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Submitted by
Fai
a Cross Country Rider
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: October 23, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | Woodcutter | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Cheap John's Enterpr | | Strengths: | Durability, weight, looks | | Weaknesses: | Short travel, complexity of servicing, flexy, mag lowers oxidizes in the humid weather | | Similar Products Used: | RST circa 1995 | | Bike Setup: | Pacific Coast Frame, 2nd Gen XTR derailleurs, converted 21 SPD XTR cog, DX rear hub/clutch Vintage, USE seat post, Velo Ti seat, Ringle Super Bubba front Vintage, XTR crank, HG Chains, Answer Hyperline straight Bar, Control Stix short bar extensions | | Bottom Line: | It lasted 13yrs with moderate XC riding and some nasty drops, before the seals started leaking. Zero servicing done before then. Had the steerer tube converted to a threadless alloy tube (from RST) with the help of a motorcycle mechanic and a hydraulic press. Brace is a blue anodized Brodie CNC unit, which made it V-brake compatible. I finally have to lay it to rest. No confidence in servicing such a vintage fork. This is my tribute to teenage days filled with gullible ideas created the tech savvy marketeers, a teenager who fell into the hype and bought an all time great pioneering front sus. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave Gardner
a Weekend Warrior
from Indianapolis, IN, USA
Date Reviewed: March 29, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Town Run Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | eBay auction | | Strengths: | Hard to tell, since I did not buy new. | | Weaknesses: | Seems to flex just a little, and has a bit of stiction. May need a little Judy butter. | | Similar Products Used: | RST Gila, Manitou OE on a Mongoose NX 8.1 | | Bike Setup: | GT Outpost Trail cobbled together on the cheap with 7 speed cog, Shimano Alivio crankset, SRAM 3.0 ESP rear derailleur and various other parts. | | Bottom Line: | Getting the air pressure right is challenging. I bought used on eBay, seller said it sat unused for a couple of years. It so far is not leaking oil or air. I need to try buttering the stanchions, cause it seems to stick a bit in the sliders, but maybe I'm running too much air. Tried 32 lbs in each leg. It is a much nicer ride than rigid fork, and it makes my GT turn on a dime! I appreciate old technology that still works, and this one seems to do just fine. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Patryk
a Weekend Warrior
from Bremerhaven
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Internet | | Strengths: | Light | | Weaknesses: | No so much travel but it like a lowered sports car than :) | | Bottom Line: | As Mag21SL Ti i find this is the one of the beautiful forks ever built! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nick P.
a Weekend Warrior
from Oakland, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: May 30, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | redwood regional park | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | local bike shop | | Strengths: | smooth rebound dampening, longevity | | Weaknesses: | a little flexy | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | 1994 Trek 7000, heavy but bombproof | | Bottom Line: | I got this fork way back in '94 with a new Trek 7000. At the time, the 7000 could be ordered with an OEM front suspension fork, but I opted to get the rigid bike and add the Mag 21. Pretty wise for a 15-year-old kid. I'm now 25, and still riding the same old bike with the same old fork. Did a long travel kit way back when, changed the oil once, and otherwise pretty much left it alone. Leaks a few pounds of air between rides, but I still have the original hypodermic Rock Shox pump. I had my local bike shop convert the Mag to newer Deore V-brakes matched to the old cantilever levers with a pair of old-school pulley adapters. So a V-braked Mag 21 CAN be done. I have only owned one bike and fork in the last decade—this combo has outlasted many things, including the bike-shop chain that sold it to me. No choice but to give it the full five chilis. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gus Pineda
a Weekend Warrior
from Elizabeth, NJ, USA
Date Reviewed: May 17, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Cheesequake lake trail | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | local bike shop | | Strengths: | durablity, reliability, longevity!! This thing took a beatin from me over the years | | Weaknesses: | Too bad I couldn't covert it to take V-Brakes! | | Similar Products Used: | Rock shox SID worldcup | | Bike Setup: | '93 Giant CFM2 hardtail Shimano LX/XT components, Aerospoke wheels, Bontrager Bars/stem/seatpost | | Bottom Line: | From the first day I took my bike from the bike shop on a ride I was impressed, and I've never had to doubt my shock since then. Over 10 yrs I've had my shock on my Giant and it never failed me. Though every trail, road, jump & turn it hung tough. The combo of oil & air work so great that I didn't want to change my shock, but since I wanted to convert from the oldschool cantilever brakes system originally on my bike to V-brakes, my local bike shop said they couldn't adapt the brakes to the Mag21, so now I got a RockShock SID worldcup, that also is the cats meow!! I've been tempted to sell the Mag21, but I can't find the will to do it. So for those outthere with Mag21's cherish your shock, there's very few shocks outhere that can compare to its quality. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
p t
a Weekend Warrior
from mpls
Date Reviewed: May 11, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | liquer store | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$125.00 | | Purchased At: | pawn shop | | Strengths: | reliability - bomb-proof!! | | Weaknesses: | if i was a wanker i'd say the weight... but i'm not. | | Similar Products Used: | various rockshox and manitous | | Bike Setup: | a couple of wheels, some gears and shifters, and various other components. 24 punds total. | | Bottom Line: | came with khs purchased from pawn shop years ago. have beat the sh#$ out of bike and fork past 6-7 years, with no problems other than rebuild last year due to general aging/leaks (able to find one of the last overhaul kits in town). retiring the khs this summer and will be purchasing surly 1x1... it comes with a manitou but i'm gonna swap that out for the mag. thing is bomb-proof. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim Hanson
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Gatos,Calif, USA
Date Reviewed: June 11, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$125.00 | | Strengths: | unbreakable, bullit-proof | | Weaknesses: | Haven't been ascertained yet. Could someone send me manual on rebuilding this thing and include specs on oil changes? | | Similar Products Used: | Judy(garbage), Manitou(trash) | | Bike Setup: | "00 Stumpjumper, 96 Stumpjumper, 94 Stumpjumper | | Bottom Line: | '94 Stumpjumper came with "Future Shock" which I still have. Never been rebuilt and has been on well over 2000 miles single track. I never rode extreme, but have ridden Soquel Demo Forest for years and have many scares to prove it. Bought "96 and it came with Manitou(sh*t)which was worn out after six months of use. Found one of the last Mag 21 available over the counter and replaced Manitou. Bike got stolen and broke my heart, that bike and I were perfect fit. Bought a new bike in "00 and bike shop had old Mag 21 behind the counter. Traded shock on bike for Mag 21 and upgrade on shifters. Dealer thouht he got the best deal. I got Mag 21 and XTR shifter! He got sh*t shock and LX shifters. Just goes to show that you can't reinvent the wheel(or front shock). | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark
a Weekend Warrior
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: February 25, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Ti upper Legs =D~
Nice finishing.
Fully adjustable
Featherlite | | Weaknesses: | 1.9" travel
Flex.
| | Similar Products Used: | Judy XC
RST | | Bike Setup: | Highly re-spec GT LTS2 | | Bottom Line: | 1st got it back in 98 and been with my hardtail ever since. It loses air slowly but gracefully just like the way it's aging. Rebuild isn't quite possible and economical given its age and it's threaded steerer tube which I've ruined during the last headset regreasing. But it's still ridable if the threads don't die/or i can find a new crown.
The fork that commands respect from the grown ups and arouse intrigue in the youngster. If only rock shox make forks with such quality now. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul
a Cross Country Rider
from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: January 7, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | It's lasted 7 years! | | Weaknesses: | It looks like it's not going to last 8 years. :) | | Similar Products Used: | None, until now I've had no desire to upgrade. Tried a few friends bikes over the years - none compared.
Unfortunately I think I have finally blown it up, and a replacement is needed. | | Bike Setup: | Cromo Hardtail, Shimano LX throughout. Due for a few upgrades as it's showing it's age - or do I just buy a new bike.....hmmmm. | | Bottom Line: | My first suspension fork, and it has lasted me seven years (admittedly i've been travelling for a couple of those, where it's remained in storage). Used it for XC, with some racing, loads of recreational technical blasts, but not downhill (ok a bit). Love it, and I am really reluctant to join the label conscious masses and get a duke/sid/race/sl/lockout/uturn/superwhatsit.
RIP Mag21 my friend, you will be remembered. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gary
a Cross Country Rider
from Connecticut
Date Reviewed: December 19, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Adjustability, dependability | | Weaknesses: | none | | Bike Setup: | Came on my "94" Stumpjumper | | Bottom Line: | A truly great fork, valve seals finally blew out this summer after over eight years of fairly aggresive riding. I have never had the oil changed! Will rebuild it even though I now ride a Rocky Mountain Carve. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pedro
a Cross Country Rider
from Iowa
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | came with bike | | Strengths: | Great all around fork for most types of riding. Cool Rock Shox decal on each fork leg. | | Weaknesses: | Mine came painted white. That sucks. | | Similar Products Used: | Marzocchi, Future shock, Head Shock, Schwinn Orange Krate, Schwinn Black Phantom, Columbia 5-Star | | Bike Setup: | Carbon fiber frame, full XTR, cool titanium stuff so I can ride with the uppity crowd, old school blue anodized goodies from Ringle (remember those?) I'm cool. Buy some - you can be too. | | Bottom Line: | This is one of the best suspension forks of all time. One of the original old school, bulletproof, no frills, get the job done, just ride it and don't whine about stupid crap you fancy pants wuss, mountain bike parts. Literally, it is a legend. It works great for all around riding and it came from the good 'ol days when mountain bikers weren't stuck up pricks. What really makes me mad is that when you ask a bike shop if it's possible to still get rebuild kits for it (which I know is a stupid question), they laugh at you and act like you're stupid for still riding your bike that was high quality then, but apparently is a worthless piece of crap now simply because you haven't spent $4000 on a new one every couple years in their store. Mountain biking is about FUN and PERSONAL FREEDOM and ENJOYING NATURE. It is NOT (and never has been),about putting people down for not having the latest, fanciest, and shiniest bike part that does everything but enhance your riding experience. Mountain biking was the alternative and FRIENDLY sport - remember? Ok, I'm done. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
clive
a
from melbourne
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Lightweight, durable with minimal maintenance, got them with second hand hardtail race bike in 1998. Have re-worked the pressure valves with a couple of re-worked Schraeder valves epoxied into the old crowns after caeful drilling and sizing. Works absolutely great now ! just two pumps from my short blackburn and it set for life. Replaced oils with new 5wt and general cleanup. | | Weaknesses: | A bit flexy, quite stiff travel, but at least I dont bounce like a clown ason my bro's judy's | | Similar Products Used: | Judy, Manitou | | Bike Setup: | wheeler frame hardtail, duro XT | | Bottom Line: | Obviously lower travel than newer offerings, however an elegantly engineered fork with visible value on opening. On a HardTail they do the job fine. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bastian Kießling
a Weekend Warrior
from Freiberg, Sachsen, Germany
Date Reviewed: July 29, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$350.00 | | Purchased At: | Small Shop | | Strengths: | Versatility, Easyness in Maintaining and Adjusting the Fork | | Weaknesses: | None I know of. | | Similar Products Used: | Psylo SL, Mag 21 SL | | Bike Setup: | GT Zaskar, with XT Complete SRT 800 XRays and Mag 21 | | Bottom Line: | One of the best Forks I have ridden so far. The bike is now about 10 Years old although I wanted an GT LTS with an Judy DH, my dad got me to buy an Zaskar with a Mag 21. It was a good idea afterwards. Until 2 Years ago he used an 21SL in his Mantis Pro Floater... Don't know if you can remember this Type of Bikes. Custom Made by an ex-Klein Frame-Welder. Under 12 Kilos for an XC-Fullsuspension and this was also 11 Years ago. Both bikes run seriously well. My Dad skipped his 2 Years ago for an Rotwild RFR 01 with the Psylo. This is also a realy nice Fork, you get to know the difference of 10 Years of Fork development. Last week, i got really scared, the fork was low on pressure. I have no tools i.e. air-pumps here, so I went to a local Dealer who in fact had an Original Rockshox-Pump. The Crappy Thing was defect, it released almost all the air. At first we thought the Seals were gone for good. Nobody around here has the tools to properly repair it. I got the number of the nearest RockShox Center from another local Dealer. The Staff at the Center was quite unfriendly, did not want to talk about the problem either i send in my fork or get lost. So I went to a third dealer who luckily had a new multifunctional -fork pump from sks now everything is working fine. Although I should give my little one a little time in one of these RS centers so it won't stop working. If it ever does it would replace it with a psylo sl or duke xc - uturn ;) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jesse
a Weekend Warrior
from Vincennes, IN
Date Reviewed: November 16, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Anywhere away from SUV's (I recently got hit by one) | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | Light, good compression. preload adjustmant | | Weaknesses: | bottoms out sometimes, but it may just need to be pumped up | | Similar Products Used: | Posi Track (cheapie Wal-mart fork with almost no compression-it might as well be rigid) | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Rockhopper with Shimano componant mix (Alivio shifters and hubs, LX canti brakes, XT deraileours) Mavic rims. | | Bottom Line: | I'm new to mountain biking, and this is the first "real" suspension fork i've had experiance with. Despite the bottoming out problem,(which hopefully will be solved when my friend brings his pump and some new seals) it seems like a good fork. It's nice to be able to ride off-road and actually feel some compression, unlike my cheap Posi Track. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dennis Sergienko
a Cross Country Rider
from Kiev, Ukraine
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | both X-country and off-road/freeride | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | with the bike | | Strengths: | light, long live even with the poor maintanance | | Weaknesses: | not really stiff, is easily bottomed out lest pumped up very hard, leaks oil, no disk mounts. | | Similar Products Used: | judy sl, some RSTs, super fatty DL | | Bike Setup: | cannondale killer V900, lx/xt | | Bottom Line: | good enough for X-country, but no way for any extreme off road riding. don't neglect maintaning it!!!!!! worth of its price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alex
a Weekend Warrior
from Reno, NV, USA
Date Reviewed: August 20, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Bike Setup: | Bridgestone MB3 Shimano XTR all the way and my MAG 21 with screwed up air seals. | | Bottom Line: | When tuned properly this is one of the nicest old school forks you can find. If you can find one of these with good seals buy it. You won't regret it. I wouldn't recomend doing 6-8 foot drops on it or jumping stairs like I did. It'll royally screw the air seals. Other than that as a XC fork it'll give you a nice ride. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
96Klein
a Cross Country Rider
from Maryland
Date Reviewed: June 27, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Avalon | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$54.00 | | Purchased At: | www.ebay.com | | Strengths: | Reliable and adjustable classic fork. Perfect match for my restoration bike. | | Weaknesses: | Pretty flexy; Tools and parts are not available; Have to purchase one used. | | Similar Products Used: | '95 Quadra 21R, '96 Judy XC, '98 Manitou SX Ti, '97 Judy DH, '98 Judy SL, '00 Marazocchi Z1 XFly, etc.. | | Bike Setup: | '95 Stumpjumper Steel w/ full Shimano XTR M-900 (except M-910 shifter for the display). And now MAG 21. | | Bottom Line: | I thought I would comment because I just purchased another MAG 21 a week ago and recieved it in the mail last night. Back in '95 I purchased a MAG new and I think it cost $289.00 installed. I had that fork up until '99 when I traded it for a '98 Judy DH (bad choice I know). Since then I didn't think twice about my MAG, unless I stumbled across the shock pump in my tool chest. Well I've began collecting bikes from early to mid '90s, and decided I wish I had my old MAG21. I have been searching Ebay for a replacement for a few months. Most of the forks are near death and not worth the price sold. Last week I found GOLD! $54.50 later I owned a 95% new MAG 21. This fork has little or no ware or dirt and is mechanically better then my old MAG21 was when I sold it. Air seals are perfect and there are no cracks on the lower tubes. It even has the original stickers (no scratches). Well I lucked out, and for that I will have a tweaked MAG 21 on my Stumpy in a few days. God I love those forks... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Vic Buenconsejo
a Cross Country Rider
from Columbia, MD USA
Date Reviewed: November 29, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Matterhorn | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Northcoast Cyclery | | Strengths: | Reliable, adjustable and once fine-tuned with proper oil weight this fork has great "feel." Lighter than most "modern" forks. | | Weaknesses: | Not available for my next bike. As said above, a little flexy, but matches well to my steel frame. | | Similar Products Used: | 'Zokes, Manitous test-ridden on friends' bikes. | | Bike Setup: | '93 Rocky Mountain Altitude, SunTour XC-Pro throughout (WTB Grease gun injection ports!), absolutely no Shimano on the bike. | | Bottom Line: | Decided to post because I just broke my very-well crafted Rocky Mountain frame after 7 years, a few thousand miles and a few horrific crashes (including one garage door stint that simply pulled the Thule off the roof, forks still clamped to the rack). I love the suppleness and damping of the Mag-21's and will put these on the new frame I get from RMB. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
El jefe'
a Racer
from Wellington NZ
Date Reviewed: April 21, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Lees Grove | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Mail order | | Strengths: | Does not wear any of its parts out! Under 3 pounds. Simple,
tunable, reliable. Undoubtly the best XC fork ever made. Not a free-ride or DH fork. Doesnt bob! Lock-out schmockout. | | Weaknesses: | Might break if you got big air? Who needs big air. I am a XC racer. Probably a lot flexier than the latest generation of fork. Had to be discontinued cos it wouldnt break? | | Similar Products Used: | Havent needed any since 96 when I brought them! | | Bike Setup: | Litespeed 93 Ocoee. | | Bottom Line: | I cannot rave about these forks enough. I have only changed the oil once in 5 years! Never the bushes or seals, altho I put in the 'long travel kit'. Did the vet worlds on them in 96. Won the master 2 nationals on them this year. They Rock. There were Sids blowing up all around me...
Mine are the SL Ti model with the alloy steerer, also have boots fitted. Nothing has even come close to this fork for reliablility in the last 5 years. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Klondike Mac
a Weekend Warrior
from Orem, Utah
Date Reviewed: March 30, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Wasatch Mountains | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | From full-time racer | | Strengths: | I bought the fork when it had been in 6 California races and had some wear in 1993. I've never had to have the seals tweeked - changed oil twice - heavy. Best fork I've ever had and if the tubes would fit other crowns, I'd have this fork on whatever bike I ride. Good travel on big hits - anything under 6 feet drop but because of age (I think) it doesn't handle the washboard as well as it used to. Last ride I went straight into a 4' rock at 15+ mph and nothing broke but me flying over the bar. Best shock ever. I wish it was still made. | | Weaknesses: | Paint looks old and stickers have been gone for a long time. Doesn't look as good as new ones. | | Similar Products Used: | Marzoochi - Manitou | | Bike Setup: | '95 Klein w/'98 XT, Avid Ti Brakes, Cook Cranks, W-Man Wheelset, all aftermarket | | Bottom Line: | Flies like a butterfly and stings like a bee. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tim
a Weekend Warrior
from cincinnati
Date Reviewed: December 1, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | huge range if adjustments possible
super smooth on large bumps
enough travel for xc riding | | Weaknesses: | pretty flexy- dropouts are skinny, and so are the stanchions, not much bushing overlap | | Similar Products Used: | manitou 2, sid, halson inversion, girvin vector 2, manitou 4 | | Bottom Line: | this was the first suspension fork i rode, my brother bought a specialized stumpjumper on ep from the shop he was working at and let me borrow the bike several times. i was like fifteen years old at the time, and i only weighed about 115lbs, but i distinctly remember the fork feeling pretty flexy in the turns. i'm sure part of this was the fact that i was (and am) accustomed to riding a rigid fork.
i also had the opportunity to log some time on my brother's other bike's fork, a girvin vector 2, and the vector was far stiffer in the turns. i wound up buying a halson inversion, still going strong with some repairs.
back to this fork, though... the air spring's pressure is going to vary with the outside temps, if it gets cold pressure will go down, but oil viscosity will go up, so things kinda cancel each other out. if it gets hot, obvioulsy the reverse will happen.
the fork still performs amazingly well over large bumps at high speeds, to the extent that i would probably buy a used mag21 over a sid for xc racing (something i don't do). part of the fact that the reviews here are generally so good is the nostalgia factor, something which is in part justified- they were- and are- great forks for xc racing if you wanna still use rim brakes. so, get a booster if you really find it flimsy, or an aftermarket brace if you can dig one up.
overall, a very reliable fork that can be cheaply repaired. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lee
a Weekend Warrior
from Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 1, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$250.00 | | Strengths: | Reliable, simple, forgiving, the anti-hype fork, THEY WORK! | | Weaknesses: | Yah they flex a bit.....my whole bike flexes, so what. | | Similar Products Used: | Many.......elastomer sucks. | | Bike Setup: | GT | | Bottom Line: | These forks are the single best investment I have ever made for my bike. I bought them just after they came out WAYYYY back when and they work great. I have the long travel kit in them and have changed the weight of the oil from stock to heavy. I have never rebuilt them, they have never ever needed it. No probs at all. I will be buying a new bike soon and I gaurantee that no matter whats shocks come with it, I will miss the mags!! Buy em where ever you can if you can find them...try the Salvation Army. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Oregon
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | dirt | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Incredible fork: I guess that is why it was discontinued | | Weaknesses: | Legs broke apart when I drove into a parking garage with my bike on my rack | | Similar Products Used: | Mag 20, Quadra, Manitou 1,2,3, Headshok, Judy, SID | | Bike Setup: | 94 Yeti(upgraded XTR, with Ringle: looking for a buyer for my old Manitou 2 + softride quill stem) | | Bottom Line: | Kick-ass fork. Why did they discontinue it in favor of a MCU that just doesn't work well? At least it is making a comeback in the SID. Kept pushing these to customers at the bike shop well into 97, after the Judy was supposedly "the sh*t". Well, the MAG 21 rocks. Too bad Rock Shox made it heavy after the JUDY came along, then cut it off. Air and Oil: what a novel concept! 5 Fiery Hotdogs! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
slingshotz
a Cross Country Rider
from Cowtown, Canada
Date Reviewed: July 29, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Canada, everywhere | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Durability is incredible. I've had this fork for almost 10 years and between year 5-9 I never bothered to do any maintenance. During this time my bike and fork travelled with me to the UK, Australia, NZ and then back to Canada before I decided to do a overhaul. Let me tell you the oil was black as pen ink! New oil with the LT kit and works smoothly again....not that it didn't work that poorly during the abusive years. | | Weaknesses: | Paint is chipping off brace and labels peeling off....maybe the glue doesn't last 9+ years..... Fork is a bit flexily compared to the newer ones, but I'm still using an OLD (I mean 10 years!) XT front hub. | | Similar Products Used: | Never needed to. | | Bike Setup: | 1989 Slingshot (yup it's still alive, kicking and still attracting attention), 1999 XT all around (except front hub) | | Bottom Line: | Can't believe the fork has not died on me with riding by the sea (and sometimes through it), Australian bush, wet and damp UK, and snowy winters in Canada. If only it had disc brake mounts....
If I can get ahold of 1" steerer SIDs then I might have to say bye bye to the Mag 21s....anyone out there have any suggestions in finding one?
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Southington, CT.
Date Reviewed: July 5, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Durable,easy to maintain,one of the originals, I've had this fork on two different frames and have been very happy. | | Weaknesses: | all the decals fell off --- does that count? | | Bike Setup: | old school XT rapidfire shift, XT head set & cranks | | Bottom Line: | has never failed me and well worth the $350.00 I paid way back when.? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff
a Cross Country Rider
from Lancaster, Ca USA
Date Reviewed: May 23, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Light and strong. | | Weaknesses: | High maintenance. You have to pump the shock up practically everytime you ride. Plus, if you hit too hard, the shock bottoms out, blows the seals, and you have to pay 15 bucks to have the shock rebuilt. | | Bottom Line: | If you could make the shock leak less air, and make it harder to bottom out, then the Mag 21 would be perfect. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
CoolGuy
a Weekend Warrior
from Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | My Backyard | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Durability, reliability, adjustability. Easy to maintain, and saves my a$$ on all the hard hits. | | Weaknesses: | Not a lot of travel, and there's a bit of flex, but not enough to piss me off. | | Bike Setup: | '95 Trek 8000 with some upgrades | | Bottom Line: | Although there are superior forks out there now, I've grown to love my little Mag. She's been there for my through all the hills and valleys of my life. She has taken me through the bumps and gorges of my journeys.....she's like a reliable friend. And now I'm going to dump the biitch for a brand new Zoke Z3 Flylight. But the memories will always remain....
I give her 5 blazing Chilies! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Silver 23
a Weekend Warrior
from Amsterdam The Netherlands
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Lagi di Garda in Italy | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Good Damping
Reliable
Not too heavy but still stiff enough
Nice looks and Adjustability
63 mm is enough for XC work. | | Weaknesses: | No disc brake mount | | Similar Products Used: | Rock Shox Quadra | | Bike Setup: | Koga Miyata with Shimano LX-Mavic wheelset XT grouppo and Magura Brakes Acor seatpost-stem-Steerer. | | Bottom Line: | This is a Reliable Fork. I have been riding in various hard conditions and it never failed me. The looks are oldschool but still great. I hope Rock Shox will do a special edition of this one, maybe with new internals updated to todays making. This fork has been ridden by so many NORBA and World Champions. This fork has been the example for years how a suspension should be. In fact it has made its comeback, the SID. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Anthony Gonzalez
a Racer
from Milwaukee, WI USA
Date Reviewed: February 24, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Connector Trail - Souther Kettle Moraine | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Reliable, strong, light, adjustable - actual factual - the original | | Weaknesses: | leaks after a few years, needs the long travel kit. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | '95 Gary Fisher Montare, XT\SRAM\Race Face setup | | Bottom Line: | I have had this fork since I bought my bike in Jan of 95. It is a work horse, plain and simple. I put the long travel kit in '98, the fork needs it. Have the oil changed 2 times a year and race the WORS series here in Wisconsin, 12 races. No problems, the fork is light and strong, flexes a tad, but no break downs.
I love this fork!
I give it the habenaro! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
KB Turner
a Cross Country Rider
from Valley Forge, Pa.
Date Reviewed: February 15, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Horseshoe | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Great fork, simple. | | Weaknesses: | Not available | | Similar Products Used: | most forks | | Bike Setup: | Yo Eddie! 1st gen XTR | | Bottom Line: | There's no going back now, today's forks are arguably better, but this will always be the component that changed the whole thing around for me. Man, I miss that fork. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave Bisers
a Weekend Warrior
from Pittsburgh PA
Date Reviewed: January 28, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | North Park trails | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Very reliable,simple. | | Weaknesses: | Somewhat flexy, not a whole lot of travel. | | Bike Setup: | 7 year old nashbar elevated chainstay, LX,XT, thumbshifters. | | Bottom Line: | Had this fork for about 5 years, only suspension fork i've owned. Thinking about getting a bomber for new bike.
Bought it for 90 bucks in value bin at bike nashbar, put new crown on it for another 70. I have done no maintenance on it and it works perfectly. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
scott gordon
a Cross Country Rider
from brooklyn, ny
Date Reviewed: January 12, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | anywhere | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | I miss this fork. It was adjustable, light, and gave a good, positive, x-country suspension feel throughout the range of motion. It came with an old Raliegh Tomac which was ripped off a year or two back. | | Weaknesses: | Flexy, leaked oil. | | Similar Products Used: | Manitou Mach 5 (Oy! What junk), Marzocchi Superfly, Jett, rigids. | | Bottom Line: | My hommage to the Mag21:
In an industry which, in my opinion, become cheesy, disposeable, and flashy right around the same moment the Judy was introduced, the Mag was like a Dodge Dart. Reliable, workmanlike, plenty of tire clearance, it did what you wanted it to. Simple, efficient air/oil, firm feel. It's style came from it's innards, not appearance. The Judys may have better rigidity (I've never owned one because I remember the blown cartriges and other problems they suffered at their introduction.)
The Jett... crap. Manitou Mach 5... crap. Now I have a new Marzocchi. We'll see. It's a very different type of fork, more plush and rigid, complete with negative travel: something I'll have to get accustomed to.
I may be a retro grump, but everybody who has been biking a while gets nostalgic for certain parts. I beat the living hell out of those Mags, brought them in once or twice a year for a tuneup, never a problem that couldn't be fixed with some cheap rigging. Those were some damn great forks. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Napalm
a Weekend Warrior
from Madrid, Spain
Date Reviewed: January 5, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Very very adjustable, low weight, the winner off war among Rock Shox and
Manitou. | | Weaknesses: |
Flexy. Because was the best fork Rock Shox stop making it. | | Similar Products Used: |
My 4130 CrMo rigid fork. | | Bike Setup: |
99 19 Scott Timber very very modified. | | Bottom Line: | It´s a real suspension fork, an air-oil system can kick the **ass** of springs or elastomers systems. Was the first fork made in magnesium. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mc Gyver
a Racer
from Bristol, UK
Date Reviewed: January 5, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
Low weight and maintenance, more adjustable than Indys or Judys | | Weaknesses: |
Flexy | | Similar Products Used: |
Rock Shox Indy, Judy, RST 461, Sountour MG-80 | | Bike Setup: |
Scott FX1 | | Bottom Line: | Only two words: Air and Oil | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Trail Boy
a Cross-Country Rider
from Richmond, VA
Date Reviewed: December 17, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Poor Farm - I built most of 'em | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
Durability, adjustable (if taken care of), smooth looks (still look'n good),weight | | Weaknesses: |
flexy, can leak | | Similar Products Used: |
Original Manitou | | Bike Setup: |
97 19 Marin - Pine mountain | | Bottom Line: | Why did Rock Shox stop making this fork? What a loss for mountain bikers! It has real shock design (oid damped, air sprung). I have had it about four or five years. A friend of mine put 3 weight oil into in '97. I had a long travel kit placed on it in April of '99. It was also rebuilt. It was DIRTY! It had metal shavings in the oil but that is my fault because I neglected it. However, it still treats me well - you know, like a faithful old dawg. It is flexy and needs a suspension hub or a fork brace (I have neither and still manage). I have been to Arizona, Colorado, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia (where I live) on this fork and it works great. I have put in countless races on this fork and when I show up at these races people look at me like what are you doing with that fork man, get a real one dude. All I can say is I do not have to do much work on this fork. It takes big bumps but not small ones. I am light at 165 so it does not matter too much for me. It sometimes rides like a rigid fork and I like that on hill climbs. Where is the mage 21-SL? You know, the titanium version. I would love to buy one. However, I am considering buying a Superfly for the year 2,000. Are they Y2K compatible? I am not sure though. Decisions!!!!! I must go with a five star. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tsunami a wanna be
a Racer
from the Shark Tank in San ho-zay
Date Reviewed: November 20, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Fulda Gap, the Russian Invasion Route | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
three way adjustability! rebound knobs, air pressure for compression damping and oil level for rebound damping.
The original that others follow
Reliable
fairly light at 3.2 lbs.
still looks cool after all these years. | | Weaknesses: |
Stiction (coat stantions every ride with teflon lube to stop)
Flexes (solved this by adding a stout hub and brake booster)
Limited Travel at 1.8 inches( long travel kit will add another half inch i've been told).
Only works on big bumps, cause i feel all the small stuff | | Similar Products Used: |
besides the mag, once owned a Judy XC, now have a Marzocchi Z2 xFly.
Tried just about every fork out there that beloned to friends. | | Bottom Line: | This is a very good fork, when I bought it in 1993, it was the only decent suspension fork out there. My first oil changed occurred in 1995, since I found out how easily servicable this fork is, I now change the oil every year. I bought some seals about two years ago but have yet to use them! thats right I got the original seals on these babies! this fork is super adjustable, with adjuster knobs, oil level, and air pressure. I bought a Judy in 97 and blew two cartridges in one year, so i put the mags back on for good since a judy cartridge cost half as much as a judy. I have a Z2 xFly on my other bike, the mags do not compre to the stiffness and plushness of the Xfly, but considering that it is still working and not obselete like my 386 computer.... I give it five painted red and orange toe nails! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jorge R. Gonzàlez
a Weekend Warrior
from Naucalpan, Mèxico
Date Reviewed: June 26, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Barrancas del cobre, Chihuahua, Mèxico | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
smooth, nice travel,low mantenance,easy tuning | | Weaknesses: |
seals can leak | | Similar Products Used: |
Rock Shox Quadra 10 | | Bike Setup: |
cannondale M800 | | Bottom Line: | I´m just a proud owner of a mag 21 and I don´t think change my fork in a long time, it works fine! maybe when my Mag21 brokes or turns older(I don`t think so) I´ll could get a SID | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Edmonton Alberta
Date Reviewed: June 21, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Smooth travel, easily adjustible | | Weaknesses: |
They leak air over the winter months | | Similar Products Used: |
none | | Bike Setup: |
'92 Trek 800 | | Bottom Line: | This fork is one of the best forks i've ever tried (other than the judy 100). | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dan
a Cross-Country Rider
from seattle wa
Date Reviewed: May 28, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
smooth travel | | Weaknesses: |
flexlack of travel without long travel kit | | Similar Products Used: |
judy xc, t2, | | Bike Setup: |
gary fisher mt tam
xt | | Bottom Line: | Im very happy with this shock. Ive had it almost 5 years. After the first year I blew a seal in the right leg and it would not hold air. My local shop rebuilt it changed the oil and added the long travel kit. This addition, while a great improvement over stock, does change the bikes geometry and makes the bike taller. However, you get used to the change quickly. It is a great fork and im glad to see RS is moving back toward air. Elastamers are crap. As to the problem of flex I added a brake booster to the front brake posts and this took alot of the flex out of the front end. It is a great improvement for $20. I would recomend this upgrade to anyone with a indy, jett, quadra, or mag fork since they all use the same legs. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
stephe
a Cross-Country Rider
from atlanta
Date Reviewed: May 28, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
internal adjustments and on bike adjustment for conditions.. | | Weaknesses: |
Stiction, not real active. | | Similar Products Used: |
Z1 bam zoke | | Bike Setup: |
LT kit and a lot of tuning tricks at first to set it up for me.. | | Bottom Line: | This shock came on my stumpjumper and I still use it. It's nice for a on-off road bike as I can almost lock it out for road use and soften it up for off road. Took some playing with oil weights-heights and it should come with the long travel kit installed as it bottomed out way too much without it when set up for any sort of plushness. It takes big hits well but doesn't do much on the small stuff. After riding a Z1 it's not as good as I used to think :-) although it doesn't bob like the Z1 does. It hasn't given my any trouble (I do keep the oil changed) so it is a durable piece. If it was better on the small stuff I'd give it five chillies | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bowy
a Racer
from Groningen The Netherlands
Date Reviewed: May 24, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Good travel
Linear travel | | Weaknesses: |
Bit slow return
Not enough stiffness | | Similar Products Used: |
Marzochi XCR
Marzochi XC 600
RST Mozo Pro | | Bike Setup: |
Cannondale Beast of The East XT, XTR, Magura Raceline D | | Bottom Line: | I'am a trial/free rider and I think the travel is just enough but it has a but slow return when going downstairs with more than 25 KM/h But LLast week the vork crown started having cracks and now it is completely broken so that's no good. I'am now going for A Pace 36 EVO MXCD II | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Patrick Wullaert
a Cross-Country Rider
from De Klinge, Belgium
Date Reviewed: May 6, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
La Roche, Belgium | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
Tunability, quality, absorption of big hits | | Weaknesses: |
Not too active overall. | | Similar Products Used: |
Marzocchi Bomber Atom Bomb | | Bike Setup: |
Kona King Kikapu 99 w/ Magura brakes | | Bottom Line: | I've got a Mag21 on my other, five years old, bike and it's still working like a breeze. Not a lot of travel compared to other forks today, but the Mags are incredibly sturdy, soak up the big hits and are perfectly tuneable. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tyler
a Racer
from NH
Date Reviewed: April 29, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
The strenths of the mag-21 is the awesome ajustings.You can go from like a rigid fork to a fork that you cant feal a rock on! I love this shox! | | Weaknesses: |
There is only a couple of weaknesses. The worst one is that there is barly any travel(the LT is the best up grade!)The other weakness is that sometimes they can get really low on air and have to pump them up alot. | | Similar Products Used: |
Other products ive tried is the SIDs and there exacly the same but the SID are lighter. | | Bike Setup: |
The bike i ride is a Barracuda A2Zs i love it! my mags fit perfect with it and it rides great. | | Bottom Line: | The bottom line is that these shox are the best i love them and never get anything eles!!!!! My advise is to buy used because they will out last you!(if you take care of them) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill
a Weekend Warrior
from Boise, Idaho
Date Reviewed: April 8, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Bike Setup: |
Giant MTS-1 | | Bottom Line: | Great for my general use, 180lbs, more trail than mountain riding. No noticeable brake rub, and haven't bottomed out. Very adjustable. I changed the oil in them and love the results! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross-Country Rider
from Castro Valley, CA
Date Reviewed: March 30, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Back of Behind | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
Light, smooth travel, low-maintenance | | Weaknesses: |
Short travel | | Similar Products Used: |
Original Specialized Future Shock, various Manitous, Judy | | Bike Setup: |
Ritchey Super Comp, XT pretty standard - I will ride this bike forever! | | Bottom Line: | The fork has performed extremely well for me - I just replaced the oil for the first time when one of the basketball needle valve seals went on me ($6.00 for a little piece of rubber - ouch!) I have no complaint about that after 3-1/2 years. The travel is a little short but since I am not a gonzo, hiker-slaloming downhiller/jumper I probably do not put the load on the fork some others do - after nearly 20 years on a mountain bike I still ride like I have a rigid bike and suspension adds control and comfort. Us old farts can still boogie on the single track and surprise some of you kids! I will be adding an FSR XC Comp to the quiver in a few weeks but I will still be riding my old Ritchey 'til it or I die! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Keith
a cross-country rider
from usa
Date Reviewed: January 19, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
Mine is unique in that it still works like new and has never been rebuilt. Note that it doesnt get a lot of miles I have to add air occasionally, and dont go underwater. but Big complaint is that its not stiff enough. the stancions seem like they are made of rubbe. I am always getting brake rub and in tight spots feels unreliable, even with upgraded hubs & wheels. I'm replacing them with Z2 Bam, want to buy them cheap? Shame to add weight though. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Liao
a weekend warrior
from San Francisco
Date Reviewed: January 14, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I didn't fully appreciate these shocks until my first long ride. Though not particularly plush, it did its job, especially considering how I bought it used and two years old. This was my first suspension fork so I'll compare it only to a rigid bike. I was a three toed sloth on two wheels before these. At least now I can out run those blue bellied lizards. They soak up just enough of the bumps to compensate for the 2 extra lbs they tack on and also the flex. Five burning reproductive ovules just to raise the average. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SOUL
a racer
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: December 18, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I used these forks for as lomg as I can remember, and I still remember that they
performed perfectly for the XC races over here. Nowadays with the new Judy and SID, the more colourful spawn of the MAGs, people have overlooked this XC weapon. With a combination of light weight and smooth, predictable stroke, this fork still kicks RST, SID and Judy equipped ass on our little island. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill
a
from cross-country rider
Date Reviewed: December 4, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
My 95 stumpyM2 came with these forks. I haven't had any problems with them. they are light enough @3.2lbs, and very tuneable. I'm 160lbs and I run them @ 38-39psi. Major improvement<---I had them worked on a few years ago, long travel kit 2.5 installed, and 5w oil replaced with 2.5w oil. This cost $35 at my LBS. The only other thing I've done to improve them is lubed the stantions with Judy butter. Judy butter has made them smoother, and seemed to help out with a slight air loss I noticed. I guess the dust seals had dried out? I hear there are better forks out there now, but I'll stick with the Mags till they fail, and hope my next fork is as good, and trouble free. they get 5 for no suprises, for being so tuneable, and for not being obsolete after 3 years. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Justin
a racer
from Nelson BC Canada
Date Reviewed: November 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have had these shocks for 6 months but a bought them from a friend and had them since 1996 and they still work perfectly. They are realy easy to adjust and are very light. I wish though that they had more travel than 2 inchs. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Hamershock
a weekend warrior
from Slovenia
Date Reviewed: November 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Just overhauled my old Mag21's. Put in a modified Long Travel kit, some new seals, and a load of fresh 5 wt. What an incredible difference! MUCH smoother, more progressive, less stiction - all for $30 bucks. Thanks to the guy in Ottawa for his advice.Tips: To remove seals: remove fork legs from triple clamp, remove brace, remove boot, spring and upper seal, remove circlip, drain oil thoroughly, securely wrap leg in old towel, SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY pump fork up to about 100-120 PSI - this will pop the seals out. NOTE - the lower leg will attempt to go into orbit - that's why you wrap it in an old towel - BE CAREFUL and wear eye protection. Pressure varies - one leg on mine went at 90PSI, the other took 115 or so. Cut the long travel bushings in half or more - CAREFULLY!!! - with a NEW hack-saw blade, then level the cut with a good file and finish with wet/dry sandpaper. Install kit as shown with instructions. Don't cut the bushing back too far - it lessens the overlap and can be dangerous if you're heavy or aggressive. I ended up with 71 mm of travel.Put the seals back in with a 31.6mm seat tube, or a piece of pvc pipe - be careful not to damage the seals. Lube it all with judy butter before re-install.Don't put the top seal/spring back on - this is a major source of stiction. You will HAVE to run boots to protect main oil seals. Keep it clean and seals should be okay. Not advised for really muddy/dusty areas.A 4 pile of flaming crap fork after mods.
PS. NONE of this is probably advisable by RockShox, and I'm sure voids any warranty. If you screw this up - don't blame, flame, or sue me. That's my disclaimer.Mike | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
NN
a racer
from Hyde Park, VT
Date Reviewed: November 17, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I raced on mag-21/s all season and i love them. They work awesomely once they are tuned to your riding style. Air/Oil forks are truly superior to elastomer, like my brothers quad 5's. Mag-21's rule! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Guy Up North
a weekend warrior
from Canada
Date Reviewed: October 28, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I rode this for for about 2 years before I sold it and during that time, I never had any problems with it whatsoever. Yes the travel was limited although getting the long travel kit would have helped that regard. And yes it did flex BUT I noticed that the flex was not noticeable when I had a stiff front wheel so part of the problem was the wheel as well. It was great maintenance wise, it performed consistently and the travel was smooth. It was light and very tuneable. I'm a little sorry that I sold it... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mu
a weekend warrior
from Singapore!!
Date Reviewed: October 24, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
hi, my mag 21 is quite an oldie. I bought it with my GT karatoram in 1993, and now, the fork doesn't even work!! anyone out there, please give me advice as my mag is getting harder and harder!!
I've lost almost all the travel!!!
please email me if you have any useful advice for my grand daddy mag. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Busta-Trails
a cross-country rider
from Vancouver, BC - Canada
Date Reviewed: October 17, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I had these shocks for two years now. Today, i just got my bike back from getting the shocks overhauled and getting my long travel kit installed. First of all, the bike store put on the fork wrong when the put everything together again. This made the softest setting of the fork at #3. So don't go to The bike Cellar they don't do the job right. After wasting my gas and time, I finally got the opportunity to try them out. I had 50mm (height) of oil put in with no extra special settings. I weigh about 150 pounds. This made the shocks respond superbly! My tip to everyone is to add more oil into the mag21's. Since oil is not compressible and air is, the shocks will not feel as progressive and will respond better to small bumps. Before i got them tweaked, the shocks could not be felt unless you hit something quite hard in the trails at high speed. Now, these shocks rule! If you put in 2.5w oil, the damping will even be faster! I love my mag 21's!!! the LT kit is a must for anyone who owns one. It will increase you're travel to 63mm. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Birdman
a cross-country rider
from Princeton, NJ
Date Reviewed: October 8, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I had a Specialized Stumpjumper M2FS with a FutureShock on it, which is essentially a silver Mag 21 with slightly different damping. This was a fantastic fork, very light and easy to dial in. The action was smooth and stiction was present but not intrusive. I highly recommend air/oil over elastomers, and this was one of the best forks on the market. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a weekend warrior
from Brisbane, Australia
Date Reviewed: September 14, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
These are a good basic fork that can be modified for longer travel and dampening settings. Longer travel - easy, shorten the internal spacers. Modified dampening is also simple - just redrill the restrictor plate or use different weight oils or both. Disassembly is easy (Marc from vail is an idiot pumping them up to 250 psi - good way to stick a fork leg in ya !). For anyone who wants to fiddle, you'll get the performance you desire. Nice construction means easy rebuildability. My onlt complaint is the fine thread in magnesium (soft) for the canti brake pins. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jon
a cross-country rider
from
Date Reviewed: September 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have a 94 mag 21 which came stock on my 95 stumpjumper. I find it to be an excellent XC shock if you are in the weight range it was desinged for and if you are a willing mechanic. I am 145 lbs., and if I know the type of riding that I will be doing I can fine tune the shock so that the spring and damping is set to meet my exact needs. If I have a problem, it is because of the way I set it up not with the shock. I hope that when it wears out that I will be able to replace it a new version of an adjustable air oil system! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Koen Beckers
a cross-country rider
from Lommel, Belgium
Date Reviewed: July 28, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
It's a very steady product. Able to tackle the toughest conditions and the worst maintenance. (several more day races in really bad environment)I've already used this suspension now for more than 1.5 years on a Merida Carbon frame ans it's a great combination. Direct steering, easy adjusting, very stable in working. When you take everything into consideration a very low cost suspension, watched on long term due to the low maintenance cost. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Yves
a
from weekend warrior
Date Reviewed: July 26, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Yesterday I bought a new MAG21(97) for ~190$ here in Switzerland. The LT kit is factory fitted. First I used it with the factory setup, dampening 1. It worked very well downhill but felt sticky on ripples. Today I greased the tubes with finishline and used 30psi- much less sticky and it had a better response on ripples! But downhill it topped frequently until I set dampening to 4.
Finally I set the preassure to 35psi - perfect.
Be carefull not to spread the legs when you fix brake boosters, this might increase friction. The geometry of my Specialized Rockhopper (1995) remained almost unchanged. Very good value for money.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bez
a weekend warrior
from UK
Date Reviewed: July 21, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Five years, two resprays and still working better than any other fork I've
ridden. The damping is the beauty of this fork - get it right and it's perfect.
Two inches is enough travel for a hardtail, especially when the bump quality
is this good. Could be torsionally stiffer, but that's a small price. I love
this fork! Air/oil will be back in a big way... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim Bovinet
a cross-country rider
from Winona, MN
Date Reviewed: June 19, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Has there ever been a frk better than the Mag-21? No, and that is why Rock Shox has returned to the world of air springs. No other fork was ever as tunable or offered the quality of travel that a Mag-21 with the long travel kit installed would. Then there are those lucky enough to have the SL or Specialized FSX versions which gives you a great fork in a true sub-3 pound package. Slowly fork technology has evolved full circle. That's irony. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Cartman
a weekend warrior
from Mountain top
Date Reviewed: June 19, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've had this Mag 21 front fork for almost a year. I needed a temporary, but usable shock for my second bike. I had heard good things about it so for $99 why not. So far it's been pretty good. Keeps losing it's compression. I pump it to 40 psi it always goes to 33 psi, both legs. This is regardless of whether I pound the sh@t out of it for three weeks straight or if I ride on the road once. I guess me at 200lbs and the fork at $99, I could live with 33 psi. Otherwise a great fork. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter Cho
a weekend warrior
from Vancouver, British Columbia. Canada
Date Reviewed: June 6, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought this fork back in 1996 a couple of months after i bought my GT backwoods. I mainly wanted front suspension because my wrists were killing me after ever ride so i decided to go with the mag 21's. I think that is a great fork but it does not soak up some of the little bumps on the trails. Also, every time i take the bike out for a spin, one side of the fork loses about 1/2 psi everytime. I think something's leaking. I'm now in the market for a long travel kit which only costs like about 15 canadian dollars. Overall, the shocks do not need maintence however, i noticed that the crown bolts oxidize or rust after exposed to water. If people are looking for a service manual, just email rock shox and complain about the fork. They will send you a huge mag21 manual.
Happy trails everyone!
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin Beck
a weekend warrior
from Boise Idaho, USA
Date Reviewed: June 5, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
A old fork that still works allright. My mag 21 works well enough for me. It has enough travel and weighs light enough. I dont have to do much work on it but it can be a big pisser sometimes. I would like to upgrade sometime, but I just don't have he money. Any way If had the money a still wouldnt by a (sid) or some other multi houndred dollar shock. Bike riding is about riding not about posing for a rich and famous show. I just don't get how someone can spend 700$ on a front shock. Call me a stupid kid or a poor mtb rider I don't care just don't brag about how your shock with almost the same insides is so much better than mine. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stuart Mørch-Kerrison
a cross-country rider
from Oslo, Norway
Date Reviewed: May 26, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought this fork when I got my new Gary Fisher Mt. Tam four years ago. I have beaten the hell out of it over severe Norwegian rocky, mountainous terrain and other than adding air to it now and then, I have NEVER done anything to it - and it still works brilliantly! I keep expecting it to break down on me, but it never does. I often think I should maybe upgrade to a newer fork, but I really can't justify the expense when my Mag 21 still works so well. - Top marks! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kim Joydan
a cross-country rider
from Muskoka
Date Reviewed: April 25, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I think this is one of the best rock shox ever made. It is the most reliable fork on the market.I've hade my mag 21's for 2 years and nothing has gone wrong yet. Well I'm going to say one last thing if your looking for a fork that is reliable and doesn't cost alot buy a mag 21. P.S. ROCK SHOX KICK ASS | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marc
a cross-country rider
from Vail, CO
Date Reviewed: March 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Just a couple of notes on this fork. You can rebuild for long travel easily ONCE you get them apart! They are a booger to seperate. If you are going to replace the seals anyway, just pump them with air and a football needle until they blow apart. The seals will probably need replaced. This works, but is scares the hell out of the cat. I will take about 250 psi, so use a floor pump or a compressor. Cover the forks with a towel to keep them from becoming a magnesium missile (run kitty, run!). Judy Butter makes a good seal grease and cuts the stiction. See above for oil and air levels. I stripped my lowers with Paint Stripper, the used a drill mounted fine wire brush to polish. Use clear gloss enamel as a clear coat as mag corrodes right in front of your eyes. Do it right and they will look like shiny stainless or titanium. Try a Gorilla brake booster (or Shimano carbon if you are rich) to stiffen them up. G'luck. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
todd
a weekend warrior
from oak harbor, wa
Date Reviewed: March 8, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Bought one used from a local store for $60.00, what a fork. I've ridden the Quadra 10 and i'll never go back to elastomer again. I weigh 185 and have never bottomed it out. The adjustmentability for all types of riding is great. The fork is comfortable for leisure rides or catching air. Love it. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian Luebcke
a cross-country rider
from Italy
Date Reviewed: January 3, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I rode the 96' Mag-21's for about a year and found them to work very well for me. I am a tall and therefore heavier rider.(208Lbs) and the adjustments that can be made on the air/Oil Fork are extremely vast, it can be set for a rider of almost any size or weight. I did have a problem with air leakage and having to adjust air pressure every few weeks, but this could be an isolated problem. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Carlos Torres
a cross-country rider
from Valencia, Spain
Date Reviewed: December 29, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This the best fork for your price. Best value on market. I only have good things to say aboaut it. It is an increadibily well built fork. Have the Mag-21 fork on my hard tail, on my GT Karakoram, never had a single problem with it. I have the owners manual, but where do I get the true maintenance and repair manual ? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jack Penrod
a cross-country rider
from Pt. Mugu, CA
Date Reviewed: October 4, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Have this fork on my hard tail, never had a single problem with it. Its old and its going to need a tune up. Where do I get the repair manual for this shock. I have the owners manual, but that doesn't break it down very well for a total repair and upgrade. Anybody know where I can get this info? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jerome
a racer
from Toronto, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 2, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
These are awsome forks. I sold my Judy and bought a pair of these because they are more tuneable and have better quality travel. If you set these forks up with 2.5 or 5 wt oil instead of the stock 7 wt, they will be much more active. Also, the long travel kit is a must (it only costs a couple bucks). It increases the travel to 2.375 inches. The tip of the century is to increase the oil hieght and decrease the air pressure. This way the fork is active in the initial stroke but does not bottom out. I have been racing on these forks for two seasons and have not had any problems at all. They do tend to be a little flexy but it is not a problem for me at 145 pounds. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lloyd
a cross-country rider
from Michigan
Date Reviewed: September 29, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I rode this shock for the first time this weekend. I rode for 3 hours on both saturday and sunday. The shock worked very well. I weigh 230lbs and most of my riding is pretty simple cross country and in the woods. I did climb some very large hills and the shock would bounce during climbing but not bad.The main problem I noticed is that I do get brake rub when turning and putting pressure on the front. I had to open my brakes up to keep the shock from rubbing under normal ridding and if I turn hard and fast it will still rub. I am going to order a new brace where the brakes mount to try and stiffen the shock.5 stars minus 1 for the flex. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tobias T
a cross-country rider
from Falkenberg, Sweden
Date Reviewed: September 19, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Mag 21 is a classic. A real Jurassic Park fork. My first shock fork was a Mag 21. Nowadays i run a Judy SL ´97, tons better. My Mag 21 rating will be | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jakob Hoejlund
a cross-country rider
from Sweden
Date Reviewed: September 18, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This is my first suspensioned fork so i have not so much to compare with.
But I think it works great, especially in rough parts in the forrest. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gregg
a racer
from Livermore, CA
Date Reviewed: August 19, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
To get the best performance from the Mag 21, you must get the long travel kit. It's cheap (approximately $12.00) and allows you to fine tune the fork even more than the stock set up. You can play with the oil height and run lower air presure to get more supple performance for the smaller bumps. I weigh 150lbs and ran 2.5wt oil @ 33psi. Be careful when maintaining the fork. I'm not very big, but I stripped the threads for the brake boss bolt in the lower leg. A heli-coil kit will fix this, but watch it carefully. After 3 years on the heli coil threads, the lower leg cracked at the threads.The fork works well for straight on hits, but gets flexy in hard, high speed turns and the flex is very noticeable when riding down steep, technical single track where braking and making tight turns are necessary. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve Agocs
a cross-country rider
from Iowa
Date Reviewed: August 11, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
The Mag 21 is a great fork! I'm not into the big travel category, so the stock 2 inches is plenty for me. I like the adjustability of the Mag 21 (by chaniging oil viscosity, air pressure, and damping knobs). It is light and tough, too! I think it is intereting that Rock Shox is moving back in the direction of the Mag 21, only that it will cost a LOT more! THe Mag 21 is an awesome fork that performs as well as anything else on the market, IMHO. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Phil
a racer
from Ringwood N.J
Date Reviewed: August 6, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
At the time when this fork came out it kicked ass. It was light and worked the best of any fork on the market at the time. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter Holmes
a weekend warrior
from Washington USA
Date Reviewed: August 3, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I'm young and un-expeienced with other forks.I ride on the Specialized Future Shock, which I have heard is identical to the
Mag-21.I like it a lot.
It has thousands of miles on it and it still works. I weigh 200 lbs and it seems to
lock up sometimes on rough down hills. I also notice air leaks from the fork and it
needs more maintinence than a elastomer/spring fork. The thing seems to
rebound way too fast. On the other hand it's great for the larger bumps.
I think if i had a chioce for the money, I would buy a Judy fork instead.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rod
a racer
from Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 2, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I am a cross country racer and ive got mag 21's i have found that when i race in the mornings at around 9 the shocks bottom out because the air pressure decreases when it is cooler outside. but when it is warm out the shocks have more pressure and they dont absorb the smaller bumps and roots.
you just have to adjust the pressure for when you ride.
But other then that they are great. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Billy Armstrong
a cross-country rider
from Fairfax,VA,USA
Date Reviewed: July 25, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I've been beating the crap out of my Mag-21 for about a year now and theres not to much to complain about. I weigh 135,and I ride mine with 33psi. Its not to good at absorbing roots and ripples,but once you get some speed it works fine. Mine has been leaking air at the seals recently,if you push down you will here air escaping. Too bad,Im getting a new Stumpjumper and it has Judy XC. Im kind of happy to be getting rid of my Mag. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Onno Pierik
a cross-country rider
from Ommen, Holland
Date Reviewed: May 22, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Great fork. I've also ridden a Rond/WP Hydro Pro 3 (Bart Brentjens uses also a Rond/WP) and they ride almost the same. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Thomas Lane
a cross-country rider
from Provo, UT
Date Reviewed: April 9, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I used a Mag-10 for a long time and liked it very much. It was a big pain to adjust it, since the only way to adjust it was to alter the air/oil. It didn't come with boots, so I made the mistake of putting Lizard Skins on it. The boots actually trapped the crud in and ruined my seals (but that is for a whole other review). Rebuilding was difficult (and dangerous with the wrong tools), but it works great again, and is installed comfortably on my wife's bike. I rode a Mag-21 once and it felt similar, but a little less flexy and with a little more travel. I would give it a 5 if not for the difficulty in rebuilding. 4 chilis. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Lavander
a
from Canton, MI
Date Reviewed: April 8, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
These wrok sweet, until the seals blow, which is about, hmmmmm, constantly! I just keep putting in more oil every month or so to
compensate. They are the best damped fork on the market. Indys and Judys are a joke compared to these.
The only prob. with the Mags is the maintenance. I work at a shop so it isnt must of a problem. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Vega
a cross-country rider
from tampa,fl
Date Reviewed: April 7, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I love my mag 21 its soooo adjustable and easy to adjust all i need to
adjust for ME is the air preasure and some times the oil for the dampening ! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Douglas Hanagan
a weekend warrior
from CONNECTICUT, USA
Date Reviewed: March 25, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This product is the bomb. I couldn't imagine riding without it. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew
a racer
from Moncton,NB,Canada
Date Reviewed: March 12, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I rode the 21 half of last year and I can onesly say thet it is not as good as some people say. I will just say this it sucks compared to a judy. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Todd West
a cross-country rider
from Portland, OR
Date Reviewed: January 27, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I've ridden various assorted forks, Mach 5s and Indy and Judy XCs, but the 1996 Mag21 is the only one I've ridden for an extended period of time, largely because it's what my Stumpy M2 FS came with. All in all, I do prefer the ride to the elastomer/spring combinations I've ridden, mainly because I simply don't dig the hunk of rubber feel. I'm not exactly Goliath (5'9, 145) and most elastomer forks make the trail bumpier for me---bumps come through because the elastomers are either too stiff or too soft, and then I get another bump when the fork tops out again, unless it has rebound damping. Oil/air forks, what with their inherent compression and rebound damping and very adjustable air pressure solve this problem of mine. By fiddling around with my Mag21, I've managed to tune the fork in for a far better ride than I could ever get out of the other forks (besides, I like fiddling with my bike). I'm currently running 37psi at the most responsive damping setting, which works okay on the small bumps, but tends to bottom out on the big stuff. I'd hate to think what the fork would be like on a bike with a less agressively forward weight distribution than the Stumpjumper. Another nice point to oil/air is that it works about as well in cold weather as it does in warm weather, though the fork does become noticeably stiffer at temperatures around freezing.However, the Mag21 leaves a lot to be desired. By default, Rock Shox ships the fork with the valve preload set to lock out the fork at the top of its travel. What with the increased stiction induced by the seals for the air chamber, this translates into zero small-bump response for a light rider like me. Backing off of the valve preload, installing the long travel kit (a must), and setting the fork up with a bit of sag goes a long way to ameliorate this situation, since the fork is already active in its travel. Only problems with doing this are that the fork really ought to be built up like this to begin with, and that the fork boots that Rock Shox puts on are too short to accomodate the long travel, so you have to buy new fork boots too (especially since the '96 model doesn't have dust wipers). I can understand the need to dial in a fork, but shipping the Mag21 without long travel and long boots is just stupid in my book.Rock Shox then proceedes to add insult to injury. The fork brace isn't strong enough, so I get brake rub when turning and poor braking power---I'll never forget the time I looked down and saw the pads slide halfway down my rims. A stronger brace would be a trivial change to make, but I guess Rock Shox can't be bothered. Nor do they seem willing to adopt an offset bolt pattern, such as on the Marzocchi Bombers, to stiffen the brace (I mean, I'm an electrical engineer, and I thought of this right off the bat---it would also be pretty trivial to replace the upper tubes of the fork with a keyed extrusion to provide a rotation-free interface between the crown and lower tube, keeping the fork from twisting outward under braking). Moreover, the cable hanger on the brace is just a hole, so if you want to take the fork off the bike you have to undo the cable binder bolt and thread the cable out. Then you have to redo the front brakes when you put the fork back on. Why not use a slit hanger like everyone else? I mean, DUH! What's worse, the brace is structured such that Koolstop Eagle pads bind against it, so that you have to take one of the brake arms off to generate enough clearance to remove the tire. Given that maybe half the bikes I see have Eagle pads, you'd think Rock Shox would check this sort of thing.Another brilliant move on Rock Shox's part was using combination English/Metric screws on the fork brace and crown. These consist of a metric socket set below a larger englich one. Since each socket has half the surface area of a non-combo socket, the sockets are made with much tighter tolerances to reduce the risk of rounding out. In fact, they were tight enough that I had to put some of the screws in a vice in order to get the Allen key out of them. Naturally, I made a trip to the hardware store and replaced them. My final gripe is with Rock Shox's tech support---I had to call them three times over the space of a month before they actually sent me the overhaul manual for the fork, and when they did, they sent me not one, but two copies. Talk about a waste of trees; why not just put a .pdf on their web site?Needless to say, I'm underwhelmed. To put it politely, the quality of engineering on the Mag21 leaves a lot to be desired, though the actual suspension part does work okay. I do like the ride better than elastomers, but I have every intention of replacing the Mag21 with a real fork---a Bomber Z-2---as soon as I can find a good deal. All in all, if you've only got $250 to spend on a fork, there are worse things to spend it on than a Mag21, but I'd save my money. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Christopher Catlett
a cross-country rider
from San Jose, CA
Date Reviewed: January 15, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This review is actually for the Rock Shox Mag-21 SL Ti fork from a couple of years ago (last produced in the 1994 model year). I have had mine for about two and a half years ago and it has been a great fork. While the newer forks such as the Judy and the some of the new Manitou's will offer a more supple ride over smaller bumps, I have never had a problem with mine and it has never needed a large amount of maintenance. It is light and it works. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
MASH
a cross-country rider
from Albany, NY, USA
Date Reviewed: January 15, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have ridden a Univega Dual Action for 16 months. This bike is fitted with a Mag 21 and an Alps-4. This is obiviously not a Gonzo setup, but at $750 it has provided me an affordable first suspension bike. I run the Mag 21 and the Alps moderately soft. This means 36~39 psi and damping between '1' and '3' in the Mag 21. I do use some body english on dropoffs so as to not bottom the Mag 21. The ride for my 176 lb body is smooth enough, and the travel is adequate. This fork IS somewhat flexy, particularly when you try to quickly change direction or correct a slide on snow. Cold air temperatures (0 to 20 F) do not degrade the ride. I have to pump the Mag 21 back up a few psi every 2 to 3 months.I can understand that high air pressure could increase seal drag. I do not understand all the talk about 'Stiction'. Stiction = 'Sticking Friction'. I get a laugh at those demonstrations where someone stands beside the bike and pushes the handlebars down to prove the existance of 'Stiction'. Is this to demonstrate a new type of walking stick? Please note that (most) mountain bike tires have knobs. These knobs thump against the ground, or the pavement, as you ride. Consequently, they generate a forced vibratory input that travels through the rotating wheel and into the fork. You don't notice this forced vibratory input while you are riding, if you run a soft fork with moderate damping, because the transmissivity of the fork is low. This is because your weight causes the fork system frequency to be significantly lower that the tire knob input frequency. Roll the bike and watch the handlebar as you walk alongside, and you should see the unladen handlebar vibrate. The unladen fork system frequency is now higher that the input frequency, so the transmissivity is about 1.0. The point of all this is that friction usually CANNOT exist in the presence of vibration. Hence, when you are RIDING the bike, there is NO STICTION.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
edwin vd velden
a weekend warrior
from the Netherlands
Date Reviewed: January 13, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have one and I don't like it.
Not for light persons(130 lbs)
So,you can buy it:Mag 21 SL-Ti (longtravel)
hardly used,$250
Edwin vd Velden
Walnotendreef 27
3137 HA Vlaardingen
The Netherlands
Europe. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ron Babcock
a cross-country rider
from weatherford oklahoma
Date Reviewed: December 26, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
easily tuneable especialy since i weigh 250lbs. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kristan Roberge
a cross-country rider
from Nepean, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: December 19, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Well, I've LONG hated Rockshox products (this traces back to an accident involving a friend and myself, when his fork broke and he slid-out of an
off-camber turn into me, taking us BOTH into a ravine) but the Mag-21 has
always been the least hated fork that they've produced. Recently I bought
another one of these things (used), and of course, holding true to form the
seals blew in short order but at least I knew that was going to happen. In any
case, I'm posting this NOT because of my hate for rockshox but because I'm
sure others still use the fork and want to know what can be done to improve it.
For that reason, there are some tips on my webpage in the tech section. The URL
is http://infoweb.magi.com/~kroberge/kmrtop.html. Basically whenever I use a Mag-21 (I used to have an SL-Ti) I perform my own modifications to adjust its
performance to my tastes. In the case of my current Mag-21, 71mm of total travel
plus a SUPER-plush ride. Those who want to know what I did should consult my
webpage. As for the forks themselves, parts are easily available, don't cost alot, and the forks are easy to service and modify. Overall a good fork but its
a little lacking in the stiffness department. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matthew Paterson
a cross-country rider
from Fergus,Ontario,Canada
Date Reviewed: December 5, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I have never ridden the Mag21 fork. I am in the market for a new suspension
fork and I am looking at the Mag21. I think I would like this fork because
of the fine tunning range. I have heard many good things about the fork.
The bad thinks I have heard are the maintence, which I don't mind, I love to rip my bike apart and work on it. And the other thing is this flexy brace.
How do you fix this problem. I am putting this message here because no better
to get reports than the people that ride the fork. If anyone rides this fork
and dosn't mind e-mailing me on there personal comments it would be greattly
appriciated. Once I buy a fork I will give my reviews here.Thank-you Matthew Paterson
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim Barbuscia
a weekend warrior
from Kennewick WA
Date Reviewed: July 24, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
First let me say the Rock Shock MAG21 is essentially the same setup as a
motorcycle fork using air for the spring and oil for damping.
It does however have the same flaw/problem/challenge that the motorcycle
air/oil forks had, and that is that high air pressure causes the seal to
squeeze the fork tube causing friction.
Now lets get with the review. The Mag21 is an average performing fork in
stock trim, by this I mean it doesn't do anything odd nor does it have any
reliability problems. It is short on travel and will bottom when setup for a
plush initial ride, add more air and it becomes harsh.
With the long travel modification the fork becomes one of the best performing
forks out there. The mod's can be done at home without buying a thing! Just
disassemble the fork and trim off 20mm form both top-out cones (use a tube
cutter. -see inst. below) or you can buy the kit (recommended).
Some people have said the fork flex is a problem but in fact a little fork
flex is not a bad thing, it helps to absorb side loads and can make for a
much more forgiving ride on rocky trails.
I'll give the Mag21 4.5 stars in the modified condition.
-jimb
Tools needed:
#1. Allen wrench set.
#2. 7/8 boxend wrench.
#3. Bench mounted vise.
#4. Snap ring pliers (both inside and outside, and don't use cheap shit).
#5. 6 section of 1 PVC pipe (yes the stuff you use for sprinklers).
#6. Nolean's SPF-3 seal grease (get this at your local motorcycle shop).
#7. Fork oil (5wt. for stock 2.5wt for faster rebound).
#8. Tire Pump.
#9. Air needle (the kind used to fill your basketball).
Procedure:
#1. Remove the forks from the bike. you can do this by just unbolting the
tubes from the triple clamps while still on the bike.
#2. Bleed the air from the forks.
#3. Remove fork caps and drain oil, then put caps back on!
#4. Remove the main seal snap ring (you will reuse this so be careful).
#5. wrap a rag around the fork tube (the chrome part) and put it in the vise.
Tighten the vise enough to hold the tube but not enough to damage the tube
this is why I said to put the caps back on, it does help keep tube from
being squished
(and you thought this was going to be easy!?).
#6. Now pull the slider (the magnesium part) apart.
This will take a lot muscle! put your foot on the vise and pull!
#7. Now do what ever it is you were going to do!
To reassemble, hold the slider upright and put the tube in. Use the PVC pipe
as a seal driver (slide it over the tube and spank it with a hammer).
Put the snap ring back in.
Set your oil height, air pressure and your done!
Oh, don't forget to use the SPF-3 seal grease on the seal it helps fight the
friction problem.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Thomas Canaday
a cross-country rider
from Aurora, Co USA
Date Reviewed: June 24, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I realize this one is probably getting on in age but if a light
weight (3lbs) and very tunalbe fork is your thing go with this and
and skip the Judy XC which in my humble opinion is not all that hot.
If ya are into tinkering you can change the viscosity of the oil
(this being a air/oil fork), change the amount of oil in the fork,
and adjust the amount of air. Fantastic eh? The only draw back is
that it is not for those who are really into downhilling. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Planetarium
a cross-country rider
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: June 24, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Plush! Plush! Xcellent front susp. Good for hard core terrains and
mediocre ones! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daniel Schmierer
a downhiller
from Bonn, Germany
Date Reviewed: June 7, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
These shocks rule! They're great all around shocks, but I use them for DH.
If you love downhilling and don't have enough money for Judy DH then these
your best bet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Karnes
a racer
from Powell, TN
Date Reviewed: June 4, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
THe mag 21 used to be the standard all other forks were held to. With the
current technology in the Judys and Manitous, the Mag 21 seems a little out-
dated. It is still a very good fork, but it is a pain to service, and over a
fews days I would always have too add air too it. I would spend the money
elsewere.
| | Overall Rating: |
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