Submitted by
fatperson32
a Weekend Warrior
from Westport, CT, USA Date Reviewed: November 5, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Indian Ledges, Trumbull
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
This is a good fork if you are a cross-country rider who won't do anything like going over rocks.
Weaknesses:
Preload does not seem to work, lockout does not work at all, leaks oil, very stiff, has lots of stiction, a bit fragile
Similar Products Used:
Lefty.
Bike Setup:
Cannondale F5: bb5 discs, kenda nevegal tires.
Bottom Line:
I got this fork with an F5. I like to ride on weekends, on trails, with some jumps mixed in. This fork initially struck me as good. Then, I began to dislike the large amount of stiction. Going down a trail, it BARLEY moves, and not enough to actively cushion the ride. Then, the lockout broke completly. The preload does not make any difference. The rebound adjuster fell off and the whole thing spewed oil. I'm getting a new one free from Rockshox, but so far i'm very dissapointed.
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Submitted by
jason
a Cross Country Rider
from Ft Collins, CO Date Reviewed: September 1, 2008
Favorite Trail:
soderburg/towers rd/mill creek trail
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Decent travel. Light weigth for the price range.
Weaknesses:
Rebound dampening was great at first, then stopped working. Leaks oil. Lock-out never worked well, now doesn't work at all.
Similar Products Used:
Rock Shox Judy
Bike Setup:
08 Specialized RH
Bottom Line:
If it comes on the bike in your price range what are you going to do? I'll ride mine until it dies then upgrade. It's very discouraging to hear from many others who have had no support from the manufacturer.
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Submitted by
singletrackmind11
a Weekend Warrior
from Moraga Date Reviewed: August 19, 2008
You can sell it for about $100 if you don't break it in your driveway.
Weaknesses:
This fork has many. To start of with, it came stock with my bike, and I was happy with it for the first few weeks. It worked fine, and seemed ok. Later, I began to notice problems.
First of all, I have ridden it for no more than 100 miles. Despite this, the fork has been leaking fluid of some sort since about 2 weeks after I got it. I did not notice this at first, but have since taken it to my LBS, where the guy did not know what was going on.
Second issue:
The fork has been getting progressively stiffer since I acquired it. It started out fine, but as I rode it, the fork began to respond to bumps on the trail less and less. At this point, about a month and a half after I got it, the fork has become about half as soft as it used to be. It started out as a 100 millimeter travel fork, but as it has stiffened, the most I can get out of it has been about 65 mil.
I weigh about 160 lbs. My LBS said the spring is designed for 140-170 lbs. See a problem?
When I stand over the bike and compress the fork with my body weight, it works fine, But as soon as I take it where it matters, and hit it against the ground, it practically locks out on me. Even if I simply raise the front of the bike a foot and press it quickly against the ground, the fork becomes entirely useless.
My bike is currently at my LBS, where the tech is taking the fork apart to see what's wrong. If he can fix it, he will. If not, I'll get a new one under warranty, sell it, and put the money towards a real fork.
DON'T BUY THIS FORK!!!!
Mine died after a month or so, and despite having ridden mostly downhill, I am a gentle rider in the sense that I don't do more than 3 foot drops.
The largest gap I have done was about 10 feet, and I nailed the transition perfectly.
If you are thinking about buying the Dart 3, because it is cheap, then you will find out exactly how cheap. Spend an extra couple hundred bucks and buy yourself a decent fork that won't break after a few weeks.
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Submitted by
Iridethedirt
a Weekend Warrior
from Sterling Virginia Date Reviewed: July 17, 2008
Favorite Trail:
colvin run
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$135.00
Purchased At:
online store
Strengths:
Inexpensive, lots of adjustability, lock out.
Weaknesses:
heavier than more expensive forks,
Similar Products Used:
RST gila, 98 manitou mach5
Bike Setup:
schwinn single pivot full suspension.
Bottom Line:
The fork works well. it is pretty low maintenance, and reliable. it comes at a cheap price, and gives lots of features at that price point. if offers both rebound and compression dampening, compression dampening is what gives you the lockout, and can either be a lever on the top of the fork, or a remote, "poplock" which is what is on my fork, and it works well. rebound is a lever at the bottom of the fork leg, and unlike previous reviewers i find that the lever gives you the full range, from very fast, to very slow. the downsides to this fork are that it's not the lightest on the market, it is a coil spring fork, not air, so thats why... coil springs are also the culprit of limited adjustability in the way of spring rate, or "stiffness". you get preload adjustment which does ok, but if you're on the lighter side, or pretty heavy, you may need to get the appropriate springs. All in all i would reccomend this fork to anybody riding a lot, and doing the occasional race. any more serious than that and something a bit more expensive might be the way to go.
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Submitted by
Domtar
a Weekend Warrior
from Tacoma, WA Date Reviewed: July 5, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Tiger Mountain
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
Inexpensive, Lock out feature.
Weaknesses:
Not adjustable like higher end forks. Rebound is too slow for aggressive trail riding.
Similar Products Used:
Rock Shox Psylo Race, Older Manitou forks.
Bike Setup:
6061 Hardtail. Truvativ Stylo Cranks, XT drivetrain, nothing too special.
Bottom Line:
I would recommend forking out an extra $100 for something a bit stiffer and more adjustable. A used high-end fork would probably be better than the dart 3 fork even though it's brand new. The lock-out feature is great for the price, but it only worked for the first few rides, then nothing. Sometimes this fork seems more dangerous than helpful when the fork bottoms out but can't rebound fast enough, creating no control and a bad situation when riding technical trails.
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Submitted by
Blu Falcon
a Weekend Warrior
from College Park Date Reviewed: May 29, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Trail of the Gods
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$140.00
Purchased At:
Price Point
Strengths:
Performs better than the stock RST shock that came on my bike, adjustable rebound, Poploc (if it worked), adjustable spring preload
Weaknesses:
Poploc, build quality
Similar Products Used:
Stock RST shock
Bike Setup:
The Bloody Bahstud
Bottom Line:
I was quite happy to find a budget fork that offered more in the way of travel distance, adjustability and lockout capability. I dropped it off at my LBS for installation and was ready to put the fork to use for my commutes and weekend warrior mountain biking. To my surprise, my brand new Dart 3 fork was not working properly. The fork simply would not lockout at all. I fully understand that a fork will not completely lockout as if it were a straight rigid, but there was no reduction in travel and still lots of bobbing when climbing and sprinting, which was only somewhat rectified when I set the spring to it's most firm setting. But the bottom line is, the Poploc should've worked and it didn't. I took the bike in to my LBS to get a second opinion and they agreed that the lockout was not working as it should. If they can't fix the problem, I'll have the fork replaced under warranty, which will be a hassle in itself. If the problem can be fixed then I'll continue to ride the fork until I've saved enough to spring for the Recon 351. Overall, I can't in good conscience recommend this fork. Do yourself a favor and ride your stock POS fork until it breaks or until you've managed to save enough money for the front suspension of your dreams.
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Submitted by
John D
a Weekend Warrior
from Crestone, CO USA Date Reviewed: May 26, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Local Secret
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$135.00
Purchased At:
Jensonusa
Strengths:
Does great at absorbing the bumps for my purposes. Very happy with the price and quality of this shock. Upgraded to this from my crappy stock insync shock that came with the bike and was basically a rigid fork by the time I switched. A world of difference.
Weaknesses:
A little on the heavy side, but doesn't effect what I do.
Similar Products Used:
Tora 302, others can't remember models
Bike Setup:
2004 Marin Bolinas hardtail.
Bottom Line:
Great shock for the price!!
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Submitted by
William Sullivan
a Weekend Warrior
from Port St. Lucie, Florida Date Reviewed: April 6, 2008
This is definately not an 800 air shock! But it is a great shock for the cash. I spent a little more than the average because I had it rush shipped. I just put in over 20 miles at Alafia River state park in Florida and was bombing down 40' plus high hills and back up the other side with no problem at all. It definately ate up the bumps on the fast downhill sections and drops and allowed me to do things I hadn't been able to do on my old cheapy fork. The setup was a bit suspect as you turn the knob on top to adjust the sag, not the amount of spring load. I think that's where others ran into problems. Springiness is adjusted by swapping springs (it's in the manual idiot!) Overall I love it, and I'm not sure that I'd spend the money on a more advanced fork if I had to do it again.
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Submitted by
Marcus Hirschberg
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Rita, GU Date Reviewed: March 26, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Channel 10
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At:
Bicycle Outfitters Indy
Strengths:
Price, adjustability
Weaknesses:
Weight, I have heard it frezzes up in cold weather (not confirmed)
Similar Products Used:
Rockshox Pilot XC, Tora Air
Bike Setup:
2005 Giant Rincon
Bottom Line:
This was a HUGE upgrade from the suntour POS that came on my bike. I am reviewing this taking into account the niche that this fork fills. No it is not for jumps or extremely aggressive riding. Suddenly I could ride things I thought were impossible, I now see due to the pogo stick Suntour XC60. This is a high value upgrade. Definitely recommend the Dart 3 over the Dart 2 since it is about half a pound lighter and offers remote lockout. The lockout is handly on an all-around type bike that the Dart 3 should be on, as opposed to an agressive trail bike. This is superior to most of the stock forks on sub-800 bikes. Just make sure you splurge on the Dart 3, it is worth the extra 20 or so dollars. Due to its narrow stancions and weight, this is not indended for extremely agressive riding, but it does offer excellent rebound adjustability. It makes a kind of noisy air sound when the damping is activated but it sounds kind of cool. I have this on what is now my secondary/backup/loaner bike and if I had to use it in a race because my FS was in the shop I wouldn't worry too much. Really, for 130 bucks you can't beat it to breathe some life into a bike that came with a Suntour or RST POS. I weigh 150 lbs and the stock medium spring was perfect, take your weight into consideration and the possibility of "forking" out 20 bucks on a different spring.
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Submitted by
Bryan Buckley
a Weekend Warrior
from Lewisville, TX Date Reviewed: March 6, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Northshore
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Bikes Plus
Strengths:
Works great! Love the lockout and rebound adjustment.
Weaknesses:
already bent after one ride.
Bike Setup:
Trek 6000 series
Bottom Line:
I can't believe that it already bent. I rode one trail for 14 miles. I didn't jump or crash or anything. I just rode the trail. Must have been a defect from the manufacturer. Other than that it was great.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ISAAC MIZRAHI
a Cross Country Rider
from MEXICO Date Reviewed: February 19, 2008
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Trans Vision Bike
Strengths:
The remote cabel to block it, cheap nice design
Weaknesses:
No any yet
Similar Products Used:
Manitou
Bike Setup:
Scott Yekora All XT, Disc brakes Avid BB7 160mm, Mavic wheels, IRC Marathon tires in both of them
Bottom Line:
Very good design and performance, I use my bike to travel around the world with a lot of weight on it (almost 150 kg including the bike and me) . I think I don´t need an expensive fork, this makes the job very well in the diferent kind of tracks, mud, concrete, gravel etc. Also it has V-brakes post that I use to fix the front rack for the panniers
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Submitted by
socalguy
a
from SoCal Date Reviewed: January 27, 2008
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Came on bike
Strengths:
It held the wheel... I guess it is kinda squishy. This fork has lockout which is nice but it is so damn stiff that it's like riding a rigid all the time practically. Sure it will compress but my goodness it takes quite a bit of coaxing to do so. The adjustable rebound was nice too.
Weaknesses:
Preload twisty thingy is on so tight I could never turn mine. Fork is heavy as poop. Very stiff, like riding a rigid. In cold weather, fifty degrees farenheit or so, the fork turns to solid steel or something. Don't count on any night rides or cold weather riding.
If it comes on the bike then you might as well ride it til it dies and then upgrade. Or you could just sell it and maybe make a hundred bucks and put that towards something that resembles a legit fork. I've used it for six months and have sometimes wondered if the fork compressed at all. So if you're on extreme budget or just want to ride it til it dies it'll be fine. Other wise, check craigslist and other online sources becaue you can find awsome deals sometimes.
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Submitted by
Jason
a Cross Country Rider
from Mesa, AZ Date Reviewed: January 19, 2008
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$125.00
Strengths:
cheap, does enough to get by
Weaknesses:
rough, stiff in cold weather
Similar Products Used:
marzochi z5 bomber
Bike Setup:
hard tail xt & xtr
Bottom Line:
This shock proves the saying, "you get what you pay for." The only reason I bought it was because I was going on a weekend trip and just didn't have the money to get something decent. I was hoping to get lucky and find an inexpensive fork that could be decent, but that did NOT happen.
Everything was good enough until winter hit. In temps anything below like 60 degrees, the fork stiffens up. I might as well be riding a fully rigid. Totally discouraging to have a bike I literally can't use for the winter. I'm not on the market to buy a new shock... this time I'll spend some more money.
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Submitted by
bernard
a Weekend Warrior
from Philippines Date Reviewed: November 28, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Bolinao, Caliraya Trails
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Arelysbike
Strengths:
Preload adjustment, Rebound, and Lock-Out. Functions well, pretty light for its level fork.
Weaknesses:
I'll make another review on this fork after another 3 months, can't find any yet.
Similar Products Used:
Skareb Comp, Axel Elite and Judy's.
Bike Setup:
Hardtail Haro Flightline Expert
Bottom Line:
A wise buy fork! A betetr alternative for the expensive forks.
$
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
