Manitou Six Reviews

Manitou Six

Average Rating			2.35/5
# of Reviews			66
MSRP
Weight			4.5 lbs

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Submitted by James Riesz a Weekend Warrior from Brisbane, QLD, Australia Date Reviewed: 10/28/2007 9:39:24 PM
FavoriteTrail:	Whipbird Way/Dingo Trail, Gap Crk Reserve
Duration Product Used:	More than 3 years
Purchased At:	Super Cycle
Strengths:	Cheap? Came stock with the bike, and haven't had the money to upgrade till now.
Weaknesses:	Soft! Bottoms out a lot. So spongy sometimes that it just about sends me over the handlebars when braking hard. Flexes a lot, seems unstable at times.
Similar Products Tried:	Judy TT
Bike Setup:	Shogun Team Issue 2003 - Deore XT rear derailer, LX front/Hubs/levers.
Bottom Line:	Don't buy this shocker (pun intended). If it comes stock, get it if there is no other option. My mates found bikes with similar setups, but better shocks for the same price.. if only I had known then. But now that I have my new rockshox revelations 426, i'm laughing. All round, it will do the trick, but only just.. Bottom of the barrel for offroad.
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Submitted by Michael Stanfill a Weekend Warrior from Palmer, Alaska, United States Date Reviewed: 3/29/2007 10:24:41 PM
FavoriteTrail:	16 mile at Hatcher Pass
Duration Product Used:	2 Years
Purchased At:	www.rei.com
Strengths:	Durable, light and looks good; 80 mm travel with damping.
Weaknesses:	I had to replace the internals once;
Bike Setup:	K2 Zed 2.0 with disks at both ends; 2.4 inch tires.
Bottom Line:	Overall a great fork. It has a damping feature that is easy to use.
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Submitted by Brett Rivera a Cross Country Rider from MP Date Reviewed: 11/11/2006 7:19:00 PM
FavoriteTrail:	Alpine Lake Trail
Duration Product Used:	Less than 1 month
Purchased At:	friend
Strengths:	It's cheap!!!
Weaknesses:	Almost Everything. The frame is cheap and cracks. The knobs are plastic. And the frickin rubber things!!! I hate them, they make the fork look like a cheap piece of s**t.
Bike Setup:	2002 marin rift zone.
Bottom Line:	HORRIBLE. I would not recommend these to anyone unless all they do is commute. Do not use these for mountain biking!!! ou'll be in the hospital before u know it.
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Submitted by Justin M a Cross Country Rider from MD Date Reviewed: 8/27/2006 6:34:44 PM
FavoriteTrail:	justinm231232@yahoo.com
Duration Product Used:	3 months
Purchased At:	came on new bike
Strengths:	good price, only EVER bottomed out twice
Weaknesses:	sticks together like no other fork u'v ever seen, u lose about half the travel since it goes down half way and doesnt come back up, but still takes a nice beating
Similar Products Tried:	rock shox duke
Bike Setup:	iron horse quantum or gary fisher... sumthin or other
Bottom Line:	ok to have if it came with the bike but dont buy to upgrade from another bike fork
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Submitted by Justin a Weekend Warrior from Alpine, TX Date Reviewed: 7/30/2006 5:56:00 PM
Duration Product Used:	2 Years
Bike Setup:	Jamis Durango
Bottom Line:	This fork has served me well. I'm only about 165 lbs. and have never had any problems bottoming it out...
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Submitted by Al a Weekend Warrior from Hull Date Reviewed: 5/18/2006 5:36:08 AM
Duration Product Used:	1 Year
Price Paid:	$100
Strengths:	good for gravel bike path
Weaknesses:	So much sag and I only weight 150. PLASTIC TOP CAPS??? There are only internals in one of the fork legs. Finally the arch gave out.
Similar Products Tried:	RS Psylo, RS Boxxer, Mar z3, Mar DJ3
Bike Setup:	GF Marlin, XC
Bottom Line:	If you�r over 120 or ride heavy off road do not touch this fork! I rode the fork for a good part of last season, it managed ok but bottomed out all the time(some times it even stayed bottomed), twisted like crazy till the arch completely bent (one brake boss was higher than the other by a good 1/4 inch). I don't know if this happened over time but I hit a 3-4 inch bump with some speed and the fork bottomed and the front wheel gave and I supermaned onto my head/ neck, very lucky to still be walking cause the bike hit me in the back after. The fork only has internals in one of the legs, the other is hollow, no wonder one side got all tweeked. Anyways if your going to ride this thing be very very careful. I do not know if it was Gary Fisher or my lbs but why would anybody put a fork that can only take 120 weight on a 19" xc bike. One would have to be 6 feet tall and 120 to ride that thing! Manitou was great about replacing it, less than 2 weeks and it was fixed... Now on the girlfriends bike, hopefully it will be ok cause she's lighter, rides less and has a 16" bike so she wont put so much pressure on it, she'll sit back more.
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Submitted by Samuel a Cross Country Rider from Ottawa, On, Canada Date Reviewed: 5/11/2006 12:13:28 PM
Duration Product Used:	1 Year
Strengths:	Cheap, resistant, a good beginner's fork
Weaknesses:	WAY TOO ****IN' SOFT
Similar Products Tried:	Manitou Black, Axel...
Bike Setup:	2004 KHS Alite 1000
Bottom Line:	It's a good beginners fork but it's way too soft! I can bottom the fork just by pressing down on it. There's also too much oil leaking. Even when ajusted I lose about an inch of travel just by sitting on the damn bike!! Manitou has to keep in mind that most riders are not 160 lbs! I'm a little more than 180 and I know I'm not the heaviest rider out there.. far from it! I have to say that the fork is still pretty tough for 100 bucks: I regularly drop more than 4ft and it never broke or showed any signs of damaged. I still think Manitou should recall it just because is stupidly soft, sometimes making it useless because there's simply no more travel left!
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Submitted by Tristan Perry a Cross Country Rider from Rockwood Ontario Canada Date Reviewed: 3/16/2006 5:30:20 PM
FavoriteTrail:	Trans-Canada Trail
Duration Product Used:	3 months
Price Paid:	$300
Purchased At:	Bits Bikes And Boards
Strengths:	Trail Riding
Weaknesses:	Everything Else
Similar Products Tried:	2004 Manitou Axel
Bike Setup:	Hard Tail, Cross Country, Tribal Quantum
Bottom Line:	I was not impressed with this fork and just to add on to it i was going to P.E.I. to go trail riding and I was driving under an overpass at the front door of a Holiday Inn in New Brundswick and the fork hit it and bent back far enough that I couldn't ride on the fork any more plus the fact is I was only driving 2 Km/h.
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Submitted by Matt a Racer from Texas Date Reviewed: 3/7/2006 10:21:54 PM
Duration Product Used:	6 months
Purchased At:	came w/ a demo bike
Strengths:	none
Weaknesses:	Everything
Bottom Line:	This fork blows! I used this fork for a week and blew the seals out. If it came with the bike, buy a new fork. If you actually paid for this fork take it back.
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Submitted by matthew falshaw from thunderbay ontario canada Date Reviewed: 12/17/2005 2:55:56 PM
FavoriteTrail:	centennial park
Duration Product Used:	Less than 1 month
Price Paid:	$145
Purchased At:	local bike shop
Strengths:	good price
Weaknesses:	everything but the price if your hard up for a fork then buy them
Similar Products Tried:	marzocchi EXR PRO
Bike Setup:	tribal quantum with deore components and a rockey mountain hammer
Bottom Line:	although these forks are cheep in price and they look good they are a peice of dog doo doo and they deserve to be recalled and replaced and all the owners of them be rembursed
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Submitted by Jon a Cross Country Rider from Allendale, MI Date Reviewed: 10/25/2005 10:50:07 PM
FavoriteTrail:	anything not on the road!
Duration Product Used:	More than 3 years
Strengths:	100mm of travel
Weaknesses:	Bottoms out on everything Spring adjustment busted Cheap construction Travel is not stiff enough Looks pretty wussy too
Similar Products Tried:	Manitou Axel Comp Rock Shox Judy
Bike Setup:	Jamis Durango SX Cheap and light, but sturdy and easy to work with.
Bottom Line:	The shock sucks. You really get what you pay for here. Might be better off with a Suntour. It's one step up from suspension on standard Walmart bike. Upgrade if you plan on doing any hard trails. Don't do drops or downhill, you will bottom out hard, possibly endo. Spend the extra $100 for a better low end fork if you don't have much money.
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Submitted by stefan sebsetjanowicz a Racer from birmingham Date Reviewed: 8/13/2005 6:33:11 AM
FavoriteTrail:	northshore track at some woods in solihull
Duration Product Used:	1 Year
Price Paid:	$120
Purchased At:	red kite cycles
Strengths:	none
Weaknesses:	every think the arch snaped it the first six weeks of riden
Similar Products Tried:	rock shoxs sid
Bike Setup:	gt idrive sport
Bottom Line:	they are a cheap fork alright for none agressive riders but trust me they a rubbish they are to weak for all kind of riden
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Submitted by bernard georgio a Weekend Warrior from saltlake city utah Date Reviewed: 3/27/2005 9:22:01 AM
FavoriteTrail:	local trails
Duration Product Used:	1 Year
Price Paid:	$60
Strengths:	does what it is said to do cheap looks ok
Weaknesses:	not meant for heavy riding the adjustment crown isnt that effective weak but is ok for light trails not heavy duty riding mine broke on a 4 foot drop but i got it fixed for free
Similar Products Tried:	marzochi exr pro (way better) marzochi z1 manitou shermans
Bike Setup:	haro
Bottom Line:	good for light riding and is not meant for jumping freeriding etc.
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Submitted by Zach Richards a Downhiller from Lighthouse PT, FL, USA Date Reviewed: 3/6/2005 5:36:26 PM
FavoriteTrail:	Quietwaters in Boca Raton
Duration Product Used:	6 months
Price Paid:	$100
Purchased At:	IC bikes
Strengths:	It was light
Weaknesses:	It kept on bottuming out, every time i would land. The frame for the shock cracked and later shatered. The shock really did not fit in the rim very well.
Bike Setup:	Haro escape 8.1
Bottom Line:	It sucks. It is a WALMART shock. Never buy this shock!!!! Most of the manitou shckes are great except for this one. They desind it alfull. I took it back to the shop and they said about five other people came in with the same problem. So they gave me an up grade a gave me for free the manitou Sherman Breakout Plus!!
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Submitted by STEVE WRIGHT a Cross Country Rider from NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA Date Reviewed: 2/10/2005 9:23:44 PM
Duration Product Used:	Less than 1 month
Purchased At:	Local bike shop
Strengths:	NONE, NOTHING, NOT ONE LITTLE THING
Weaknesses:	Everthing. They came std with quite a nice bike. The first thing i noticed was the wheel did not sit plumb in the middle of the fork with the quick release open. Then i noticed that one leg was slightly longer than the other. Not to worry i just lined up the wheel and did the quick release up. Easy. No. Next i took if for my first ride down my driveway and noticed that the wheel moved when i went down the gutter. This was because not only were the forks not of even length the right tip was twisted out, so they were not grabing all of my wheel. Hence when u look at the bite marks in the fork tip from the quick release, u expect to see them in a full 360 deg. not in this case.
Similar Products Tried:	Suntour SR for about $50 these are 1000000000 times better
Bike Setup:	RACELINE 7005 FRAME, DEORE LX COMPONETS,
Bottom Line:	These forks are so crap they should be recalled at once. I though all the reviews on this web sight were all from big girls who love to whine about cheaper products not doing a $1000 shocks job. But in this case they are right. These forks suck so bad it hurts. DO NOT BUY THEM. My bike shop was discusted in them and gave me a free upgrade to ROCKSHOX PILOT'S. They seem to be great. SHAME MANITOU SHAME.
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Submitted by downhiller MTB a Weekend Warrior from Oregon Date Reviewed: 12/11/2004 10:45:17 PM
FavoriteTrail:	kamikaze
Duration Product Used:	1 Year
Price Paid:	$100
Purchased At:	gartsysmotor bikeeeeees
Strengths:	awexome very good
Weaknesses:	nothing
Similar Products Tried:	-
Bike Setup:	-
Bottom Line:	great fork i like it does what i want it to do
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Submitted by David Gonsalves a Cross Country Rider from Cumberland,Rhode Island Date Reviewed: 11/22/2004 11:18:25 AM
FavoriteTrail:	Lincoln Woods
Duration Product Used:	3 months
Price Paid:	$95
Purchased At:	MikesBike
Strengths:	Can't find any yet.
Weaknesses:	The thing is really heavy and I would have to say the whole thing is weak.
Similar Products Tried:	Manitou
Bike Setup:	stock escape 8.1
Bottom Line:	This stupid, idiotic, piece of dog doo should have never been sold to the public !! Ever since I've had it it's been making loud squealing noises similiar to a pig's. Mine hasn't broken yet; but I have a sneaking suspicion that the noises are a sign of things to come. Hopefully; not a trip to the emergency room.THESE THINGS SHOULD BE RECALLED,NOW!!!
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Submitted by Matt Bay a Weekend Warrior from Omaha, NE Date Reviewed: 11/15/2004 9:47:51 AM
FavoriteTrail:	Anything that makes me feel "Hard Core"
Duration Product Used:	6 months
Purchased At:	LBS
Strengths:	Looks sweet. Boasts new "Reverse arch Technology"
Weaknesses:	Boasts new "Reverse Arch Technology". Flimsy. Dampening is weak. Mine causes the rim to rub the brakes whenever i stand up.
Bike Setup:	Raleigh M60(came w/ the bike)
Bottom Line:	This fork looks cool. Thats about it. I have had constant troubles adjusting my brakes the way I like them because of the flex in the fork. My preload adjuster is broken I think. I really can't tell. It's not like it does anything any way. Okay so this fork has saved me from going over the handlebars a couple of times. But just about any fork will do that. It is also hard for me to seat the wheel into this fork because one leg is nearly half a centimeter longer than the other. I have gone through three skewers because the fork just doesnt do what I need it to. Work. Bottom Line____If the bike you really want comes with this fork. Don't sweat it, just realize that you are buying the bike for everything else. If you are going to "Upgrade" to this fork, you are stupid.Stupid......Stupid
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Submitted by David Milne a Weekend Warrior from Auckland, New Zealand Date Reviewed: 9/25/2004 3:20:45 AM
FavoriteTrail:	Woodhill Forest
Duration Product Used:	1 Year
Strengths:	Good looker
Weaknesses:	I have had 2 sets of forks since Xmas 2003, both broke at the arch.
Similar Products Tried:	This is my first MTB
Bike Setup:	2003 Raceline Enduro
Bottom Line:	The Maintou 6 fork is too weak and dangerous to be on an adults bike with any pretensions of being able to be used off road. It should be on "looks like a MTB" that has one of those stickers that say "Not for offroad use". I'm a 45yr old first time MTB'er and I've broken 2 forks since Xmas and i'm not jumping anything, just single track/XC riding.
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Submitted by andy myers from ft campbell ky Date Reviewed: 6/27/2004 6:29:01 PM
FavoriteTrail:	wildcat loop, green mtn WA
Duration Product Used:	3 months
Purchased At:	came with 03 haro x1
Strengths:	ok at first and came with bike.
Weaknesses:	i ride my bike to work and back most of the time. last week i took the bike out of a locker and noticed the fork broke clean apart at the bottom of the reverse arc. i have only done 3 or 4 4 ft drops on it and ran over curbs. bad material i guess.
Bike Setup:	03 haro x1 with pyramid thorn tubes. (the other ones sucked)
Bottom Line:	if you get this fork on a bike get rid of it and upgrade as soon as you can afford it. luckily the company is sending me a new lower half of the fork. i wonder how many monthes it will last though. low rating from me, overall it did its job at first so ill give it 2 chilis.
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Submitted by marty kasteler a Weekend Warrior from salt lake Date Reviewed: 6/15/2004 10:17:53 AM
FavoriteTrail:	the one under me
Duration Product Used:	2 Years
Price Paid:	$100
Purchased At:	Guthries
Strengths:	Price, good dampening for mild xc
Weaknesses:	could be stiffer, foam "wiper" rings slide up on the stanchions.
Similar Products Tried:	psylo race, x-vert, judy, duke....on down to the old mag 21:-)
Bike Setup:	surly 1X1, surly hubs, and lots of spare parts to complete it.
Bottom Line:	I rode my single speed rigid for a while, but was to tempted by the price of the six deluxe. I love it. I bought it because I was told it was basically the old SR-X, a decent fork in its day. Yeah, it is not the most rigid. No, it is not for extreme abuse/use. But man, who can complain about a shock with good dampening that has lasted so many miles. This bike is perfect for a singlespeed or less agressive XC bike. My only complaint would be the litle foam wiper rings won't stay put. Want better, spend more. Most of us would have paid 3X as much for a fork this good five years ago.
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Submitted by Greg Secretface a Cross Country Rider from New York Date Reviewed: 6/5/2004 6:44:11 AM
Duration Product Used:	1 Year
Strengths:	It kind of does it's job..... maybe? Well, it did for about a month or two. Oh.. and it looks pretty.
Weaknesses:	Way too plush. The preload adjuster does absolutely nothing. It flexes side to side. It weighs a ton. It appears I'm the only one who hasn't broken his. Everytime I ride I say a quick prayer. Manitou needs to recall these.
Similar Products Tried:	I work at a bike shop. I've been able to try out just about everything you can think of.
Bike Setup:	Gary Fisher Marlin. I've put way too much money into it. Eggbeaters, new LX crank, XT front derailleur, etc. the only problem is this fork.
Bottom Line:	I'm an XC rider, and I really wish I had spent more for a fork. This came on my Marlin, and when I tested it out it actually worked. I was surprised, and bought it. About two months later, it crapped out on me. Now it's basically dead weight.... dead wiggly weight. There are some days when it bounces too much, and others when it seems to not budge. Don't make the same mistake I did. I e-mailed the company about the possibility of it breaking 2 months ago, and I still haven't gotten a response. I'm a bit hesitant to buy a manitou again.
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Submitted by Jo Bike a Weekend Warrior from Toronto Ontario Canada Date Reviewed: 6/1/2004 9:58:10 AM
FavoriteTrail:	Pixie
Duration Product Used:	3 months
Price Paid:	$85
Purchased At:	Sport chek
Strengths:	It has really good travel for such a cheap fork and feels plush then hardens up and supports you really well
Weaknesses:	the thing is that it has the black rubber part that looks terrible
Similar Products Tried:	none the only inexpensive shock like it is the MZ Comp which sucks **** compared to this
Bike Setup:	Hardtail
Bottom Line:	Definitly look into this if you need a fork that works well and is inexpensive
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Submitted by matt board a Weekend Warrior from Cincinnati Date Reviewed: 5/7/2004 3:14:43 PM
FavoriteTrail:	Boone Woods, East Fork lake
Duration Product Used:	Less than 1 month
Price Paid:	$100
Purchased At:	Montgomery Cyclery
Strengths:	Its squishy
Weaknesses:	The Reverse arc is made from Mayo
Similar Products Tried:	RST sumthinarether
Bike Setup:	Fisher Marlin stock
Bottom Line:	This for is defective in design. It is not how yu ride it. I'm not some downhill thrasher, at least not yet anyway, and this for broke at the weld. If this many people are having the same product, then it is faulty in design. This is not a good fork. don't fool yourself.
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Submitted by Charles Shrader a Cross Country Rider from Christiansburg, VA Date Reviewed: 5/7/2004 10:10:15 AM
FavoriteTrail:	Pandapas Pond Area, VA
Duration Product Used:	1 Year
Purchased At:	East Coasters, VA
Strengths:	nice intro shock, came with my bike
Weaknesses:	too soft, no dampening, preload didn't seem functional
Similar Products Tried:	NA
Bike Setup:	Gary Fisher Marlin stock
Bottom Line:	I used this shock last season and was relativly impressed with its durability. I intended to continuing using the fork this year, however, my bike to a spill off a rack going down the highway and the fork bent. Manitou helped me out and I upgraded to a Super Axle. I don't know why people are having so much trouble from this fork. It seems to me like there are too many people trying to do to much with this fork. Can we get a reality check. A $100 fork isn't as good as a $1000 fork and shouldn't be drudge through the mud because some of you weren't using it for its intended purpose.
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Submitted by Cipri a Downhiller from baia mare Romania Date Reviewed: 5/4/2004 12:10:02 AM
Duration Product Used:	1 Year
Price Paid:	$75
Purchased At:	mybike.ro
Strengths:	the fork is god it works fine and it doesent make that pop sound wheen raising from ground
Weaknesses:	it is a little soft