Mg Marathon monolite one piece arch & sliders Marzocchi was there when Marathon racing was born. Endurance races and 24-hour events are increasingly popular, and components that address the unique needs of long distance riding are in high demand. Marathon racers want forks that are durable. They want smooth operation, mile after mile. These cutting edge designs satisfy those needs. These forks are experienced to the core, and they’ll see the sport of marathon racing into its old age.
Submitted by
geedoubleyou
a Weekend Warrior
from New Zealand Date Reviewed: January 8, 2008
Favorite Trail:
whakarewarewa
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$125.00
Purchased At:
Used
Strengths:
Plush, gets full travel, tracks beautifully, wide range of rebound adjust, eta works great, can use standard pump for air preload adjustment.
Weaknesses:
None found yet
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi Z3, Pace RC 30, Manitou Black, Marzocchi EXR Pro
Bike Setup:
96 GT Zaskar, Full XT
Bottom Line:
Great fork as my Z3 was back in 2000. Handles superbly and with correct preload corners like it's on rails (American made Zaskar certainly helps here too !). I ride fairly aggressive XC and fork hasn't bottomed out yet and I weigh 180lbs. Compression dampening works a treat but is non adjustable, but why adjust it when it's spot on?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Shane Oneal
a Cross Country Rider
from Salina KS, USA Date Reviewed: October 16, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Perry Lake trails
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
EBAY Rocks
Strengths:
Very smooth travel, has a crazy amount of dampening adjustment. ETA is one of the single coolest inventions ever.
Weaknesses:
Its a little flexy, but now more then other products ive used....
1995 Trek 8000 Bonded Frame 2004 Marzocchi Marathon S 120mm, RaceFace BB, STXRC Cranks,Bontrager RE-1 pedals, XTR Front Drail. XTR 8-sp Rear Casset, XT R Drail, XTR Brakes, RaceFace SL HeadSet, Control Tech Stem, Profile Riser Bar, SRAM 9.0 Composit Leavers, SRAM Attack gripshift shifters, RockShox Suspension Seatpost, Selle Itallia Flite Tit. Saddle. Mavic X517rims(Citron) w/ XTR Hubs and DT double butted Spokes and Blue Nips, Panaracer FireXC Pros .
Bottom Line:
Ive never ridden such a nice fork. additionally this is the first air fork ive ever owned. however i love it. the ETA is by far my favorite part of the whole fork. its a little flexy at full suspension, however as its compresses it stiffens up greatly. I love it, ill update later.....
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
john
a Racer
from bflo, ny, usa Date Reviewed: April 1, 2007
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
OEM
Strengths:
ETA, durability, simplicity, looks, italian panache, stiffness, cadillac-like smoothness.
Weaknesses:
might be a little heavy.
Similar Products Used:
manitou, rock shock, other bombers
Bike Setup:
two year old full suspension mountain bike. 80 mm of travel. weighs thirty pounds.
Bottom Line:
a great fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
GorDo
a Cross Country Rider
from Utah Date Reviewed: September 19, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Moab Slick Rock
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$275.00
Purchased At:
super go
Strengths:
Tough, good looking, well built
Weaknesses:
Heavy, may need thicker oil after the first couple years.
Similar Products Used:
Manitou
Bike Setup:
1998 Access frame, XT'd out
Bottom Line:
This is a great fork. you can't beat Marzocchi. I have riden miles and miles on this fork. From SLick rock to wyoming, the toughest trail that will kick your can. This fork wont quite and it just keeps asking for more. The ETA just makes it that much better. A remote would be nice but you can't complain with the on the fly action.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brendan
a
from Providence, RI Date Reviewed: November 8, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Arcadia trail TOT
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
Jenson USA
Strengths:
Durability, feel (once broken in) and the lack of lateral play. ETA
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Two crappy RS Psylos, an 03 Z1 FR. '98 Z2 Bomber. Old Judys and Manitous as well.
Bike Setup:
'01 Jamis Komodo Team mix of nice XC/trailbike parts.
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is it's a great fork for the money. It's no lightweight, but then you'll probably spend more time riding it than repairing it. I was happy with it before the seals broke in, once they did I was even happier. Mine's the 120mm model so the ETA actually comes in handy on some steeper climbs (feels clunky when the travel is compressed but that's not really an issue). Overall the fork just has a solid feel, no flexing and no rebound issues to contend with at all. It goes where you point it and acts predictably. I probably have 60 or so rides on this fork (120 hours give or take)with no issues. For the record I weigh 155 and ride mostly rocky technical NE trails. I just started using the newer Marzocchi forks this year, and it made me wonder why I wasted time on the RS Psylos for so long.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave
a
from boise Date Reviewed: November 4, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
cbo
Strengths:
excellent damping,excellent quality,coil springs,not much flex,seals DO NOT LEAK.
Weaknesses:
none,
Similar Products Used:
manitou
Bike Setup:
2004 ibex trophy hardtail,stans no tubes conversion,race face x crank,all x9 drive train,reccomended set up for fork only 5 psi air preload
Bottom Line:
look at the review in mountain bike action july 2005,the giant reign has a Manitou Nixon fork,it does not work! the "infinite travel" which is rip off of the Marzocchi E.T.A. system is crap! Marzocchi had a solution to enhanced climbing years ago,those guy at mountain bike action are so full of crap,you never hear much of anything about Marzocchi cross country/freeride forks they always rave about Fox fork,I know of numerous people who own them,the seals are crap! they leak oil and fox is slow to honor their warranty on this problem,any way I love this fork,too bad their new trail bike forks do not have springs on both sides,seems like air sprung forks are all the rage,sure they save weight however they will probably never be as good as a dual coil fork in regards to feeling progressive,ya I hear a "squish" sound when the fork is working...so what,you would hear the internals working on a motorcyle fork too if the engine were not muffling the sound.I am sold on Marzocchi and plan on purchasing an all mountain 1 to install on a new Heckler I just bought.Marzocchi has been in the hydraulic buisness since 1949 it is no wonder they make such a quality product.what good are all the features of a fox fork if the seals piss oil out? poor R+D. overpriced too.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rob Conti
a Cross Country Rider
from Cleveland Ohio US Date Reviewed: October 20, 2005
Favorite Trail:
wherever
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
Came on my Hardrock
Strengths:
This fork is really durrable hard to bottom out if your not Extreme freeriding or downhilling.
Weaknesses:
ok well i have to ride urban sorta because i live in the suburbs outside of cleveland and i do a lot of like flatland and endoes and i also have discs so since the disks are only on one side when you brake hevily the opposite side of the disc pops out of place because its quick release and it has ben wearing the mount down a lot over the past few years.
Similar Products Used:
notihn really
Bike Setup:
04 specialized hardrock, mz comp, and unfortunantly tektro IO's (they suck really bad dont get them).
Bottom Line:
im not really an xc rider but there was really nothing that describes me i live in the cleveland suburbs so theres not too much to ride in way of freeriding im only 14 so im cant really afford much more im looking at the mantinou stance kingpins but i hear there bad. ive probally only ben like 6 feeet in the air before and they did not do so good on the landing.
overll i would say that there good for the money but if your going to so big stuff it will b worth in the longrun to buy a more epensive fork that will hold out better however if your just getting started its an exclene for but if your really in to it youl outgrow then quickly.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dennis Verburg
a Weekend Warrior
from Kudelstaart Netherlands Date Reviewed: September 10, 2005
Favorite Trail:
several routes in Limburg
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
Roseversand Germany (came with bike)
Strengths:
-Smooth, ETA, Stiff, Bomb Proof, Easy to adjust
Weaknesses:
-Weight -Disc brake limitation -After 1 1/2 year I noticed some play in the bushings, needs overhaul, I think! -Spring inside the fork make some noise sometimes.
Similar Products Used:
Rochshox Duke SL and Judy XC
Bike Setup:
Red Bull NPL, DT Swiss SSD 210L, Shimano XT, Magura Louise
Bottom Line:
This fork is very reliable. In 1 1/2 year never had any trouble. ETA works very well. But even this fork needs overhaul. I have abused this fork in the French Alpes(downhill). After France I noticed that this fork has limitations. (play in bushings). But still the fork perfomes very good.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
johnny hack
a Cross Country Rider
from T.O. Date Reviewed: August 9, 2005
Favorite Trail:
all
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$275.00
Purchased At:
speedgoat
Strengths:
* $275.00 * will last forever * eats big hits and small chatter
Weaknesses:
N/A
Similar Products Used:
03 exr comp (came on bike)
Bike Setup:
03 lava dome
Bottom Line:
Incredible. I knew they would be good on big stuff, very impressive on roads and choppy stuff too.
Best deal I've ever gotten on anything.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Greg
a Cross Country Rider
from Oak Harbor, WA, USA Date Reviewed: July 24, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Cranberry Lake
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$275.00
Purchased At:
Jenson
Strengths:
Travel, bump absorption, price, stifness, quality construction, ETA
Weaknesses:
None found yet
Similar Products Used:
Rock Shox
Bike Setup:
Klein Attitude Comp, XT front, XTR Rear, disks, Rhyno Lites.
Bottom Line:
As a 220# rider this fork was sweet out of the box. I did add 15# to the air preload to compensaste a little for my weight. I will probably add more oil to the forks as well. That is when I feel like not riding the badboy. It is a perfect 5" travel fork that will not break the budget. Anyone looking to upgrade from a P.O.S. Judy will be blown away by this fork. You can still climb too with the ETA feature. This fork has kept me in my old bike for at least another few years.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jason Verneris
a Cross Country Rider
from Port Hueneme Date Reviewed: July 10, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$245.00
Purchased At:
SuperGo
Strengths:
This is a follow up on my last review. Since then I've ridden about 20-25 miles trail time on these and I am pleased to say I am even more impressed with these forks.
Weaknesses:
I still think the weight may be a factor but not much. Remote lock out would be a nice feature to maybe add-on later.
Bike Setup:
Same as below
Bottom Line:
After taking the Zokes on a 12 and 8 mile venture in Nor-Cal in some "real" back country i was pleased with the performance and feel of the forks. I rode up/down hills I never thought i would've been able to do. I don't think i bottomed out once. The ETA definitely helps with the tough uphill sections. This fork is definitely a good buy and i will not replace any time soon.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Wild Bill
a Cross Country Rider
from Colorado Springs Date Reviewed: June 30, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Marys Loop, Fruita and Monarch Crest
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$275.00
Purchased At:
Jenson USA
Strengths:
ETA, responsive and super strong
Weaknesses:
None so far
Similar Products Used:
Rock Shock Judy SL-U turn
Bike Setup:
Giant Hardtail
Bottom Line:
This is an excellent all around fork. The ETA function is the perfect "on the fly adjustment". I have the 120mm version. Overall, a great fork for the price. This is a huge upgrade from the rockshock judy (junk) fork that came stock on my bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
TCW
a Cross Country Rider
from Norman, OK Date Reviewed: June 30, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Thw Womble
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$275.00
Purchased At:
JensonUSA
Strengths:
Plush, great tracking, ETA, Air assist, nice looking
Weaknesses:
Sometimes it makes a little squish noise when rebounding quickly.
Similar Products Used:
2000 Judy Race, Manitou SXR, 2003 Fox Vanilla RL 125
Bike Setup:
EPX Terra Shark, LX/XT, Hayes disks, Thomson post, Easton stem/bars, 4-inch travel in rear via a Fox Float RCL shock, 120mm Marathon in front.
Bottom Line:
Wife bought this fork for me as a birthday gift, good wife. I was expecting the front end to feel a little more clunky because of he few ounces incurred by the Marathon S. Happy to report that the bike feels just a nimble, but a whole lot more high performance than before. On root/rock infested downs the shock absorbes everything wonderfully. I easily made some climbs I usually struggle with because the ETA drops the fron end to a perfect position to make loose-steep inclines seem almost too easy. The only other shock I've used that felt near the quality of the MArathon S was the Fox Vanilla 125RL. The two shocks felt similar. I weigh around 220lbs with all my gear on and the air assist feature made the stock springs fell a little more firm. The stock oil (7.5wt.) seemed fine but after the first change i might try just a little heavier, no more than 10 weight. I never thought it would be possible to by a shock at $275.00 that worked so well. I'm real happy with this product, we'll see how it hold up, so far so good.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dirt Surfer
a Weekend Warrior
from Camarillo, Ca Date Reviewed: June 11, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Backbone Trail
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$275.00
Purchased At:
Speed Goat
Strengths:
Extra travel, ETA lock out, Stiff laterally, plush vertically. Good price on closeout
Weaknesses:
Didn't come with a Marzocchi Girl.
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
'01 Intense Tracer XT all around, Hot S tires....
Bottom Line:
I replaced my '99 Z1 that had worn out. This fork is awesome. It handles the rough, rocky trails I ride with ease. The extra travel allows you to float over bumps, rocks and ruts. The ETA lock out is great for climbing steep trails and tight single track turns. I makes my 4 year old bike feel new again. It saved me from having to upgrade the whole bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jason
a Cross Country Rider
from Port Hueneme, CA USA Date Reviewed: May 30, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Los Robles
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$247.00
Purchased At:
SuperGo
Strengths:
Super strong fork!!! I weigh in the low 180 range and this fork is not spongy at all. I was surprised to see with the weight of these forks they feel light once on the bike. I feel more in control of my bike which gives me confidence on the trail. If you're in the "clydesdale" category then this fork is for you straight out of the box. I will update as i use the forks more. Enjoy!!!!
Weaknesses:
Weight (maybe) but none at this time. I will update as i use the forks more.
Similar Products Used:
I wouldn't call the similar. It's laughable compared to the Zokes. "99" Rock shox Jett. "03" Manitou Axel.
Bike Setup:
99 Trek 6000 upgraded to xt/xtr der's. SRAM chain which will be replaced soon for a HG chain. Mavic Crossmax ceramic rim brake wheelset. Bontrager seat post and handlebar. Shimano crankset. Teflon der cables. (Very nice by the way) More upgrades to follow.
Bottom Line:
After just riding around the neighborhood i knew these forks were special. I will ride these for years to come unless i win the lottery and can afford an FSR set up with Fox Forx. I don't feel like i'm going to go end over end when i hit a bump like i did with the Axels. The rake is perfect and the travel gives plenty of absorption for those curb like bumps. The weight doesnt seem to be an issue once i had these on my bike. This is my first "real" fork after 6 yrs of somewhat aggressive riding and i feel confident my riding will only improve. Ride On!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim
a Weekend Warrior
from Toronto, Ontario Date Reviewed: May 30, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$275.00
Purchased At:
EBay
Strengths:
Lots of buttery smooth travel, strong and heavy duty, very adjustable
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Manitou Minute 3, Fox Fox F100X
Bike Setup:
Custom Nuke Proof w/ full XT / XTR, Juicy Sevens, Race Face stem & bar, King headset
Bottom Line:
For the price paid, this is the ultimate fork that just doesn't quit. Day after day, it just keeps taking a beating, and it's so easy to maintain this fork it's almost silly.
There are some who complain about the weight of this fork, and while a tad heavy, it's just like its name implies; it's a "Marathon" fork, built strong to last long, and you'll be hard pressed to find any other XC fork this good for the money.
There are some who could argue that there are better forks, such as the Manitou Minute and the higher end Fox forks, and while they too are good in their own right, see what happens when they have problems or the seals start to leak... you'll be forking out some serious $$$ to get those suckers fixed.
Overall, if you're looking for a bomb-proof fork with excellent adjustability, trouble-free maintenance and won't let you down, get this while you still can, bar none it's the best fork for the money, period.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rooman
a
from yeg Date Reviewed: May 20, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$269.00
Strengths:
Unbelievably smooth ride - seems to have bottomless absorption.
Weaknesses:
A touch heavy - but I'll take the .2 pound penalty over the old Duke C any day - not to mention the zokes 120 mm travel vs 80 mm for the duke.
Similar Products Used:
rs judy, duke
Bike Setup:
trek 6700 upgraded with mostly xt running gear, LX hollow tech crank and mavic 517's on xt hubs.
Bottom Line:
Smooth, controlled, absorbing.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
criminal505
a Weekend Warrior
from Albuquerque, New Mexico Date Reviewed: May 13, 2005
Favorite Trail:
anything going down
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$275.00
Purchased At:
jensonUSA
Strengths:
pretty good price. I'm getting a pretty soft and smooth ride from it; that's just fine by me. I broke it in quick once I took it to the mountains here. It is smooth on the jumps so far. It definitely has increased my confidence.
Weaknesses:
I guess I should take the time to pay attention to the air preload, but I haven't even messed with it yet.
Similar Products Used:
marzocchi MZ comp (came with '05 specialized hardrock); old rock shox
Bike Setup:
'05 specialized hardrock -race face bashring, marathon S, easton stem and bar, titec XC-pro seatpost, WTB seat
Bottom Line:
So far, it's great. As I keep jumping and dropping on this fork is it going to break??? Should I keep an eye on the air preload or just keep riding??? I'm completely satisfied with the fork. The MZ comp that came with my bike wasn't even manufactured by marzocchi. It was made by some other company under license by marzocchi. What kind of nonsense is specialized and marzocchi trying to pull? Anyway, the MZ comp is now on an old beater where it belongs, and will be mistreated accordingly.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alexander
a Cross Country Rider
from Niagara Falls, NY, USA Date Reviewed: May 11, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$275.00
Purchased At:
JensonUSA
Strengths:
Rock-solid, excellent steering control, ETA works as advertised, even fresh out of the box it rode well, stiction not severe, gives great confidence when approaching bigger logs than your old fork would allow :-)
Weaknesses:
None so far...at 4.5 lbs it hardly feels like an anchor
Similar Products Used:
Manitou Axel Super (was stock fork on bike)
Bike Setup:
2003 Specialized Rockhopper FSRxc, SD-7's, better seat( any seat is better than stock !) XT rear, Deore front, Time ATACs, new Cane Creek sealed bearing headset, pretty much stock
Bottom Line:
The single best improvement for the FSR for the $$$. Manitou Axel wasn't as bad as my previous Giant's SR Suntour, but this fork is just plain solid, the lockout lever is easy to operate on the fly and does what it's supposed to ! I have tons more confidence on fast loose stuff as the fork just soaks it up and stays in control. The Axel went on the Giant where it belongs as a backup mud bike or visitor special. Get one of these before they're gone !! Awesome deal, JensonUSA ships fast. Don't know how much abuse it can take but I'm 210 lbs and ride hard at everything-fork seems to love it, no flexin'period - for very aggressive XC this is the $$$ticket ! 5 flamin' chilis indeed
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
SGT. ROCK
a Racer
from Grande Cache, AB Date Reviewed: May 2, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$275.00
Purchased At:
Speedgoat
Strengths:
ETA is great Effective rebound adjustment Looks good
Weaknesses:
Air preload
Similar Products Used:
Marzo Z3, Manitou Black Elite
Bike Setup:
Ventana Pantera
Bottom Line:
The 2003 Manitou Black Elite 80-100 wasn't cutting it on my Ventana - felt a little short, was beating me up in the really rough sections. I started looking for a 120 - 130 mm travel unit, and found the Marathon S on closeout at Speedgoat.
This is a great fork - the extra 20mm of travel over the Black makes a huge difference. The Marathon tracks well through the rocks, too. The ETA is fanatastic - lowers the front end for climbing, just enough travel to keep the front tire from deflecting off line. I was a fan of Manitou's lockout, but ETA really is better for a trailbike. Lockout is superior only on the flat and level.
Looking forward to pounding the s%^t out of this fork over the next few months.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rich
a Weekend Warrior
from Thunder Bay ON Canada Date Reviewed: April 25, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$299.00
Purchased At:
Blue Sky
Strengths:
Smooth stroke, excellent damping, air adjustable with coil
Weaknesses:
a little heavy
Similar Products Used:
EXR and earlier Manitou SXR
Bike Setup:
'03 Jamis Dakar XC Pro
Bottom Line:
If you are looking for a good quality coil fork with a great feel, look no further. Compared to my old EXR the damping is far supreme. When you go over small stutter bumps you can barely feel them, but it still takes the big hits well. At closeout prices, get the Marathon S while they are still available.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim
a Downhiller
from Rutland, Vermont Date Reviewed: April 24, 2005
Favorite Trail:
#8 on Killington Mtn.
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$275.00
Purchased At:
Jenson USA
Strengths:
Strong fork, very plush and very smooth. ETA adjustment. great looks. Over all solid fork.
Weaknesses:
a tad on the heavy side, but not too bad. The worst of all problems is with all newer marzocchis, is that the sliders crown and steerer tube are all one piece. Cut that tube wrong and its $185 to fix!!
Similar Products Used:
Psylo XC, DJ I, DJ II
Bike Setup:
'04 Kona Dawg, Race Face, XT Derailleurs, shifters, Magura julies, Mavic UST, Panaracer Fire UST Pros.
Bottom Line:
Solid fork '04 models are at a great price right now. Well worth it!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
j v
a Weekend Warrior
from chatsworth, ca Date Reviewed: January 19, 2005
Favorite Trail:
rocky peak
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$312.00
Purchased At:
price point
Strengths:
smooth, simple, and easy to adjust
Weaknesses:
weight,but it made me a stronger rider. i should have bought this ealier and save $$
Similar Products Used:
xc duke w/stiffer spring
Bike Setup:
sugar 3, ck hubs, mavic rims, ck head, xt, lx, kenda rr, wtb fr, ti fly, no tubes stan
Bottom Line:
This shock is 04 model so I got a good deal from price point. I don't like to mess around so much so I need a simple, easy, and smooth. This shock delivered all my criteria. I'll buy this shock again.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Viborg, Denmark Date Reviewed: December 1, 2004
Favorite Trail:
ødallen
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Quick break in. Very adjustable rebound. Excelent climbing locked out or down, ETA works very well. Very resoponsive cornering.
Weaknesses:
Having bought on expensive fork then having to buy a shock pump. But thats not the forks fault, is it Marzocchi
Very frightening spending so much money on a fork. But once thats done, there are no regrets. Spending money wasnt the only issue I had. Adding nearly five cm to the previous forks length gave me some concerns about the bikes geometry, wether the 18 inch GT frame could handel a 100 mm fork or not. It could. I now have some of the best suspension money can buy. I'll probably have to keep this bike setup for the next 10 years, but thats ok because everything does what its supposed to do and the bike even looks cool because of it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nick
a Cross Country Rider
from Chattanooga, TN, USA Date Reviewed: November 29, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Tanasi
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$275.00
Purchased At:
Supergo.com
Strengths:
It is great on the long climbs, locked-out; and then the downhill is the real treat, buttery-smooth. I am a heavier rider, about 200 lbs., and I immediately noticed that it was not flexing at all.
Weaknesses:
Weight, but I'll take its solid design and smooth ride any day.
Similar Products Used:
Fox 100, Manitou Black
Bike Setup:
Epic S-works, SRAM components, Race Face/Thompson/Easton goodies. Race/Trail set up.
Bottom Line:
It seems to be bullet-proof and plush.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jon
a Cross Country Rider
from Vermont Date Reviewed: August 9, 2004
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
pricepoint.com-$150 discount
Strengths:
itsa zocchi, great looks, ETA lockout, excellent rebound action, very smooth
Weaknesses:
a little heavy
Similar Products Used:
Duke XC air
Bike Setup:
2004 Gary Fisher Big Sur Disc, all stock except the zocchi, easton ec70 bar, and st-lite bar ends
Bottom Line:
this fork looks, and is awesome, with the lockout there is no movement on climbs, and on technical climbs (un-locked out) the front stays planted to the ground and doesn't bounce. On the downhills, the excellent rebound keeps the fork planted over the messy stuff, and it soaks up the big hits with no side to side movement at all. Turning is fast and accurate. As long as you set the fork to the right PSI for your weight everything is perfect. I can barely notice the 1lb increase over the stock duke, but I can definitely notice the performance difference. I got everything I expected from a Marzocchi.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jay
a Cross Country Rider
from Vancouver Date Reviewed: July 12, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Hidden Valley
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Ebay (a steal)
Strengths:
Smooth stroke, ECC catridge is great, and easy to work on.
Weaknesses:
I don't like air preload. Hate air anything on a trail bike.
Similar Products Used:
Fox Vanilla, older Marzocchis, and other forks.
Bike Setup:
Turner 5 Spot
Bottom Line:
I really like this fork. My had to much oil in it from the factory. I would ride it 25 miles and change the oil. I found that 58mm of oil level got me full travel. I like the heavy springs for my weight: 185 lbs. I find this fork to be as smooth with a lot less noise and hassle then the Vanilla. Dropping for fork on climbs is great! I love that ECC.
I cannot feel any twist on this fork despite its 30mm tubes. A great fork. It is kind of heavy though at 4.5 lbs. So smooth.
Great fork.
Jaybo
PS Marzocchi customer service is not personal and kind of blows.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bob
a Weekend Warrior
from NJ Date Reviewed: February 16, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Any
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$405.00
Purchased At:
Mtn High Cyclery
Strengths:
Silky smooth, plush on the small stuff and can handle the big hits too. ETA. Very nice rebound control,...tons of adjustment. Stiff for its wieght. Lower axle to crown than a Z1. Love the air assist preload...don't have to worry about springs anymore.
Weaknesses:
Technical-none. But gold caps...c'mon Marzocchi!
Similar Products Used:
Fox Vanilla 125, Z1FR, Manitou Super, etc.
Bike Setup:
Red 5 Spot, L, Avid discs, Thomson, WTB saddle, Odds and Endo wheelset of WTB lazer lite discs to Rhyno lites, bolt on releases, King Jim Schwalbes, Monkey Lite hi riser carbon bar, XTR to LX, Sram PC99 and 7.0 cassette, Truvativ Stylo with Salsa bash ring. 31.5 lbs
Bottom Line:
Great choice for this bike and the rock gardens and logs on my trails. Makes the steering lightning fast, and very plush. Best of both worlds, springs and air. More XC than FR, so watch your spec. Can handle the big stuff too. Very pleased.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
CSPRINGS
a
from COLORADO SPRINGS Date Reviewed: February 11, 2004
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
MARZOCCHI
Weaknesses:
DID NOT GET ONE SOONER
Bottom Line:
03 SPRCIALIZED ENDURO PRO, REAR SHOCKED WITH FOX VANILLA R COIL 450 LBS. I WEIGH 160 AND USU CARRY HOG STUFFED WITH NECESSITIES.
THE STOCK MXC AIR 100MM, DOES NOT COUNT...I FINALLY UPGRADED TO 04 MARATHON S COIL WITH ETX AND STOCK SPRINGS. ONLY HAD IT ON MY BIKE 1 WEEK AND HAVE ONLY DONE SOME URBAN STUFF. THIS SHOCK WITH BOTH LEGS OF INTERNALS IS AMAZING AND ONLY WEIGHS 4 1/2 LBS PER ELECTRONIC GOVT POSTAL SCALE.
IT FEELS INCREDIBLY PLUSH WITHOUT THE WEIGHT AND SLACKER HEAD ANGLE ISSUES OF THE Z1 ALTERNATIVE. I AM SO PLEASED AND CANNOT WAIT TO PUT IT TO THE TEST ON THE TRAILS AND BOULDERS BUT I AM CONFIDENT THAT IT WILL STILL BE AMAZING COMPARED TO THE MXC AIR BUMPER. THE SIMPLICITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE NEW ETA IS WELL THOUGHT OUT AND SIMPLE TO USE WHILE PEDALLING. I WILL POST LATER..:)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Eastern Pennsylvania Date Reviewed: January 14, 2004
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$375.00
Purchased At:
e-Bay
Strengths:
Its a Marzocchi!!! It looks as good as it works. Caddylak smooth.
Weaknesses:
A physical metal spring will always be heavier than air. Factory spring is a little weak for the larger crowd.
Similar Products Used:
Rockshox, Manitou
Bike Setup:
XVP Intense Spider
Bottom Line:
Can't say that I have loads of experience with all the different forks on the market. However, this fork has lived up to its reputation and my expectations. I will admit being skeptical of the "air" forks, in that I wanted a low maintenance fork which will last a long time without need periodic re-builds or develop leaks, etc.... Hence the metal spring counterpart was an obvious choice.
Bottom line, Given the chance, I would buy this fork again.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
j
a Cross Country Rider
from harrisonburg VA Date Reviewed: January 8, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
super smooth minimal break in time stiff adjustable travel
Weaknesses:
none that I have found as of yet
Similar Products Used:
skareb comp
Bike Setup:
giant NRS2 2003
Bottom Line:
After I broke the reverse arch on my skareb and it was taking to long for my mx pro to come in I decided to go with the marathon S. Best decision I ever made. The fork is smooth and soaks up the bumps to such a good degree that I hardly notice it is there which is much different than the skareb I had before. The ETA is also nice when climbing but the knob was kind of loose but that was remedied by putting a small rubber washer underneath the cap. The air preload is also a nice feature. All in all the fork is great. If you are looking for a good all around reliable fork this is the one to get.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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