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Submitted by
hamish mCclatchy
a Weekend Warrior
from CHRISTCHURCH, nz
Date Reviewed: September 17, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | vic park | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | on a bike for $150 | | Strengths: | Cheap at second hand price AND THEVE HELPED ME ON MANY A CURB
80mm travel is pretty sweet (feels like 4 inchs) | | Weaknesses: | abit sticky but you can pour in the oil
Especially bad in the wet
recently they have had internal 'injuries' but on the upside i can extend them out to look like boxxers (my v cable is the only thing holding them together)
i use all 80mm and bottem them out frequently, though removing the oil cartridge may have assisted with this.
they good at sharing around the oil too.
| | Similar Products Used: | Rst, DJ3, psilo xc | | Bike Setup: | Extereme Climb max ht super bike | | Bottom Line: | good for commuting but there quality has finally deteriorated after 7 years of use
abit sticky and unresponsive
2 peice upgrade is well worth the wait. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jim
a
from cedar rapids, iowa usa
Date Reviewed: September 16, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Bottom Line: | HELP!!!
I have never had a problem with the 96 Rock Shox Judy XC until now, took the fork apart for service and the elastomers in the left side were blown-shreaded. I am looking for a service manual, tried Rock Shox, still have not sent it to me. Should I upgrade to the type II speed springs? What can I do to save this fork? Until I get the service manual, I don't know what to do.
If anyone has the service manual or ideas, could you email it to me?
throbber6748@yahoo.com
Thanks | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bunzing Knijff
a Weekend Warrior
from barcelona sunny spain
Date Reviewed: May 29, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | monasterio el puig | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$220.00 | | Purchased At: | Berkeley Bay... | | Strengths: | these judys performed well for me. first 3 years made awesome trips with them. smiling downhill. now, after 7 years, the elastomers start to fall apart, only now,
for me they are good value for my bucks. | | Weaknesses: | little travel, but personally did not need more | | Bike Setup: | carbon frame, xt parts, mavic3d rims, panaracers | | Bottom Line: | things are way cheaper, nowadays you can buy similar quality for half the price. stick to it, and do not let yourself be outsmarted by industry and buy 500$ shox. (admit that they look awesome)
for the average biker, this quality level is
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Carpenter
a Cross Country Rider
from Fort Collins, CO
Date Reviewed: May 1, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Lory | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | It came on my GT LTS1 | | Strengths: | It looked cool. It had Rock Shox name on it. It came on a pretty high end bike. | | Weaknesses: | IT SUCKS! I'm writing this as my last complaint about this shock. I swore I would never buy another Rock Shox, but I'm giving them another chance based on some friends assurance that RS has their poop together now.
3 months after I bought a top of the line GT the shock popped and dumped oil. I could not get a replacement because they were in such high demand. I replaced the foam crap with speed springs and replaced the plastic tampon applicator with a White Bros. It worked great for 5 years that way. Oh by the way the rear RS shock that came on the LTS1 was junk also. Cane Creek makes a very nice replacement. Thanks for letting me rant. This is your last chance RS!! I'm still pissed. | | Bike Setup: | 96 GT LTS1 XT | | Bottom Line: | Hopefully RS has improved their quality and customer support in the past few years. Be warned. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Howie
a Cross Country Rider
from Scottsdale, AZ
Date Reviewed: February 4, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Estrella race loops | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Low maintenance, a great company like rock shox to back up the product, large # of aftermarket upgrades | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | Rock Shox Mag 21, Manitou 3 | | Bike Setup: | Kona Kula, all XT with magura hydraulic rim brakes(these rock) | | Bottom Line: | I've read all the whining complaints about the cartridge blowing up. Fact is I just took my fork apart for the first time, I expected to find that there was either no oil or just a big mess of little parts. Not only was the cartridge in perfect condition and filled with oil, I didn't have to replace any on the seals. This fork has well over 5000 miles of singletrack on it, I don't care what anyone has to say this thing is bombproof. Untill yesterday I always wished I still had my Mag 21, well that has definitely passed and now I'm not giving up my Judy. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Connor
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, CO
Date Reviewed: January 15, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Strengths: | Maintenance-easy to disassemble with simple tools, lube up with liberal Slick Honey and reassemble. This takes about 20 minutes at best.
Aftermarket tuning parts-see below.
I have used it daily for commuting and for CC mountain biking in the Rockies, Moab, Fruita, etc for several years and it has never stranded me or failed. | | Weaknesses: | Of course, the cartridge. Mine came with the 63 mm alloy cartridge which finally blew up last summer during a jump while commuting, replaced with Risse Gem cartridge which feels more plush than the stocker. Probably due to the Risse having mainly rebound dampening rather than compression dampening like to RS part.
MCUs slowly deflated and were replaced with White Bros. Judd springs after 2 years. This is very recommended as a replacement for the MCUs. Cambria has the springs for $19.00-I run a soft (green) spring in the left leg and a silver medium in the right leg which seems perfect for my 145# weight. | | Similar Products Used: | 1st suspension fork | | Bike Setup: | Trek 970 cro-mo | | Bottom Line: | I like this fork a lot. It has been everywhere and done everything I have asked it to do, and is a real workhorse. Limited travel and weight date this fork, but it sure is nice once the appropriate mods are made. I never worry about being stranded with a blown air shock, and even if you lose the oil cartridge it is still rideable home. Zip tie the top of the fork boots to seal out water and snow, and contamination is not an issue. As Rock Shox no longer supports this old fork with parts, you pretty much have to go aftermarket anyway and this is not necessarily a bad thing. I have decided to not go with an air once Judy finally expires but will stick with coil/oil due to the quality of the ride and reliability, despite the weight. I hope to get another 3000 miles out of her before then. Compared to modern forks, will rate a 4/5 for both value (needing aftermarket parts to improve) and overall. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Simon
a Cross Country Rider
from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Date Reviewed: October 29, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Dandenongs, Lysterfield, Gembrook | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Freedom Machine | | Strengths: | Had these forks for 6 years on a Kona Koa hardtail.
Good smooth travel. Great seals and rubber boots. Not a heap of travel, but quality over quantity ! | | Weaknesses: | Now that I have gone to V-brakes the centre-pull mount is still there. Do people still remember centre-pull :)
It does make a good mount point for a light though !
After 6 years of changing tyres 2 or 3 times a week, the wheel skewer nut has gouged a small groove in the dropout. 2mm deep in the 11mm alloy flange. Probably a cheap skewer :) | | Similar Products Used: | Have tried newer (obviously lesser and cheaper) Jetts. | | Bike Setup: | 97 Kona Koa STX-RC/LX/Deore.
Raced and trained for 3 years, still socially abused at least twice a week. More than 40,00km on the bike !!
Replaced most parts except the STX-RC rear deraileur (the RC stuff was way better than stock STX).
The forks are still going strong !! | | Bottom Line: | The cheap plastic oil damper blew a few months into it's life. The local Bike Shop did the right thing and got an alloy cartridge under warranty (RockShox knew the problem and rectified it - no questions asked).
I did fit the 97 or 98 spring kit (half elastomer/half spring) which picked up small bump behaviour.
I used to run the preload really high to get the biggest hit protection, but know the preload is way down (1 turn from softest) and the travel is still smooth.
They are due for a service soon (only 2nd time). The bushings might need replacing (or it could be slop in the brakes), but I use Judy butter and 6 years is pretty good from my view.
40,000+kms and going strong !!!
The only thing I'd swap them for right now is a pair of Z3 bombers, but they are still pricey here in Oz :)
5 chilis all round. Yes, I have changed the springs and got the new cartridge, but not a penny spent in 5 years apart from one tiny tub of Judy Butter and some oil. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James
a Cross Country Rider
from Waco, TX, USA
Date Reviewed: October 6, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Tomichi Pass | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Came w/ the bike | | Strengths: | strong, durable, very bombproof | | Weaknesses: | cold weather sticktion, pulling the oil cartridge | | Similar Products Used: | Quad 5, Sid '98 | | Bike Setup: | Y-22 w/ Full XTR and Cane Creek AD-10 rear shock | | Bottom Line: | This shock was the best back in '96. There are more plush, longer travel, lighter shocks out there, but this thing has been to the Rockies, San Georges and all places in between. Never had a problem. I used to race, now do big rides, bomb dowmhill (for an ex-XC'er), and it's still going. If you are a rider looking to spend a little money adn get a great return, go no farther. I only plan on replacing it when it can no longer do the same job it did when new...which is not foreseeable at the moment. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jacob
a Racer
from canada
Date Reviewed: September 13, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | wentworth | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$2.00 | | Purchased At: | some guy | | Strengths: | awesome shock for crosscountry riding,tough reliable,good product | | Weaknesses: | not good for drops over 5 feet | | Similar Products Used: | bomber's z.5 fly airs | | Bike Setup: | xtr rapid rise rear derialure,xt front derailure,avid 20.v brakes,specialized stump jumper comp.,deore xt's shifters | | Bottom Line: | these r a good product for cross country riding.i got a great deal on the bike i bought it second in mint condition for about $250. nothing wrong with the bike but there was a reason it was so cheap but i'm not gonna get into that. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
duane beery
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle
Date Reviewed: February 19, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Devil's Gulch | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Came on GF Paragon | | Strengths: | Plush, soaks up the little washboard and handles most cross country type of trails, ie roots, rocks, highspeeds. | | Weaknesses: | The original cartridge failed within the first year but was replaced with a newer version and haven't had any problems since. It has no rebound adjust. | | Bike Setup: | '96 Gary fisher paragon hardtail | | Bottom Line: | No whining. Some people don't remember what was offered in 1996. I tested every fork out there and the Judy was the SH*T back then. Of course it doesn't compare to anything today but for it's day it was an awesome X-country fork. I've abused mine for 5 years and it still works the way it did when I bought it. If you screwed something up then you weren't using the proper tools or following MFG. instructions. This is not the fork's fault. I am still using the original seals! By today's standards it's heavy has little travel and no rebound adjust. That's just '96 technology. I am finally making the transition into the 21 century and buying a SID 100 but I have nothing bad to say about my 1996 Judy. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
duane beery
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle
Date Reviewed: February 19, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Devil's Gulch | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Came on GF Paragon | | Strengths: | Plush, soaks up the little washboard and handles most cross country type of trails, ie roots, rocks, highspeeds. | | Weaknesses: | The original cartridge failed within the first year but was replaced with a newer version and haven't had any prblems since. It has no rebound adjust. | | Bike Setup: | '96 Gary fisher paragon hardtail | | Bottom Line: | No whining. Some people don't remember what was offered in 1996. I tested every fork out there and the Judy was the SH*T back then. Of course it doesn't compare to anything today but for it's day it was an awesome X-country fork. I've abused mine for 5 years and it still works the way it did when I bought it. By today's standards it's heavy has little travel and no rebound adjust. I am finally making the transition into the 21 century and buying a SID 100 but I have nothing bad to say about my 1996 Judy. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Don
a Weekend Warrior
from Mich
Date Reviewed: February 2, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Birchfield | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$250.00 | | Purchased At: | Cant remember | | Strengths: | Reliable,nice color,not too heavy | | Weaknesses: | Just old | | Similar Products Used: | Marzocchi,Manitous,Headshocks | | Bike Setup: | Its been on 3 bikes | | Bottom Line: | Had it for four and a half years. Never even opened the Judy butter I bought with it. Still works great, my son now uses it on his hardtail racer,it has the right amount of travel for that. Maybe I just got lucky with this fork but it has been worth every penny. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan Go
a Cross Country Rider
from Edmonton, Canada
Date Reviewed: February 2, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Whitemud River Valley | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Wheel Thing | | Strengths: | Was great for 2 months and then it's guts exploded. | | Weaknesses: | The XC is brutal in so many ways that it's hard to know where to start. I bought the thing because the oil cartridge idea was really big back then. When I took the fork apart for maintanence I couldn't believe what a cheesy piece of *%*&^% it was. The dinky little cartridge Rock Shox put in was clearly not going to last. And it didn't! I recieved two warranty replacement cartridges in one year. Then I was on my own. I had to either pay $150.00 a pop or ride it on the elastimer...... What is elastimer anyway? It seem like a fancy word for dense foam.
Rock Shox should hang their heads in shame or recall this bogus product and do the honorable thing; replace it. The $500.00 MSRP was nothing less than robbery. Never again Rock Shox, you suck!!
| | Similar Products Used: | None others even compare to this lump. | | Bottom Line: | A total money pit. The worst in history!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Howie Keylin
a Racer
from Scottsdale, AZ
Date Reviewed: January 30, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Mcdowell/Sonoran Preserve | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Damn near bulletproof | | Weaknesses: | Heavy, and slow rebound | | Similar Products Used: | Mag 21 | | Bottom Line: | I bought my Kona Kula and these things came on it. Just about since the first day I rode the bike I missed my Mag 21's. Those things were awesome. Now I am about five years down the line and I stuck it out with the Judy's. I have to say they didn't do anything great, but they held up in some real harsh conditions. I would probably rather have pair of new SID's(they'd be more like the Mag 21's of old) but I'm not about to fork over that kind of cash when there ain't nuttin' wrong with these. I just sprung for the White Bros' Judd Springs, hopefully that will breathe some new life into these warriors. I expect they will and I'll probably be riding this same fork for years to come. Anything that lasts this long is an awesome value in my book. 5 flaming micheal jacksons | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Herraghty
a Weekend Warrior
from Edinburgh, Scotland
Date Reviewed: November 1, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Pentland trails, Edinburgh | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | On bike when I bought it | | Strengths: | Pretty robust, stiff enough for my riding style, easily servicable and have lasted for ages! | | Weaknesses: | Clearance for chunky tire is limited, but okay if you're not a mudbath rider. Get a bit noisy after 5 years of use(!) | | Similar Products Used: | Manitou Magnum R | | Bike Setup: | Avid 50 brakes, XTR levers + shifters, LX drivetrain | | Bottom Line: | Had these shocks for a while and have no complaints - yet to bottom out and have lasted well, seeing as they were used by relative for 4 years!! Still up there with the rest.
Others often ask if the lack of travel compared to modern shocks bothers me, but I have to say, unless you're doing some mental trailing, these suffice perfectly.
I'll keep these going as long as possible. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alex Olsen
a Cross Country Rider
from Seattle, Washington
Date Reviewed: August 23, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Reno/Flag/Bear (Crested Butte) | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | from friend | | Strengths: | Durable, solid, plush for its vintage | | Weaknesses: | Complicated, and design changed yearly | | Similar Products Used: | Rock Shox SID XC, Manitou Mars | | Bike Setup: | 96 Stumpjumper M2 Comp with all sorts of replaced parts | | Bottom Line: | At the time, this fork was revolutionary, and I have to say it has given me years of good service. It's just about dead now, but after 5500 miles, what do you expect. Only complaint is that the elastomers in this year's fork croaked fairly often, and the fork required a bit of maintenance to keep it going well, which I did not give it. Overall, though, it was a champion. Smooth and easy, never bottomed out. Rest in peace, old girl. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chase
a Cross Country Rider
from Seattle, WA
Date Reviewed: August 4, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | The Bomb | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Strong body. Good wear. | | Weaknesses: | Heavy | | Similar Products Used: | Manitou | | Bike Setup: | Klein Pro Comp. XTR all. Chris King/Mavic and Cane Creek too. | | Bottom Line: | I have never had a problem with these bad boys. No sticktion ever but I did replace the rubber boot to cloth. Was hit by a car which snapped my wheel in half and only thing that happened to the shocks were a small dent and that hasn't impacted performance at all. This thing can take a shotgun blast... I don't have plans to upgrade since it works so well. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
derek
a Cross-Country Rider
from delaware
Date Reviewed: December 14, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
any singletrack | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Bottom Line: | I got the original Judy XC a couple years ago. Went through two cartridges, before throwing it on the scrap heap. I know it's out dated and not worth reviewing, but it's nice to finally vent my anger over the peice of crap. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tom
a Cross-Country Rider
from australia
Date Reviewed: November 29, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Bottom Line: | why i love my '96 XCs:1) they're plush
2) they're stiff enough
3) they're super reliable
4) with the 3.25 inch travel kit they work
5) they're light enough
6) at 3.5 years old they still work well enough to not give me an excuse to waste money on a new 'wonder fork'. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Luis Leon
a Cross-Country Rider
from Stone Ridge, NY
Date Reviewed: September 9, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
any one I can get to. | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
Reliable, if maintained regularly... | | Weaknesses: |
Not as hip as the latest crop of forks... But I don't care. Mine still works! | | Similar Products Used: |
no other... | | Bike Setup: |
Klein Pulse Comp, judy 96 xc... | | Bottom Line: | For me this has been a great fork... Can take big hits. It has been going strong for over 3 years... Regular maintenance is a breeze. Have not experienced the problems others have with the Judy... All in all a good fork with many after-market goodies...RegardsLuis | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kermet
a Cross-Country Rider
from Woodbridge, Suffolk
Date Reviewed: August 6, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
plush, progressive travel, quite light, VERY easy to service (if you know what you're doing) | | Weaknesses: |
not as stiff as a marzochi | | Similar Products Used: |
Rock Shox SID, JUDY 100, Marzochi Z4 and Z3 | | Bike Setup: |
Diamondback, LX groupset, SRAM shifters and levers, Mavic X517 rims | | Bottom Line: | Most of the complaints on this page are complete rubbish:
Can't get the top caps off? get the right tools, i have stripped these fork three times so far, thats before major races, not because something was wrong.
Too much mud? I live in England, there is sooooooo much mud here, there is an inch of space between the arch and a correct size tire, this never clogs up with mud.
If you can't afford anything more expensive BUY THIS FORK !!!!!!!!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joa
a Cross-Country Rider
from Karlsruhe, Germany
Date Reviewed: July 28, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Availability of 3rd party products, not much use of elastomers | | Weaknesses: |
heavy, no damping, constant maintenance necessary | | Similar Products Used: |
RS Indy SL | | Bike Setup: |
'98 Gary Fisher Zig | | Bottom Line: | I'm talking about the '98 model; the '99 is a completely new product as far as i know (Hydracoil).
When new, this fork is quite plush. I just couldn't appreciate it, because damping doesn't work (how can it - how is the damping cartridge supposed to stop the springs from rebounding?), so i had to operate it with almost full preload. Opening it a few revolutions is just frightening, complete pogo stick. Playing around with the damping adjustment knob doesn't change anything. Maintenance: wow, every 25h (haha, nobody can say from the papers you can't ride 24h race) a full rebuild (!), I wanna ride!
I did the rebuild only once: throw away the T3 stack /C3 cartridge, and install Englund Air Cartridges. What a relief...
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a Downhiller
from BVoulder, CO
Date Reviewed: July 21, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Amasa Back | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Not Much | | Weaknesses: |
I'm to lazy to type them all | | Similar Products Used: |
Mazocchi | | Bike Setup: |
Schwinn Homegrown | | Bottom Line: | I hate this fork, so I got rid of it. Have you ever tryed to change the springs in that thing. It is easy once you get the top caps off, but to do that...damn that sucked. DO NOT BUY THIS FORK!!!!!!!!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave Handley
a Weekend Warrior
from Rolling Meadows
Date Reviewed: June 8, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
kettle | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Very durable, smooth, light weight, and good rebound. | | Weaknesses: |
Not ennough travel for my liking. | | Similar Products Used: |
A few indi's SL mainly and that's all. | | Bike Setup: |
Mongoose V.R.S 3.0 Judy XC. XTR components | | Bottom Line: | This is one of the best shocks made coming in close with the SID | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gator
a Cross-Country Rider
from AR
Date Reviewed: June 8, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
The Womble, AR | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Smooth, very little maintenance, plenty of travel. | | Weaknesses: |
Little heavy | | Similar Products Used: |
Manitou | | Bike Setup: |
Gary Fisher Paragon, Judy came stock | | Bottom Line: | I like the shock, I've had zero problems with it. It has plenty of travel and really rides smooth. I dont know what all the complaining is about. I haven't had one problem with the fork. The fork came stock on my bike. I would probably buy a lighter fork if I bought a new one, but this fork will stay around until I can trash it. 4 chilies I wish it was a little lighter. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
david
a Racer
from Boulder. CO
Date Reviewed: June 5, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
none | | Weaknesses: |
the fork | | Bike Setup: |
Schwinn Homegrown | | Bottom Line: | This fork sucks. Do not buy it. I live in colorado were there is not to much mud but if there is some it get all stuck in the arch so much that the wheel can't move. Also, the top caps are crap. They strip way to easy. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John strong
a Cross-Country Rider
from Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania
Date Reviewed: June 3, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
single track | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Very smooth shock with plenty of travel | | Weaknesses: |
Requires routine overhauling after approximately 15 rides | | Similar Products Used: |
Rock Shox Indy
Manitou
Marzocchi Bomber | | Bike Setup: |
Currently, I ride a Litespeed Occee with Shimano XT components and a Rock Shox Judy XC | | Bottom Line: | This shock offers similar performance to the more expense bomber. Unfortunately it requires much more maintenance because it the inner parts do not sit in an oil bath like the bomber. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kris Durgin
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle, WA
Date Reviewed: June 1, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
cheap; easy to find parts | | Weaknesses: |
constant maintenance; highly susceptible to mud & grime; flex | | Similar Products Used: |
Judy XC; Judy SL | | Bike Setup: |
GT Zaskar w/Judy XC; Psycle Werks Wild Hare w/Judy SL | | Bottom Line: | These shocks suck. Trust me, I owned & maintained a pair of them for 2 years. If it rains where you ride, don't buy this shock unless you really like overhauling your shock every week. The White Bros wipers seem to help a little bit but those tend to get stretched out when you take the shock apart. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jimbo
a Racer
from under the train tracks
Date Reviewed: May 18, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Bottom Line: | well this fork is shi.t shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shitshitshit shit | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stephan
a Cross-Country Rider
from Germany
Date Reviewed: May 8, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Single Trail | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Reliable, Adjustment, damping properties, weight | | Weaknesses: |
Plastic knobs foradjusting spring tension do not seem to be very stable although they still work. | | Bike Setup: |
KHS Team Hardtail (CroMoly frame) | | Bottom Line: | I have the 98 Judy XC now for over one year and about 1600 km on all kinds of trails. I am really satisfied with the performance and it still does its work like it did at the first day. Besides cleaning and lubing with Judy butter is does not need any maintenance. Great produc which I really can recommend. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
sean
a Cross-Country Rider
from fonthill,ontario
Date Reviewed: March 19, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
This fork is not bad.Its smooth and plush. | | Weaknesses: |
It doesn't have damping adjustments but other than that it is fine. | | Similar Products Used: |
bomber z2 is alot plusher , but its also worth more | | Bottom Line: | this is a descent fork for the money | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
pedro
a Cross-Country Rider
from onterible
Date Reviewed: March 15, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
smooth enough for around here
lighter than a z2
easy to work on | | Weaknesses: |
not as smooth as a z2 | | Similar Products Used: |
marzzochi z2 and original z3
rs 96 judy zc with speedsprings
manatou 2 and 3 | | Bike Setup: |
i came on my dekerf generation | | Bottom Line: | it moves up and down like it should, lighter than a z2 and once worked in smooth enough, easy to tune and service | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
sharky
a cross-country rider
from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: March 3, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
No brainer decision - go for the 99 Judy XC 80mm. Has most of the travel you will ever need X-country. Plush as although springs feel a little light for 78kg. Quite rigid and points fairly well. Needs to go on a diet. No problems yet after 800 km. If you run TNT hubs or anything with a higher than normal flange - they won't fit. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Squash
a
from weekend warrior
Date Reviewed: February 27, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
This fork came speced ony Trek 7000. I am, or should I say, wasn't a Rock Shox fan. That is I wasn't until I rode this fork. The 99 Judy XC is a great fork for the money. It is reasonably light at 3.8 lbs, very plush, 80mm of travel that is smooth as a babies butt, and according to RS pretty light on the maintenance end. RS claims a maintenance interval of 100 hrs or once a season, which ever comes first. Just lift the boots and lube the stantions and seals every other ride and your in business. The only down side to the fork is the lack of external rebound damping adjustment. Changing the oil viscosity is the only way to change damping adjustment, but I can live with it. This fork is really an outstanding performer. Very active on small hits, eats the big hits with ease, and all in a reasonably stiff and light package that won't break your budget. I think Rock Shox has finally got the wake up call. If you are in the market for a realatively inexpensive bomber like ride, but don't want the extra weight, or don't have an extra $150 sitting around, this is the fork for you. Four flamers for performance and one more for waking up and smelling the coffee. Good job Rock Shox. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alex
a weekend warrior
from WI
Date Reviewed: January 10, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought a '99 G.F. with the '99 Judy XC and so far have had no problems. There isn't much adjustability with them but I don't screw with the dampning. From what I've heard the 97 and 98 XC were pretty crappy but the 99 have all the bugs out. it could lose some wieght though. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Shydo
a racer
from Florida
Date Reviewed: December 15, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I got this fork new on a used Pro-flex 855 frame and it worked well with the factory rear end. Then i blew the cartridge and dissassembled it to find wear on the stanchion tubes. Took the damn catridge out and the thing rides much nicer, could use more travel though. Just machine myself longer dummy rods i guess. Springs are now dead too, mcu fatigue has set in. I still like the damn thing though. There's somthing about the way it rides (when properly lubed) that makes it fun even when it is so worn out. RS is warrentying the cartridge (it had a plastic 95 in it as opposed to an aluminum 96)but why replace it when it rides nice without the harshness of compression damping? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt Kaufman
a weekend warrior
from Pennsylvania
Date Reviewed: December 11, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This shock is the best! Rock Shox really did good on this one, The new 1999 Judy XC is only 300.00! It is 100.00 less than last year. This is the best shock you will ever buy! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Squash
a weekend warrior
from South Dakota
Date Reviewed: November 21, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Look out marzooki, Manitou, and any body else out there, Here comes Rock Shox. I have a 99 Judy XC that came speced on my Trek 7000. I Love this fork. The 99's have full coil spring (NO ELASTOMERS, HURRAY!!!), and oil bath lubrication/damping. It is constantly, and consistantly active and supple no matter what the conditions, It's great to have a fork that works at 30 degrees as well as it does at 70. There are some quirks with this fork that are at first annoying but you get used to them. One of them is when you pick the front wheel up of the ground. You feel a slight clunk, at first I thought the head set was loose. However, after checking the head set, and then the owners mannual, I found that the fork has a 12mm negative travel spring in it. When you lift the front wheel off the ground it shifts the load from the main coils to the negative travel springs and creates a mild tap or clunk. You don't even notice it while your riding. Another very mild aggrivation it the lack of external damping adjustment. The only way to increase or decrease damping is by changing oil weights. But, I think with the way the fork performs, I can get used to it. Over all this is an outstanding improvement over past Judy's. I would recommed this fork to anyone, esspecially those that ride in places where it gets cold during the winter months. Good job Rock Shox!!!, five flamers for this critter! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
BB Gun
a cross-country rider
from oakland,ca
Date Reviewed: November 9, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This 1996 fork still works. I wonder where all the other forks are, especially all the Manitou shocks and old Bombers. My fork still works and my cartridge still dampens shock ok. Keep the fork lubed and the preload off when you're not using it. I have to admit it's not the lightest, nor the plushest- which is why people like to crap on it (besides it's age), but it does still work. See how people are willing to buy, gawk, want the latest and greatest, but they all forget the workhorses and reliable stuff. That stuff just gets crapped on. It ain't eyecandy, but my fork still works better than yours. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Thomas De Waen
a cross-country rider
from Dirtland
Date Reviewed: November 9, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Yahoo ! This fork rules; it is relatively light,looks good,requires
little maintenance and absorbs every shock. It surely is not the most
confortable fork on the market, but I am sure it is one of the most
efficient ! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
climber
a cross-country rider
from as long as there's some dirt...
Date Reviewed: October 24, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This shock works just fine after it's set properly. You shouldn't believe everything you read in magazines-I suggest you ride more often and try it out for youself. Always fells like the headset is loose, have to do maintainance before every ride... . This, gentlemen, is a truckload of bullshit!
Also: it's a cross country fork. Keep this in mind! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
MTNGOAT
a cross-country rider
from Burnaby, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 21, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
How can any pick the indy fork over a Judy Fork. The difference is huge. It also depend on the Judy that you pick. you need to ask yourself whether the fork is really working for you or not. Mine works great for me. I may not be an aggressive rider, and I watch where I am going instead of riding without no technique and just slamming at obstacle and expect to abuse the fork. Ride it well, and it will serve you well.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kristian
a cross-country rider
from Sweden
Date Reviewed: October 9, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I must say this is a good shox. I just can't believe all the complaints about the Rock Shox in general. It performs well and the price isn't too bad. So far I have never experienced any problems with it and I have really given it a hard time. I think the people that complain about it feel that they must have the latest and the most expensive stuff. Just because you can't ride a montainbike, don't blame it on the Judy XC. Because this Judy does what it's supposed to. Everybody doesn't have a fat Swiss bank account!!! Over and out! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
J ames Alder
a
from downhiller
Date Reviewed: October 7, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These forks are very good. The travel is not massive (75mm) but that's enough and they are very plush. The forks look good and the steering is very crisp. I have had the forks for 3 months now and they have caused me no problems. If youv'e got the money, go buy some, it's well worth it.(they are now £260). | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim Simpson
a racer
from Oswego, NY
Date Reviewed: September 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Let's see, my review......SWEEEEET! Mine came stock on a GT RTS-1 that I purchased in summer '95. What this has to do w/anything? It's painted SL Yellow and I love the color. The fork is on my current ride which is a Yeti ARC hardtail. I have beaten the hell out of this fork on every terrain from Pikes Peak, Mount Snow, Rocky technical trails in Maine, and even the occasional hopping off a picnic table (or two). I have done trials on it, XC, and downhill. It has seen it all. I have never had a single complaint about it, and never had to touch it untill this summer when I took the innards out, cleaned them and re-greased them. I also steel wooled the sliders. This put it back in new condition and it still rules!! I am only now starting to look for a new one to save weight, but I am leary of changing cause of the bad reviews I have heard about the SID. Does anyone have any legit advise? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
EEFA
a racer
from CANADA
Date Reviewed: September 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
NOT A TERRIBLE FORK-
AT LEAST IT LOOKS GOOD -
THE BUSHINGS ARE MEDIOCRE AT BEST (IT ALWAYS FEELS LIKE THE HEADSET IS LOOSE)
THE REBOUND ADJUSTER DOES ALMOST NOTHING -
THE SPRINGSET IS STILL WIERD AND FEELS RUBBERY COMPARED TO AN AIR OR COIL SPRING - YOU HAVE TO DO MAINTENANCE ALMOST EVERY RIDE TO KEEP THINGS WORKING.
| Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim Carroll
a cross-country rider
from MT, USA
Date Reviewed: September 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The Judy rocks!! I love this fork. It peforms well under all conditions that I have had it in. The fork is fairly inexpensive and is really good if you are looking for a solid oil cross country fork. The oil gives good absorption, and the fork is easy to adjust for damping and preload. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Elliot Jones
a cross-country rider
from College Station, Texas
Date Reviewed: September 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I purchased a Klein Pulse Pro with a 98 Judy XC and this is THE WORST FORK that I have EVER owned! I replaced it with a Z2 Atom Bomb and life is good again! The dampening on the JUDY was non-existant, and bottoming out occured at a measly 175lb rider weight. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Glen
a weekend warrior
from Los Angeles, CA
Date Reviewed: September 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Well, I've ridden this fork for 2 years and I would honestly say it is a pretty damn mediocre fork. I've ridden this thing everywhere from the sidewalk to really technical xc trails to ski resorts at mammoth mtn and big bear. when lubed correctly, it is relatively plush for it's 2 of travel. Yup, that's right, 2 inches - not the claimed 63mm which equals 2.48. I measured this by taking out the spring/elastomer combo and measuring it at full compression vs. full extension. The false advertising in the MTB industry really sucks. The adjustments on the fork are practically useless. Turning the rebound adjuster does absolutely nothing, but the stock rebound isn't too bad. I didn't like how flexy it was either. when I get up to crank, it flexes so much I can hear the tires rubbing against the forks. the positives are the weight - much lighter than the Z1 or Z2 forks, and fairly reasonable performance. i wasn't very happy about the performance of this fork until i tried the worst piece of crap around - the indy SL w/ englund cartridges. these things REALLY suck ass - even flexier and NO rebound dampening at all. Well, I'm tired of the wimpy, flexy rockshock forks so i bought a Z1 bam. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
BB Gun
a cross-country rider
from oakland,ca
Date Reviewed: August 11, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've had this fork for two years. It's grey (stealth!) and I put in the Type II spring kit (1 steel coil, 1 long cigar elastomer) when I got it. I don't know why people crap so much about this fork. Sure, it's not the stiffest around, nor the plushest, but when it's well lubed (butter), the fork performs very nicely. Judy butter doesn't last very long and the short coil sagged after 5 months- I use the medium coil. The fork doesn't spike back at me with up to 3 inch roots and doesn't packup on downhills too much. It's not very stiff laterally, but adequate. I periodically check all the bolts and cartridge for leaking, but for sure (what causes the most problems) lube the internals liberally with Judy Butter. My fork is still active and as plush as necessary. It doesn't suck like what others say. I can't seem to break it, so I'll probably end up keeping it for a while. I like the stealth grey color- almosst Ti looking. I don't understand why people always need the latest thing. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
chris
a cross-country rider
from salt lake city
Date Reviewed: July 15, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
this shock came stock on my 1997 Y-22. I am new to the sport, but have really fallen hard for it. I ride daily, roughly 10-20 miles depending on the mood. We ride a variety of single and double track trails through the Wasatch Range. I have found the shock to perform well. Until today. I was cleaning the bike from a dusty ride last night when I noticed that the fork had broken clean through just above the brake mounting post! The bike only has 300 miles on it. When I took it back to my LBS, they showed me another one broken in the same place! The 98 model that Rock Shox replaced that one with is quite a bit beefier, so hopefully it will last longer; it couldn't last shorter. I see the 97's on sale here and there for as low as $199. Maybe not such a good deal. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chip B.
a cross-country rider
from Memphis Tn.
Date Reviewed: July 6, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Well i have had the 98 judy xc for a little over 6 months now, and i am realy begining to hate it! I had to put the stiffest springs in it to hold my weight, and now it feels like a flexiable rigid fork. So anyway i am going to buy a BOMER NOW. So i say if this shock comes stock on your bike then get rid of it!! Well this is my 13 cents on the junky xc! It's off i go to find the best price on a z2 ATOM BOMB I GO!!!!! HUMM ANYONE WANT TO BUY A JUDY XC, if so E_MAIL ME.
Chip B. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff Duncan
a cross-country rider
from Markham, Ontario
Date Reviewed: July 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I recently just purchased this shock used!! I have no clue what this shock is like stock because the first thing i did was stick the type 2 spring kit in it!! this shock runs very plush and very soft if set up properly for your weight!! the only set back i have with this shock is that the left cap on it came broken (which I was not aware of at the time of purchase) today i july 1st so i cant get to the shop that i bought it from so i will have to go tomorrow!! i dont think this will be a problem though!! juist keep the shcok well buttered up with the Judy butter!!! this is a great shcok!! VERY VERY PLUSH | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Phil Gallagher
a cross-country rider
from South East of England
Date Reviewed: June 29, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have been running a pair of '96 Judy XC's for 18 months now. I have ridden over 2000 off-road miles, done 11 XC races and ride pretty hard in-between and I have to say that I have not had any problems with them, so far. I weigh 65kg's, so that might have something to do with it. The first thing I did after the first ride, was to replace the mcu's with Eibach progressive coil springs, these are the dogs-bolx. These, or any other aftermarket coil springs for that matter, transform the fork from something which is barely better than a rigid fork into a super plush, responsive bump-eater. Also I can now use up almost all of the available travel, (recorded 59mm out of a possible 63mm). I tend to find for my weight that the pre-load adjuster and damping adjuster are best set to a minimum. My biggest criticism with the design of the fork is RS's decision to fit bump damping rather than rebound damping, I am sure that I would run some rebound damping if it was available. They are reasonably stiff in construction, however a carbon brake booster did noticeably increase the leg stiffness resulting in more direct tracking and is a worthy upgrade. Generally I will service them every 300 miles or so, and so far this has kept everthing sweet and smooth.
There are better forks out there now, and of the current crop I would buy a Bomber at the moment, but considering the choice then, value for money, performance and reliability I'd give them 4 stars. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JayCee
a cross-country rider
from San Francisco, CA
Date Reviewed: June 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've had a 96 judy xc for 2 years now (duh) 2000+miles. It works for small, medium, but bounces on big hits. The elastomers sag after a while and you should un-preload the preload when you're not using the bike. Type II or better kit is totally necessary. Dampening is good when you get the new alum cartridge, sure it leaks all the time, but it only needs a little dampening. Cold weather stiffens the elastomers a lot. Stiff enough for XC riding, steering is not super precise, fwd/bck stiffness is adequate, but is an adequate bump eater. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JAMES KIDNEY
a weekend warrior
from ENGLAND UK
Date Reviewed: June 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've had my Judys for about a year now. They have provided me with excellent performance at all times. The only problem that I experienced was that both preload adjusters broke. These I replaced with the new adjusters from the SL.Provided that they are kept well maintained they should give me many more miles of enjoyable riding, whatever the weather. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
eman
a racer
from canada
Date Reviewed: June 15, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This fork is very plush , but i like it becuase i am only 100 pounds. all the guys on my team don't use it becuase it is like mush. this fork is soft , i like the softness becuase I am light. The spring and elastomer system is good too. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jochen
a cross-country rider
from Austria
Date Reviewed: June 15, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
well, the first thing was that the plastic thread that holds the elastomers in the tubes broke - and the new ones were pretty expensive. a few weeks later the fork felt like a loose headset - the fork was sent to RockShox and came back with a big bill (althought it was in warrenty-time they said it was due to a lack of service (after 4month) and this wouldn´t be covered by warrenty!!!)
well, it didn´t last long until the screw that holds the breakbooster (the tiny one) distroyed the Mg thread when I wanted to change the brakebooster to such one for the V-brake - and this just when I loosed the screw, so no one can say I over-tightened it. Needless to say that the damping system permanently looses oil..... - so what do you think, how many chili shall I spend for this product, none I guess | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Williams
a cross-country rider
from California (bay area)
Date Reviewed: May 31, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
For 98 rock shox decided to sell the forks with the long-travel option already installed, so I bought one and the result was a super plush 80 mm travel fork.
Rockshox also threw away all their mcu's so they don't suck in cold weather. Only two drawbacks at 3.7 pounds they are quite heavy and for riders under 120 pounds it has some slight stiction. Also the tuning for the damper doesn't do much. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Zaron
a
from cross-country rider
Date Reviewed: May 31, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Personnaly, i detest Rock Shox, i know about a dozen people that own assorted Rock Shox products and they all seized solid, i know for a fact that they where properly maintained. Don't waste your money on this crap, buy Mazzarocci, Amp, Manitou, or my favorite, Girvin. Down with Rock Shox! Save your money! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tony Mitchell
a cross-country rider
from Lincoln NE
Date Reviewed: May 28, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The XC Judy fork seems to behave pretty well on light to medium bumps. The heavy hits are a little stiff and cause the front
to get a little squirly. The fork is not well suited for climbing steep inclines (especially for a 250 pound rider!), it
sucks down quite a bit. It appears to be put to gether well (97 & 98) and should last through the abuse of a lineman. You get
what you pay for and the XC isn't a bad deal. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Trev
a cross-country rider
from B.C- the REAL trails
Date Reviewed: May 26, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I recently bought a 96 Judy XC at a very reasonable price. No amount of words can describe how AWESOME this fork is! Previously I rode a Quad and the difference is like comparing a VW Bug to a Hummer. Yes I am aware of the problems people have had with this fork in the past, as my brother and a friend has the same fork my friend had the blown cartridge episode too. However I'm confident mine will hold up even though I ride some of the toughest terrain in Canada or possibly North America. This fork deserves 6 chilies. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew Wilson
a cross-country rider
from UK
Date Reviewed: May 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I got these as an upgrade from idy C's, and frankly, they stink, I have the 1997 ones and they are far too springy, I really cant be doingwith them. And only 60mm travel, COME ON ROCK SHOX-GET IT TOGETHER, don't know abput anyone else but my indy c's are plusher and a lot lighter, I paid £200 -worst money ive ever paid. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
EndoMan
a cross-country rider
from North Carolina
Date Reviewed: May 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have ridden these suckers over 1500 miles without so much as wiping the dirt off of them. They rock. That's all there is to it. Smooth supension, low or next to nothing maintenance. Best 300 bucks I ever spent. Most I ever do is to adjust them periodically for races. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gary Marceau
a weekend warrior
from Thornton, CO
Date Reviewed: May 4, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought a new Specialized Stump Jumper Comp last October, and absolutely
love the bike. The shock is a Judy XC, and this past weekend, in Moab, the
left side of the shock blew out, hitting me in the face. Needless to say, I'm
not very pleased with this happening. I've been riding some pretty tough terrain for about 6 years, and have never had anything like this happen. I don't know if there's a defect, or this is something weird, but I know I'll
always be weary of this happening again. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dean
a weekend warrior
from Anchorage, AK
Date Reviewed: April 11, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have the '96 Judy XC with 3 travel. It came with my Trek Y bike, and has performed well despite a few problems. The oil damper blew out almost emmediately, and was warranted and replaced with the improved alluminum damper, which has worked fine for about two years of heavy use. I got speed springs right off the bat, but WORD OF WARNING: DON'T PUT THE ALUMINUM END PIECES THAT COME WITH SPEED SPRINGS INTO YOUR FORKS - THEY WILL WEAR AGAINST THE INNER LEGS OF THE FORK, RESULTING IN AWFUL SCREACHING SOUNDS AND METAL SHAVINGS INSIDE THE FORK. I removed mine before any serious damage could take place. The Fork works well, but could be improved in many ways: more tire clearance, larger bushings, better seals, perceptible damper adjustability, less flimsy preload knobs, just to name a few. Performance of this fork with springs is great though, so I can't fault it totally. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
roy
a cross-country rider
from louisiana
Date Reviewed: March 6, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Well, I must say that mine has performed flawlessly for almost two years. I weigh around 200, and ride pretty hard. I'm definitely not afraid to catch some air, and have had not one problem with my cartridge. However, I did replace the stock elastomers with speed springs. What an improvement. I've ridden manitous, and marzochis, only to find that these units tend to be overdamped and sluggish. not so with my xc. responsive, and reliable as a claw hammer. one word of advice, keeep those innards clean or else you'll get sticky action/blown cartridge problems. I wish it had aluminum top caps, though. another good upgrade is the white bros. fork wipers. looks hot and ditch those funky lookin gaters! 5 chiles
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kheong
a cross-country rider
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: February 26, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Have had a blown oil cartridge which you guys had mentioned. But upon informing RockShox, USA, they have promptly reply with the oil cartridge replacement. The Judy XC may not be the plushiest fork, but it sure reign supreme in its price range. And you can that RockShox is always there when the need arises. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Zuzie
a cross-country rider
from Japan
Date Reviewed: February 5, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
My '95 Judy's oil cartrige was blown 5 times. 5 times, you know ?
Nevertheless my weight is only 67kg and I don't do so hard riding like high jump !
In adition bolts are easily rust. Adjust bolts are hard to hadle.
Dust boots are hard to remove and insert.
No more Judy !
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Riant norhtway
a cross-country rider
from minnesota
Date Reviewed: February 4, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This product is good althogh I had some problems with the seals blowing out. The fork could also be a little stiffer. The over all performance is good if you are willing to spend some time working on it to get it right for you. I give this product a 3.5 | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob
a cross-country rider
from Mississippi
Date Reviewed: January 25, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Basically a sound product with a few problems. Mine's a '95. Yes, I've blown a cartrige. Yes, the top caps are a pain to deal with. No, the boots don't seal well, and the dust filters are a joke. Yes, I've put in the sorta-heavy aluminum steerer tube upgrade plug to keep the crown from popping off on an ugly dowhnill at Mach 2.It has its problems, but the thing still WORKS. It's easy to overhaul, which shows some EXCELLENT engineering went into this fork. Rock Shox gives great customer service. I actually trust this thing.It's another typical RS product: great idea, major parts are well done, but the little details are left to flap in the wind. When are these guys going to get things together? Certainly not '95, '96, or '97, judging from my friends and my forks. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
DM-SC
a cross-country rider
from SC
Date Reviewed: January 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
My '98 Schwinn Moab 1 Alu. came equipped with the new Judy XC (type III springs/oil bath). This is a BIG improvement! It soaks up the small stuff and works well on the big stuff. It's still a little heavy. It would be nice to be able to adjust damping and rebound seperately. The new for '98 improvements don't make the Judy a 'Bomber', but they make it a really nice shock. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Petros
a cross-country rider
from Montreal, Canada
Date Reviewed: December 31, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I recently purchased the 1998 Judy XC LT. That is the 1998 Judy with the new type-3 springs and new c-3 cartridge and the Long Travel option. Although I haven't received my bike nor the suspension, I took one the the 98 Judy XC's in the shop for a test ride. Let me tell you guys who say the usable travel isn't enough or it's not plush or any of that junk, Rockshox fixed all that. The new Judy tracks better, absorbs hits better (and I've riden a 96 and a 97 XC) than ever before. It rocks. try it! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
richard madcow
a cross-country rider
from taunton
Date Reviewed: November 5, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
it is a good fork for the money at the time that i had bought it i would much rather have something lighter i said so i through some air cartriges in it now it is a tricked out fork that workes rather well | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a weekend warrior
from Honolulu, Hawaii
Date Reviewed: November 2, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I juiced up my '96 Judy XC, from 2 inches of travel to 3 inches of travel; took out elastomers; and added a Risse cart with Speed Springs. Speed Springs is the best thing you can do for your Judy. Elastomers suck. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a weekend warrior
from Midwest USA
Date Reviewed: November 1, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I ride a 96 Judy XC And was not impressed with the stock set up. I installed a couple of red speed spring into the fork and now it is a damn nice fork. 2 chilis with the stock elastomers. 5 with the speed springs! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nathan
a weekend warrior
from USA
Date Reviewed: October 20, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This shock is O.K it can not handle much due to the small amount of travel you can actualy use. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gary Dempster
a cross-country rider
from Buttpirate central, Ca
Date Reviewed: October 17, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
OK, time for my 2centsworth! I have a M2 Comp, and for me, the Judy's are the most. Of course, I blew the cartridge in no time, we had a good laugh at the shop as oil leaked all over the floor and my mechanic! I replaced them with Englund cartridges, and their lighter, more travel, and the Englund's should have their own review site!! They don't seem built to last, they leak air, and require a $60 pump! I'm on pair #2, after 1 yr., they do kick dat ass tho. AS for the functionality of the Judy, it lets you straight haul serious ass, its stiff as can be, very aggressive build. The air shocks are kinda dead feeling, and not so good on small bumps, but way smooth at speed. I'm interested in trying some diff. shox, but I don't see how you could complain about the Judy's function. Also, I highly recommend White Bro's fork wipers, for $20, they look way cool, you can see your travel (clean part of the stanchion tube), and did i mention you can look cool, like a pro w/ no fork wiper gay things? Oh, also, if you watch South Park you can ride faster. I'm out...4 start for Judy. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
The Very Big Daddy From Down Under
a weekend warrior
from I know you want to come to New Zealand!!!!!
Date Reviewed: October 1, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Way better than my last shock (scott carbon unishock) which isn't saying much. Blown 3 cartriges in a year not very relaible. I'm sure I wasn't getting 2.5 from it Maybe even less than 2. I teel you if it didn't come with the bike I wouldn't buy it. But I suppose 2 years ago there wasn't many much better tham this. I've since replaced internals with Englung air cart. stuff. Works like what it should have been in the first place now. More travel, better control, less weight, not affected by weather..... Get some now ( my judy's are next to useless in winter here bar hitting rail ties at 30 mph. Stock judy's suck. Thank god there are more and better opions now and with a bit of money you can improve them | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Simon
a
from Taiwan
Date Reviewed: October 1, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Got it stock on my new bike. within 2000 km, blowed up one oil carthridge, replaced the dead elastomers with spring, replaced one corroded plunger, the other plunger is now corroded as well, have to regrease and take the water out of the fork after every wet rides, developped play in the legs bushings, now the fork is all skectchy. Not worth the money, very short life time, perform for about 300 Km, if you get it with your bike use it but think of replacing it quickly particularly if riding under wet conditions.
One chili due to poor reliability. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Robert
a racer
from Nashville, TN
Date Reviewed: August 13, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
These are pretty good, they track pretty well, absorb bumps, and soften the ride like every shock. The oil cartridge leaks a little, and the plastic bumper caps are hard to thread sometimes making me wonder how much longer they will last. My next shock will probably be something that is simpler to maintain, or that is more logically built. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Billie-Joe-Bob
a racer
from Hickville, USA
Date Reviewed: August 12, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Way overrated. Relatively stiff, but lacking in travel and damping. Keep those old Mag21's because they're better than this thing they call Judy. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
phil
a racer
from Ringwood N.J.
Date Reviewed: August 6, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
When I first got this fork I thought it was the best but I soon hated the urethane bumpers and replaced the internals with Speed Springs and the Risse Judy Gem after the older cartridge blew out. This made the fork awesome but it still lacked the performance in the stutter bumps, everything else from large to medium bumps it worked great on. The next two things about the judy is that the magnesium sliders wore down rather quickly and this is with cleaning the fork at least once every two months of riding and changing the bushing inside every 6 months. Also the top caps on it stripped out on me and had no way of adjusting the preload. I wouln't suggest this fork to anyone because you have to spend another $150.00 to even make this fork up to par. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Merrey
a cross-country rider
from Edmond
Date Reviewed: August 1, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This is the fork that came stock on my bike. I had previosly ridden a
Quadra-21, an unfortunate piece of work. Let me say that the difference
between the two was imperceptible. No amount of tuning or lubing would
help. My riding buddies at the time had a Judy SL and Mag-21; my shock
was the least active of the bunch. I would like to make it clear that
I never had any mechanical problems, and Rock Shox has since changed this
shock, but at the time it was horrid. Since my upgrade to White Bros.
hardbody plus and Judd springs, however, a different story can be told.
Anyone with a Judy should consider it standard practice to upgrade to
springs as soon as possible, and go to a hardbody plus cartridge soon
after. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brendan Shanley
a cross-country rider
from NC
Date Reviewed: July 12, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
A great fork. The rebound is exelent if you set the damping correctly. 2.5 inches of travel does not seem like alot, but on a good singletrack trail, it works very well. I give it a four because it could use another inch of travel and another red (soft) elastomer in each leg. Also, the fork works better if you have good tires - not piece of shit psycos. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a cross-country rider
from MAINE
Date Reviewed: July 10, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I puchased a 96 Schwinn equiped with a Judy XC the fork has been nothing but problems. Backup from R.S. has been geat so far (3 free replacement cartrages) , but I would prefer a fork that works instead of saying in the shop. two stars because of good performance when it isnt broken and the excelent back up. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
steven
a racer
from San Francisco
Date Reviewed: July 9, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
My 96 Judy XC gave me a year and a half of problem free duty. I did replace the elastomers with Speed Springs which makes it a much better fork. Honestly, it is probably luck, but I had no leakage or other problems and I was pretty lax with maintenance. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dr.Gonzo
a cross-country rider
from Seattle
Date Reviewed: July 7, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
My 96 Judy has suffered all the problems that others have noted (leaky cartridge, harsh on small bumps, poor adjuster caps, etc.) I upgraded it with Englund Total Air cartridge and - WOW - a major improvement (for $80). But now it seems structural deficiences are manifesting in the form of corroded upper legs and worn out bushings. When this fork was new it was great, but it has not been designed for a very long service life, IMHO. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
md
a cross-country rider
from ca
Date Reviewed: June 20, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Great shocks. If you put in englund air cartrige it works even better. I love it. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a cross-country rider
from Minnesota
Date Reviewed: June 19, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Good fork while the cartridge wasn't blown. I got one with the now aluminum one and after 2 months of regular riding, drip, drip. The Judy XC tries to be good at everything but it just turns out to be a mediocre fork | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Riley
a cross-country rider
from
Date Reviewed: May 14, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I just gave in to the fantastic pricing at Performance and picked up one of these for $229. That's only slightly more than I paid for a Q21R and I can't believe the difference. The Quadra is a great value, the Judy is a great fork. Until I really got some miles in on the Q21R I didn't realize just how flexy is was. I'm just too big for that fork. I could live ieht the control, but the flex was actually beginning to scare me. I know that I don't have the new lower legs or sealing, but this fork is so much better than anything I've ever owned that I don't believe you could improve it too much. I also realize that I don't have springs and things, and that the cartridge could blow on any ride, but repair and upkeep are expected and Rock Shox is a fantastci company to deal with. I don't think the highest rating is out of line. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Springsteen
a weekend warrior
from Racine,WI USA
Date Reviewed: May 7, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
At first I had a problem with stiffness. I put in the smallest sring stop they work great.
Never got them off road yet but, imagine they work great. Like all but the color. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kris
a racer
from Ottawa
Date Reviewed: May 7, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Save your cash. If you can just get a crown&steerer, lower legs and a bolt kit. These are the only
things that Rock Sux can make at least halfway decent. The cartidges are dubiouly unreliable, even
the aluminuim ones fail easily (especially with springs). The MCU's are brutal (I live in Canada where
you can ride in 10 degree (Celcius) one day, and 25 the next and the bumpers are either way too soft
or way to stiff. I now have speed springs and a white bros. cartridge (which is now halfway blown, but
to its credit didn't explode on me while servicing the fork like the Rock Sux one did). For $500 Cdn this
fork is a rip off.Here's my opinion of what to do to get a Working Judy XC1) Order a crown/steerer, and lower legs, boots, and bolts
2) Get white springs and cartridgeORjust get a white bros. fork in the first place
I'll give 2 chili's (better than a rigid fork, but 10* as expensive) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ed W.
a cross-country rider
from Salem, Oregon
Date Reviewed: May 4, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This is a great fork! My previous fork was an old Quadra 21. The Judy is
very plush. I ride tight single-track, and this fork is perfect. I am a light person (140 pounds), so I dont notice much fork flex. I don't have speed springs, and I know they may make a better ride, but I feel that the stock ride is already great. I have not had any cartridge problems yet.
My one complaint is that like the cheapo quadra 21, the preload adjusters are mounted on cheezy plastic inserts that are a pain to remove and install.
Other than that, buy 'em, give 'em a few days to break in, and enjoy 'em.
I give them 5 fish. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Fly10243
a cross-country rider
from NY
Date Reviewed: May 2, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Judy XC'96 is my second fork after Manitou 3. I bought it last year. I weight 150 pounds and it takes a lot of effort for me to fully compress Judy's bumpers. Until several weeks ago, I wasn't fully enjoying the ride. It was too harsh for me, even if I lowered compression all the way down.
Then I upgraded those 5 red elastomer bumpers to Speed Springs (soft). The difference was tremendous. Now, I really feel the plushness of this fork. I cranked up compression and I got a real nice package. Speed springs aren't cheep, but I have no confidence in off-the-shelf hardware type of spring that goes for $6/pair. So far I haven't blown any cartridges. If I do, I hear Risse's good. It only makes me wonder: why do those idiots at R.S don't use real springs in their forks? Is it really necessary to go overboard and spend another $60+ on upgrading Judy (unless they have a cintract w/ Speed Springs)?
Overall it's a great fork, but if you want to take full advantage of it, you gotta upgrade. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Watchdoggy
a racer
from canada
Date Reviewed: April 27, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have a late 96 model with an aluminum cartridge, I'm 190 lbs rider, and I haven't blown a cartridge yet(I have about 3200 hrs on them) all the storys of these things blowing apart make me kind of nervous, and I check often for oil leaks. Word to the wise: this fork is crap with out springs, bite the bullet and buy a set of springs and this shock gives a great ride. Why buy a $400.00 fork that needs another $50 part to make it work right? Well you can a great deal on judy right now, and I feel a 96 judy with a spring rides much better then a 97 judy stock. I can only give this shock, 4 chilis as it aint much with out a spring. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim Goodwin
a racer
from Vancouver, Wa.
Date Reviewed: April 26, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I just got these forks a few weeks ago and I love them. I mail ordered
them and the cartridge was already replaced with a aluminum cartridge.
These dont't bottom out like my Q21R's did. When I am climbing I don't
even notice them. I give them 5 stars!!!!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan
a cross-country rider
from utah
Date Reviewed: April 26, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Should have saved some money and got the 21r. After blowing 4 cartridges in one year I`ve gave up and left it be makin it a 21r more or less. Next shock MARZOCCHI. Springs do increase the performance in cold weather. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy Goeckel
a cross-country rider
from germany
Date Reviewed: April 23, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Really disapointing. The Judy XC may be stiffer than my old Mag 21, but I´ve blown a cartridge, the MCU´s suck in cold weather, the bolts rust and the adjusting is a pain in the ass. I´m going to try spings this summer, and if a least the performance doesn´t make up for all this shit, then bye-bye Judy. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
super Dave
a cross-country rider
from JAX, FL
Date Reviewed: April 18, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have been running the judy since feb of 95. It seemed great at first till the 1st cartridge blew after 2 mos. The bike shop suggested going to a 3 cartridge since I weigh 200lbs and stupidly I agreed. I went through 9 cartridges in all(including 1 aluminum) before everything seemed to work fine. Rockshox knows they have a problem and at least admit it unlike other companies. I recently bought a Y-22 and it's judy has had no problems at all. My advice if your having problems is to get Rockshox to send you all new parts(especially the plastic washer that holds the cartridge in).
Anyway as for a review the fork works great except in the cold and if it doesn't feel right than buy new elastomers and quit playing with those cheap plastic caps. I don't know if it was worth all the hassle I got from Rockshox but it is nice when it's working. I'd give it 4 stars but for 400 they should be lighter. | | Overall Rating: |
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