Submitted by
jim
a Weekend Warrior
from london Date Reviewed: February 7, 2008
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$100.00
Strengths:
cheap, plush action
Weaknesses:
top out, not very stiff
Similar Products Used:
rockshox, marazocchi
Bike Setup:
Full suspension with 4 inches travel, small and light for weekend downhilling.
Bottom Line:
These forks are cheap and good for the price. Those who complain about the action of these forks are just wimps. They move up and down in a plush controled manner and take the hit nicely. Obviously they will not take 10 foot drops very well, but they're not for those riders.
Being a keen downhill rider on a budget my only complaint is the fork's Lateral stiffness. Sometimes they don't hold their line too well on fast corners.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jack Watson
a Cross Country Rider
from Cheddar, UK Date Reviewed: July 15, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Wharncliffe Trails, Sheffield
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
As long as you clean these thoroughly and regularly they can absorb.
Weaknesses:
When dirty they seize, Also their reputation, Buy these and I can guarantee someone will laugh.
Similar Products Used:
Many more forks, But as far as RST forks go these are the first.
If you use your bike for work, Your stock forks are worth keeping, If you're well and truly into mountain biking, you've probably already got yourself some Marzocchi AM1's holding your front wheel on. But if you're in between and have the time to clean these once a week, There's no reason not to buy them for the price. Think about it, It's either these or some godawful pogo sticks from Zoom...
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Submitted by
wezza
a Weekend Warrior
from Freiburg , bw , Germany Date Reviewed: June 27, 2007
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
given to me secondhand
Strengths:
free, does not seem to leak gets a lot of work as i live in the middle of the blackforest handles it well
Weaknesses:
not suited for big jumps
Similar Products Used:
rockshox judys
Bike Setup:
biria at2 custom hardtail with deore gear and hayes nine discs
Bottom Line:
if you have any play money buy somthing better if your just hammering thru the woods on rutted single tracks then these will suit you just fine . ignore the twits who treat 100 dollar shocks like they was boxxers or something
ride on
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Submitted by
david
a
from Newquay, cornwall Date Reviewed: May 23, 2007
Favorite Trail:
The Track - Portreath
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
none
Weaknesses:
my mate snapped the crown off his bike and i snapped a stantion.
Similar Products Used:
none are as bad
Bike Setup:
mongoose
Bottom Line:
bad
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
alex gardiner
a
from gold coast Date Reviewed: May 9, 2007
Favorite Trail:
exit 69
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
came stock-
Strengths:
solid fork. cannot destroy them, no matter what i do.
Weaknesses:
preload / adjustments dont do anytthing, feels like riding a pogo stick. would not recommened buying them.
Similar Products Used:
M Dirt comp, Rockshox dart 2, drop offs.
Bike Setup:
mongoose fireball 05' -pretty much stock
Bottom Line:
buy these forks if you can't afford any better, or are just begining. Forks are fine for riding road. Not so good for jumping..
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Submitted by
ryan bazley
a
from plymourh Date Reviewed: March 31, 2007
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
ebay (brand new)
Strengths:
Everything
Weaknesses:
nothing
Similar Products Used:
rock shot j2
Bike Setup:
mongoose fireball frame
Bottom Line:
lovely to ride on dirt or street for the money they are great !!!
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Submitted by
Gunner
a Cross Country Rider
from Marietta GA USA Date Reviewed: February 10, 2007
Favorite Trail:
blankets creek
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
free flight
Strengths:
color
Weaknesses:
STIFF as heck
Bike Setup:
trek 4300 clipless
Bottom Line:
great for very very hard pack dirt but not for jumps or big bumps.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Josh
a Weekend Warrior
from victoria australia Date Reviewed: December 31, 2006
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
came with bike
Strengths:
there good when oiled and when they are new.
Weaknesses:
rst stans for Real Sh$t Technonolgy. they siezed up in cold weather.
Similar Products Used:
rockshox, manitou
Bike Setup:
stock diamondback response sport.
Bottom Line:
if your not going to jump or do xc riding these forks are right for you
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Fat Tony
a Cross Country Rider
from Australia Date Reviewed: December 25, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Glenrock
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Price Paid:
$140.00
Purchased At:
Hadley Cycles
Strengths:
For a cheap fork, it does what YOU EXPECT A CHEAP FORK TO DO.
...and it does it well.
Weaknesses:
Heavy.
Similar Products Used:
Rock Shock, Mazocchi, Manitou.
Bike Setup:
Custom setup - all mixed
Bottom Line:
If you read some of these reviews above, they give big negatives for breaking, bottoming out, leaking...
Like WTF??
What do you expect for a cheap fork?
If you going to do that sort of riding (5ft drops.... laughable), then don't do it on a cheap fork (or any cheap fork for that matter). You get what you pay for and so expecting this fork to perform like a triple crown oil/air DH fork IS ASKING TOO MUCH. This fork is excellent when used for its intended purpose - light duty jumps and tree-root rutted singletrack.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steven Cereva
a
from Santa Cruz California US Date Reviewed: October 26, 2006
Favorite Trail:
ARCO jumps
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$85.00
Strengths:
Well it held up way longer than I expected, hit a 10 stair about 20 times on this thing and it was fine, But after 6 months of no handers and tailwhips, goodbye RST.
Weaknesses:
Cracked sooo easily. No joke here this thing sucks, maybe got 50mm of travel out of this thing EVER.
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
hardrock
Bottom Line:
It sucks.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ben pieprzak
a Downhiller
from london ontario canada Date Reviewed: August 13, 2006
Favorite Trail:
lions park
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
cyclepath
Strengths:
good for light weight people, prelode adjustment, cheap
Weaknesses:
havent really noticed any, but mine are super loose so its not the best for heavy people
Similar Products Used:
marzocchi bomber
Bike Setup:
specialized hardrock sport disk. new 661 pedals, got a bash guard put on
Bottom Line:
amazing for starting or xc
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Christian Allen
a Weekend Warrior
from Sturbrige, MA, USA Date Reviewed: June 3, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$475.00
Purchased At:
Bicycle Alley
Strengths:
It seems to be a pretty nice fork, for the money.
Weaknesses:
Beginnners fork, bottoms out off small drops, leaks oil, the dust caps have to be Gorilla glued in to keep them on.
Similar Products Used:
Rockshox Judy R2, Judy TT
Bottom Line:
Hey, get this fork if you are not serious about mountain biking or want to save money. If you want to get something that will last you a long time, spend the extra dough.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Stephen Geddes
a Cross Country Rider
from Auckland Date Reviewed: May 27, 2006
Favorite Trail:
diggles behind
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$650.00
Purchased At:
PacknPedal
Strengths:
none, they suck..
Weaknesses:
Everything. The springs are as saggy as my wang. They bottom out if you breathe on them. They leak oil everywhere(good for later on that night) They seriously suck my big hairy black man pee-nis
Similar Products Used:
fox 40 rc2, Rockshox boxxer world cup, marzocchi 888r, ky gel, libra stay fresh pads, a d*ldo for my bee-hind, diggles flat spot, a barbie doll who enjoys eating me out.
Bike Setup:
trek 4300 with stuffed up cranks that fell off. Jelly rims that bend if you go off a curb, circus sized handlebars, just an alround great bike.
Bottom Line:
dont get these, you'll die...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bob
a
from Cleveland OH, USA Date Reviewed: April 21, 2006
Favorite Trail:
single track
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
It "works" as far as two springs in a tube should. I bet its really cheap.
Weaknesses:
The brand: everyone here knows that RST makes very sub-par forks. This fork's off road perofmance is about 10 years behind modern fork design. It has no rebound dampening whatsoever. It bottoms out quite easily (going down stairs for example). It leaks oil that collects all sorts of crud on and around the exposed sliders. Looks pretty lame.
Similar Products Used:
Other RSTs.
Bottom Line:
I got what I paid for: I bought a relatively inexpensive bike (350$) and this is what I got with it. I really can't complain too much, as this fork (hopefully) wasn't designed and marketed for any serious type of mountain biking. It gets the job done around the streets and paths, but it really eats it bad when taken on any decent trails. Ride this fork for 15 minutes, then hop on a bike with a legit decently made fork and you will feel see just how big the quality gap is.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
steve oakes
a Racer
from north wales Date Reviewed: December 22, 2005
Favorite Trail:
coed y brenin- red bull trail
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
cheap,strong,does the job.
Weaknesses:
seals always come off,spills out the internals
Similar Products Used:
rock shox j2's, pace rc36
Bike Setup:
specialized hardrock sport
Bottom Line:
good basic cheap suspension. despite its short comings it seems to do the job. this type of gear would have cost £££'s several years ago
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gary Edmunds
a Cross Country Rider
from Washington, DC Date Reviewed: November 30, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Came stock on bike
Strengths:
It keeps the wheel on. That's about it.
Weaknesses:
Bottoms out if you sneeze. Leaks oil. After three months of extremely light use, it exploded. RST never returned calls, emails, or letters.
Similar Products Used:
Personally, you name it! Manitou, Fox, Rock Shox, etc.
Bike Setup:
Stock Trek 4300 disc.
Bottom Line:
This "fork" comes stock on the Trek 4300 that I shamefully recommended a friend's kid brother buy as a starter bike. Actually, the bike itself really wasn't TOO bad for the money and performed okay once this POS was replaced, but from day one, the fork caused problems - on a local PAVED trail, he bottomed the fork out AND JAMMED IT when he rode the bike off the curb! That's a four inch drop! He's 14 years old and weighs about 120lbs!!! A few months later, it started leaking oil on a simple ride he came on with us, and literally 5 minutes later it flat out exploded on him on the way back to the parking lot, when he went through a dip. Of course any warranty attempts have been ignored, so I just tossed the thing in the dumpster, and popped an old Manitou Black Elite on there for him.
This is a REALLY dangerous fork, and it has no business being on the market. Trek should be ashamed that they have aligned their once great brand with this type of trash. At least put friggin' Judys on the lower end rigs.
Bottom line. If you see one for sale, keep walking. If a friend offers you one for free, tell them to keep it. If you're considering a bike that has one of these on there, factor the cost of replacing it IMMEDIATELY into your decision. I have never given a product on here such a lousy review, but this really, truly, is the worst thing I have ever seen! I mean, it's cheap, but what good is cheap if it absolutely doesn't function?
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Papo
a Downhiller
from santiago, chile Date Reviewed: November 28, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$60.00
Purchased At:
Terrabike
Strengths:
cheap as hell
Weaknesses:
none so far, just the crown broke at a 10ft drop, so i guess it is really good...and the warranty did not respond...leaks oil
Similar Products Used:
pike race, 66, sherman, z1
Bike Setup:
santa cruz frame, el camino brakes, new rspike fork, atomlab rims
Bottom Line:
this fork is }very stiff...it handled the 10ft drop ´perfectly... i would recommend it to eeryone who dj and dh...but for the price...you cant ask for more
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dom
a Weekend Warrior
from Outer London Date Reviewed: November 20, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Esher common
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
evans cycles
Strengths:
cheap
Weaknesses:
not that soft, relatively heavy but not too bad
Similar Products Used:
-
Bike Setup:
Specialized hardrock sport 04 - has stock parts but im now upgrading to front disc + new forks
Bottom Line:
i dont think that anyone would buy these forks to upgrade their bike with or when building a bike etc. so this review will probably be read by people considering Hardrocks or other bikes which come with this fork. The fork is fine, esecially as a sort of introduction to suspension for kids or people whove never owned a sus. bike before but ive had this fork for almost 2 years and it seems to get harder as time goes on! I rode my bike all day yesterday in the cold - about 3-4 degrees C and the fork stopped working! Im upgrading to a Marzocchi EXR - you can find them at www.chainreactioncycles.com for £100!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Marko
a Weekend Warrior
from Zagreb, Croatia Date Reviewed: November 19, 2005
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Cheap, Preload adjustment
Weaknesses:
Leeks oil, rubber cap sometimes stays jammed around fork leg, doesn't work in cold weather
Bottom Line:
Don't go with this fork if you ride in temperatures below frozeing point: it will stuck and you will ride a bike without suspension. When it warms it works OK again.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
skee
a Downhiller
from san rafael, california, united states Date Reviewed: November 13, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
MIKES BIKES!!
Strengths:
ummmm.....worked at first because i was just riding around town. great beginner fork for learning how to ride trails i guess.
Weaknesses:
got stiffer and stiffer. leaks oil. seals break. if you are thinking about learning to DJ, get a Marzocchi
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi DJ III, Marzocchi Dirt Jam Comp, Manitou Sherman
Bike Setup:
custom '05 hardrock pro
Bottom Line:
good beginner fork i guess
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David
a Weekend Warrior
from Milford mass Date Reviewed: October 29, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$360.00
Purchased At:
Crossing Cycle
Strengths:
Have a nice plush feel. Takes the bumps nicely.
Weaknesses:
Gets stiff as you run out of blue oil under dust cap.
Similar Products Used:
Manitou Travis Triple TI Intrinsic 180
Bike Setup:
05 Iron Horse Mavrick Dics. REPRESENT!!!!
Bottom Line:
Good fork for the low end bikes. But i would upgrade if you have the money for a great fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Patrick
a Weekend Warrior
from Lindon Utah USA Date Reviewed: September 26, 2005
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
great entry level shock
Weaknesses:
leaks oil and heavy
Similar Products Used:
my neighbor owns a shop so i ride all the best bikes.
Bike Setup:
stock
Bottom Line:
this is a realy great fork for going down trails but i wouldn't recomend any hudge jumps. Great fork for any one starting out.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chan
a Cross Country Rider
from Franklin , NC Date Reviewed: June 30, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Flint Ridge or the Secret one I found near my house
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Good entry-level fork
Weaknesses:
weight
Bike Setup:
stock 'o4 Specialized Hardrock
Bottom Line:
Good entry-level fork. I ride extremely hard. I routienly do drops taller than 5 feet and I have yet to bottom this fork out. Probably because I control how I land. I'd have to agree with the other testers that this thing leaks oil badly. The first time I rode it, I had a stream running down the stanchion. Most likely I'll ride this thing till it dies then I'll upgrade to a nice Marzocchi or a low-end Fox. Till I have that kind of money, I'll just keep riding it since I'm too broke to do anything but save up.
4 flaming chili's for the value... awesome stock bike that it comes on
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dennis
a Weekend Warrior
from Dallas Tx Date Reviewed: April 30, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
It seems to do what its supposed to do, it is a shock afterall. I seems to have worked out the pre-load and it holds up fine. I have tried to bottom it out and have as yet been unscsessful.
Weaknesses:
Like the other reviewers have noted, it leaks oil. The dust cap doesnt want to stay in place either.
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
05' Specialized Hardrock Sport. Bone stock.
Bottom Line:
I wouldent suggest that someone pay money for this fork but overall its not bad consodering the price of the bike its attached to.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Patrick
a Cross Country Rider
from Baton Rouge, LA Date Reviewed: March 7, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Comite
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
The Bicycle Shop
Strengths:
Entry Level Fork, Cheap, Preload adjustment
Weaknesses:
Fork Seal boot comes off, leaks oil like a sieve
Similar Products Used:
Manitou Black Elite on my G. Fisher Big Sur
Bike Setup:
Specialized Hardrock sport, stock except for new shimano pd324's
Bottom Line:
This is a cheap fork, good to start out with like I did. I've ridden it almost everyday around campus, I ride pretty hard though(Dropping Stairs, Climbing Curbs, Little Downhills, roots, etc.). I've also been out on the trail probably about a dozen time with it. It's served me well but is leaking oil bad. The shaft is covered in grease. I'll ride it until it dies, probably upgrade to a Marzocchi.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dan
a Cross Country Rider
from Auckland, NZ Date Reviewed: January 31, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Great entry level forks and very easy to use. the preload adjustmets makes it easy to setup
Weaknesses:
The right fork is leaking a little bit of oil already
Bike Setup:
2004 Specalized Hard Rock Sport (non-Disc brakes)
Bottom Line:
A very good entry levels forks that would suit anybody starting off- road riding ad a bit of street.
$
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