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Submitted by
middle aged mountain biker
a Weekend Warrior
from northbrook, IL USA
Date Reviewed: August 4, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | any and all | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | jared at Downshift Cycles | | Strengths: | Relative light weight, adjustability, ETA, smooth travel, extreme good looks (sorry, I got one of the last black models), reliability, durability and minimal maintenance. | | Weaknesses: | Are you kidding, its a Bomber! | | Similar Products Used: | I've tried all the well known posers such as Fox, Manitou and Rock Shox. | | Bike Setup: | 2003 Ventana El Saltamontes 17" with custom 6" quad-bearing rockers & Romic DD coilover. AM-130-150 (currently set at 140 mm) Bomber fork, FSA Team Issue carbon crankset, Magura Julie discs, xt/mavic 321 w/WTB motoraptors, SRAM X-9, Time ATAC pedals, etc. | | Bottom Line: | Nothing compares to these forks, especially now that they are competitive in weight to the other manufacturers. Buttery smooth without harsh bottom out. ETA rules unlike any other system for climbing, you can't believe it if you haven't actually used this feature.
As in my Ventana review, until I was enlightened by a certain guide in Moab, Utah, I was brainwashed by the hype, marketing and reviews by bike shops, magazines, etc. and thought that Fox was it. Don't be fooled by posers and homers, as the best may not always be the most popular, as is the case with Marzocchi. Nothing compares to this fork or any Marzocchi for that matter - as I have owned 5 Bombers and all are superior to the competition, especially since you can wait just a bit and get an unbelievable price if your patient.
This fork is sublime. It has no faults (for you goofs that hear clunking, it is the REBOUND and/or TST set to high). Like good wine, the fork gets smoother with age, as the seals wear-in. There are no faults with this fork (for you goofs that hear clunking, it is the REBOUND and/or TST set to high).
In sum, until you've ridden this fork (or any Bomber of the appropriate type), you can't believe what your missing. These forks instantly improve any bike and will easily outlast the others. They are head and shoulders superior to the rest. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chad Guyer
a Cross Country Rider
from Loveland, CO
Date Reviewed: June 26, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Devil's Backbone | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Mountain High Cyclery | | Strengths: | Looks good. Very adjustable. Comes in black, too! ETA is a useable feature as is TAS. Easy to service for the most part. Marzocchi quality parts - no plastic knobs or adjusters. | | Weaknesses: | TST is not as good as HSCV. Air assist does not compensate for the additional plushness of another coil. Coil knock inside the stanchions. | | Similar Products Used: | Marathon S, Z1 SL, Atom 100, Fox Vanilla R, RS Reba SL | | Bike Setup: | all mountain, 6" travel | | Bottom Line: | The fork just hasn't provided the plush travel that I've come to expect from Marzocchi. It does everything OK, but not great, like the Marathon was/is. I attribute this to the change to TST and coil/air hybrid.
Initially, the ETA did not work properly, so I had to get that repaired with Marzocchi (I tried an oil change, but that didn't help). Now the fork seems to have a slight "clunk" on initial compression. I have not determined why yet. There is a bit of stiction still even though I've been riding it for 6 months+ now.
I don't like TST at all. The range of compression clicks is too significant and doesn't really allow for that "sweet spot", IMO. I may take the detent spring out of the adjuster. In order to get a plush, Marzocchi feel, I usually run it "off", but then I do suffer some brake dive. Ideally, high and low speed compression are what's necessary (RC2 anyone?).
Overall, I think this fork could be better. The dual coil Z1s are more to my liking as I think they offer a better ride than the coil/air hybrids. The additional weight is not significant enough to buy a fork with a degraded ride. The dual air forks, with the ability to tune the negative spring, are a better alternative. All of one or the other, but not both, is best.
The fork performs best on medium to big hits. Small bumbs are not its forte.
I'd recommend either a Z1 Light ETA or a AM SL (or Z1 SL for the 20mm TA). I think the AMs are a compromise to lighten the Z series forks and it's just not up to par with that good 'ole Marzocchi "cush". | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan
a
from Westlake, Ohio
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Dont have one as of yet | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | This fork is awesome on my Diamondback Response Comp. I chose the 100mm-130mm because I have a HT. The on the fly switches rock, the easy flowing movement is awesome. I dont hear any weird sounds like everyone else has been stating. If you can fing this fork for as much as I did you should pick it up | | Weaknesses: | The instruction manual is a little tough to follow. Should clear it up a litle bit. Other than that no problems | | Similar Products Used: | marz z3 (was stock fork) | | Bike Setup: | 18 inch frame
avid juicy carbons
chris king headset
stock cranks, wheels, derailers, shifters | | Bottom Line: | I'm in love with this fork | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matthew Warner
a Weekend Warrior
from Pullman, Washington, USA
Date Reviewed: May 25, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Any single track | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$380.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | This fork is very smooth and plush through the full 150mm of travel. At five pounds , it is quite light considering all of the travel and bells and whistles. I have found it to be quite rigid too. On the fly adjustments like TST and ETA are so convenient to tune the fork to terrain and personal taste. As you approach a steep climb you can reduce the fork travel as you ride if you choose to. Simply flip ETA switch, bounce the fork, and it stays down while still providing 30mm of travel to absorb bumps during your climb. When you reach the top of the hill you can return the fork to full travel as you ride with a flip of the ETA switch. TST provides five levels of compression damping with the twist of a dial ranging from a downhill setting to lockout. The coil/air spring combo offers the best features of both worlds. No need to change springs, just change air pressure for rider weight and preference. | | Weaknesses: | In order to use TAS for travel adjustment, you need to bleed out all air then refill. Not on the fly. Maybe offering a 20mm thru axel version would be nice for some folks. | | Similar Products Used: | Manitou Nixon Elite | | Bike Setup: | '05 Giant Reign. Stock except for the AM 1 fork. | | Bottom Line: | Buy this fork if you can get a good deal on it, and you want 150mm of super plush travel and on the fly travel decrease for climbing. If you are really clever, you might be able to get a black one like I did. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
victor
a Weekend Warrior
from Winnipeg, MB
Date Reviewed: May 16, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Ingolf | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$550.00 | | Purchased At: | favourite lbs | | Strengths: | - damned smooth fork
- hyper adjustability
- looks slick
- most controls very easy to use | | Weaknesses: | - compression adjustment could have more fine tuning
- weird clicking noise in fork if rebound is set slow
- if you care, the very abundant stickers don't last long
- travel adjust system (TAS) is a bit of a nuisance to use
- no anti-bob system | | Similar Products Used: | Black Elite 100/120, all others I have used far from this Marz's level (Judy, SID 100). | | Bike Setup: | 6" travel, all mountain / freeride bike | | Bottom Line: | First, the good:
This fork is so incredibly adjustable and so smooth riding that my 4 year old FR/AM bike feels brand new. Adjustable preload, compression and rebound ,plus ETA, and they all actually work! Some fork manufacturers could learn a lesson from this.
It looks beautiful, despite the stickers for all the controls starting to peel off. I have the 5" travel version, which is black on black, as opposed to that hideous tan colour.
The ETA is a fantastic idea, and does help on those long steep climbs, especially as this fork has a rather long crown to dropout measurement.
The fork has performed admirably in conditions ranging from light cross country to freeride to DH'ing at a resort.
And the not so good... Mostly, these are minor details, and don't really bother me much. However, some folks might care, so they deserve to know:
The most irritating thing is the bizarre clicking noise that the fork makes as it "tops out". Especially noticeable when riding over small bumps, like rocks and roots. Speeding up the rebound a few notches has pretty much made it disappear.
The compression control could have more than five settings (one of which is a lockout). 8 or 10 clicks of adjustment would give just about everyone the control they need.
The TAS, if you are inclined to use it, takes a hellish long time to change the fork from 5 to 4 inches. I don't really bother with it, but some people might like that option. Hint - engage the ETA and push down on the fork - it makes the TAS that much easier to change.
As for the lack of stable platform -well, it doesn't bother me much. Still, considering the price of the fork, I am a bit surprised by the lack of that option.
Overall rating: 4 chilis (the weird noise knocks off 1 chili off an otherwise great fork)
Value rating: 4 chilis - it was kind of pricy, and that was after getting a deal from the lbs.
Would I recommend the fork to others? Yes. It ain't the highest tech, but it makes up for it in buttery ride quality. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim Spencer
a Cross Country Rider
from Nashville, TN
Date Reviewed: March 17, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Hamilton Creek, Nashville TN | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | New, on Ebay | | Strengths: | Once I got it dialed in, PERFECT. It's very plush and smooth and after reading the manual, easy to set up. The ETA travel adjust is the envy of all the local bike geeks around here. Love this fork, and the color goes great with a Red Intense Uzzi Slx. | | Weaknesses: | Beautiful Gold KNOBS FALL OFF - I have not contaced Marzocchi yet, but from what I've read above, I doubt I'll get any love. If that is the case, I'll be very upset. Also - there is an annoying CHIRPING noise after a decent hit. What is that? Air blow off and should I be hearing that? | | Similar Products Used: | Z-1 Freeride | | Bike Setup: | Intense Uzzi Slx, Progressive 5th Element rear shock, Saint Cranks, XTR rear derailleur, WTB hubs with Single track rims..that covers it. | | Bottom Line: | Great fork, plenty of deals since it's last years model and if you are thinking should I go from 5 to 6? The answer is YES you will notice a big difference. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
robert thomas
a Weekend Warrior
from twin falls id usa
Date Reviewed: March 12, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | sugar loaf | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$430.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | super adjustable, really gives a good ride, very plush, really like the oversized tst & eta knobs makes it super easy to adjust on the fly | | Weaknesses: | (both minor complaints)little confusing to set up the first time, reading the instructions twice slowly helps a ton, have to really push a jolt of pressure on the handle bars to get the eta to get the fork to compress. | | Similar Products Used: | fox float, rock shock judy 120mm | | Bike Setup: | kona dawg primo 2003 4" rear suspension, lx componets, crankbros stainless, avid mecanical disc, easton carbon straight bar, | | Bottom Line: | build this bike in my garage this december, just took it on it's madain voyage, did a quickie seven mile loop. Rode every thing, fireroad, down hill tech stuff, snow, mud, rock gardens, etc. I really gave this fork a beating and it handled bueatiful, loved the eta; could definatly feel a differance in the geometry when climbing the steep stuff. Once compressed the fork preformed perfect. I was riding down one foot stairs and this fork handled awesome. Soaked up vibrations very well. Not sticky at all. Not really any thing major to complain about, this fork does what it is supposed to. Very much holds it's own against some high end fox forks I have ridden. All the riding I do is both up hill and down hill single track. This fork gives the best of both worlds, would not have bought a different fork if I had to do it over again. Would recomend this fork to ANYONE who wants long travel, and wants a good up hill and down hill ride with out compermising anything. Not for a true cross country feller or die hard down hill rider. Read the instructions very carfully, once you know what all the knobs do, setup is pretty simple. Remember to compress your fork before you start a steep section of trail, otherwise it is pretty tricky to put a jolt of pressure on the handle bars to get the fork to compress while you are holding a tricky uphill line. I do plan on racing with this fork later on this season, will keep posted if any problems arise. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
DLH
a Cross Country Rider
from PNW
Date Reviewed: February 17, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Solid fork offering from a solid fork company. | | Weaknesses: | Bottom adjust knobs may fall off if you don't locktite them. Sooo, now you know -- quit wining and locktite them. | | Similar Products Used: | Practically, every fork built by or known to man | | Bike Setup: | Couple of wheels - shifters and brakes - on a Coilair | | Bottom Line: | This is a smooth, stiff, fantastically adjustable, lite for it's class fork. All the adjustments work. If you don't like the clunk some of the forks seem to develop lower the TAS adjust about three turns. My fork weighs 5lbs on the money with cut steerer and starfangled nut on my digital scale. While I was waiting for my new 66RC I actually used this fork on my stinky for a few rides... and it worked! It is an awsome reliable product -- at a very reasonable weight for a bigboy. BTW - my experience over ten years of useing and abusing Marzocchi products is that their service department personel are professional, friendly, helpful and turn the product around in record time. You won't find a better 130-150mm fork. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
larry pascua
a Cross Country Rider
from walnut creek
Date Reviewed: February 3, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | anywhere | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$529.00 | | Purchased At: | supergo | | Strengths: | looks, performance. COLOR (i have the gray one which matches my frame)AM 1 SL | | Weaknesses: | nothing so far, i will post again in a week | | Similar Products Used: | nixon platinum | | Bike Setup: | nomad xt hayes thomson etc etc am 1 SL | | Bottom Line: | im impressed from my first trail ride out, cant be anymore happier, had a problem setting it up at first but after calling Marzocchi (great customer service)and got couple of recommendations, off to the trail i go and WOW, this thing is way better than the one i had before (night and day)i will post again in a week. MY overall rating is 4 chilis for now, but im sure it will get 5 chilis from me, just waiting til i get the perfect setting, thats 4 chilis with my improper setting because i have a high volume pump and cannot get the exact reading yet. BUY THIS FORK!!!!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
larry pascua
a Cross Country Rider
from walnut creek, ca.
Date Reviewed: February 1, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | ANY | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$550.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | I DONT KNOW | | Weaknesses: | I DONT KNOW | | Similar Products Used: | RC2 FOX PIKE AIR TEAM | | Bike Setup: | NOMAD ETC ETC | | Bottom Line: | CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO SET THIS FORK UP (AIR WISE)IM CONFUSED, FOLLOWED THE MANUAL BUT NOTHING SEEMS TO WORK RIGHT, DOES NOT GIVE ME THE TRAVEL, ITS PRETTY STIFF, TRUST ME I TRIED EVERYTHING IM A BIKE NUT JUST LIKE YOU. ANYWAYS, IM 180 LBS
HELP HELP HELP
I STILL BELIEVE THIS IS A NICE FORK
EMAIL ME AT LETSRIDEEEEEEE@AOL.COM PLEASE
I APPRECIATE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ben
a Cross Country Rider
from MA
Date Reviewed: January 24, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Trail of tears | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Online | | Strengths: | Marzocchi quality and stiffness. Sensitivity to bumps great and small. adjustability, ease of use | | Weaknesses: | Well yeah it did come in theat ugly color, but I got a black one | | Similar Products Used: | Fox TALAS RLC | | Bike Setup: | Yeti 575, Magura Louise, RP3... | | Bottom Line: | Best fork for me. I road the TALAS for a while but it never felt right. almost had it Pushed, but found a deal in this so I took it. Night and day difference on my Yeti. Yes, the A-2-C is taller, no it did not adversly effect my ride. ETA just makes so much sense, the TAS is easy to use, Rebound adjust is simple and effective. TST is a cool feature that I'm sure I'll play with more in the future. Altogether this made my bike feel right, like it was indeed my bike. I charge faster, hit roots and rocks harder and never flinch. Hey it's a Marzocchi! What do you expect? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
AP
a Cross Country Rider
from Princeton, NJ
Date Reviewed: December 26, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | Solid construction, responsive, versatile, soaks up anything. | | Weaknesses: | Color - I have the tan/cream edition. | | Similar Products Used: | Manatou Black, Rock Shox Judy, Atom Race, Lefty (not really similar). | | Bike Setup: | Ellsworth ID | | Bottom Line: | A great fork all around. Works well with my current set up. Plush as anything for not being broken in yet. Getting used to the extra weight and height on the climbs, but the ETA makes up for the height. Still working the learning curve as I have never used such a tall fork with so much adjustability, but glad I went with this one. Great response from small to large bumps, rock gardens to log piles. You can immediately notice the changes in behavior with each turn of the knob, whether tst, tas or rebound. I'll update review as I log in more riding time. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nick Soo Hoo
a Cross Country Rider
from Massachusetts
Date Reviewed: December 3, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | Vietnam in milford | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$348.00 | | Purchased At: | Blue Sky Cycling | | Strengths: | * Adjustable from 110-130mm
*highly adjustable fork
* nice metal knobs that turn easily
* Works great
* light for what it is about 5lb
* Strong
* Looks different (yellow color)
| | Weaknesses: | retail cost | | Similar Products Used: | Manitou six, splice, fork on prophet 600, wouldnt call them similar | | Bike Setup: | 2005 modified Cannondale jekyll | | Bottom Line: | This is a great fork there is not comparison between this and any of the forks I've used in the past. This shock absorbs bumps alot better in 30 degree weather than the fork on a 2005 prophet 600 in 80 degree weather.I just got this shock so it is not even broken in I have put only 2hours of riding on it today and its performed better in cold weather (oil gets thick) than any of the other forks ive used or tried. eta and tst are awsome they are truely on the fly ajustable. The knobs are easy to turn and have audible click to them. Even though this fork doesnt have a remote I'd consider this just as good since it is very easy to touch the top of the fork and its easy to turn. Tas is alright but requires that you let the air out of the fork to make the fork lower again. This fork is a air/coil hydrid which makes it very adjustable. The stictions are I belive 30mm which should make it a strong fork. If i knew it was this good I would have even paid retail price for it | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Enduro
a Weekend Warrior
from Renton, WA USA
Date Reviewed: November 30, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$428.00 | | Purchased At: | CBO | | Strengths: | - 130mm - 150mm travel adjustment
- 5 settings: Climb - AM + DH
- can drop fork and limit travel to 30mm for climbs or lockout completely
- plush | | Weaknesses: | clunking sound when riding over several small bumps. not sure if this is just the air cartridge, but can get really annoying. | | Similar Products Used: | 03 Fox TALAS RLC, 03 Psylo XC | | Bike Setup: | 03 Enduro Pro: All Mtn1, BETD link for 6" rear, Fox Float RL,EC70 MonkeyLite Riser, Thomson Stem/Seatpost,XTR disc/dual ctrl,XT cranks & derailleurs, SH-540 SPD, WTB Laser Stealth, Mavic x317 rims,Enduro Pro 2.2 tires | | Bottom Line: | Overall I like the fork for the price I paid. If I had paid full price for it, I probably wouldn't be very happy with it. Performs very well in many different conditions and feels more plush than my TALAS fork. I mainly ride with 150mm travel which combined with the BETD link gives me a 6x6 all mountain trailbike.
There is an annoying clunking/clicking sound that occurs when I ride over several small bumps. I think this is the air cartridge, but i'm not sure. Most of the time I can tune it out.
Bottom line: if you find a good deal on this fork, then it's probably going to be worth it, but don't pay full price.
Value: I gave it 5 chilis b/c I found a great deal on it.
Overall Rating: 4 chilis b/c of the annoying clunk that I hear occasionally. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Philippines
Date Reviewed: November 28, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$680.00 | | Strengths: | plush and smooth | | Weaknesses: | strange clunking on fast successive bumps! | | Bike Setup: | '05 s works enduro | | Bottom Line: | This is a follow up to my earlier review. I have since hated this stupid fork. The clunking sound will make you crazy. it's so annoying for me that i can't enjoy my ride. Don't buy this fork! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Spencer
a Weekend Warrior
from yarmouth, maine
Date Reviewed: November 3, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$460.00 | | Purchased At: | beyondbikes.com | | Strengths: | super plush, all adjustments work well. looks killer with the color, too bad it's changed for '06. Fork can handle 5 foot drops no problem and soaks up all bumps and everything. | | Weaknesses: | had to lock tite rebound and TAS knobs on bottom. not a big deal, but make sure you do this or they'll fall off and marzocchi won't give you free new ones even though they know about this problem. be careful of TST knob. I did a drop on AM- and it was dicey, just think to set it off locked or AM-. also, this fork works best with an aggresive rider, to some it might feel stiff. overall no major complaints. | | Similar Products Used: | exr supra, talas rl | | Bike Setup: | 04 slayer. all stock compnents but with crank bros 50/50. (these rock) and all mountain 1 (obviously) | | Bottom Line: | this fork rocks. if you do any all mountain or light to medium freeriding, get this fork. relatively light, and if you don't have a thru axle hub it still works. made my bike a lot more durable, exr is pretty bad. also relaxed the geometry a little, which is nice. plus, the 05 models are 300 off most internet sites. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ray Dolor
a
from 'Dago
Date Reviewed: October 16, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$489.00 | | Purchased At: | downshiftcycles.com | | Strengths: | excellent quality of suspension, the classic Marzocchi plushness, gets as much or more travel as they claim it does, ETA and all adjustments on the fork actually work. The extra pound or so of weight it adds to my bike is totally worth it. | | Weaknesses: | strange clunks when you rock the fork back and forth with the front brake locked. Undetectable when riding. | | Similar Products Used: | Fox , Rockshox, other 'zokes. | | Bike Setup: | 04 Joker w. 6" travel setup, RP3 for rear shock, Spinergy Xyclone disc wheelset XT, Thomson, Easton. Total bike weight still down under 30 lb.s........ totally acceptable for a 6/6 trailbike, no? | | Bottom Line: | This fork makes my Joker better than ever. Now it really feels balanced front & back. Prior to this fork I was riding the Joker w/ a Fox TALAS 130 RLC. I was happy with it, and the light weight put the bike in the 28.5 lb range, which I really liked. But the the extra inch of travel, and the sheer quality of travel on the AM1 is beyond comparison for me. I could never be happy with the Fox on this bike after having the AM 1. Prior to putting the TALAS on I had a 2002 FR Z1 on the Joker, and I had kinda suppresed the memory of its' quality travel. But now it all comes back to me, and i realize that it too had a much more supple feel than the Fox. I really wanted to like the Fox mainly because of the lighter weight , but this really drives the point home for me that weight ain't everything.
For an extra 40 bucks I was able to get the fork in black, which is way better looking than the funky brown they were trying to force all U.S. riders to buy.
Plus, the stickers peel off easily, which some might think a weakness. I really like the looks of the fork without 'em.
I put the TALAS on my Jamis Dragon, where it feels much more at home, and lightens that bike up even more.
So far, so good. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Will James
a Racer
from Tahoe City, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: August 26, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | Mystery | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Through my sponser | | Strengths: | Awesome color, light fork, great plusssssssshhhhh suspension awesome features with the TAS, ETA and TST. Wow!! | | Weaknesses: | Not enough of these forks on any bikes for sale through dealers. Why the heck not? Fox this, Fox that......pahhh! And Manipooo they just suck! | | Similar Products Used: | Fox Vanilla RLC (good fork but too weak in the crown), Marzocchi Z1 FR SL 150 with doppio air(great fork but the clamping system stinks) | | Bike Setup: | Rocky Mountain Slayer 70 (05) with Swinger 4way air, chris king headset, sram x.o drivetrain, magura free ride discs, mavic dee-max wheels, kenda nevegal 2.3 tires, thomson front and rear, maxim riser(mx6), odi grips, terry seat and lots of love. | | Bottom Line: | I had the vanilla on this set up and it was great but too flexy but now!! the bike rocks thanks to Marzocchi. Thank you, you Italian studs awesome product. I can rip down the single tracks, launch the bike a good 5ft in the air,even though the fork is not intended for this riding. The bike is amazing and my best friend on his Intense 5.5 with its Manitou Minute 3(it) struggles to keep up....Oh well. Thanx | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
john
a Cross Country Rider
from Manitoba, Canada
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | anything that hasn't been nuked by motorized vehicles | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | local bike shop | | Strengths: | - smooth
- excellent adjustability
- excellent torsional strength (hardly flexes or twists)
- ETA is a nice feature
- did I mention smooth?
- my condolences to those who ended up with the "Desert Storm" colour scheme. The fork is now available in black. :-) | | Weaknesses: | - a bit pricy (but it works great, so it is worth it)
- ETA was not functioning right at the start, but seems to have improved.
- a tiny bit of fore/aft flex (the price to be paid for less bushing resistance, I suppose) | | Similar Products Used: | in order: Judy TT (don't go there, unless you can't afford anything else), SID 100 (surprisingly good), Black 100/120 (not so great -stay away, unless you can get one for cheap) | | Bike Setup: | Full suspension - 4 1/2" to 6 " adjustable rear travel. | | Bottom Line: | Good Lord, if this fork is this smooth now, I can't wait to see what it is like after it is broken in.
Seriously, the ride quality is absolutely incredible. I have taken it down trails with tons of roots, and you'd barely know they were there. I have ridden it down abandoned railway lines, and the ties barely faze it.
I run it pretty soft (below recommended pressures, as per the manual), but I haven't bottomed it out yet, even on three foot drop stair gaps. With gear, I'm about 195lbs.
It is a tall fork (crown to drop outs) for its amount of travel, so the ETA is definitely handy for climbs.
I can't speak for reliablity or ease of service, as I have only had the fork for a few weeks, and haven't needed to tear it apart for service. I am assured that it is considerably easier than most other brands.
BTW, mine is a 110/130 mm travel model. While I would have preferred the 130/150 model, I suppose it would have choppered the front end even more, and that would have been a bit of a pain, I'm happy with it the way it is - it feels bottomless.
I'll post another review at the three month mark or thereabouts.
Four chilis for Value (because it is a wee bit pricy), and five chilis overall because it is an awesome fork. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Friend
a
from tahoe city, ca, usa
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | secret | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | cycle paths in truckee | | Strengths: | stiff,plush,and a lot of adjustments | | Weaknesses: | It threw off my bikes geometry which is to be expected. I'm not a big fan of dropping the fork for climbs because is changes my seat angle and so on and so on, plus my old fox talas you had to turn the nob a ton of times just to drop the fork which made it a pain in the ass. I'm slowly getting used dropping the fork with the the slight turn of the knob on the this fork.
A clicking sound when set at max travel.(solution) If you measure the stanchions when set at max travel you will notice that they measure at six and a half inches. It being a six inch travel fork would not make sense. Don't get me wrong, I think having it set at six and a half is nice but when hear this clicking sound coming from that area you wonder what is going on. I thought is was coming from my headset at first but it was not. So I droped the fork with it's tas control knob down to just over six inches and it solved the problem. By doing this I feel a little bit safer. | | Similar Products Used: | talas rlc, and marzochi z1.. | | Bike Setup: | last years coiler | | Bottom Line: | This fork has takin my riding up to a different level.
Coil is the only way to go. I thought about the fox 36 but I ruled it out because it was an air fork. Plus it's way over priced. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sam
a Cross Country Rider
from Quadra Island, BC
Date Reviewed: July 8, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Pro deal | | Strengths: | Strong. Well engineered. Seems very well thought out. All the adjustments are easy to use and let you tune quickly for just about any kind of terrain. Nice on moderate drops as well as the little stuff. I LOVE the TAS for climbing and smooth trails to bring the front end down and tighten up the handling. Nice and stiff too. | | Weaknesses: | A few minor issues. I also had my rebound and travel adjust knobs come off on my second ride. I found one but Marzocchi doesn't seem to think it's a warranty issue and wants to charge me $130 for the knob! Luckily the two are the same and I just undo it from the one side and use it on the other to do the travel adjust. I also noticed quite a bit of knocking when I have the fork adjusted for long travel but seems to be fine if I shorten up the distance. A tad heavy but feels like it could take a lot of punishment so not really a problem. | | Similar Products Used: | Various older budget forks from Rock-Shox, Manitou, etc. | | Bike Setup: | 33lb Java all-mountain set-up with cheap component mix and mech disks. 5" travel rear shock. Awesome Schwalbe Big betty Tires. | | Bottom Line: | Wicked fork. Love it except for the missing knob and M's unwillingness to send me a new one. Unreal adjustability. Seems bullet proof so far even after some pretty good bails. Definately the best fork I've ever used. All-Mountain is right. Perfect fork for the drops and nasty, bumpy, rooty, wet, rocky, muddy, sandy, hilly, loggy, terrain of our technical BC single track. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Art W
a Cross Country Rider
from Seattle
Date Reviewed: July 4, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$700.00 | | Strengths: | This for works well in all conditions, small bumps or large | | Weaknesses: | Stanchions extemely loose on first ride, feels unsafe to ride. Constant clicking etc. | | Similar Products Used: | Fox Vanilla 125r, Older Marzocchi's, 36rc2. | | Bike Setup: | Turner 6pack, XT, King, Thomson, Time | | Bottom Line: | After one ride I can truly say this fork really performs. Small bumps or large, the AMI mows through everything. All in all, performance wise this fork rocks.
Now the negatives. I only have one ride on this fork and the right side stanchion is extremely loose. It makes a clicking sound with every hit, and feels less than secure.
After having a Fox fork for 3 years, I went to Marzocchi hoping to avoid these issues. Tomorrow I’m going to contact Marzocchi in the hopes of having the issue quickly resolved. Stay tuned as I’ll be updating this post in the next week or two
I'll go with 2 chillis overall for now, but will update once I have the problems resolved.
| Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Wayne H
a Weekend Warrior
from Portland
Date Reviewed: July 3, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | too many to list | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$750.00 | | Strengths: | performance, fine tuning | | Weaknesses: | cheap stickers | | Similar Products Used: | marzo MX Pro w/eta | | Bike Setup: | 5" travel front and rear full suspension trail bike. | | Bottom Line: | This fork performs extremely well. It is a great trail fork that. My only complaint is that on the first ride, both the lower rebound and TAS knobs fell off. that really sucks. But whatis worse than that, is how crappy Marzocchi is at getting me new replacements. They build a great product, but dont seem to care about it once it leaves the store. Nor do they seem to care about their customers. I had to leave 2 messages with some guys voicemail just to get a call back to find out about replaceing my knobs. My first message was never returned, the second one was not so nice, but they finally called back. My biggest complaint is that they would not warrenty the knobs. it is apparently my fault for not checking the torque on the little screws that hold them in place. I guess I should probrably dissasemble the entire fork to make certain they torqued everything properly at the factory. So I pay for the knobs.... and they send me everything for the upper knobs (e.t.a. and t.s.t. adjustments). Like what part of LOWER knobs did they not understand. I even told them their functions (rebound and t.a.s.) to avoid confusion. So now, I have to pay more money, and go through the voicemail BS all over again.
Overall, I think my knob situation was out of the ordinary. They build a great performing product, one of the best. But it is realy dissapointing that they dont stand behind it, or support their customers, should you ever have any problems. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marcos
a
from Bogotá, Colombia
Date Reviewed: June 27, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$770.00 | | Purchased At: | From a friend's Bike Shop | | Strengths: | All the adjustments (awesome !!), you can fine tune this fork according to your riding needs. Absolutely smooth. The CL and DS positions in the TST definitively make a difference in your riding. | | Weaknesses: | hmmmmm.... Can bring you to near to bankrupcy and maybe you can loose your balls if someone (like parents, wife or girlfriend) in your home see that bloody price tag !!! Stickers should be much better quality, in that range of price you're expecting the best quality. Anyway, when it comes to a mountain fork, what really makes the difference is quality and performance, so the sticker issue is something stupid. Ahhh, and last friday I just saw that jensonusa is giving an outstanding price (about 600 USD if I'm not wrong... or less) | | Similar Products Used: | Rock Shox Judy TT (pure crap), 2002 Psylo XC (was good for me). | | Bike Setup: | 2003 GT avalanche frame with a lot of sweet toys. | | Bottom Line: | I think this could be one of the BEST forks for 2005 (I think it should be the best). WARNING: this is not for downhill or freeride use (well, maybe the 130-150 mm could take a little freeride). Use it for aggressive XC or "all mountain" and you'll be pelased as long as you own this fork.
If you have almost 800 bucks under your pillow and that bothers you and don't want to use them for lighting your fireplace.... this fork could be a good way to get rid of that head ache.
If that's not your situation and you want to keep your balls where God put them.... don´t let anyone "sane" see that price tag. And... because of the color (looks cool anyway), it goes better in black bikes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom Salmon
a Weekend Warrior
from pleasant hill
Date Reviewed: June 17, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | Big Boulder | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Down shift cycles.com | | Strengths: | Adjustable, resonable weight compared to amount of travel. Comfortable at high speed and very smooth. | | Weaknesses: | Cheap stickers, and ???? | | Similar Products Used: | Fox 125RL, | | Bike Setup: | Ventana EL Chamuco, chris king headset, philwood hubs, Shimano drive train, Hayes Brakes 8" rotors, WTB tires and seat. | | Bottom Line: | Very happy with purchase. I feel I have one of the nicest forks currently made and I look forward to many miles together. In addition, the experience I had with Jared at Down ShiftCycles.com was great. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SLO Rider
a
from San Luis Obispo, CA
Date Reviewed: June 15, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | RIM - Tahoe | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$5 |
|
$ 769.00
