Firstly, let me say that this review is judging the forks almost regardless to the price. The value of these forks are unbeatable, and I don't think you will find any better triples at this price. However, that would make a pretty boring review, and would in now way help you guys understand this fork any better. Moving on...
I know I have put 'lightweight' in the Weakness Section, and the Strength Section. That is becuase the weight of these forks will be either a good or a bad thing, depending on you, your style, and what you will use them for.
Let me explain. They are so light, that getting them off the ground in jumps is no problem at all, and you have to push the front of your bike down to compensate for the lightness. They really do just make your bike float on smooth jumps. HOWEVER, when going over rough ground and rock gardens and such, or just doing any Downhill Trail riding fast, they simply rise over the ground rather than compressing, becuase they are too light. This would suit a heavier rider, who could really keep them planted, however it would also require a lot of your weight shifted to the front of the bike, which is not ideal when it comes to steep descents and high speeds. So it really is all down to who you are, and what you will be doing.
The biggest drawback, in my opinion, is the lack of an easily accsessible rebound control. To adjust the rebound, you will need a custom made 30cm long, 12 mm hex/allen key to shove up the arse of the forks. And the factory set rebound is a little on the fast side, sometimes making it feel as if the travel is stopping dead at a certian point and being forced back.
Another downside to these forks is the fact there is no difference in the 'stiffness' or 'resistance' of compression at an inch into the travel, or the full 7 inches. In other words, the high-speed damping that you will want going over little roots and bumps feels the same as the kind of damping you get when you are bottoming out of a huge ladder drop, meaning you either have the forks soft for the trails but will bottom out on drops, or hard for the drops but will feel rough over bumps. There really is no in-between, and no difference between the speed the forks move at one inch of travel, and the speed they move at 7 inches of travel.
To make matters worse, chaning the air pressure seems to affect the forks a little too much, in the sense that one minute they're too soft, and just a few pumps later they're completely solid. A lot of this is becuase of the fact you can't change the rebound, it makes the forks will stiffer as it springs back to position before the forks really get a chance to move.
But being the cheapest triples Marzocchi have ever made, I suppose your wondering whether or not they have the trademark Marzocchi plushness. Well after hours of mindless twiddling and altering all the setting, they do! When you have them set up right for what you are doing, they move with ease, and not 'stick' or move in 'bits' like other budget triples do. You do get the feeling that your forks are top-quality for the pricetag, and you feel safe in the knowledge that you have an affordable top of the range make of fork.
The bottom line is this: If you are getting a bike with these forks on them, and you are looking at big jumps and general freeride, they will suit you more than fine for quite a while, and when you feel its time to upgrade, go grab yourself a pair of new 888's.
If your buying a bike with them on and intend to do downhill, then they will easily survive, but you won't get the best feel ever out of them and it will take a while to get them right, you will want to upgrade to some Boxxers in the not so distant future. But they will suffice until you have that cash.
However if you already have a decent bike, and are looking to upgrade to some triples, stick with your singles for now on, save your money and then splash out on some slightly newer and more advanced forks, ideally 888's for FR, Boxxers for DH.
So in general, if your bike comes with them on, you won't have any problems for the time being, and for the price you can't go wrong. But the second you start getting serious about your riding, you will start to quite desperatly seek a fork a little better.
(Lee Webber)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
donovan skidmore
a Weekend Warrior
from raymond, alberta, canada Date Reviewed: March 29, 2008
Favorite Trail:
claypits (redcliff)
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$750.00
Purchased At:
came with the bike
Strengths:
smooth, strong, can take a beating
Weaknesses:
hard to adjust, need i giant hex key to tune it, narrow stanctions, could use a 20mm thru axle
Bike Setup:
2005 kona scrap, drop off triple, hayes 9, juicy 3, ex325 disc, sos, db stem + bashguard, race face cranks + bb, tioga dh tires, lizard skin lock grips, CUSTOM PAINT! lol
Bottom Line:
this fork is okay price is good (apparently) needs external adjust and could be beefed up a bit...but thats what the 888 is for right
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Submitted by
Ozzy
a Downhiller
from London Date Reviewed: January 11, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Leigh Hill
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
Strong enough to withstand a car accident but smooth enough to keep your arms in once piece over pot holes. you dont need a shock pump to adjust !!! 40psi from a bike pump does the job
Weaknesses:
too hard to adjust cant set the right pressure even using a shock pump! tops out too much!
Bike Setup:
Norco drop frame hayes nine 8" discs
Bottom Line:
good fork a little hard to adjust perfect for the price supose i will get some 88rc's soon
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Submitted by
Mark Sedman
a Weekend Warrior
from san juan capistrano Date Reviewed: August 27, 2007
Favorite Trail:
aliso woods
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
wheelworld
Strengths:
Very plush, seems strong
Weaknesses:
None yet, so far so good!
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi z1
Bike Setup:
Bighit fsr
Bottom Line:
I like this fork alot i purchased it a t a great price. I have been riding rocky dh and cross country and it is working great for me. It soaks up bumps and has not bottomed out yet.
Love the fork cant beat the price.
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Submitted by
Matt oshea
a Downhiller
from canberra Date Reviewed: August 12, 2007
Favorite Trail:
tuggerz pines
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$760.00
Purchased At:
mossy point
Strengths:
Very tough for dirt jump and downhill
Weaknesses:
havent really found any yet
Bike Setup:
Norco manik
Bottom Line:
Mad forks with sick travel
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Shawn Huisman
a Downhiller
from Leduc,Alberta< canada Date Reviewed: July 26, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Schlayer
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
pink bike
Strengths:
WOnt bottom out easely light weight easy to adjust stiffness
Weaknesses:
tendensy to break when at highest level of travel
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi Dirt jumper 2 manitou stance flow
Bike Setup:
03 norco launch
Bottom Line:
great fork for extreme freeride and down hill kicks ass on big gaps and drops.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nathan
a Downhiller
from Chesham, Bucks, England Date Reviewed: July 2, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Aston Hill
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Tuning is so easy - handles perfectly on the trails - Has taken a beating and just keeps giving excelent performance
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
Have used 888 on mates bike, prefer my drop off triple's though!
Bike Setup:
Kona Stinky with Hope M6 (amazing also)
Bottom Line:
I Love this suspension!! dosent get any better (unless you ar at pro level or can spend thousands of pounds on it!)
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Submitted by
Richie snell
a Downhiller
from New Zealand Date Reviewed: June 30, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Downhill
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
trademe
Strengths:
nice fork great for downhill and drops. easy to make harder or softer. light.
Weaknesses:
none yet
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
hardrock
Bottom Line:
great for almost anyone
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jason Pepper
a Downhiller
from Toronto Date Reviewed: June 8, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Green Belt
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$175.00
Strengths:
Dual crown, 20mm thru axel
Weaknesses:
Weak Seals, little ajustibility, more travel
Similar Products Used:
Jr T, 888vf
Bike Setup:
Kona Stinky, Dee max, E-13, Truvativ, fox...
Bottom Line:
Its a good rookie fork, not for the pros, good for free riding, not so much downhill.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
rob williams
a Downhiller
from cardiff Date Reviewed: May 17, 2007
Favorite Trail:
cwmcarn trails, wales
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$120.00
Strengths:
These forks take a bashin weather it be drops or simple trails or jumps..they take a bruising!
Weaknesses:
blew the valve easily when forks were on hard settings! there quite heavy..but i like them heavy so AYE!
Similar Products Used:
marzochhi super t's ..marzocchi bombers
Bike Setup:
rocky mountain rmx..drop off forks halo s.a.s wheels..
Bottom Line:
basically good for starting or even professional use..wouldnt recomend them to a proffesional ..definatly recomend them to a beginner or rookie..dont over do the psi pressure..NOT FOR THE WEAK LOL..
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Submitted by
Thomas Walker
a
from Calgary, Alberta, canada Date Reviewed: May 13, 2007
Favorite Trail:
canada olympic park
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$2400.00
Purchased At:
came with my stinky
Strengths:
nice cheap fork
Weaknesses:
hard to adjust
Similar Products Used:
bombers
Bike Setup:
nothing stock except fork
Bottom Line:
It is a very good fork for price. but with low adjustability and not very responsive on small bumps. and very slow rebound it sucks. recently i was riding with my fork a bit stiff. so i would only sag 30mm i went off a little 8 footer overshot the landing and bottomed out. tehn in a couple off hours i lost almost all air pressure in one stanchion so much i would bottom out on a j-hop
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Submitted by
Matt
a
from monroe wa, usa Date Reviewed: April 13, 2007
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
with bike
Strengths:
Very plush. Great fork for beginner to mild downhill rider
Weaknesses:
None found so far.
Similar Products Used:
dirt jumper 3
Bike Setup:
giant faith 3.
Bottom Line:
Great fork for extreme dirt jumping or mild downhill.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Poh Soon Teng
a Downhiller
from San Pablo, CA, USA Date Reviewed: April 9, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Cinderella, Chaparal, Solstice
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Came with my bike
Strengths:
Holds the wheel and goes up and down
Weaknesses:
Dampening was horrible and after 3 months of use, play started to develop in between stanchions and lowers. Opened it up and checked the bushings and they were perfect. Called Marzocchi and they asked me to send it in but dont think it would be worth it as they only sell for like $100 used.
Similar Products Used:
Fox Talas 36R, 888rc, Sherman Firefly, Shiver
Bike Setup:
Ibex Zone
Bottom Line:
POS fork. Imo, it's only got the Marzocchi name to help sell bikes. Not Marzocchi quality
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Clark Whinfield
a Downhiller
from Dallas-Texas Date Reviewed: March 1, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Canyons
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$410.00
Purchased At:
Local Shop - Bikers'R'Us
Strengths:
Very light because not much material is used, and extremly stong at torque pressure. I like the bottom out feeling, easy to adjust and to tune. Very long life fork. Rides like MAD !. Better than ANYTHING for this price ! LOVE iT.
Weaknesses:
maybe the sound... because of it's internal lock valve. But put a longer sag and it is ok
Similar Products Used:
Baxxer, Shiver
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz with Saint equipp
Bottom Line:
Buy it while it lasts. A very nice product for small money. I trust my life in it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Eric
a Weekend Warrior
from Prescott, AZ, USA Date Reviewed: February 10, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Clark Springs
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
JensonUSA.com
Strengths:
Very good looking, lots of plush travel, never bottom out, very sturdy forks.
Weaknesses:
Adjustability, but thats about it.
Similar Products Used:
Boxxer's
Bike Setup:
Rocky Mountain Switch S3
Bottom Line:
A very quality fork, good for the money, very easy to ride on, soaks up lots of the bumps, however, the adjustability isn't there. Even without the adjustability it is still one of the best priced forks, for the outstanding quality that I've come to expect from Marzocchi.
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Submitted by
Rawpowr Noboundriz
a Weekend Warrior
from 3rdworldcity order Date Reviewed: January 21, 2007
Favorite Trail:
james wat
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
plush, stiff and can take abuse
Weaknesses:
stickers suck!
Similar Products Used:
66vf,drop off singles
Bike Setup:
astrox huckster manitou 3-way and recently upgrade fork 66rv
Bottom Line:
i love this fork! unfortunately time will come that you'll start to get bore with triples and you will look for something lighter stronger with fattier stanch's lolZ........thats were the 66 series will step in but seriously this is a great fork some its cheap enough but strong enough to withstand constant abuses
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
brian h
a Downhiller
from los gatos Date Reviewed: December 22, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
cambriabike.com
Strengths:
strong fork, its built for everything
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
jr. t, manitou stance kinpin, rock shox boxxer u turn 178mm
Bottom Line:
you should buy this fork if you are person that likes to go on trails that are not just downhill. this fork can be aired down for a rocky trail, and aired up for a downhill trail
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ramon larr
a Weekend Warrior
from b.c. Date Reviewed: December 1, 2006
Favorite Trail:
wood lot
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
the bike shop
Strengths:
It is the best fork i've ever had for the money
Weaknesses:
none yet
Similar Products Used:
888.jr t
Bike Setup:
santa cruz bullit
Bottom Line:
if u want a good fork for the money,this is the one!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Daniel
a Weekend Warrior
from Australia Date Reviewed: September 11, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Bo weds
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
good fork, strong reliable, takes a beating looks good and is butter smooth travel
Weaknesses:
not much adjustability and the users book recomended air pressures make the fork stiff as... hard too match rebound with rear shock
Similar Products Used:
rock shox boxxer team
Bike Setup:
Faith 3 (stock) manitou metal rear
Bottom Line:
mix and match air pressures but keep air in both chambers if u want ur fork to last. but mix and match till it feels good
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jared havell
a Downhiller
from red deer alberta canada Date Reviewed: August 26, 2006
Favorite Trail:
top gun
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
take a beating look awsome sick stickers and fatty crowns and shiney black stantion and smooth
Weaknesses:
crapy adjustment and bad rebound
Similar Products Used:
junior t and kingpin stance
Bike Setup:
05 atomic
Bottom Line:
kick ass fork tough as hell and nothing looks better then thoughs fatty m crowns
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jamie Wallace
a Downhiller
from Scotland Date Reviewed: July 25, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Innerleithen
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Mcdonalds cycles, Edinburgh
Strengths:
Plush out the box, pretty stiff, smooth top out/ bottom out and they look pretty sweet.
Weaknesses:
Lack of adjustability is a bit of a problem. Stock oil is way too light! Forks can be prone to diving. Not really srong enough for downhill.
Similar Products Used:
Boxxer Races 2005
Bike Setup:
Kona Stinky 05
Bottom Line:
For entry level, triple clamp freeride forks you could do a lot worse. The lack of adjustability is a pain and the stock oil (7.5 weight) is way too light. The fork felt like a spring to begin with, albeit a very plush one. I ended up putting 20 weight oil in which seemed to do the trick for my style of riding (I weigh 76.5kg and do mostly downhill). I would say that if your doing downhill, or more extreme freride you might want to go with something stronger. I've managed to crack a bushing and twist the lower legs. This is a pain because the UK importer are a total pain in the ass to work with.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
HAYSTACK RIDER
a Downhiller
from HAYWARD CA. Date Reviewed: July 7, 2006
Favorite Trail:
GREEN BELT
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
bike expo
Strengths:
its dual crown and 20mm thru axle and 32mm stantions
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
888 and the jr t
Bike Setup:
04 Iron Horse sgs dh pro
Bottom Line:
this thing is bad ass!!! I've been thrashing this thing and taking fat drops and still works like new.
$
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
