You know, if it weren't for the freaking stiction I'm having with the fork that developed after a year, I would have probably still been riding on it. However, even after taking good care of it, it still developed stiction, which is really annoying to not have the fork return all the way. It completely mucks with your steering (yes, I did the slick honey/lube/etc, but nothing works).
Other than that, it's a great fork. Really stiff, and eats bumps quite well. Only adjustable coil fork I could find. The other thing is I couldn't quite fine tune the high compression mechanism to my liking.
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Submitted by
Bill N
a Downhiller
from Wellington, NZ Date Reviewed: May 11, 2008
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$500.00
Strengths:
Plush, responsive. Adjustable travel. Good value.
Weaknesses:
Sometimes a little too responsive, can never relax while steering. Not sure if the stock spring is too soft for me. I will have to try out a stiffer one at some stage.
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi Drop Off IV, Marzochhi 66.
Bike Setup:
Norco 6 II (2006)
Bottom Line:
Kick ass all mountain fork for anyone that has to climb before they can descend. Eats all over my old Marzocchi Drop Off IV going down and the adjustable travel makes ascending so much better. I only ever use the flood gate on the road, turning it down to 115mm travel removes most of the pedal bob on the trails.
Sometimes get brake dive, but the standard spring may be a little soft for me (83kg). It would be nice if the compression adjustors helped with this issue more too, but again may be better with a different spring.
And like I said it is ultra twitchy because the steerer is set almost in line with the stanchions which most other forks don't do cause then they track in a straight line a bit better. But it is probably personal preference whether you like that or not.
Overall, it is perfect for what I want and much better value than a 66 (which is what I initially had my heart set on) as long as you're not into hitting massive road gaps or whatever.
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Submitted by
sixer
a Weekend Warrior
from Bloomsburg, PA, USA Date Reviewed: April 13, 2008
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
came with used bike
Strengths:
adjustable travel, smooth, no harsh bottoming, maxle is quick and strong, floodgate (if you are into that sort of thing)
Weaknesses:
little bit heavy (compared to fox), no preload adjust, compression damping dials don't seem to do much
Similar Products Used:
Various fox, marz, and rock shox
Bike Setup:
07 Specialized Enduro Pro with Lyric Coil Fork
Bottom Line:
This is a great fork for me. I was a little put off when I found out that there is no pre-load adjust and the compression damping doesn't seem to do much. Luckily, I get good sag with the stock spring and the fork seems perfect for me with no compression damping. Perhaps at a bike park I will try more high speed compression if I start bottoming too much.
I don't really use travel adjust much, but it is cool. Same goes for the floodgate thing-a-ma-bob -I don't use it, but others may really like it. The maxle is great-much more convenient than regular thru-axles.
I have only had two big trail rides so far on this fork, but I am very happy with it. I would recommend it to people who ride hard (20 mm axle + 160 mm travel) and don't mind an extra half-pound or so on the front end. It is obviously not for XC racing or full-blown downhill or big freeride.
You may need some trial and error to get a coil that works for your weight. I am about 165-170 and I believe I am riding a stock spring.
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Submitted by
NMAT
a
from East Coast Date Reviewed: March 27, 2008
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$780.00
Strengths:
At first the fork seemed like a really nice unit. It was solid and stiff. The features also caught my eye.
Weaknesses:
Quality control. I went through 3, YES THREE, forks in 3 months. The first had a creaky crown. The second also creaked and lost ALL LSC. The third had WEAK bushings out of the box.
Similar Products Used:
Marz 66 (not that their '08 stuff is any better)
Bike Setup:
Turner 5-Pack
Bottom Line:
I think that this fork has potential, but it seems that RS may have dropped the ball on the QC. When a consumer goes through 3 forks in as many months you have issues. Another thing worth mentioning is that I am only home to ride every other week. SO, that same 3 month period turns in to 1.5 months of actual use. 3 forks in 42 days. Not good odds IMO.
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Submitted by
bj
a Weekend Warrior
from Snoqualmie, Wa Date Reviewed: September 14, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Tiger Mt
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
came with bike
Strengths:
Adjustability, toughness, very plush ride
Weaknesses:
It is heavy but the weight is worth it
Similar Products Used:
Fox RL100
Bike Setup:
Scott Ransom 10
Bottom Line:
This shock is a bit heavy but my 6x6 Scott Ransom still weighs under 31. This shock is completely adjustable. I weigh 170 and have the stock spring. I go with about 130mm travel for climbing, 145 for XC and 160 for DH. It stood up well on Whistler DH tracks as well as epic loops with tons of climbing. Highly recommended shock. Bulletproof so far.
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Submitted by
Rattpoison
a Downhiller
from Seattle Date Reviewed: September 13, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
BTI
Strengths:
The features of the fork allow it to ride like any other fork. I'm a mechanic at a shop and used to be a Fox fan. Rock Shox has really made a big turn around since it has now under Sram. The ease of servicing the fork, the features of the fork, the feel of the fork, and the value over its competitors makes this fork stand out.
The features of this fork are amazing. I cannot ride without the floodgate feature anymore. I used to love the plushness of my Marzocchi, however it had no place on a climb or course with hard pedaling. In the last Super D race, I left the floodgate on the whole time. I'm able to hammer through all the pedaling parts, yet absorb the big hits. Slow speed and high speed compression can also be tuned while the floodgate is on. If I turn off the floodgate, it will be just about as plush with small bump compliance as the 888.
Weaknesses:
There are no major weaknesses, so far. If I was picky, I'd say that this fork is slightly heaver than the Fox 36 Talas. Then again, that fork doesn't have an adjustable platform valving for pedaling.
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi z series, Marzocchi 888, old Rock Shox forks, Rock Shox Revelation, Manitou Stance, Boxxer, etc
Bike Setup:
Norco Six Two. Fox DHX coil 5.0 on the rear, and the Lyric on the front. Around 6" front and rear.
Bottom Line:
I would not recommend Manitou. I like Marzocchi and Fox. However, the Lyric has the features that I want. The price is very reasonable compared to its competitors. I'm thrilled how much I enjoy my new setup.
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Submitted by
Amber
a
from New Zealand Date Reviewed: May 31, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Anything rocky, rooty and fast
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
T7
Strengths:
Awesome and affective compression, rebound and lock out adjustments. Good looks. Big stanchions and stiff. Easy fast operating thru axle. Smooth as a smooth thing. Reliable.
Weaknesses:
Just one - Makes me just want to ride all the time and push my limits resulting in one injury after another due to rider error.
Similar Products Used:
Manitou Splice Super Elite - pfff. Manitou Nixon Elite SPV air - good fork too.
Bike Setup:
Giant Reign 2 Rockshox Lyric coil U-Turn Manitou Swinger 3-Way Sun Ringle` SingleTrack LX and XT Hayes 9 7"F and 6"R Conti Gravity Pro 2.3" tyres F&R
Bottom Line:
Awesome fork. Swapped the coil from standard to the next lightest one for my 147lb weight as I had the adjustments all wound right back but the fork still felt really good. Now I have plenty of adjustment and it really works great. I just can't stay off my bike.
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Submitted by
Oskar
a Weekend Warrior
from Edmonton Date Reviewed: February 28, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Basel Land Trails, Swiss Alps
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$950.00
Purchased At:
LBS (RCE)
Strengths:
-buttery smooth -super stiff -great adjustability -performs well even at minus temperatures -good looks -Lock out for climbing (flood gate, with fine tuning) -HighSpeedCompression (to prevent bottom out) -LowSpeedCompression (to prevent pedalbob etc) -Rebound Adjustability (how fast fork returns to full travel)
Weaknesses:
-none so far
Similar Products Used:
-2007, MZ66 RC2X at different LBS -2007, Fox VAN 36 at different LBS
Bike Setup:
Cannondale Prophet 2 MX 2006 -Prophet 2 MX Frame [Large] -Rock Shox Lyrik U-Turn Coil (RS Pike 409 U-Turn originally) -Rock Shox Pearl 3.1 (Air) -Avid Juicy 7 Hydraulic Disc Brakes -SRAM X-9 Rear derailer -SRAM x-7 Shifters -Shimano LX Front derailer -SRAM PG 980 Casette -SRAM PG 991 CrossStep chain (shifts much better than my old shimano) -Truvativ Hussefelt Cranks -Race Face Bash Guard -Truvativ Howitzer BB -Truvativ Holzfeller Pedals 07' -Race Face Deus XC Seat post -Specialized Avatar 155 Ass-bench -Sun SingleTrack Rims -32- -DT Swiss Champion Spokes -32- -Maxxis HighRoller 26 x 2.35 F/R
Bottom Line:
good Fork, but still needs to be truly tested in summer when the 5hity snow's gone and the temp's are back to where the wiener does not fall off while riding.
$
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