Submitted by
DarqFox
a Downhiller
from Sundre, Alberta, Canada Date Reviewed: July 27, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Western Trees (C.O.P.)
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Pinkbike
Strengths:
Tons of adjustment settings, including rebound and compression.
Weaknesses:
None so far
Bike Setup:
'07 Specailized BigHit 2
Bottom Line:
Came stock on my bighit, and I couldnt be happier with these shocks. I have bottomed them out once, and that was my own fault for an ugly flat-land.
If i were to upgrade my bike to a new one, and if it came with some marzocchi's with no adjustment, I would slap on a new Domain in no time.
If you don't have a set, you're going to want to look into some if you're looking for "mucho" adjustment settings.
An awesome bang for the dolla'
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Submitted by
Richard Whitt
a Downhiller
from Palmdale, CA Date Reviewed: July 16, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Mt. Gleason, Acton California
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$620.00
Purchased At:
eBay
Strengths:
Beefy looking and awesome performing fork. It can take anything you throw at it, and come begging for more!
Weaknesses:
none so far
Similar Products Used:
Boxxer, totem, Marzzochi Bomber
Bike Setup:
intense downhill rig
Bottom Line:
There is no doubt in my mind that this Rock Shox Domain fork is the best freeride/ DH fork on the market today, for the price. Sure, you could pay $500 more and get a Totem, but the Domain offers far more bang for the buck.I have the coil version of this fork, with the 115-160mm travel, and the action of it is very buttery smooth. I took this fork on a 14 mile downhill ride on Mt. Gleason here in California, and by the time I reached the bottom of the run I was as fresh as a daisy! No more tired wrists like I had with my other Marzzochi Bomber fork. The fork looks killer too.... like it belongs on a motorcycle or something..... very bit-chun! The fork soaks up the big hits with ease.... and is even sensitive to the smaller bumps as well. For my $620 bucks, I feel i'm getting the ride of a fork that cost TWICE as much! I used to own a Rock Shox Totem..... and this fork feels just as plush , but cost half the amount. I'll never pay huge bucks again for a DH fork, when the Domain fits the bill just fine. RS, you did your homework on this fork! I'm gonna shell out 5 roasted ravioli's for this BAD BOY of a fork!
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Submitted by
ctd07
a Downhiller
from england Date Reviewed: July 9, 2008
Favorite Trail:
anything steep
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$630.00
Purchased At:
www.winstanleysbikes
Strengths:
Stiff, Cheap, Good damping adjustability, Single crown, travel adjustable, relatively low stiction after compressed a few times each ride
Weaknesses:
Maxle comes loose if moved - which is very easy to do; very poor small bump sensitivity - no good for dh at all, first few clicks of compression do nothing, harsh damping spikes near bottom-out, no spring available soft enough for my weight:(
Similar Products Used:
none quite the same, but: fox vanilla 32, Marzocchi dj3, Marzocchi Junior T, Rockshox Boxxer.
Bike Setup:
Orange Patriot Lt, Fox Van RC rear shock, Mavic Ex729 wheels, Hayes brakes
Bottom Line:
At first I thought these forks were real nice when I took them out the box, but even after paying another $110us to have an x-soft spring installed, they are still just too stiff for general riding and they cause my wheel to just bounce off obstacles instead of absorbing them as the low speed sensitivity is bad, nowhere near as good as my Fox Vanilla's.
After 1 year of use I have gotten fed up of lugging round their excessive weight (2.9kg) in return for such irritatingly 'budget' performance, they are very harsh at the end of their travel on big hits too and I have hurt my wrists because of this on relatively small jumps.
Most recently, the rebound damping has given up and they have top-out 'clunk' no mattter what setting - 1 year on and I'm getting rid of them - I can't help but be reminded every time i ride them, that I should have just shelled out the extra dough and got some Fox 36's, which I'm now goona try!
These forks are more than adequate for an occasional freeride sesh, but just fall short for anyone who demands real performance from their products.
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Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver Date Reviewed: June 4, 2008
Favorite Trail:
The Ribbon
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Bro Discount
Strengths:
Plush, buttery, and stiff. Maxle is great and easy to use. Uturn is a great feature and easy to reach/use, much better than the TALAS system though maybe not as good as ETA. Motion Control actually works!
Weaknesses:
A bit heavy. Silver stantions arent the most attractive.
Similar Products Used:
Fox TALAS, Manitou Sherman, Nixon, Marz All Mountain
Bike Setup:
Giant Reign with swinger air, Sram X9, Chris King/819s, IRC Trailbears
Bottom Line:
I sold my TALAS for this fork! If you are looking at Lyriks, 36s, and 55s than I would suggest you take a closer look at this fork. If adding an extra pound to your bike doesn't scare you then I highly recommend this fork for its reliability, ease of use (maxle) and performance. I do 15 miles with 2k elevation gains on this thing...its not THAT heavy!
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Submitted by
Frank
a Downhiller
from Colorado Date Reviewed: June 1, 2008
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Mojo Wheels
Strengths:
Durable, adjustable (motion control), very plush, will take everything you can throw at it, cheap (great for downhillers/freeriders on a budget)
Weaknesses:
For the price, none really....
Bike Setup:
07 BigHit 2
Bottom Line:
This fork came stock on my 07 BigHit 2, and I am very impressed with it so far. Like the other reviews said, this is a great freeride/downhill fork and will take everything you throw at it, from rock gardens to drops. I have the static 180mm version, but the adjustability is still good because of the motion control. Motion control can help fine-tune your fork on the fly to the environment you are riding in. If you had a lot of money, you could probably go with a totem or something, but for the price this fork can't be beat!!
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Submitted by
Matt Schisler
a Weekend Warrior
from London ON Canada Date Reviewed: January 20, 2008
Favorite Trail:
backyard
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
beyond bikes
Strengths:
looks great, really plush, has a pretty wide range of adjustability
Weaknesses:
mabey the weight...but its not ment for cross country
Bike Setup:
06-07 Gary Fisher Bitter
Bottom Line:
a really nice upgrade for any bike...caution when buying because there are 4 different versions 115-160mm and a 180mm
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Submitted by
RR
a Cross Country Rider
from Everegreen, CO Date Reviewed: January 20, 2008
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Light for a 180mm fork, good price, quality build, Mag lowers, Maxel is a great design
Weaknesses:
very soft factory springs!
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi super T, Z1, Z150, Totem
Bike Setup:
Bullit
Bottom Line:
Fork feels great! After it broke in the springs showed their true colors: they are very soft. I've bottomed twice on drops that were not very big. I only weigh 150, probaly 170 all geared up. This is my only compaint. I guess RS wants their forks to be plush, but come on RS, this is a 180mm freeride fork, it needs stiff springs! Other than the soft springs, I love this fork. Maxel is way better then other 20mm designs. Sram has really turned RS around! I would give it 5 flamers if it came with better springs. I owned a pike before this and had to buy extra firm springs to get it the way I like, and they are not cheap.
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Submitted by
Ted
a Downhiller
from Bend,OR Date Reviewed: November 11, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Dark Hollow
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
The Gear Peddler
Strengths:
Stiff,nice plush smooth travle,excellent build quality,Small bump sensitivity good. Very good adjustability.
Weaknesses:
the compression adjustment on the bottom. Look out rocks! But what are you going to do.
Similar Products Used:
888
Bottom Line:
look out fox and marzocchi. Not even for the $$ it's just a great fork. Jumping, Cornering, Rock Gardens, Drops. I'm throwing everything at it. I'm glade I got one. When I go on a ride I like to have fun and not having to worry if the bike can handle it. Well I don't know if my bike can handle it but I know the Domain 318 can. Rock Shox is headed in the right direction.
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Submitted by
matt
a Downhiller
from newcastle,united kingdom Date Reviewed: September 24, 2007
fior the price you pay theese forks are worth every peny and more, compared to al other forks in the price range iv tries theese are by far the best. if your a freerider/downhiller thats on a budject go for theese you wont ber diapointed. also i think the 180mm is the best compared to the u-turn version.
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Submitted by
santiago
a Downhiller
from Argentina Date Reviewed: September 16, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$600.00
Strengths:
Stiffness, Stiffness, Stiffness... Fork travels almost the entire stanchion so it would not lift your front end more than necessary
Weaknesses:
Maybe weight but its a 115-160mm, steel, coil , u turn fork! It just can´t be lighter! No travel gradients like Pikes
Similar Products Used:
Pike, 66 150mm, Manitou Stance
Bike Setup:
Duncon Cocker, Race Face crankset, Xt 755 brakes, DX m646 pedals, Truvativ holzfeller bars and stem
Bottom Line:
Buy this fork, i´m sure it´s the best bang for your buck. Tons of stiffness, versatility thanks to Uturn, 10 clicks of WORKING compression. Definitely a must have.
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Submitted by
Martyn
a Weekend Warrior
from Cardiff, UK Date Reviewed: August 8, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Castell Coch
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$600.00
Purchased At:
Chain Reaction Cycles
Strengths:
115-160mm of super plush predictable travel, excellent build quality, super stable 20mm maxle u-turn travel adjustment, handy compression adjustment, rebound adjustment, great value, looks sweet!!
Weaknesses:
not alot.... lack of a travel on indicator on stanchion (no biggie), not the lightest fork out there (but what do you expect, its not a xc fork!)
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi Z5 & Gran Fondo 1, Fox 32 Vanilla R
Bike Setup:
06' Kona Dawg Deluxe, same dh front wheel as the Kona stab, panaracer cinder cone 2.25 on rear, dmr v8 peddles, terrys fli ti seat
Bottom Line:
Going from the OEM fork (gran fondo 1) to this was a huge huge improvement. I was considering getting the lyrik but couldn't be arsed shelling out another 200 quid for a few extra adjustments. To be honest i wouldn't really use any more, the u-turn & compression adjustment are perfect for my needs. The bike is so much more stable thanks to the 20mm maxle, and the fork soaks up everything i throw at it. Its just as plush as the vanilla r i tried out and its a fair bit cheaper and more adjustable compared to the vanilla 36. Basically u can't go wrong with this baby, from xc to dh it can handle it all!
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Submitted by
Kyle White
a Weekend Warrior
from Victoria, B.C. Canada Date Reviewed: July 30, 2007
Favorite Trail:
My trails
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$600.00
Purchased At:
Russ Hays
Strengths:
Beefy, The 20mm maxle, The compression adjustements super easy to use that a 4 year old could do it, Travel adjust, rebound adjust, ya pretty much everything
Weaknesses:
What weakness???
Similar Products Used:
Pike, Lyric, Totem, like a heavier coil fox talas
Bike Setup:
An 06 norco bigfoot frame with parts changed 100 times
Bottom Line:
This is the greatest fork for my riding. I can meet some friends at a dirt jump park and ride all day long and the next day hit up trails with 6 foot drops, steps and fast turns. I havnt really got to use it on xc or park but it will put up with it nicely. My bottom line is Go rock shox, the domain rules and if you brake it well, you should have looked after ur fork dumbass!
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Submitted by
wendy
a Downhiller
from vancouver Date Reviewed: July 24, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$600.00
Purchased At:
westwood
Strengths:
adjustability manuverability weight price
Weaknesses:
comes spect for a guy
Similar Products Used:
888's, pikes
Bike Setup:
06 Big Hit III
Bottom Line:
Dual crowns were weighing me down so initially switched from the 888. Definitly took a while to break in and was having issues with stiffness. Eventually switched out to a lighter spring (120lbs) and thats when it all came together. Super plush on the downhill with very little sticktion and it really lightened up the front end for unweighting the bike. Set my head angle to slack and it balances the rear 8" perfectly with addedd stearability on the skinnies as well as up to the apartment. This fork has really garnished my season, pipes are much fresher after a run!
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Submitted by
Thomas
a Downhiller
from Belgium Date Reviewed: July 24, 2007
Well when i was buying parts for my sx i could choose between the totem and this baby. I chose for the domain ; why ?; -Well i didnt had much cash left -I got the u-turn version wich is asome for under my sx imo , i put him on 150mm for slopestyle , 160 for dh/fr and 110 mm for riding to the trails. First i was a bit scared cause peeps were laughing with me cause i got a domain for my custom sx. Well i dont know why they do cause none of them ever rode them ... I like this fork realy. So if you're looking for a all-around fork and you dont wanna spend like 1200usd go for the Domains you wont regret ! And they are pretty strong ( Doing the roadgap in the bikepark hes 5m high and about 5-6m wide without any problem and he still works like new ;))
Props to RS to bring such a fork on the market. For the same price you can get a " marzocchi 66VF" you cant change anything on that fork wich sucks it feels like a wall-mart fork imo.
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Submitted by
topher
a Downhiller
from portland, or Date Reviewed: July 23, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
full cycles
Strengths:
This is easily the best fork for your money, extremely smooth, great adjustability, and strong as hell!
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
fox 36 van, rockshox lyrik
Bike Setup:
yeti asx w/ domain 318
Bottom Line:
this fork takes everything i throw at it going downhill and jumping and has quick and easy adjustability for going uphill. If you're not rich and want something that'll let you have all the fun you could ever want, this is the fork!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a Weekend Warrior
from Parsville Date Reviewed: June 15, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$630.00
Purchased At:
AMC
Strengths:
- Very Adjustable - Lots of Travel - Stiff
Weaknesses:
-None
Similar Products Used:
Super T/Junior T, Z1 Zokies
Bike Setup:
Giant Faith with RS Domain
Bottom Line:
Looking for a fork with 160 or 180mm travel, and don't want to throw down $1200.00 for a totem. As far as I can see this is the next best thing, and at half the price.
Going from a JrT to this fork, the difference is amazing. The bike is so much easier to throw around. When you go to climb up a hill crank over the compression and the fork stiffens right up. Absolutely no pedal bob what so ever.
Great product, Great price.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Hui Chuen Chuang
a Downhiller
from Penang, Malaysia Date Reviewed: May 26, 2007
Nothing at all. Except that the stacntions are taper-wall steel which may rust if you don't take care. Just keep it lubricated and there will be no problem. Mine have none so far after 6 months.
Bike Setup:
2003 Kona Stinky Primo 6" travel, Vanilla R shock, Juicy 7. Holzfeller crank.
Bottom Line:
Put this on your bike and you feel like you have a monster truck tyre in front. Just pound through anything. 8 foot drops also no problem. Very plush. Small bump sensitivity quite good. I dunno why those guys complain about very little adjustments. It's half the price of the Lyrik.
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Submitted by
Simon
a Weekend Warrior
from New Zealand Date Reviewed: May 3, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$402.00
Purchased At:
net
Strengths:
Stiff! cant tell the difference between them and my 05 boxxers Compression is such a rad (and quick) adjustment - wind it up for man made flowy and bermed tracks to stop brake dive - turn it off for downhill. Maxle is awesome. They feel bottomless on the bigger stuff.
Weaknesses:
None yet! maybe that the compression adjustment isn't very linear, no biggy though once you know which three clicks are the main adjusting clicks (between fully on and medium)
Awesome value for money! 180mm travel balances up my bighit nice without feelin like a chopper. Compared to boxxers the bike feels more nimble and light. The Bighit isn't a light bike but it feels amazing now.
5 chilli's because this is an amazing fork! Sure theres better forks on the market (Totems), But honestly would paying double the money make me a better rider? I can garuntee I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
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Submitted by
tatu salokoski
a Weekend Warrior
from finland Date Reviewed: April 28, 2007
Favorite Trail:
kalpis
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
cheapo/came with the bike (180mm travel) maxle! light weight
Weaknesses:
rebound at max is a bit weak. dives adjustability: locked, too stiff and overly plush
Bike Setup:
2007 specialized bighit 2 with manitou travis 203 with Ti sping
Bottom Line:
Well compared to travis it really..REALLY sucks, but its allmost half the price/weight...so Good fork if you are learning basic freeriding stuff otherwise forget it! Keeping it as my backup fork.
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Submitted by
dr.zack
a Downhiller
from Prague, Czech republic Date Reviewed: April 18, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$600.00
Strengths:
stiffness good looking feels so strong very good adjustability sensitive travel
Weaknesses:
I did not find any yet...only thing i experienced was some clicking whn it goes back from deep travel, but this sound constantely disappear...now there is no bad sounds
Similar Products Used:
manitou kingpin, marz juniorT
Bike Setup:
kona roast,hayes,truvativ hussefelt,shimano
Bottom Line:
I can only agree with what Neal E and dave M said. Im very happy with this fork. It is much better than anything i have ever riden...good choice for the price
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
james R
a Downhiller
from Hell Paso Tx USA Date Reviewed: March 7, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Dog Canyon NM
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$519.00
Purchased At:
Ride-This.com
Strengths:
Stiff , smooth , lighter than a tripleclamp
Weaknesses:
none yet
Similar Products Used:
888 , jr-T , pike
Bike Setup:
Banshee Scream , singlewides , domain
Bottom Line:
This fork feels better than my 888 did.. I will post an update in a month or so.. For the price its not bad at all..
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Neal E
a Downhiller
from Seattle, Wa Date Reviewed: December 29, 2006
Favorite Trail:
the exits...
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
eBay
Strengths:
-stiffness -great out of the box - no spring upgrades needed, easy to tune up -adjustability!
Weaknesses:
I still don't know how it will be on the braking bumps on A-line....
Travel adjustments. It's only a small weakness, but I'd appreciate travel indicators on the fork like RockShox put on the Pike 409.
Similar Products Used:
Marz. Jr T, Marz Dropoff, RockShox Pike 409
Bike Setup:
'04 Cove G-Spot [it's not like they are any different from year to year, anyways]
Bottom Line:
I bought this fork because the front end of the bike - a Cove G-Spot - was just too high up. When I tried to rail corners it was too easy to wash out the front tire. When I rode up steep sections the bike was just too 'choppered' out. The other problem was travel - the spring I had on the Jr was too squishy - so the front end would dive down on big drop offs or step downs.
This fork fixes all those problems and adds more stiffness than the Jr had - with less weight, more adjustability, and no upgrades needed out of the box.
I'm 6'2" - 200lbs - and it's a perfect setup for me - a guy who rides 15' gaps and 10-15' step downs at most.
So, why didn't I pick up the Totem rather than the Domain? The answer is $500 bucks for a couple of inches I don't need. I should prolly go and buy a Dianese flak vest with the cash I saved...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
dave M
a Downhiller
from hobart Date Reviewed: November 5, 2006
Favorite Trail:
anything technical
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$580.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
-Tire clearance (can fit a 3inch tire on a 24", just) -Smooth, progressive travel -Maxle 360 -Stiff
Weaknesses:
Not as responsive as a 66 to small bumps, rebound adjust knob vunrable to rocks/logs (can be removed though)
Similar Products Used:
66, Jr T, Z1, Boxxer
Bike Setup:
Banshee Chap, freeride componants
Bottom Line:
The fork has taken a few rides to break in, but has become much better than it was new. When new, it had a lot of stiction off the top and felt overdamped, even with the compression damping right down. After a few rides it has become much smoother and sticion has mostly gone. The fork travels and bottoms very smoothly, can only tell it has gone through all the travel by cheaking the dust marks on the stauchins after the hit. The last half of the travel is very progressive. It tracks very well over babys heads and ruts, so far nothing has managed to deflect the frount wheel, a welcome change from my old z1's.
Compared to the 07 66VF- It is not a plush on small bumps, but feels better on bigger hits. Maxle 360 brings qr conviance to 20mm - much better than fiddling with allen bolts.
The compression damping knob is on the top of the right leg and has 10 "clicks", turning it right up cuts out all but a few mm of bob, even when stamping on the pedals. rebound is on the bottom of the right leg, and although it had good range of adjustment, there are no "clicks". Once dialed in I'm going to remove the knob (which is actually just an allen key) before it gets trashed or lost. It would have been nice to have the rebound easially reachable as well like the higher spec 66's though.
All up, its a good value fork that should take a lot of punnishment, hopefully it hols up as well as the more proven marzocchis. Only 4 chillis overall as there are better forks out there, they just cost a lot more.
$
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