Submitted by
ctd07
a Downhiller
from England Date Reviewed: July 9, 2008
Favorite Trail:
anything steep
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$630.00
Purchased At:
www.winstanleysbikes
Strengths:
Stiff, Cheap, Good damping adjustability, Single crown, travel adjustable, relatively low stiction after compressed a few times each ride
Weaknesses:
Maxle comes loose if moved - which is very easy to do; very poor small bump sensitivity - no good for dh at all, first few clicks of compression do nothing, harsh damping spikes near bottom-out, no spring available soft enough for my weight:(
Similar Products Used:
none quite the same, but: fox vanilla 32, Marzocchi dj3, Marzocchi Junior T, Rockshox Boxxer.
Bike Setup:
Orange Patriot Lt, Fox Van RC rear shock, Mavic Ex729 wheels, Hayes brakes
Bottom Line:
At first I thought these forks were real nice when I took them out the box, but even after paying another $110us to have an x-soft spring installed, they are still just too stiff for general riding and they cause my wheel to just bounce off obstacles instead of absorbing them as the low speed sensitivity is bad, nowhere near as good as my Fox Vanilla's.
After 1 year of use I have gotten fed up of lugging round their excessive weight (2.9kg) in return for such irritatingly 'budget' performance, they are very harsh at the end of their travel on big hits too and I have hurt my wrists because of this on relatively small jumps.
Most recently, the rebound damping has given up and they have top-out 'clunk' no mattter what setting - 1 year on and I'm getting rid of them - I can't help but be reminded every time i ride them, that I should have just shelled out the extra dough and got some Fox 36's, which I'm now goona try!
These forks are more than adequate for an occasional freeride sesh, but just fall short for anyone who demands real performance from their products.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Reek
a Weekend Warrior
from Sac Date Reviewed: June 10, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Clementine
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$310.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Price, single crown, stiff, plush, maxle 360
Weaknesses:
none really but if I must, heavier than totem...
Similar Products Used:
Boxxer, Zochhi AM 160mm
Bike Setup:
Mongoose BD in 7.5 inch mode
Bottom Line:
Wow, for $310 new, I can't believe this fork. Feels almost as good as my Boxxer Race. Definitely better than my All Mountain. Similar, controlled feel of the PIKE/RVL. But when you push it, it feels like a nice DH fork. Compression damping is a nice touch. Rebound works well, as all other RS forks lately. Sure, it's not glamorous like higher priced forks but for $300, heck even for $600, the performance is outstanding!!! I recommend this fork to anyone who wants a single crown that performs. Saves you $$$ to boot.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Ocala, FL, USA Date Reviewed: May 5, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Santos
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$550.00
Strengths:
very plush fork, there is a big range of compression and rebound adjustment. Not too expensive
Weaknesses:
Stock spring is a little light for jumping and drops but would be good for downhill
Similar Products Used:
marzocchi z150, 66, jr t
Bike Setup:
Specialized big hit spec with romic rear shock
Bottom Line:
Awesome fork. with the compression all the way out it feels very linear like a dh fork but when you turn it up it gets a lot more progressive which is better for jumps and drops. I would recommend getting a stiffer spring if you plan to jump it tho. The Maxel design is great too. A very good fork for the money.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark
a Downhiller
from England Date Reviewed: November 10, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At:
Chain reaction cycles
Strengths:
Stiffness, travel, looks, maxle 360
Weaknesses:
Lacks the adjustments of the higher range forks, yet i don't feel that i need them. Could use preload adjust, changing spring is only option.
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi Z150FR, Marzocchi 66RC2X, Rockshox boxxer team
Well for this price, the fork is unbelievable. Equally as plush as 66s and boxxers (very similar feel). For 180mm of single crown travel, the feel incredibly stiff, and the maxle 360 is genius. You still get compression adjustment which goes from fully open to near lock-out, and rebound adjustment. The only downside is that to get the right spring rate, a spring change is the only option, although the standard springs will suit a lighter rider like me who is looking for a slightly stiffer 'freeride' feel, or a weightier rider who is looking for a plusher DH feel. i've given them 4 chilis due to the lack of the adjustments that are available on more expensive forks, though i don't feel the need for them, the fork works incredibly, it makes no sense as to why it costs so little.
$
Overall Rating:
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