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Submitted by
Ben
a Cross Country Rider
from columbia, MD
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Low maintenance, once you get it dialed in, your set for a lot time
RockShox the company has done well by me with product failures. They paided to have problem parts replaced | | Weaknesses: | The lock out does not work very well.
It does not adjust stiffness well with pressure. I'm not a big guy, 140 lbs. I run the pressure around that for a 250lbs person because its so over plush. And even if you bump the pressure way up, there is almost no change in the stiffness.
I don't do downhill riding, i mostly do fairly smooth trails, and i have bottomed the fork out on more than one occasion.
This is my second one of these. I blew the first one out in a week, and that was before i started running really high pressures in the fork. Now the second one has lasted 2 years, and when i blew the seals on the first one, Rockshox paided to have it replaced and upgraded it to remote lockout... so the company gets some props for that | | Similar Products Used: | Manitou SX, Marzzachi Bomber few others | | Bottom Line: | I really dislike this fork. The air seals are weak and the fork is way to plush. If your a beginner, buying a less expensive bike, you probably won't notice or care. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim
a Weekend Warrior
from Somewhere, Connecicut, United States
Date Reviewed: October 9, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Nipmuck Trail (I know you have not heard of it) | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | came on bike | | Strengths: | This is a great fork if you want a low maintenance, reliable, get-the-job done type of fork. I loved it for the first year | | Weaknesses: | I'm not sure but I think that the fork is losing some of its bounce and responsiveness. Whatever the reason, it is way to soft right now. I have to find out why | | Similar Products Used: | Marzocchi exr supra | | Bike Setup: | '03 tass | | Bottom Line: | Great for the money; not the greatest durability; wouldn't recomend fork for the hardcore rider | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Graham
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix, AZ, US
Date Reviewed: November 23, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Fast singletrack | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | came on bike | | Strengths: | Durable... | | Weaknesses: | Step up from department store bikes, not very active, not a real air fork | | Similar Products Used: | No suspension to my current setup... this was a godsend at the time, but now im going to a Minute 2 | | Bike Setup: | 2004 NRS-3, SRAM X7 shifters, front/rear derailer, Avid juicy 5 disc brakes | | Bottom Line: | If coming from a no suspension bike, however unlikely that is, this fork is great. Coming from a Judy you wont know the difference except for an air vavle which I suspect does nothing but look good and make the shock a little stiffer. This fork sags for me often, I weigh 130lbs. and put the correct psi in it, yet it will still sag on the trails. Even with sag though, it wont soak up most bumps and it often feels like its bottomed out or just not performing well. Fork is a good price though, and has lasted me a year this christmas, but its about due time for an upgrade to a real fork. Manitou Minute 2, here I come! Value - 4, -1 because if you know where to look you can get a way better fork (Minute 2, FOX low-end, BLACKs) for 230$-270$ that are slightly used but not abused. Overall - 2, its a very durable fork but for god sakes, it sucks! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Kennesaw, GA
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Came on Bike | | Strengths: | Looks like a real fork | | Weaknesses: | Where to begin | | Similar Products Used: | Several Models from FOX, Rock Shox, and Manitou | | Bike Setup: | Gary Fisher Tassajara w/ deore mix | | Bottom Line: | This is easily the worst piece of crap I have seen aside from a department store special. It says air assist....HA!
This came as standard issue on my wife's Gary Fisher Tassajara. We upgraded her to a 05 Marzocchi EXR Pro for around 2 bills for an inexpensive but massive upgrade and all is well. Do not purchase this fork as an upgrade to a judy or other entry level fork. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ev
a Cross Country Rider
from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: April 7, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Easy adjustments, pretty good on downhill portions | | Weaknesses: | WAY to much bob, a lock out would be nice... | | Bike Setup: | Giant NRS 3 w/disc brakes | | Bottom Line: | This is a fine stock shock, but if you are going to get serious in riding upgrade to a fox shock i recomend. If the NRS was an expensive bike i would be disappointed with Giant, but given the value of the NRS 3 its gotta have a weakness. No lockout is really the only problem i had though. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Fat Tony
a Cross Country Rider
from Jersey
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | - Smooth supsension action/stroke
- Fat 2.7 tire clearance (I've run a Panaracer Fire FR on this fork)
- Excellent rebound adjustment | | Weaknesses: | - Stanchion travel increment markings do not match manufacturer claims
- Comes undersprung and WAY too soft in stock form | | Bottom Line: | Well it's been a year and the fork is still going problem free. It is rather undersprung straight outta of the box, so upgrade to a stiffer spring if you weigh more than 120 pounds. I know people knock this fork and bad mouth it, but all I can say is that it's worked just fine for me. It's nothing exciting like the SPV and Motion Control stuff out nowadays, but it's a versatile fork for XC. Keep it at 85mm for clims and crank it to 115mm for decents. My only beef with this fork is that it comes MAJORLY undersprung. If you weigh more than 120 pounds, get the next heavier spring, at least, maybe even two springs up. The key to being happy with this fork is a spring upgrade. The bad news is that the spring kit is expensive because it comes with the whole U-turn assembly kit, so it'll run ya around 40-50 dollars. Other than that, I have no complaints. It's reliable and does the job. My next fork will be something more modern like a Manitou Minute with the SPV. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stefan
a Cross Country Rider
from Tulsa
Date Reviewed: October 18, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Takes small and mid bumps, don't need much maintainance | | Weaknesses: | heavy - but on the other side - cheap. | | Similar Products Used: | Fox Talas, Marzocchi Comp | | Bike Setup: | Roland ElTorro XC | | Bottom Line: | I'm 170 lbs - bike is a hardtail - I ride 2-3 times a week - about 60 miles "light terrain" and about 20 miles "hard & aggressive".
This is a great fork for the price - I would recommend it for recreational riders and XC riders that don't ride very aggressive. I wouldn't recommend it for racers and of course not for downhill. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dougal Torrance
a Racer
from Canberra Australia
Date Reviewed: August 31, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Kowen | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | Phantom Cycles | | Strengths: | Good solid fork (at least for a 70kg rider). Very easy to service. Great value for money. I really like the adjustability of the air spring | | Weaknesses: | Compared to the SIDs I now use, the Pilots are a heavy(ish) fork. They can be a bit noisy too. | | Similar Products Used: | RS Judy (elastomers) RS SID Team | | Bike Setup: | Hard tail- deore spec mostly | | Bottom Line: | Look, if you're just getting into Mountain bike riding these are a great starter fork. If you're contemplating racing, these forks may be a bit too heavy, and perhaps a bit behind, technologically. Having said that, you can usually pick them up a whole lot cheaper than newer forks, and they'll do the job.
I would suggest you get someone (or do it yourself) to make them have the full 100mm travel, as the 80mm feels like about 50mm. Be warned though, and extra 20mm will make your bike look more like it has dirt bike forks! I was very impressed at how easy these forks are to service, but make sure you log onto the Rock Shox web site and download the manual first. Also, there's a lot of oil in the forks so use an oil pan! I'm reasonable as a mechanic too so it may be a bit harder to service the fork for absolute beginners. Don't worry about getting 5wt rock shox oil. 5wt Motor bike fork oil is just fine (and cheaper). With the 100mm of travel, the fork is now nice and plush, with a lot more ability to absorb most size bumps. I'm impressed enough to still be using it on my reserve bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pat harrington
a Cross Country Rider
from aurora, co, USA
Date Reviewed: August 13, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | mary's loop | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Littleton Cyclery | | Strengths: | reliable, good for XC riding, takes normal bumps well, very little maintence, for me that is!! | | Weaknesses: | gets soft after use, not intended for jumps and large drop offs | | Similar Products Used: | manitou black, duke, judy | | Bike Setup: | 03 Tassajara, bar ends, candy SL eggbeaters. | | Bottom Line: | So the fork was stock. I tend to think that how you ride should decide the fork. It is slowly loosing travel, about 65-70 now but this thing has been more than reliable for me. Bottomed out once on me. Untill I get a new fork, made for aggressive XC I am fine with what I have. Have done a lot of trails in GJ/fruita area with it and a few in Moab. For where I live and ride this is an awesome fork. Though I want to upgrade to a black, duke, or marz. The bigger the drop I get leery on with this fork and have been since I got it but it suits me well and I am happy. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Moscow
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Bitsevski Park | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Came stock on 2003 Gary Fisher Tassajara | | Strengths: | A decent fork, after you've overhauled it and converted it to 100mm of travel. Once you've made the conversion (and replaced the oil), the fork works fine. | | Weaknesses: | I experienced the same "locking up" problem that others have with the forks straight from the factory. After a little more than a month of use, the fork simply would not travel more than 50mm. Requires more maintenance than it should. The fork doesn't really work WELL until you convert it to 100mm of travel. | | Similar Products Used: | None. | | Bike Setup: | 2003 Gary Fisher Tassajara, stock, except for clipless pedals. | | Bottom Line: | I have mixed feelings about this fork. It's a decent fork, once you get it working properly, but the hard part is getting it to work properly!
When I got it, it worked great, but after less than a month of use, it started bottoming out at 50mm of travel, as has apparently happened to a lot of other people. I took it back to the shop where I bought it. They overhauled it, and it worked fine for several months (a solid 75mm of travel). About 8 months later, the fork wasn't working as smoothly as it used to, so I decided to overhaul the thing myself. The left side of the fork was almost completely dry (i.e., there was no oil in it)! The only reason I can think of is gradual oil loss through the upper seal.
I overhauled the thing myself, following the manufacturer's service manual (available online), and decided to convert the fork to 100mm of travel. I'm really glad I did the conversion, because the fork FINALLY works like it should have from the beginning. Because of the design, when in 80mm mode, the spring seems to be already compressed to some degree, reducing the amount of "pre-compression" you get when you sit on the bike, and making the fork less responsive to small, frequent bumps. In 100mm mode, there is apparently more room for the spring to compress when you sit on the bike. I now get a good 20-25mm of pre-compression, resulting in much greater responsiveness to little bumps, and a much smoother ride. Because of the additional pre-compression when I sit on the bike, the front end of the bike doesn't sit any higher than when in 80mm mode when I'm actually riding.
Note: I am a small, lightweight rider (5'7" and 140 pounds), so this fork had barely any pre-compression at all in 80mm mode (perhaps 5-8mm). In 100mm mode, I get a good 20-25mm of pre-compression, which makes for a MUCH smoother ride for me. I have no idea whether converting to 100mm mode will work well for larger riders, but I suspect it will.
Note: When I did the overhaul/conversion, I replaced the oil with 5W-40 motor oil. For whatever reason, this has virtually eliminated the strange "sucking" noise that the forks used to make when damping. I don't know why that should be the case, as I used the manufacturer's recommended oil weight (5W).
Anyway, in conclusion, if you want to take the time to overhaul the forks yourself (a very messy, difficult, frustrating job, if you don't have the right tools and are trying to do it in your bathroom), or want to pay someone to do the conversion and change the oil for you, the forks work a heck of a lot better. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg
a Cross Country Rider
from Nashville, TN 37212 USA
Date Reviewed: June 14, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Hamilton Creek | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | came with bike purchase | | Strengths: | Decent fork for the money and paired with a nice bike. Takes out most of the bumps but itsn't too squishy. | | Weaknesses: | Don't try to put more air in it than 15 psi or so... you will blow a seal and the "dusk cover" fill blow and slide up the side tube. In my case it seems to not have done any long term damage. As long as I make sure the pressure is correct the seals seems to be holding fine.
It makes a strange air sucking noise but this is normal and you hardly notice it once you're used to it. | | Similar Products Used: | --- My first Front Shock--- | | Bike Setup: | 2003 Gary Fisher Tassajara mostly stock except Egg Beaters and a Serfas seat | | Bottom Line: | I good entry level fork. It won't take a whole lot of abuse but for $175-200... eh its fine. I am thinking of upgrading this winter to a Marzochi MX Comp ETA. I've had this fork over a year now with no problems after I got the air pressure correct. FYI I used to be 210 when I bought the bike so I was trying to max out the air...not a good idea. I'm down to 195 now and am pretty happy with the shock at the max pressure it says it will hold. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
gaza
a Weekend Warrior
from Australia
Date Reviewed: March 6, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Value for money | | Weaknesses: | Can be a little plush | | Similar Products Used: | Rock shox Judy, Marzocchi | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Hardrock HardTail. | | Bottom Line: | Before buying the Pilot XC and because of the reviews I read on this site I contacted the distributer for Rock Shox and put forward some of the Issues submitted by the reviewers on this page. I was very satisfied by the honest feedback offered by the Importer. It is agreed that for a heavier rider the Pilot can seem a little too "Plush" and perhaps not the right choice of shock. As far as air seals going in the shock it is suggested that 9 times out of 10 it is due to operator error, ie people trying to put too much air into the fork because they are trying to eliminate the soft feel and the recommended air pressure does not seem enough to do this. "Air Assisted" forks are not designed to take high pressures and will easily "turn out" seals if the recommended pressure guidelines are exceeded. As far as the "Travel" Issue is concerned it was advised that some of the forks were over filled with oil in the factory for some reason, which is by no means acceptable and does leave some concerns about Quality control. This does greatly reduce the total travel and if noticed the fork should be Immediately removed and returned to the supplier for service under warranty. Also on the Issue of travel it was explained that most forks will never have the amount of "in use" travel that is stated in the specs. Travel is measured before any compression is applied to the fork and also includes any "negative" travel a fork may have. In other words if your fork has 80mm of travel it probably includes around 10mm of negative travel which is how far the fork will extend out if pulled rather than compressed. So already your 80mm has become 70mm. Then allow for the "sag" factor while you are positioned on the bike and suddenly your 70mm becomes 50mm!!! As with any product proper care and maintainence will always prolong its life. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason W
a Cross Country Rider
from Bentonville Arkansas
Date Reviewed: January 22, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | The Den | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | Local retail shop | | Strengths: | Adjustable rebound | | Weaknesses: | It's been serviced by rock shox twice! After a couple rides, 100mm of travel becomes 10mm! Seals leak, and it sounds like water is squishing around inside. | | Similar Products Used: | Manitou black | | Bike Setup: | 2003 NRS | | Bottom Line: | I wouldn't waste my money on it! Buy a Black. Better yet sell a kidney and buy a Fox! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Frederik
a Cross Country Rider
from Denmark
Date Reviewed: December 29, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$160.00 | | Purchased At: | Used | | Strengths: | Cheap, looks cool, cheap, cheap... | | Weaknesses: | little bit soft for my taste....affraid to breake it | | Similar Products Used: | suntour, rs mag 20, both crap | | Bike Setup: | Ghost htx, xt, xtr, ritchey, hope | | Bottom Line: | The pilot is a great beginners fork...but it is too soft....wouldn't recommend it for agressive XC...think I'll put it on my old bike when I get my new fork!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
james
a Cross Country Rider
from charlotte, nc
Date Reviewed: November 30, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$150.00 | | Strengths: | pretty good absorbing shocks, air for low price | | Weaknesses: | NOT the full travel! kinda flexy | | Similar Products Used: | nothing really, demo'd a bunch of stuff, but that doesnt count | | Bike Setup: | fisher tass w/ shimano clipless | | Bottom Line: | i was in denial when i read the reviews on this fork, and i figured i wouldnt have the same problems with mine, but i did.... what the hell, rockshox?! its NOT 80 mm travel! its more like 65. and what the hell happened to them.... the travel WENT AWAY, meaning it used to be 80 but now its less.... that sure is stupid. come on, rockshox, get it straight here. also, i used to have this clicky sound when i would compress my shock about halfway down, but that went away with my extra 15 mm of travel!
as much as i complain about losing the 15 mm, i dont really need it that much... i ride xc so its not too bad as long as i dont do big jumps and stuff
so im screwing these, and i have already ordered a marzo mx pro w/ eta
they're really not that bad, as much as i complain
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dean
a Cross Country Rider
from Napier
Date Reviewed: November 8, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$145.00 | | Strengths: | Lightish,looks good. | | Weaknesses: | Not really fond of air forks.I'm more of a hydrocoil man myself but these will do for now.They are pretty good though.Had no probs yet. | | Similar Products Used: | Judys,psylos,blacks,exr's | | Bike Setup: | 03 Avanti Hammer | | Bottom Line: | I really like these forks.They are better than the judys i had on my other bike.They are really plush i don't get the 100m advertised but i'm a xc racer so i don't really care.Overall pilot xc's are good for xc and xc only.Any big drops or dh or aggrisive xc will kill them.They are bit like a sid but cheaper and a bit heavier.As for the other reviews I guees i'll have to see what happens in the future. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Juan
a Weekend Warrior
from Chicago
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Bartlett Wash | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | ?? | | Weaknesses: | doesn't stand up to aggressive riding | | Similar Products Used: | rock shox judy | | Bike Setup: | gary fisher tassajara, fork came with bike | | Bottom Line: | I knew I was going to upgrade eventually, but I should have immediately. Air seal blown 4 times in 1 year. It even went back to Rock Shox cause the bond with the steer tube broke, meaning you can't ride the freakin bike. Rock Shox fixed that bond and the air seal again. Riding in Utah 2 weeks later and the air seal blows again. At least this way it seems to have more travel.
If you are a large rider and can't afford a nice fork, stay away from Rock Shox forks with air cause they don't hold air. Maybe the Pilot XC is for little people. Need a Marzocchi. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Weekend Warrior
from Melbourne, Australia
Date Reviewed: September 26, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Light, plush travel, maintenance free | | Weaknesses: | Only preload adjustment | | Similar Products Used: | DNM AO110 | | Bike Setup: | 2003 Avanti Hammer | | Bottom Line: | The fork came standard with my bike, but unlike other reviews I'm happy with it. I'm a heavy XC rider (200lbs) and have only had it bottom out once or twice on drops.
I set the pressure at 20psi when I got the bike, checked it after 3mths and it hadn't moved, 6mths on still no trouble.
It does make a noise but it doesn't annoy me it lets you know it's working. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
J. Holt
a Cross Country Rider
from Charleston, SC, USA
Date Reviewed: August 29, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | places I shouldn't be | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | nashbar.com | | Strengths: | not too heavy, not too expensive, nice colour? | | Weaknesses: | travel bottoms out at 45mm, V-brake bolts will not screw completely in meaning I have to use extra washers on them. | | Similar Products Used: | 2002 RockShox Judy TT | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Stumpjumper FSR frame with Deore Crankset, SRAM 8 speed cassette, Alivio Rear Derailleur, XT front Derailleur, Mavic 225 Rims laced to Shimano LX hubs, Thompson layedback seatpost, and other assorted components... | | Bottom Line: | As shipped from the factory, this shock will only compress 45mm of it's advertised 80mm. It feels like it is bottoming out at 45mm. After calling RockShox technical support I was told to remove the spring from the shock and then remove the oil from the right side. They seem to think that the factory put too much oil in the shock. Why would they do that? I think they need better quality control if that's the case... or maybe some measuring cups for the oil. I've been waiting for two weeks without being able to ride and then when I finally get my bike set up, I have a horrible ride because the front shock was shipped faulty. All this work on the bike will keep me from being able to ride again today... I should've bought a Marzocchi shock. I gave it a Three for value because it's not the cheapest out there (i.e. Judy TT, etc.) and 1 for Overall because it was shipped faulty and the reduced travel seems to be a common problem with this shock. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David Gonzalez
a Cross Country Rider
from Mexico
Date Reviewed: August 18, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$150.00 | | Purchased At: | bike world | | Strengths: | NONE | | Weaknesses: | ALL FREKING NOISE GOT ME CRAZY!!!! I MUST WARN EVERI1 NOT TO BUY THISE SAVE A COUPLE AND BUY A MARZOCCHI Z1 FR | | Similar Products Used: | rst (wich suks buts the closest thing) | | Bike Setup: | Raleigh lahar xt | | Bottom Line: | U WILL REGRET NOT HEARING MY MSSG THISE "SUSPENSIONS" DEFINE SUK IS DIFICULT TO CHANGE TRAVEL ONE ITS DONE A PIECE BROKE INSIDE ROKSUKS SEEMS IGNORING ME ILL GIVE THISE 0 CHILIES IF I COULD. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
alan
a Cross Country Rider
from seattle
Date Reviewed: August 13, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Montlake Cycles | | Weaknesses: | squeeky noisy. Little movement. Blown the seals twice in 3 months. Aggressive xc only, and I'm being generous with the term aggressive. I'm a 200lb rider. Might be o.k. for someone under 175. I would recommend spending a $100 to $200 more and get a quality product that performs and lasts longer. | | Bike Setup: | 2003 gary fisher tessajara w/ atak time pedals | | Bottom Line: | no good for this 200lb rider. would not recommend it for aggressive or kinda aggressive single track cross country riding. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rod
a Cross Country Rider
from Australia
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | much better than the 02 Judy XC | | Weaknesses: | quality control and rock shox after sales service. | | Similar Products Used: | Judy XC | | Bike Setup: | stock NRS 3 | | Bottom Line: | The fork came standard with the bike. After every ride I would need to deflate the fork. I would start at 20psi but after a couple of hours riding the pressure would be 50psi. I sent the shock back to RS and it turned out that an O-ring was missing. With only logic that RS could understand because the O-ring was missing it was not covered under warranty. Warranty only covers a faulty one, oh and somehow it was my fault that the O-ring was missing despite the fact the shock had never been dismantled. One overall chili for the poor service. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Wayne
a Cross Country Rider
from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: July 10, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Kelso Conservation Area | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$150.00 | | Purchased At: | Price Point | | Strengths: | Very plush feeling fork. Steers well. Inexpensive, yet has good quality parts. Excellent XC fork for the price. | | Weaknesses: | Had a small problem with it after only two weeks that sounds similar to some of the above comments. I experienced reduced travel (approx. 40mm - half of its proper travel). Called Rockshox, who were very helpful by the way, unlike one of these above comments, they said it could be a hydraulic/air lock, and that I could send it in and have it repaired/looked at. They even offered to replace the fork completely, with no questions asked. I took the fork off and was all ready to send it back to Rockshox. A fellow bike team member who is a millwright looked at the fork and pushed down on it until the travel let go all the way down to the 80mm. You could hear the air squish past. The fork is completely fine now. | | Similar Products Used: | Used to have a Manitou Spider R. This is a much better, much more plush fork | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Rockhopper A1 Comp FS, XT components, eggbeaters - I love this bike. | | Bottom Line: | It is a great XC shock for the price. If you are having problems with the travel, try having someone who has enough power and weight to really push the fork down, and the air lock should release. Hopefully Rockshox will correct this problem in their manufacturing process, which is where I think it is originating from. Buy it if you want a inexpensive XC fork that really performs. Don't buy it if you are a downhiller or a a serious jumper....you will kill it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mikey
a
from Long Island
Date Reviewed: July 1, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | cheap, adjustable preload | | Weaknesses: | heavy, hard to adjust rebound-even after changing to 5 weight still too slow for me. bottoms out when set too soft, doesnt soak-up small bumps when set at recommendation for weight. | | Bottom Line: | "if you absolutely, positively, need to have a fork w/ some adjustability at the absolute lowest price" | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron Ament
a Racer
from Greendale, WI, USA
Date Reviewed: June 26, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Crystal Ridge | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$150.00 | | Purchased At: | Price Point .com | | Strengths: | Cheap. Good value for the money. Better than a Judy TT, but then again, what isn't? Plush ride, so far. | | Weaknesses: | I weigh about 180 lbs. and according to the manual i should only need about 15-20 lbs. of pressure. Well I have it cranked up to 50 and it still feels a little soft, this is only a problem during climbs out of the saddle. No rebound control. | | Similar Products Used: | RockShox Judy TT. | | Bike Setup: | 2002 Trek 4500, LX cranks, and rear derailleur, Deore front derailleur, Shimano 515 clipless pedals. | | Bottom Line: | For the money it's a good deal. I've used it to race and haven't had any problems. As long as you use it for what it was meant to be used for(cross country), you shouldn't have any problems. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Robert
a
from Haverhill MA
Date Reviewed: June 12, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | NONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | | Weaknesses: | EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | | Similar Products Used: | NOTHING is as BAD AS THESE | | Bottom Line: | MY friend has this fork and it is a piece of sh**! it has 1/2 of an inch of travel. On its first rain ride it rusted. i rather use my old 2001 judy tt than this thing.DO not buy this fork all pilot xc's should be thorwn in the river or into a volcano | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tony
a Cross Country Rider
from Haverhill, Mass
Date Reviewed: June 11, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Kenoza | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Pro Cycles | | Strengths: | Not much at all. Just that it is cheap, but ya kno,you get what you pay for. | | Weaknesses: | Everything else. The fork doesn't come with a shock pump, not that I thought it would, and when I got one from my friend it didnt hold the air. Noise! | | Similar Products Used: | dukes | | Bike Setup: | stock, all stock | | Bottom Line: | This fork came on the Giant Warp DS2 that I bought for $800, and the reason that I went for the DS2 instead of the DS3 is because I thought that this fork was going to be good. I thought that there was going to be nice, plush 4 inches of travel, but when I got it there was only 1/2 inch of crap. The thing bottoms out 1/3 of the way down. That is the last time I ever buy something cheap like that again. If I were you , don't make the same mistake I did and buy this fork. I am hoping to get something good now. (IF MY DAD LETS ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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$ 200.00
