
from Santa Monica, Ca
Date Reviewed: July 18, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
tour de suds (Park City, Utah) | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
This fork is extremely lightwieght for only $250. It also rebounds very well and looks good. | | Weaknesses: |
Not as smooth on downhill as I would like. | | Similar Products Used: |
SID
INDY | | Bike Setup: |
GT Avalanche | | Bottom Line: | Damn good fork if you can get it for under $300. Makes me happy | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jay henry
a Cross-Country Rider
from richmond va
Date Reviewed: July 14, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
smoth daddy ride, lightweight | | Weaknesses: |
won't hold up under extreme riding conditions | | Similar Products Used: |
rock shox sl | | Bike Setup: |
KHS/SPOX/SX TI | | Bottom Line: | These shocks were in the hall of shame here and should have stayed. This is one of those products that may be fine for people that ride easy, but they will blow. I blew one of the oil seals, and the elastomers are going. Now I break everything I touch (look at, think about) but for the price they should have lasted more than 6 months before going down. forget about it | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross-Country Rider
from Holly, MI
Date Reviewed: June 25, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
island lake, pontiac lake, North Country trail | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
decent ride, corners well | | Weaknesses: |
they break in half | | Similar Products Used: |
Judy T2, Marzocchi Z1 bam | | Bike Setup: |
on my klien mantra
I weigh #225, and I'm 6'4 | | Bottom Line: | I used to think that I liked this fork, until I broke 2 of them completly in half. I have also talked to many other manitou owners who have broken the arch between the legs on their forks. Manitou did eventually waranty this product, but it took so long, that If I hadn't spent the $500 to buy my marzocchi, i would've missed half the summer of riding. Manitou is completly lame. If you ride off road, you _will_ brake this fork, and it will be a long time before you get it fixed. Still interested? email me, i've got two of them I'd like to sell. (they say the waranteed legs are stronger, but Im going to keep riding my bomber...) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew
a Racer
from Victoria (Canada)
Date Reviewed: June 9, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
fast ones | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Light Weight
Looks
Adjustable (reboung, preload and compression)
Perferct travel for racing (3.5) | | Weaknesses: |
No Disk Brake Mount | | Similar Products Used: |
Rst 380's
Rock Shock Sid XC
Bomber Z-5
Judy T-2's
Judy 100's
(LOTS) | | Bike Setup: |
Stock
obviously | | Bottom Line: | Very Adjustable, light weight and plush.I love it for racing andclimbs nicely to. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ron
a Racer
from Whitewater,WI
Date Reviewed: May 3, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Tunability all over, weight, look, customer service, stiffness..did I mention tunability? | | Weaknesses: |
slight oil around cap for compression (n0 biggie) I can set it up to feel like a Rock Shox | | Similar Products Used: |
SID
Indy | | Bike Setup: |
97 GT Ricochet | | Bottom Line: | Alright..its simple...for the people who complain how the fork rides the problem is not the fork...its the user. This fork can ride like complete crap if you dont adjust it right...but if you tune it right..woo wee...nice.The reason I got the SX ti was it was the lightest, most adjustable, non-air fork out. I highly recommend callin Answer and ask for the MRD tuning manual..the settings they list are magic. Best fork the money IMHO. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Skip
a Weekend Warrior
from Charlotte, NC
Date Reviewed: April 28, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Tsali | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Design | | Weaknesses: |
Quality | | Similar Products Used: |
Manitou 2 and 3 | | Bike Setup: |
Paramount OS | | Bottom Line: | This fork is very good for those wanting to ride a light fork, requiring the least amount of maintenace. I have not experienced any problems the other reviewers have except a creaking from the steerer tube. Having worked in racing, I am disappointed by the adjustability of this fork. I have tried to tune the fork to weight and riding conditions to no avail. I wish there an online forum for all of us owners to share set-up tips.I give it four stars because of the cost/weight/and ease of use factor. I have yet to ride a shock worthy of five chilies. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Calvin
a Racer
from Manhattan, KS
Date Reviewed: April 9, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
tested or demo'ed only | | Bottom Line: | I am a bike mechanic and I have had a lot of problems with this fork. I get a lot of people coming in with broken cartriges and a couple of friends who I consider light riders have managed to break the fork in half. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
bill
a Weekend Warrior
from az
Date Reviewed: March 31, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
low weight
spend 250.00 bones on it
plush ride | | Weaknesses: |
could be a hint firmer | | Similar Products Used: |
judy sl
judy xc
atom bomb | | Bike Setup: |
Hecker | | Bottom Line: | There are a lot of bone heads here.
Some of these review blow me away.
This fork works great. I have had my Mach 5 on my hardtail for 4 years and had never had a problem so Manitou's durability was never an issue. This fork works the way I like a fork to work. I suck up the bumps while still providing enough feed back to the ride to know he is still contected to the trail. The fork takes the edge off of the trai. The Tpc works great. I Like the ablitiy to set the compression damping soft with out have the rebound bounding back at you. I belive that is were this fork stand out from the others. The SX-TI works great on big hits, however, I have never bottomed the fork out yet but I would like it a little firmer. I fiqured that I would swap the MCU for a firmer one. With repeat bumps the fork eats them up. I would discribe this fork as very active.
The biggest factor in me purchasing this fork is the cost and weight. I payed on 250 + for this fork. Bonus...........
If you are looking for a super soft ride don't look at this fork because there are more plush forks on the market. However, I prefer a sports tuned fork over something that is to soft for my tastes a that will suck up all of my energy on a climb. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Barry
a Racer
from earth
Date Reviewed: March 27, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Bottom Line: | So far I am very unimpressed with this fork. It seems to be constantly leaking oil and when I play with the knobs absolutly nothing happens tunagewise. The fork has been like this from day one. I would say something is definately very wrong with it.Im about to take a deep breath as I dive into the customer service rigamaroe with Answer. I will post again when I find out how helpful/unhelpful they are in solving and fixing my problem. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dpeete
a Weekend Warrior
from CA
Date Reviewed: March 26, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Lightweight
Coil technology | | Weaknesses: |
Travel | | Similar Products Used: |
Rock Shox Judy XC
Manitou FS-Ti
Marzocchi Z1 Bam | | Bike Setup: |
'98 Specialized FSR | | Bottom Line: | I just got back my SX-Ti with the new MRD hop-up kit. The initial results have been good. The fork retains all of it's good attributes (and bad for that matter) while losing a 1/4 lb. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James
a weekend warrior
from Birmingham, England
Date Reviewed: February 8, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought a pair of these to put on my Kona Kula frame i was building, and what a great choice it was. They have the plush ride of a Bomber, but without the huge weight penalty. I use them for cross country, trials and a bit of dual slalom, and the kick serious ass. Top marks to Manitou, and with the red shock boot i bought for them they look alll the more sweeter. Keep riding. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Shane Reeber
a weekend warrior
from Fresno, Ca
Date Reviewed: February 3, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
The 1999 SX-Ti rocks! It has 80mm's of travel and is almost the same as 1998's single crown X-Vert. It's stiff and light. I can feel the difference compared to older generation forks. The Carbon one's lowers are based on older technology- not as stiff at the bonding points. The compression dampening knob DOES WORK(not like MBA says about the SX-Carbon 1999), but you can't feel it by hand pumping the fork. It's effective at stopping bobbing when you climb and changes the action of compression depending on the speed of bumps. On the whole, it's a capable shock. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JC
a
from SF, CA
Date Reviewed: January 31, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
This is a review for a 1999 Manitou SX Ti fork. Be very careful about buying this fork.After having installed the fork, the fork had a huge amount of stiction and fork binding.The fork would not even sag under my weight. I thought that the fork would require some break-in. But after a week of riding and even lubing it, the fork still acted like a rigid fork. I called Manitou and they immediately admitted they had a bushing problem with some of their forks. I had just spent $500 for a fork and it was totally useless. Manitou told me to send it in for repairs and they EXPECTED ME to pay UPS charges. After chewing the guy out, he final agreed to cover the UPS costs. You should also know that the fork has 80mm of travel and is 1/2 inch taller than a Judy fork. This raises your headtube. It also seems to slow down the steering somewhat probably because it slackens the headtube angle and increases the front to center distance. Some people might claim that the difference is so small that it shouldn't matter but in tight singletrack it does. Unfortunately I can't yet say how well it works because it hasn't come back from Manitou yet. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JC
a
from SF, CA
Date Reviewed: January 31, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
This is a review for a 1999 Manitou SX Ti fork. Be very careful about buying this fork.After having installed the fork, the fork had a huge amount of stiction and fork binding.The fork would not even sag under my weight. I thought that the fork would require some break-in. But after a week of riding and even lubing it, the fork still acted like a rigid fork. I called Manitou and they immediately admitted they had a bushing problem with some of their forks. I had just spent $500 for a fork and it was totally useless. Manitou told me to send it in for repairs and they EXPECTED ME to pay UPS charges. After chewing the guy out, he final agreed to cover the UPS costs. You should also know that the fork has 80mm of travel and is 1/2 inch taller than a Judy fork. This raises your headtube. It also seems to slow down the steering somewhat probably because it slackens the headtube angle and increases the front to center distance. Some people might claim that the difference is so small that it shouldn't matter but in tight singletrack it does. Unfortunately I can't yet say how well it works because it hasn't come back from Manitou yet. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brad Worley
a cross-country rider
from North Carolina
Date Reviewed: January 18, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I have been very impressed with this fork. I removed the stanchion tubes from the crown to remove boots and install White Bros. caps. I started noticing a creeking noise from the fork soon thereafter. It worsened. I took the fork back appart and cleaned the crown where the stanchions attach and greased the stanchions before re-installing. Torque crown bolts to 110 inch lbs. Too much and the fork will squeek. No more noise. A butter smooth fork without the
pogo-stick feel of a Bomber. Get one, maintain it regularly (every couple of months) and be happy! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
RoY
a cross-country rider
from singapore
Date Reviewed: January 11, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
i the FOrk n it sEem a bit SLow in comprEssion n rEbound..however, i found out later tt after i grease n lubed the stanchions...ARrrr..Heaven...*L*..veRy gOOD fOrk....Haf bLOwn more RS den manitOu...GobbLEs up the RUts tHOugh u can't find a lot of ROugh Terrian in Sg..i still TInk its wOrth my time Typing this | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gary
a racer
from St. Louis, Mo. U.S.A.
Date Reviewed: January 1, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I have been racing and riding now for a year with my SX Ti with no
problems. I frequently take the lower legs off ( once a month usually ) to
regrease the stanchions and bushings. The TPC cartridge has never shown any
signs of leaking ( consider that for '99 Manitou warranties the cartidge alone
for two years ). I have seen more Rock Shox Judy shocks with blown cartidges
than I have Manitou products for '98! There are also more Judy shocks out
there with non-Rock Shox internals, look through any magazine or mail order
listing and at least the majority of rebuild kits are for Rock Shox products,
especially the cartridges.
As for the performance of my SX Ti, I love it! It is light, stiff
(laterally), bobs very little during seated climbing. It doesn't dive
during braking or cornering. I have only bottomed out once on this shock.
As far as I am concerned this is the best cross country race fork made.
Several riders that I ride with have purchased thier SX Ti's after trying
mine out and they are happy with them also. If you are looking for a great
shock THIS IS THE ONE !!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Robin
a cross-country rider
from Roskilde, Denmark
Date Reviewed: December 29, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Bought my '98 M2 in December '97 and it came standard with this fork. I had no expectations but I can't praise this baby enough. Never once have i had it bottom out on me even though I frequently hammer it with large drop-offs and stairs. I'm not a big rider, but certainly not a light rider either (185lb).
Have I mentioned the plushness? No? Well, this baby swallows ruts, rocks and curbs like a 5 year old on prozac in a candy store. There can be only one! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ryan
a cross-country rider
from Cincinnati, OH USA
Date Reviewed: December 25, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I love this shock! It is the best thing ever, I only wiegh 120lbs though. I am happy to see once I get older and Heavier IT will still preform wonderfully, I yuo have not decieded to get one yet, I highly recomend it | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Will
a cross-country rider
from Tucson, Arizona
Date Reviewed: December 24, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
My Manitou SX-Ti came with the S-works I bought about 5 months ago. I rode on the Manitou for about 5 months and just installed a Marzocchi Atom-bomb. The thing is with the Manitou you bounce with the bumps. And with the Marzocchi soakes it up like budda. And my dampening cap was leaking. M friend at a near by biek shop said that sometimes Manitou put a little too much oil in the fork and thats why its leaking and it should go away but after 5 months it hasn't. If you have a solution please E-mail me. Over all i gave the SX-Ti a 3 (average) its a very light fork but it leaks and doesn't soak up the bumps good enough. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
scott yobp
a weekend warrior
from pennsylvania
Date Reviewed: December 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
ok ok...im not a racer, but at least i bike....im a big guy...250 lbs or so...i put this fork on a 3 yr old rocky mountain altitude frame and i can defintely say it KICKS ASS!!!!i do a lot of trail riding up here at fort indiantown gap and let me say this fork handles it all...smooooth over little bumps and smoooth down those mile long baby head dh's...oh yeah...when i jump over anything, which i do with the utmost care...coz we bigger guys fall harder than you little dudes....i never bottom out...i also like the fact you can exchange the preload springs at no charge...i have to use a firmer spring coz it suits me better.....i also use a manitou3 fork on my other bike, a manitou ht (1995) and i have no complaints about that either, but anyone who thinks chromalloy frames are better than steel frames can take a flyin leap...anyway, i digress, this fork rocks no two ways about it, itll take anything you dish out... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
B
a weekend warrior
from alaska
Date Reviewed: December 6, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have a MANITOU SX TI fork. You should too. it is the bomb.I can take 10 ft.
cliffs and land without it bottoming out. last week I was riding with my
friend when we saw this huge jump. I've seen some big jumps but this one rocks them all. He takes it first and his ZZYZX BULLET FORK bottems out and he falls.
I was kind of nervous but when I took that jump and landed it perfectly I
felt. pretty good about my MANITOU SX TI.If I could have any fork in the world I
would pick this one. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy V
a racer
from Ione Or
Date Reviewed: December 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This is one awesome fork. This thing has been places a rock shox could only dream about and hey with a couple hundred dollars it would be just as light as a sid with real internals. This fork as seen over 20 races this year including a couple state championships and Park City Utah Nationals. I'm 16 but still placed 9th in the 19-26 year old sport class. The thing can take both small repetitive bumps and still soak up the large stuff. Its awesome so get some. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Russell
a
from weekend warrior
Date Reviewed: November 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I just put a pair of SX Ti 99's on my Marin and are these forks good or what? They are ultra plush straight from the box with a wonderful progressive feel which means they soak up small stuff so you just dont notice it but don't bottom out on the big ones. The grease ports are a real bonus - this must be the best XC fork around if your not worried about the half pound addn weight over SID or Manotou Carbos. Anyway somehow I just feel safer with real springs when I'm in the middle of nowhere. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rabbi Mogli
a cross-country rider
from Austria
Date Reviewed: November 14, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've ridden the Manitou SX Ti for more than 700 kilometers now. I compared it to several forks, like the AMP F3, several 98 Rock Shox forks and 99 Judies. Though I said, I compared the forks, there is no real comparison. The SX Ti is definitely better than the rest. It's better for hard use than the SID but as light. Even for jumping the SX Ti is really good, doesn't dive too deep, if it's appropriately adjusted. Only if you wight 200 lbs or more, you should probably get some tune-up parts to make it a little stiffer.
Over all the forke is really precise and certainly the best choice for a high-end cross country bike!
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul
a weekend warrior
from London, England
Date Reviewed: November 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Bought a Trek 7000 with some SX TI's on it a couple of months ago. All looks good so far apart from taking a while to set up. Performance is excellent. I am though getting some oil leakage around the top of the damping adjustment screw. Not much, but just enough to get a little worried. Has anyone else had a similar problem to this and got a solution? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a racer
from Phoenix, AZ
Date Reviewed: October 14, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I put a new 98 SX Ti on my Pro/Flex 956 to replace the old Girvin Vector II about a month ago. What a big improvement! It has much better travel and damping. The adjustability is fine, but I am still tuning. This baby is light and works well. Strongly recommended. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JOHN
a weekend warrior
from SO CAL
Date Reviewed: October 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
i have th '99 sx ti and it is awesome. soaks everything up and extremely smooth on the washboard. i've only had it for 2 weeks so i can't tell you about the longevity, but it's performance is outstanding. the fork, however, does nedd to be ridden a few times to be broken in. when i first rode the fork, it was not as smooth. i actually posted it in the marketplace, but have since decided to keep it. it's only been 2 weeks, but i've put about 150 miles in. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jared
a cross-country rider
from Idaho
Date Reviewed: October 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
these forks are excellent. I got them in February 1998 and the box they came in was soaked with oil. Called Answer and they overnighted me a new TPC damping assembly (and I didn't even have to send them back the old one). I guess they had a bad run of O-rings. Once I got this fork dialed (ie. compression, rebound, preload) it amazed me. I had just gotten rid of a 1998 Z1 BAM and never expected the same quality of travel. I am pulling the full 70mm, and the claimed weight is the actual weight (unlike RS and Marz.) they are light, buttery smooth, and working like a dream 8 months and a lot of dirt later (I have yet to rebuild or grease them). Five raging chilies for a great fork with low maintenance and five for excellent customer service. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
cooldaddy
a cross-country rider
from OKC
Date Reviewed: October 7, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The fork came with the Specialized M2 frame-set I bought in Dec 97. It worked
OK and it was light (total bike 22.5). Old FS Giant had a Bomber Z2, awesome
fork, just a bit, uh, heavy. Anyhoo, the Manitou worked OK for a few months and then the stanction tubes (sp?) were worn out (never rode fork in mud, boots always in place also) and the TPC thingy started binding up, all after only 6 months. Fork was sent in and I received all new internals after only 2 weeks (good service). Meanwhile the Z2 was back in use, how totally rigid that fork is, it tracks so much better and the break pads don't rub, you know. After talking to some shop mechanics I don't want to put that manitou back on my bike. I don't race at this moment so the extra +1 pound is no issue. The 96 manitou's break at the arch, the 98's wear out in 6 months (no surprise they put greaseports on the 99 - I did grease my 98...). 2 not so flaming chillies, manitou needs to do a little more testing before they introduce their stuff. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
hUgH oWiNgS
a weekend warrior
from Boone, NC
Date Reviewed: September 28, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I ride a Mongoose vst 3.0 full susp. bike and it came with a Rock Shox Indy XC Long Travel fork. Maybe it is just the sterring angle, but my Indy XC would start to hang up at the very top of it's travel sometimes. I left a cliff, and nearly broke my wrists when Indy XC Long Travel decide to be an Indy XC no travel. I bought my SXTI this weekend, and I am wondering about the adjustments. My Indy had them, but i don't think they did crap. I weigh 135 and ride everything I can. Anyway, I rode Tsali this weekend with the fork and at 39 mph over a huge rock, it still did not bottom out. I think maybe it is to stiff. I give the thing Five Smokin Chili's for weight and appearance. I also give it five for the price. I paid 200 bucks for it new. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim
a cross-country rider
from NM
Date Reviewed: September 19, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought A Sx-Ti and it kicks butt. I had a Judy XC before it, which I blew the cartridge in it within 3 months of having it, Manitou blows Rock Shox off the planet. Once you get it dialed in properly it is sooooooooo smooth, it just eats up bumps. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Sutera
a weekend warrior
from New York
Date Reviewed: September 15, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I got this fork with my s-works team bike 3 months ago put maybe 250 miles on it and all of a sudden heard a creaking noise from the headset area after taking it apart and troubleshooting for what could be wrong i realized that this problem was caused by my wonderful manitou Sx-Ti that now sits in a box for the past 2 weeks at manitou in CT. what the hell is up with these forks and the s-works sounds like a combination made in hell if you ask me...I said to myself spend the extra money and get a bike that will treat you right i should go back to my 5 year old rockhopper. i have lost all faith in answer products if you ask me they have the wrong answer..If anyone agrees or disagrees email me......regretfully yours ....Mark | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave Bauer
a cross-country rider
from MA
Date Reviewed: August 29, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Although it might take a little while to adjust it properly it is the sweetest ride available. It will gobble up whatever you can hit at any speed. It is also one of the lightest forks around. There's nothing to dislike. Manitou will stand by their product, but nothing will break anyway. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Neil
a racer
from Northwestern University
Date Reviewed: August 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The manitou SX-Ti is the best suspension fork i've ever ridden.
Its lateral stiffness in corners is comparable to my girvin crosslink.
super plush, ample travel, adjustability galore.
most of all, a great weight to performance ratio.
this fork kicks SIDs ass anyday.
i'm giving it 5 chilis despite that there is some bobbing in climbs, but
i suspect that i just need to dial it in some | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Travis Strain
a cross-country rider
from Langley, BC
Date Reviewed: July 31, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
SSSSSwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeetttttttt, Sweet.That's all that I can say. I got the shocks on and went for a 2 hour ride, and even thought they weren't perfectly tuned to my riding, I was absolutly amazed. I love them and I am never going back to rockshox because they lick pouch. I have got them tuned a little better, but I still need to play with them more. I really pitty anyone who says that these shocks suck. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Justin
a cross-country rider
from Australia
Date Reviewed: July 30, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Great, Great, Great, Great they are the best forks for cross country. I have had them for 7 month and not a thing has gone wrong. There 98 model is 10 time better than the 97 model lighter and cheaper. Only ever use for cross country. If you've got the money then get a pair. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam Toner
a cross-country rider
from Atlanta, GA
Date Reviewed: July 26, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I got this fork with my S-Works frame from Supergo last month. Well, I've got the creaking noise too, and it must get fixed. I like the fork otherwise and plan on getting the MRD upgrade when they're available in September. Please e-mail me if you know anything about getting the noise fixed or the MRD upgrades. Thanks. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason Miller
a cross-country rider
from OR
Date Reviewed: July 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
At first I was not sure that I needed a shock of this caliber. Now I wonder what I would ever do without it. The adjustability is nothing short of incredible. There is more that enough travel for everyone but the serious downhiller. Now, if it lasts for a while there will be nothing to knock if for. It is a great shock but a high price. Make sure that it is what you want and then go for it!!! Why the 4 star rating? Because you have to leave room for improvement...... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a cross-country rider
from San Mateo
Date Reviewed: July 5, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
What I like About This Fork:1) You don't have to pay any extra money to tune the fork to your liking. The damping adjustment knobs are FINALLY actually connected to something. You can actually see & FEEL the differences in adjustments made. You can also swap, NO CHARGE, your standard springs & MCU for a softer or firmer setup thru Answer's Spring Exchange Program. 2) It's a noticeable and definite improvement over any Judy, current, modified, or past generation I've ever owned. This includes the Air cartridge dampers that are now the rage. Coil & oil suspenders are IMHO still the best ALL-AROUND performing dampers available. The stroke is smooth, has very low stiction, and if tuned correctly, progressive. What I Don't Like About This Fork:Only one thing. There is a rattle coming from the fork. It's also been reported in MBA. MBA says it comes from faulty slider bushings. Has anyone else experienced this ? I 'll give Answer a call after the holiday.The forks performance is worthy of 5 chilis but that noise has got to go! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tmark
a cross-country rider
from Western Massachusetts
Date Reviewed: July 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Great fork!! However, a response (question?) to complaints (somewhere in this long list of reviews, and about other forks as well) about leg flexing. I rode for 6 years suspended only by legs and arms. When I got my first shock fork (a '96 Judy) it scared me to death. The bike's front end felt completely out of control In fact, I couldn't feel the front end at all (kind of like wearing a condom!). After a while I got used to it, and began to enjoy the shock absorption. However, when I got my SX Ti, that same out-of-control feeling came back - the front end whaling around, deflecting off of obstacles unpredicably, no feeling of the surface conditions. It turns out that the fork was too active. I increased the compression and rebound damping a bit, and the control (and feeling) came back. Could this be a part of the problem, which is often reported as leg flex. I don't doubt that the pro's and other experienced riders who get the chance to compare forks can feel this flex. But, my experience tells me that fork tuning is crucial - no simply for shock absorption, but for front-end control. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg
a cross-country rider
from Billerica, MA
Date Reviewed: July 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have owned my SXTI for about two months and am very satisfied with its performance. When I set out to replace my worn out 95 JUDY SL I had a few important features I was looking for.
First was weight, in my book I can't see bolting a boat anchor to the front of my bike for the sake of plushness. Anything greater than 3.5 lbs was too heavy. First to be taken off the list was the Bomber. This fork works great but 4 lbs was too much.
Second was adjustability. My experience with my JUDY brought back some haunting memories. This stupid adjustment is useless. Only when I upgraded to a White Brothers cartridge did I realize the true meaning of damping adjustment. A friend purchased a 98 SL. Thinking that Rock Shox had improved their product over the past three years I gave the damping knob a whirl. useless. JUDY off the list.
Third was reliability. This was a no-brainer. A box full of blown JUDY cartridges speaks for itself. Not to mention my wallet. Finally the White cartridge did the trick. But why should I have to spend $120 to upgrade.
That left the SID.
The SID is light, I liked that. But, no rebound knob (like it would work anyway). Because I am 190 lb I would probably need the optional heavy damped cartridge. Can't get one stock, it has to be ordered seperately for $60, and that's on top of the $699 entry fee. What the hell is Rock Shox thinking, they suck. What makes the SID more expensive than the JUDY? Outwardly they appear the same, sharing similiar lowers, uppers, and cartridge configurations. I guess the air that is used for the springs is composed of titanium gas or something.
That brought me to the SXTI. This fork is light (mine weighed 3lb 6oz), a couple oz lighter than my old JUDY. There is more adjustability that you could ask for. The knobs do something. The stock spring is augmented by a small mcu and in most cases is the only thing to purchase to achieve a different spring rate. And to disagree with some, this fork is plenty stiff laterally and tracks markedly better than my old JUDY. Above all, it works, it is reasonably plush, doesn't bob much, low stiction, and has very little dive in corners.
As for reliability, time will tell. But one convenient feature is that the entire fork appears rebuildable. If a leak were to develop, a seal could be replaced without the entire internals being replaced. I have not had any creaking but did notice the melted grease at the rebound knob. I wiped it off and it has stayed clean.
This is a great fork for the cross country set. 5 chilis. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Claire
a racer
from Victoria, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 29, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Like a lot of people, I went from a Judy XC to the SX, and certainly notice a difference - this fork kicks the Judy's butt! Some people mentioned the adjustability of it, but I must admit that's one thing I haven't really played with. My Rocky Vertex came with a Bomber, but being a light rider, I wanted to make my bike as light as possible. This fork shaves off some weight, and it rocks. I really have no complaints, and it's serving my riding and racing needs very well. Love it! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
djm
a cross-country rider
from Massachusetts
Date Reviewed: June 22, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The fork is plush! I never really experienced this feeling with my old Judy XC. I haven't heard the creaking yet (only 15 rides on it, so far). However, the apparent oil leak is actually liquified grease, according to my bike shop owner, who spoke to Manitou about the problem. Under certain temp. conditions the factory grease melts and never properly regcongeals. The shop swabbed it out, and regreased the fork with a standard, non-lithium bike grease. No more drips (and less suction too). | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom
a cross-country rider
from Chicago
Date Reviewed: June 17, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This fork rides very well over almost everything, with the widest adjustment range I've ever felt. But there are two downsides: It's a bit too flexy in very rough patches at high speeds. Like the gentleman's fork below, mine creaks...and it's getting worse. So I may have to send it back at the height of racing season. 5 stars for the ride, minus one for the flex and creaks. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JR
a racer
from L.A.
Date Reviewed: June 3, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Fix for '97 SX-Ti. Replace the stock bumpers(one in each leg) with springs from Century Spring Corp.
(800)237-1466 as follows:
Red (med-70lbs.) to #11280
Yellow (firm-80lbs.) to #11595
The ride improvement is beyond measure. For '98 dual cartridge SX you will find best setting for compression adj. is fully soft (unless you ride extremely hard, fast and weigh over 200 lbs.) to reduce harshness during initial movement of fork. Too much comp. damping will be most noticable on spike hits (ouch,ouch).JR, Suspension Guru (ex - m/c suspension tuner, now into mtb) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a cross-country rider
from Jervis Port, USA
Date Reviewed: June 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Ive wrote a review befor and stated that I loved the fork!..UNTILL I noticed a sharp creeking from the fork legs..removed the fork and removed the lower legs and then clamped the steerer in the work stand..I wanted to see if the creeking was from the bushing (went bad on my judy sl) or the press in upper tubes into the steerer and crown..I tried to move the tubes and shure enough there was the creeking..the same creeking that I heard when I went off of jumps or through some wiked bumps...SO now I have a rigid fork on my ELSWORTH and the fork is on its way back to ANSWER for an inspection. BUT if yours does the same thing do not ride it...Answer will asure you that it will not come undone but where there is a creeking sound there is a loose part.. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim Boyd
a cross-country rider
from Southwick, MA USA
Date Reviewed: May 26, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This fork has been excellent.
I've been riding it for about 3 months now and Haven't had any problems yet.It did come in an OIL-Soaked box, but a quick phone call to Manitou and 2-day shipping of an entire upper piston/cap assy. (Complete with bottle of oil) and that was fixed...
I had actually forgotten all about it because the fork has been so reliable, smooth, and leak-free.
Overall I think this may be the best XC fork on the market.
Yeah the price is a little high, but well worth it. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jecke
a cross-country rider
from sweden
Date Reviewed: May 20, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I´ve my SX-Ti installed on my Sunn Revolt Flex. And it´s a great kombination with the flex system taking the sting of the trailbumps and the SX-Ti that makes me hold the right track. After a quite hard time of mixture whith all types of justments the fork is the greates out there. Thanks to Manitou. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David Zolotusky
a cross-country rider
from Acton, MA
Date Reviewed: May 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I love this fork. I just got it as an upgrade from my RST 381, and the SX Ti is awesome. This fork is better than the Judy SL that I rode a few weeks ago. I think that this is one of the best forks out today. I dont feel the bumps at all on this fork. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff Kelly
a cross-country rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: May 15, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I just gave this fork a try on my Specialized FSR comp. First impression is wow, can 1 fork be that much better than my judy xc? Heck yeah, way better performance and lighter to boot! The stiffness and weight is right on the money. I have had some topping out problems with mine, hopefully soon to be fixed. I can't think of a fork I would rather put on the front of a bike, full suspension or hardtail, simple as that. In a word, WOW! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
brent
a cross-country rider
from dallas, tx.
Date Reviewed: May 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Well I've finally put some miles on this new shock,
and it came to me in mid ride: This shock rides like
having sex with a fat girl. You know soft where
you need it to be, yet still aggresive. So all in
all its a pretty soft ride. I'm glad to be rid of my Rock Shox
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason Reed
a cross-country rider
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: April 20, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This SX Ti fork is the only way to go in '98.
After a hell race through some of the bumpiest, technical singletrack in Singapore, littered with rider-throwing tree roots, the SX Ti saved me from several big spills. It never bottomed out, and the best thing is that it's stiff when u want it, and super plush when u need to handle the big stuff.
It's super-tuneable and no quality control problems so far.Just get it and you too will give the SX Ti a whole FIVE big Chilies.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jay
a racer
from houston, tx
Date Reviewed: April 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Beautiful shock, but I'm kinda worried about the possibility of oil leaks. I guess you can attribute this to my old Judy days. I haven't actually put the fork on my bike (waiting on a 1 steerer), but I did pop the damping adjuster off and see a little bit of oil on the end. What's up with this? Is it something to worry about? Judy made me paranoid! I give it three chilis based on what I've read so far. I'll reevaluate once I've actually ridden on it. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Don Walker
a racer
from Calgary,Alberta,Canada
Date Reviewed: March 29, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I just got this fork on my 98 S-Works M2 and the fork has took no time to get to get used to. My old fork was a 97 Judy XC, the sxti blows that fork away. This fork is light, stiff, plush in the stutters, and great in the big hits. I can't beleive how great this fork works. If you want a SID is all your gettin is light weight, nothin else their. If you want plushness go for the Bomber, but thats all your gettin, they are noisy, heavy as hell and botom out way to often. The manitou has a combination of bolth the shocks. This fork is just right. 5 stars man. go out and try one on for size!!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mr. Clark
a weekend warrior
from London, England
Date Reviewed: March 27, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This fork rips the shit out of all others on the market. I've been riding it for 2 months and it has the same performance as if it was brand new. It gives a better, smoother ride than my car. For the great price on this excellent shock, i would reccomend anyone to buy it for it's superior performance. Stay away from Marizocchi, Heavy pieces of shit. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Derrick Aumiller
a cross-country rider
from Everett, WA
Date Reviewed: March 18, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I just bought a new bike with the SX Ti. It's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Super smooth, super adjustable, super simple, super light, super cool. The biggest downside, super pricey. Move over Zokes, see ya Rockshox. Anyone who has the scoop on the oil leaking problem, please e-mail. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David
a racer
from Malibu, CA
Date Reviewed: March 8, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This my second fork this season and has worked out to be the best. First was a Marzocchi BAM. Good plush fork that weighs to much and bottoms out to fast. SX Ti was not good out of the box and in time has given me more all around enjoyment over all kinds of riding. Has the range of adjustment and works on all riding conditions. I am now spoending a lot more time on this fork than on my other bike with the BAM. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
techman
a cross-country rider
from East coast of Canada
Date Reviewed: February 18, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have a pair of Rock Shox Mag-21, and I want to buy a new shock is the SXTI for
me? How bad are these oil leaks? I really hate buying something and then finding it suck like the Mags!!!!! Also no one has stated the price on these in US or Canadain market. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
B Crawford
a cross-country rider
from AR
Date Reviewed: February 15, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The SX Ti came stock on my 98 Diamondback Team Issue. I knew I was in
trouble when the box that it was shipped in was soaked in shock oil. I
decided to go ahead and refill the shock, which was completely drained,
and give it a go anyway. My first impression was that the shock rode very
well during thew first three miles until I did a high speed creek crossing.
On a medium sized hit the fork suddenly pop'ed. I pulled over to see what
had happened and noticed that shock oil was pouring, out of the TPC side,
onto the ground. Also my shock was completely locked up, as in 0 travel. The
lower damping knob was completely gone. Needless to say, I was done for the day with only 3 miles ridden. I called Manitou to see if they could overnight a replacement with no luck since they are really behind on production. Instead I had to ship the shock back to them, I'm looking at 3 weeks down time. I'm sure that my experience is not common, though I have heard of oil leaks with these shocks before. The point is that my shocks should have never left the factory.
It's all about quality control!
Manitou for repair | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Tomac (annabe)
a racer
from Tulsa Ok
Date Reviewed: December 23, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
If anyone has a problem with their Manitou Sx Ti fork leaking when it is turned upside down then the Locktight that holds the shaft into the left cap has cracked loose..this happens if you overtighten the dial. a little of lock tight and it is good is new..also the Specialized M2 frame is sweeeettt | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
matthew warren
a cross-country rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: December 22, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This fork is outstanding... it's so plush yet it never bottoms out. When buying a fork you could either go with performance or weight... but this fork has the best of both worlds. The adjustability of this fork is unmatched by any other fork... which is very important if you ride X-country, like myself. Overall I give this baby 5 eye burning stars. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a cross-country rider
from NC
Date Reviewed: December 17, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
First Impression, not good. There was a puddle of oil in my box. I called the
bike shop and Answer and they said that is was to be expected if UPS shipped
it upside down. This makes me wary so I plan to keep an eye on it. Riding
impression, this is an incredible fork. It makes me forget about the puddle of
oil (almost). I had a 96 Judy XC w/ SpeedSprings. I never thought weight was
a big deal but I do now. The TI is nearly a pound lighter and is very noticeable. By the way, mine weighed about 3.2 lbs with cut steerer. The wheel now tracks the ground perfectly. My Judy would bounce around which was expected with the way it was set up. I thought my Judy's compression response was good but the TI's is better. Less stiction and better spring/mcu characteristics. I haven't played with the compression/rebound settings much so can't comment on this. The last thing I noticed was that I was able to take tighter lines in the
corners. (I race MX so I notice how the bike goes thru turns.) Our trails have
a lot of crap on them (roots, rocks, ruts). My old fork would push out in the
turn but the TI goes where I point it. This might be due to the fact that it
is stiffer. For now I am going to look past the oil puddle because the
performance is so good and give it 5 chilies. But if I have any quality
problems... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt Gersib
a racer
from Lincoln, NE
Date Reviewed: December 5, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This is a follow up to my post at the bottom of the page. I've been riding my SX-Ti for about a month now. It's broken in now, and it just keeps getting better. Feels tons better than the coil sprung Judy on my other bike. More plush and more controlled. That's cool. I mentioned in my other post that it felt stiffly sprung. I tried it with a softer MCU and went back to the stock MCU. It dove too much in corners in the softer setup and I had to max the comp. damping to get it to not bottom. Now, I get every inch of travel and it doesn't dive too much. Very good. I've ridden a bunch of forks and this is my current cross country favorite. Plus, it looks sweet on my new, red Bonti Race Lite. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Haker A
a racer
from Topanga, CA
Date Reviewed: November 30, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
OK< Iv'e heard all the hype, but this gets my vote for a current best race XC fork. I bet Manitou will change it next year and it will be something else. Anyway, I have ridden the SID and the Atom Bomber. SID was a waist of time, it doesn't work and costs people a lot of money. The Bomber was a good working fork, but I got tired of the weight on my front end. I thought suspension was to help you work less. I haven't ridden a XC fork that heavy in three years. The SX Ti is a mixed bag on the weight issue, lighter than the Bomb and heavier than the SID. What has me sold is the stiffness, good adjustability, and plush ride. good all around race fork that performs and doesn't weigh a ton. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Liam.Withall
a cross-country rider
from Preston England
Date Reviewed: November 3, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
The Titanium springs give a nice plush travel not to soft
but they do tend to bottom out a little. I would still go for the Z.3
as a good cross country fork it's der bollox | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Luis
a weekend warrior
from Barcelona, Spain
Date Reviewed: November 3, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I just rode with mine this week-end for four hours, but I am impressed by the tunability of the fork. I feel it is far superior to my two year old Judy SL, even with a brand new cartridge (didn't last for more than a few days, even 97 type). The spring is perfect for my weight (155 pounds), the fork is rigid, comfortable, and sucks bumps and rocks in a very controlled way. The weight is very similar to that of my 95 SL with an upgrade spring kit. To be fair,I didn't try the Bomber (too heavy) nor did I try the SID (too complex, and expensive), because the simplicity of the TPC concept strongly appealed to me. If reliability is there, then it is really a very strong contender (I got tired of blowing Judy's cartridges). By the fact it looks fine too. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JillyJobber
a racer
from Santa Cruz
Date Reviewed: November 3, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Compard to the Cannondale Flatty Head Crock its 1st rate.
Compared to the SID from RockShox this is a GREAT fork.
Compared to the Z2 Atom Bomb, however, its only fair.
Zokes is still on top but this is a quality second place.
4 day after mexican food steamers | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
PEte
a racer
from Canada
Date Reviewed: November 2, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This is a great fork. Very plush and when well maintained works beautifly.
Give it a try and you shall be impressed. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Muddy von Kahler
a downhiller
from singapore
Date Reviewed: October 30, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This fork's pretty good, but the double crown answer fork is way better for
DH. There's a fair bit of lateral flex, but it hardly bottons- i'll give it
that. For a single crown fork i'd still go with Z.1 with progressive springs. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark
a racer
from California
Date Reviewed: October 28, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
every time I race I can't believe how great this fork works. When I rode the bomber I allways bottomed the thing out, but not my TPC equipped SX-Ti. It's spring rate is spot on out of the and I never feel it bottom out even though i'm using all 70mm. of travel. Also, with their new light weight kit for the fork, why buy a SID when you can have a fork that really works!!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
stonehipee
a cross-country rider
from moab
Date Reviewed: October 27, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
great shock leaps and bounds over last year. can you say tpc. no stiction great bump handling,best fork out there i work in a bike shop and it is the best thing out there.answer has upedthe anti again.not as plush as the bomber but no bouncing either and almost a pound less.the manitou is weighted complete the atom bomb is weight without a steering tube.add the tube and the a bomb is only a few less than last years if plush is the game go with the a bomb but if performance it your buisnessgo with the sx-ti | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
matthew
a cross-country rider
from ohio
Date Reviewed: October 23, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I love this shock, but It's not as good as the bombers! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt Gersib
a racer
from Lincoln, Nebraska
Date Reviewed: October 17, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Wow. I can't believe that a fork can be so adjustable. You can go from totally uncontrolled damping to stupid stiff damping with the twist of two dials. It feels like it's sprung pretty stiffly, and since there's only one spring and mcu, I can't use my '97 parts to change it. I weigh 155 and am not running any preload. It feels a bunch smoother than my '97 FS-Ti. Maybe the new bushings have something to do with that. I've ridden the '98 Judy, and this thing absolutely kills it on performance. It's really close to the Bomber, performance-wise and is way, way lighter. (about 3/4 lbs.) It's worth the $$ I'll give it a 5, but if I could, I'd give it about 10 piping-hot chilies! | | Overall Rating: |
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