Submitted by
Dan Barwick
a Weekend Warrior
from Ashford, Kent, England Date Reviewed: December 31, 2007
Favorite Trail:
dalby forest
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$110.00
Purchased At:
EBAY
Strengths:
low price, simple, strong
Weaknesses:
pretty hefty, mine lockout if i leave them in the open in winter
Similar Products Used:
rst gila plus (120mm)
Bike Setup:
saracen blitz frame, halo combat, shimano discs and gears
Bottom Line:
incredibly good value, i have ridden and crashed these off 6 ft northshore drops and they held out fine. the only problem tht i have had is the winter problem, thats it, oh and i have NEVER bottomed these out and i have them set up at 80mm travel. I would recommend these forks to a novice or some one on a tight budget (im a student so i can barely ever afford anything).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gerald Badoz
a Weekend Warrior
from Orlando, FL, USA Date Reviewed: June 20, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Jones Trail
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
Orange Cycles
Strengths:
Reliable, cheap, rigid, and looks cool.
Weaknesses:
Very stiff, no adjustments, almost like having a rigid fork, very heavy.
Similar Products Used:
None.
Bike Setup:
Raleigh Ram 2.0 under a complete over-haul...
Bottom Line:
This is a good fork for someone just starting out at MTB. Someone that doesn't know any better. I would not recommend this fork at all for someone looking for performance and plush dampening. Like many have said, its a great beginners fork and can take a beating with no maintenance... I've seen them for sale for $65 if that tells you anything...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
James
a Weekend Warrior
from Yorkshire Date Reviewed: April 13, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Dalby Forest (red looped into black)
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$160.00
Purchased At:
Halfords
Strengths:
Good working compression, takes hard hits, never bottomed out.
Weaknesses:
No rebound, poor preload cap, pogos at speed, componentry wears out and breaks, heavy materials.
Similar Products Used:
RST Gila T5 Manitou Splice
Bike Setup:
GT Agressor 1
Bottom Line:
This fork will do anyone hoping to start light all mountain riding and who doesn't care too much about the weight of their bike. Fast sections of rugged terain will have the fork pogoing all over the place to the point where you can't reach for your brakes. Don't turn the preload cap too far or like me youll have it off. Although having said that you need to find the loweswt point as this fork wont budge unless you bounce up and down on your bike. I say its heavy, but no where near its competitors weight. I also advise this fork for anyone hoping to start jump biking as I have occasionaly ridden jumps in my time and as long as you ride them smooth it wont matter too much.
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Submitted by
Brian Bowles
a Weekend Warrior
from Cordova, Tn USA Date Reviewed: August 15, 2006
Favorite Trail:
stanky creek
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Purchased At:
came on bike
Strengths:
super durable fork. looks good too, I am 220 and it does respond in rough terrain.
Weaknesses:
adjustment not very good. cant tell much difference unless you go to one extreme or the other.
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
stock
Bottom Line:
good entry level fork. I will be up grading to a higher level of rock skox in the future.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jin Kim
a
from Toronto, ON, Canada Date Reviewed: April 8, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Hydrocut
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Came with a bike
Strengths:
Rockshox logo sticker on the fork...thats about it
Weaknesses:
Heavy, usless preload adjustment, no damping, way too stiff, can't even open the shocks because the bolt is messed up on the bottom, lots of stiction.
Similar Products Used:
Rockshox Pilot SL, SR SunTour junk forks
Bike Setup:
Trek 4500 with Rockshox Pilot SL, XT/LX drivetrain, Raceface Deus Handlebar, Shimano PD M520 pedals, etc.
Bottom Line:
Don't buy this. This is probably the worst fork for light riders like me (135lb). Since the fork is so stiff, the preload adjustment is uselss, so you might as well go with rigid fork to shave off some weight. It never absorbs any small bumps, and the damping mechanism is poor. Its heavy so its not good for climbing too. Also after few rides, the fork develops this massive stiction which even further makes the fork go rigid. Spraying stiction reduction agent actually worsens it after one ride.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Gardner MA USA Date Reviewed: March 8, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Gamache's
Strengths:
Cheap, looks good for a beginner fork
Weaknesses:
Just about everything
Similar Products Used:
RS Pilot
Bike Setup:
05 Trek 4500, lots of upgrades
Bottom Line:
This was the first thing i took off my bike. Having this fork is almost like having a rigid. It hardly absorbs any bump, preload knob doesn't make any difference. If this fork came on you bike upgrade it right away. Don't buy one
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Pennsylvania Date Reviewed: February 28, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Jim Thorpe, PA
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Bikeline
Strengths:
Cheap??
Weaknesses:
No travel at all.....very stiff
Similar Products Used:
Rock Shox Judy XC
Bike Setup:
Trek 4500
Bottom Line:
This shock was on a bike I bought for my fiance, because I had used a Rock Shox Judy XC for many years on my bike and loved it. Well, little did I know that Rockshox simply slapped the Judy name on their cheapest shock.....I believe this was formerly known as the Rockshox Jett.
I am not sure I would ever buy a Rockshox product again after this. I had a Rockshox Mag 21 and then a Rockshox Judy XC and I loved them both, but I honestly feel betrayed because, I had thought I was getting a shock comparable to the Rockshox Judy on my bike.
Note to Rockshox: it’s not a good idea to make your customers feel as though they were taken advantage of.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jitariu Andrei
a Weekend Warrior
from Bacau, Romania Date Reviewed: December 26, 2005
Favorite Trail:
everything i can handle
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
a local shop
Strengths:
good aspect nice travel chrome
Weaknesses:
internal made out of plastic , easy to bottom
Similar Products Used:
manitou answer
Bike Setup:
haro escape frame (if that influences the fork performance)
Bottom Line:
good fork for an enthusiast, xc and touring, a bit heavy... u musn't expect a lot from the lower rock shox series...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Matt
a
from Ocala, FL, USA Date Reviewed: December 2, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Santos
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$72.00
Strengths:
Cheap (by cheap I mean in both price and quality)
Weaknesses:
The rebound blew out on the third ride. Now the fork has the worst stiction I have ever felt.
Similar Products Used:
Sid, Psylo, Blacks, Axel, Sherman, Judy SL, ect
Bottom Line:
This fork is crap. It isnt worthy of a chilly and I deeply regret that I have to give it one. Rock shox costomer service is horrible. I called them to get the fork warrentied and they told me "Well its a cheap fork and you get what you pay for" They said they could fix it for 85 bucks but that is 13 bucks more than it cost! Do not buy from rock shox because the do not stand behind their products.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ian Finney
a Cross Country Rider
from Nottingham. UK Date Reviewed: August 15, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Quantock Hills
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Came on bike
Strengths:
Cheap as chips! and look good too.
Weaknesses:
Very stiff. NO dampening.... At all.
Similar Products Used:
Non. First full shock bike.
Bike Setup:
Tech-Ult alloy monocoque frame. X7 shifters, X7 rear, Judy TT forks, Fox Vanilla-R rear shock, Mach-1 Honycomb rims, Promax Hydro's front and rear, Truvativ crank.
Bottom Line:
Excellent budget fork. Look great and... that's about it.
Coming from a rigid bike to a first full susser I noticed straight away the Fox sprung rear end doing it's job to perfection. The Judy's however felt like a rigid fork, It is working cos after a ride you can see the tide mark where the seal gets to, but without any form of damping I think it's just po-going. I'll keep em for a while until I can afford a good (more expensive) fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Musa Poya
a Weekend Warrior
from Singapore Date Reviewed: May 29, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Mac richey
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
MamaShop
Strengths:
A great Shox... It has not given me any problems At ALL!!! Great value for money and well.... You cant ask for more!!!
Weaknesses:
The knob is diffcult to tune!!!
Bottom Line:
Well!!! if you are low on buget and need a nice looking fork... THIS IS FOR YOU!!! IT will not be much of a problem to maintian!!! SO JUST BUY IT!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jerome
a Cross Country Rider
from Cheney WA USA Date Reviewed: May 10, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
I suppose the biggest strength it has is its 80-100 travel adjustment.
Weaknesses:
Response sucks. I leave it on 100mm travel while riding everywhere, because it dampens like crap. This is my first 'serious bike' and it came with the judyTT stock. Now after riding daily for about a month, I realize it truely sucks. I just ordered an '05 PIKE to replace this thing.
Good for starters, until you catch the mountain bike bug! I give it 4chilis for how cheap you can buy this aftermarket, and 2 chilis for its performance.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
austin hayes
a Weekend Warrior
from lubbock Date Reviewed: May 8, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
stock on bike
Strengths:
NONE! Product broke on first day of riding! i was out for a 1st ride of a windsor cliff series mtb took a relatively small jump on a local trail and the part that holds the wheel on sheered off...lost the front wheel bent the front disc , all on the first day. piece of sh*t.
Weaknesses:
the product itself
Similar Products Used:
fox shox
Bike Setup:
2006 pre release winsor HT hayes discs sram deraulier/shifters
Bottom Line:
it sucks. dont waste your money on one although good price youll just have to spend more money when it breaks a week later.i only rated this at one chili because there wasnt a lower option.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andreas Pihelgas
a Cross Country Rider
from Rapla, Estonia Date Reviewed: April 12, 2005
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
-
Weaknesses:
the weight, adjusting (the preloed button is too hard to turn, too soft and no locking, if it get's a little muddy or wet then wont work.
Similar Products Used:
-
Bike Setup:
GT Avalanche 1.0 (Deore components)
Bottom Line:
This fork is for those who just want to hang out on sundays and doesn't want to go extreme. Well, it came with my bike and I'm allready selling it to buy a new one.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jake Bladdergall
a Downhiller
from China Date Reviewed: January 14, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Mt. Everest
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
Second hand
Strengths:
This is the best fork out there. A little background info: I live in Tibet, so riding is in the HIMALAYAS!!! I go to Mt. Everest 'bout coupla times a week, depending on weather, than do a 8 MILE DOWNHILL WITH 100 METERS + DROPS!!
O.k. the review... NO PROBLEM, NO FLEX!!!! PERIOD!! I did a fifty footer the other day onto HARD ROCK and it didn't even bottom out. THis is one helluva big baby fork. Climbing? FULL PRELOAD. Locks out like a baby. I climb faster than those poor idiotic suicidal so-called "mountain-climbers".
Again...downhill is a dream. I mean... 75 mph + speed is like butter....whooo.....yeah. I love JUdys.
Weaknesses:
Well......I did change the coil to a CUSTOM-MADE TIBET COIL(i found this piece of metal and using sophisticated machines from the states, made it into a coil.) The coil...would be a 5000lbs COIL!!! YEAH!! yes, it fits. Well.. I go so fast i sometimes accidently fall out of the path and do a 300 footer. But that's o.k. 5000lbs coil saved my fat-ass.
Similar Products Used:
Used a couple manitou dorados, marzocchi 888...the like. They're all buncha crap. JUDY RULES!!!
Bike Setup:
Cannondale f400 stock 'cept my ROCKIN' ROLLIN' SEXY LOOKING BABE THE JUDY!!!!!!!!!
Bottom Line:
THIS BABY ROCOCKSKOCKOKSOKCOKSOKCOKCOSKCOSKCOSKCOSKCOSCKOSCKOSkcOSCKOSK
ROCKSHOX RULES JUDY RULES DORADO DH MRD CRAP SUCKS 888 FOR BEGINNERS ONLY FOX?? 40? YEAH, THAT's FOR PUSSIES!!! JUDY JUDY JUDY JUDY JUDY JUDY p.s. (i did a 800 footer the other day..didn't see the crevasse in front of me. How da fack do ye spell crevesse?? Anyway..JUDY SAVED MY FECKING FAT-ASS HOLE (i weigh 500 pounds NAKED!!!!!!!!!!)
Love you PAUL BABY KISS MY ARSE
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Linda
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney Date Reviewed: January 10, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Dee Why cycles
Strengths:
Everything you name it bi-jo theyve got it!
Weaknesses:
well nothing from my experience
Similar Products Used:
lots likt marzocs n such.
Bike Setup:
giant STP with plenty of ex specs
Bottom Line:
For the price you really cant o wrong, this fork is a little trooper performance wise. Never let me down and handles more than you'd think.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Goatman
a Weekend Warrior
from Africa Date Reviewed: December 29, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Jonkershoek
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Fairly stiff Relatively cheap
Weaknesses:
Stiction. Rocket-like rebound.
Similar Products Used:
Manitou Magnum R
Bike Setup:
Scott Tampico 2004 hardtail
Bottom Line:
This is a review for my wife's Judy TT 2005. You certainly get what you pay for, which translates into poor offroad performance. Had the stock coil swapped out for a softer one and the useless internal elastomer friction damping rod removed. Re-greased everything with manitou Prep-M grease(the good stuff). At least the fork does move up to about 50-60mm when my wife rides it. For beginners only.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
kevin
a
from conyers ga USA Date Reviewed: December 21, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Horse Park GA
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
works well, not as some of the better models, but it came packaged, ability to do on the fly adjustment,
Weaknesses:
not the best, the adjustment for travel is hard to adjust, not ment for those that like easy adjustment. my arms get really sore
Similar Products Used:
crappy walmart bikes
Bike Setup:
05 ponderosa
Bottom Line:
good fork, price, near bottom of the line for rockshox, for the moderate to advanced xc rider
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andrew Davidson
a Weekend Warrior
from San Luis Obispo, CA Date Reviewed: December 15, 2004
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Rather Durable
Weaknesses:
Doesnt really absorb shocks.
Similar Products Used:
Duke XC, Manitou Black
Bike Setup:
Trek 4500, cust saddle grips, basically stock
Bottom Line:
It seems to be really quite a bit stronger than i ever thought, but dampening is not its strong point, you really have to nail it for it to move (and im 6'2" and 205).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jerry
a Weekend Warrior
from seattle, washington, usa Date Reviewed: November 24, 2004
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$600.00
Strengths:
Good for cash. Good for urban riding...not senstive at all to small bumps. Works like a fork.
Weaknesses:
None really. Whaddya expect? SPV performance? Preload works...sort of. The knob is designed to torture the consumer so as to force them to buy a new knob or better fork. Rockshox marketing campaign.
Similar Products Used:
Cheap pieces of' crap from wal-mart
Bike Setup:
Giant nrs 3, giant shock, deore/alivio, cane creek headset
Bottom Line:
Nice shock overall for the daily commuting and exteneded weekend rides. NOT for anything aggressive. Take it to moab and you might as well kill yourself first.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Dallas, Texas USA Date Reviewed: October 30, 2004
Favorite Trail:
North Shore Grapevine Lake
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Richardson Bike Mart
Strengths:
Better than nothing.
Weaknesses:
My arms take a beating.
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
TREK 4500
Bottom Line:
I'm doing my best to break them so I'll have an excuse to upgrade :) Given my will full desire to break them they seem to hold up well.