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Submitted by
DOUG
a Weekend Warrior
from Orange, CA.
Date Reviewed: May 25, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$800.00 | | Purchased At: | Dealer | | Strengths: | The forks | | Weaknesses: | The so called springs | | Bottom Line: | The elastomeric "springs" literally melted off of both of my bikes and left plastic trails and puddles on my bikes and garage floor. There should be a real spring replacement instead of the elastomeric replacement. The life expectancy is less than expected. For the amount I paid for these bikes I really expected so much more than what I got. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Will Render
a Weekend Warrior
from Ottawa
Date Reviewed: November 14, 2000 | | Favoriate Trail: | fore play | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$150.00 | | Purchased At: | friend | | Strengths: | Rigid, plush, SSWWEEETTT | | Weaknesses: | lots of Maintenance | | Similar Products Used: | amp, cross link | | Bottom Line: | This is a great shock!.. I did more on setup then I think any one would ever bother too. but in the end it's a great shock! I road it until the end of this year when I bought a new bike with a JUDY SL.. When it comes to drop off's when the front hits first the Judy has an advantage (No "J" action) but for cross contry the Vector/Cross link is still the king! My upgrads have left me with 3 1/4 travel, very plush.. what can I say I road this shock for 5 years and I still think there's nothing on the market that is better for cross contry.. my problem is... it's heavy.. and I'm not adding this to a 26LBS full suspention bike.. so I guess I will have to get used to the JUDY.
for upgrade advice/ tips and tunning.. take a look at my web site..
Can I upgrade my Vector / Vector 2 with parts from the new
Cross-Link?
If your asking about the 98 Cross-link the answer is :
YES!!
http://www.cyberus.ca/~will/Gervin.htm
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
blair wershler
a Weekend Warrior
from vancover
Date Reviewed: October 18, 2000 | | Favoriate Trail: | pink starfish | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$75.00 | | Strengths: | NONE!!!!!!! | | Weaknesses: | where do I start.... I broke the left fork leg clean off the mounts. needless to say thats not good.... | | Similar Products Used: | under inflated front tire | | Bottom Line: | This fork sucks! your probobly better off not having one at all. for 1995, it was ok. but two inchs, (really more like 1/2 inch) is just not up to todays standards. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
chris c.
a Cross Country Rider
from Framingham, MA
Date Reviewed: September 22, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$340.00 | | Purchased At: | National Bike-Beverly, MA | | Strengths: | NO VERTICLE FLEX!!!!! | | Weaknesses: | A lot of linkage. | | Similar Products Used: | Manitou, Rock Shox | | Bike Setup: | Gary Fisher Cronus | | Bottom Line: | I bought this shock as soon as it came out because I was tired of the verticle flex in both my Manitou & Rock Shox. What a difference! I have been riding this shock since Jan. 1996 & have not had a single problem. Since my frame is an older Gary Fisher it has a very compact geometry, and with the Girvin's backward dropouts, the wheelbase feels very short making it smooth as hell. I don't know how I could ever go back to a telescoping fork.
As far as customer service, when I was putting the fork on I called Girvin for tech support. The operator immediately connected me to Bob Girvin! He talked me through the process and offered to send out the latest owners manual for the fork (it originally came with the manual for the original Girvin with the stem attached).
For what I paid at the time compared to other forks in the price range, it has been worth every penny! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ron
a Cross Country Rider
from Hamilton
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2000 | | Favoriate Trail: | Ancaster Valley Trails | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Came with bike from a friend | | Strengths: | Looks INCREDIBLE!!!!! Takes hard, hard bumps.
This is one tough shock. | | Weaknesses: | Temperature affects the resistance dramatically.
People want to steal my bike. | | Similar Products Used: | Rock Shox. | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale M400, Girvin Shox, | | Bottom Line: | If you want a durable shock that can take a mean beating.... this is the one to buy. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Merlin
a Weekend Warrior
from Charleston South Carolina
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Bike Setup: | RD Coyote 2, C4 clipless pedals, Psyco KS tires, Avinir rack, and bag. Lizzard Skins where possible. | | Bottom Line: | I am not one for Maintaining anything at all. I neglect things and pay for what I think will last my abuse. I have had my Girvin for over 3 years now. It was used but refurbished when I got it, and was rubbed to a matte finish wich I like better than shiny junk. I have done no maintanence on the fork in that 3-4 year period, and it has never failed me at all. Not subtle on soft hits, but well needed on the harder hits. Used in on beaches, sand, cross country, jumped it, slamed it, even kicked it. (Alot of kicking due to clipless pedals) I think that it is fantastic to last better than anything else on the bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ode Bike Scribe
a Cross-Country Rider
from Staatsbug, NY
Date Reviewed: January 9, 2000 | | Favoriate Trail: |
Cannot tell you | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Ridgid takes big hits well | | Weaknesses: |
Maintance can be a pain. | | Similar Products Used: |
Mantitou Mach 5 | | Bike Setup: |
Lite Speed Obed | | Bottom Line: | The Shock I have has the ODS and has been retrofitted with a speed spring. I bought this shock used, because I had spent soo much on my frame and I liked the fact that it looks different from the rest. Semi annual greasing is a bit of a pain, but I like to tinker so it fits me. (Hey I used to own British Cars). I am planning on drilling it so that future greasing can be done with a grease pump. As far as I am concerned it is a keeper - Plus not everyone has one. I derated it to 4 chillies because not everyone is interested in maintaining their own equipment. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Luke Son
a Weekend Warrior
from Nashville, TN
Date Reviewed: October 28, 1999 | | Favoriate Trail: |
fairview | | Duration Product Used: |
tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: |
Great ratings, looks great, design makes sense to me. I love to do mechanical work...its just me i guess | | Weaknesses: |
Equally bad reviews | | Similar Products Used: |
Judy XC/DH, Zoke Bomber, AMP F2, Manitou SX. | | Bike Setup: |
GT avalanche w Manitou SX, XTR/XT, CRUX(you cant get them in the states! ha ha!!)other than that, nothing special | | Bottom Line: | Ok, it says that i cant review if I havent ridden it...but I have one in the mail and i just wanted to set things straight...I love doing mechanical work so Ill Know whats falling apart or not...just anted to say that im reall excited to beat the crap out of it and see whats goin on...four chilies for anticipation. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Richard
a Cross-Country Rider
from Georgia
Date Reviewed: May 13, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Bottom Line: | I bought an 856 back in March of 98 which came with a Girvin fork with after market speed springs. I was warned about the maintanence problems with the forks but I decided to deal with it till now. The fork started out very stiff as also the way which I like to ride. However 95% of the problems associated with the bike deals with the fork. I have had some kind of problem with fork at least once every two to three weeks. I have ordered another fork and I will never go back to a Girvin fork unless it was free or a last resort. I have bent the drop outs, broken the axle rod, stripped the steer tube, and many of the screws come loss after a few rides. The only good thing is that the fork has no squeaks and is very stiff. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim Frost
a Cross-Country Rider
from Watertown, MA
Date Reviewed: April 5, 1999 | | Favoriate Trail: |
Bow Ridge @ Lynn Woods | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
Tracks like a rigid. | | Weaknesses: |
Horribly tuned by default, easy to knock out of alignment. | | Similar Products Used: |
Rock Shox Indy, Judy.
Manitou Mach5.
Marzocchi Atom Bomb. | | Bike Setup: |
GT Tequesta (more or less). | | Bottom Line: | This is a follow up review to one I made a couple of years ago (see below).The fork was a Vector ODS AL which I extensively retuned (see http://world.std.com/~jimf/biking/vector.html).After retuning the fork worked very well; supple and excellent tracking. For the kind of riding I usually do the fork was nearly perfect.Unfortunately as the bushings wore it became more and more difficult to keep them quiet and moving smoothly. New seals helped a lot, but I could never get the smooth action of the new fork back for more than a few weeks at a time. It felt like I was doing a full teardown almost every ride.Last summer I took a relatively minor header and the crash knocked the fork out of alignment. It appears that I twisted something in the lower link; I just couldn't get it straight again, even after following Girvin's re-alignment instructions.I'm sure a new lower-link would have fixed the problem but I was pretty tired of the pivot maintenance and opted intead for a new Atom Bomb.To my surprise the AB tracks almost as well as the Girvin (which makes it head and shoulders above everything else I've tried). I had it tuned to near perfection in five minutes, and to perfection in two rides. Compared to the six months I spent experimenting with the ODS unit on the Girvin that was a dream. Similarly, maintenance on the AB is a snap -- way fewer pieces, way longer service interval.Extra-heavy long term maintenance and poor tunability make me downgrade my review to 3 chilis.
| Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a cross-country rider
from Hampstead,MD
Date Reviewed: March 13, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
The Girvin vector fork came OEM on my Proflex 856. It has the GDT coil-over with oil damper. The fork takes big hits very well, but is almost un-responsive on the small stuff. Also off-camber areas can be a bit tricky as the fork skipps and deflects off of rocks and such. The fork stears great. Dropping down a steep descent is a bit un-nerving because you get the sensation that you are going over the bars because of the J path the foks travels. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Tay
a weekend warrior
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: December 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok!I think its ok! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ken
a
from PA
Date Reviewed: October 6, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The idea behind this fork is great. Unfortunately, the fork still has to catch up with the idea. Some good words, then the bad. First, the fork is a perfect match for a minimal travel XC FS bike. On the ProFlex 856 it works well with the rear. It doesn't bob much during out of the saddle hammering either. Lastly, the fork is great for wicked switchback singletrack. The bad side. Gotta disassemble the fork, clean the bushings, and lube generously very often, like 100 miles or so. It is a pain to take this fork apart, especially the lower inside pivot point. MCUs are tough to work with. Finally I drilled out the hole of the top MCU to relieve the inherent stiction by the smaller diameter. This makes the fork much more reactive in faster situations. Definitely ditched the thirty weight oil for 5W. Then, had to go to really hard MCUs so that the plush range of the MCUs doesn't get eaten up by sag. In fact, the fork is at its most plush when the MCUs are just hard enough so that the bike doesn't sag at all when sitting. Why? the MCUs are the most plush at the beginning of their compression, then the hardness ramps up very quickly. So, if the initial plush range is overcome by sag, you get a harsh ride. By the way, I tried the speed springs, and this fork works better with dialed-in MCUs. Why? Minimal travel. Springs give a linear compression rate, and it is nearly impossible to set the Vector 2 up to not bottom out constantly and yet be responsive in low speed situations. The fork needs about 2.75 to 3 inches to effectively use springs. The Vector 2 gives about 2 inches of useable travel. Lastly, the motion of this fork, and most linkage forks, is to go back and then up. Imagine yourself on a 45 degree descent at about 25mph and you hit a sizeable object. The momentum you have wants to throw you over the bars, and the declining wheelbase and increased head angle are definitely helping the throw. Can you say human missile? Found this out on some helacious Italian Alps descents. Had to keep my butt way over the rear tire to stay on the bike at higher speeds. It really is a XC fork. Rating? Stock is a low 1-2 smoldering green peppers. Modified and dialed in gets it 2-3 flaming halapenos. A Marzocchi Atom Bomb defintely rates five or more volcanic habaneros. I'll give it a three just because it held up to 3 years of abuse without falling apart. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe
a weekend warrior
from LA
Date Reviewed: August 14, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Looks great! Steers Great! Stiction-Free plush travel! I don't have the ones with the new Noleen shocks but the ODS system still kicks ass! Just like what you hear from everyone, change the oil and it works a whole lot better. Haven't tried a speedspring upgrade yet so I don't know if it'll improve it that much more. I'm never going back to a telescoping fork. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Laura
a cross-country rider
from Tennessee
Date Reviewed: July 18, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Looks great and performs great. I did not have the OEM MCU. Mines came with the Noleen Racing NR-2 Shock and it's very plush. My friend has the MCU Stack thing and I can understand why the reviews are so low. Just go out and get an NR-1 or NR-2 shock and it works like a dream. Not to mention the fact the shock looks exotic. Doesn't look like your normal everyday shock. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Carlos Bodington
a downhiller
from Maracaibo-Zulia, Venezuela
Date Reviewed: July 15, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Necesito saber quien me puede vender el sistema ODS nuevo de la suspención Girvin viajaré pronto a MInnesotta, y es la oprtunidad para poderla comprar. Si existe algun proveedor o tienda especializada por favor mandar informació a la siguiente dirección: carlose85@hotmail.com
Tengo una Proflex Reptile que me gustaría modificar para hacer Down Hill, que recomendaciones me podrían dar para el caso .
Gracias | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim
a cross-country rider
from Vienna Va.
Date Reviewed: June 26, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have had my GIRVIN CROSS LINK for two years now and I love it! the only problems I have had were that the 97' NR-2 shock blew a seal but girvin sent me a new one withing a week for FREE!!!!! and I didn't even have any papers for it! the other problem was that the spring that came on the bike was too stiff, so I went to the next lighter spring and all is well. check out the wieght to spring chart at www.girvin.com | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
RC
a cross-country rider
from GA
Date Reviewed: June 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This fork came with my Proflex 856, but the fork came with the red speed springs. It gives me much more travel than my old rock shox, but there is still the maintenance issue that has been long debated over this shock. Many people dislike the time on maintaining their fork, but this hasn't been too much of a problem for me: As long as you check them regularly, there usually is no problems. I think that this fork is great. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill Lobsitz
a racer
from Nevada City, CA. USA
Date Reviewed: April 30, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've been riding a Vector 2 for three years and have found it to be a love hate kind of thing. I love the precise feel through the turns with out any wandering or scubbing, but the fork is limited in travel and the dampining is basically how little lube is present in the elastomers. The fork suits my style of riding in the fact that it has little bob, no brake dive, and tracks really well. The bummer side is maintenance, with total teardowns every few months to relube and replace seals at the pivots. I have had mixed results in dealing with Girvin for parts and tech help, just depends on who you get. Overall when compared to telescopic forks I'm sold on the linkage design and am now in the process of upgrading to the new Crosslink C. Will review the new fork at the end of summer. Keep it spinning! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jerry
a weekend warrior
from Utah
Date Reviewed: February 10, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
The girvin came on my 96 Proflex beast. It is a good shock. Despite limited travel it does a great job in the rough. It holds a line in the turn, and and the Girvin ODS (oil dampining system) Eliminates the pogostick effect. The fork is a pain to maintain I have to take it apart and lube all of the pivots every 500 miles, or 6 Months. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Erik
a cross-country rider
from Netherlands
Date Reviewed: January 19, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have a Vector I and a Vector II, ride & race flat terrain, woods, sand. Vector I was OK, but elastomers hardened after a while and too much damping. Improvements: drill out holes in elastomers to reduce damping and put elastomers in hot water to soften them. Fork not very active on small bumps, so fairly harsh. Fork life OK, maintenance every 6 months.Vector II is better since it has a Speedspring and ODS with 10 wt oil. Very active fork, excellent stiffness and good steering for X-country. Have V-brakes on it, no problemos. Fork life is good (every 6 months maintenance), but I clean it up every ride and avoid overly wet conditions. A Judy has just a bit less friction and may be better on the very small stuff. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Justin
a racer
from Mass
Date Reviewed: January 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have a Girvin Elite and the fork works great! The fork has no flex. I use Arch Supremes on it and have no flex problems. Only problem I have had was my NR-2 shock went bad. I got a replacement in a week. Before buying the Elite I had rode a vector 2. It was so much better than any other fork around | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave H.
a cross-country rider
from Pittsburgh, PA
Date Reviewed: November 15, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Obviously we have a problem here... There is no specific place to rate the newer Girvin shocks except for the carbon fiber one, which not many want to pay for.Well, I guess I have to rate mine here then. I have a 1997 Girvin Elite and could not be more happy with a shock. I stayed away from the dual shock systems for certain advantages in singletrack riding, which I have more than been rewarded for. Some people that know more about shocks than I are amazed at the lack of flex it has compared to their RockShox. I just know it rides right. Yes, it did raise the front end a bit, but the way I figure it is our racing style hardtails put us in such an extreme position anyway that the little bit it raised will probably lessen rider fatigue (just a little).
It seems to have smooth action, and very easy adjustability (adjusted it once and forgot about it actually). I have not put V-brakes on it yet so I can't rate the flex of the arms, can't imagine it will be much though.
Go ahead and get one for yourself. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim T
a racer
from Kent WA USofA
Date Reviewed: November 7, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This fork rules. I've got a 97 Elite with the Noleen.This thing sure bets that flexy flyer Rock Sux Judy I just threw away. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jake
a cross-country rider
from Mass
Date Reviewed: September 29, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
If you dorks below are gonna get one of these, buy it w/a Noleen. Elastomers suck now, and they always will suck. I've got a Cross Link Elite w/NR-2's, and it's awesome. Not effected by temperature, adjustable preload and rebound, the thing eats rocks and spits em out, feel is better than any telescopic. If you wanna jump tall buildings in a single bound, do some other sport. If you wanna x-country mountain bike, and need the best fork out there, get a Girvin. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan the man
a racer
from Newport beach
Date Reviewed: July 31, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
It sucks!!! I've sold many different kinds of forks and girvin was the
worst. It has too many pivots and their a pain in the ass to work on!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy Bloch
a weekend warrior
from co
Date Reviewed: June 22, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This is a great fork. It has proven reliable and solid on even the biggest of rocks and nastiest terrain-Even after a year of hard riding. The fork is rigid, but doesn't give the longest of travel. I have tried to kill this fork with punishment beyond mfgr's specs and it is still alive and rockin. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
adam hunt
a weekend warrior
from Australia
Date Reviewed: June 16, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
excellent overal performance, but as expected the elastomers start to bounce
a bit too much going over extreamly rough terain at high speeds. i still
feel that they are excellent value for money and suitable for just about
any style of riding | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bob Bubernak
a cross-country rider
from Charleston, WV
Date Reviewed: April 21, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This fork SUCKS!!!!! I can't imagine anyone could design aworse fork if they tried. On each of my first 5 rides on the thing I bent the legs so much that I had to disengauge my front brakes to ride it out ofthe woods. There is practically no travel in it when the elastomers are new and after long rocky downhills it feels like you have arthritus. I put my three year old Manitu 4 back on and the front end is now plush. DON'T BUY THIS FORK.... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Karnes
a racer
from Powell, Tn
Date Reviewed: April 8, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Excellent performing shock; rides great! The problem is this shock is a maitenance nightmare. If you love to constantly tinker with your bike or love the sound of 1000 mice sqeaking at once, this is the fork of choice. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Caleb Stoll
a racer
from Denver CO USA
Date Reviewed: April 8, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
You have the best shocks on the market. But you need to work on the maintenance of them. It gets annoying working on them every 100 miles. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a cross-country rider
from MA
Date Reviewed: April 5, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I recently purchased 2 leftover 856's. I opted for the Noleen NR1's on both, which just came in. I have only been out once, and it was with the elastomers. They sucked! I installed the NR1's today, they feel sweet. Problem the front is already leaking oil (visible on shaft) Second problem not as serious, the rear shock has an external wiper that does not stay put. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave Harvey
a cross-country rider
from San Diego
Date Reviewed: March 29, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I own two Proflex mtnbikes, an 855 and 955. I have owned full suspension bikes in the past, so Girvin is not my first experience. The bike is good, but the girvin 2 is fine for comfort but terrible fro performance. I just put a Judy DH on the 955 and what an amazing difference. I was going to dump the bike on someone else, but with the new fork I now have a competitive mount. I have read the comments that are favorible for this fork in this forum. I have to wonder what type of terrain they are ridding this the girvin? I would rave about it on relatively flat, non technical stuff, but for fast tight cross country and DH, the fork is pathetic. I also ride very rocky terrain, and the Girvin just cant handle it! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave Harvey
a cross-country rider
from San Diego
Date Reviewed: March 29, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I own two Proflex mtnbikes, an 855 and 955. I have owned full suspension bikes in the past, so Girvin is not my first experience. The bike is good, but the girvin 2 is fine for comfort but terrible fro performance. I just put a Judy DH on the 955 and what an amazing difference. I was going to dump the bike on someone else, but with the new fork I now have a competitive mount. I have read the comments that are favorible for this fork in this forum. I have to wonder what type of terrain they are ridding this the girvin? I would rave about it on relatively flat, non technical stuff, but for fast tight cross country and DH, the fork is pathetic. I also ride very rocky terrain, and the Girvin just cant handle it! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
chip
a weekend warrior
from New Mexico
Date Reviewed: March 11, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
If you love your vector 2 after all of the ODS , extreme seals,girvin goo and speed springs. upgrades.. then....quick, sell it to your best friend and go buy a Elite fork with the noleen shock on it. It has double the performance! The only problem with this fork is that it will make a monkey out of the rest of your bike. get it! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alvin Fu
a weekend warrior
from Northboro,MA
Date Reviewed: March 10, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I think that the Girvin ODS is a perfect fork. No independent leg movement. Also, the bumps are soaked up as if nothin' is even there. I recommned that you replace the elastomer to a Speed Spring and your fork will work better than top end Judy's and Manitou's. See YA LAter Rock Sux and Manitou's Girvin beats them all. If you don't have one, what are you waiting for, get offf your lazy ass and get one. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bruno J. Navarro
a cross-country rider
from Santa Fe, NM
Date Reviewed: March 9, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
With Speed Springs and a titanium bolt upgrade, this fork is unstoppable. It steers like a rigid fork and looks amazing. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alvin Fu
a cross-country rider
from Northborough, MA United States
Date Reviewed: March 8, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
The Girvin is an excellent fork!!!!! I put a speed spring on the baby and whoah is it sensitive!!!! It soaks every thing up!!!! You name it!!! And also it doesn't bottom out because I got special elastomers at the end. The steering on the thing is incredible!!!!! No independent leg movement. The only thing that bothers me is the maintnance you have you do with it. There are too many bolts to tighten. Other than that, this Girvin is a killer and will take you wherever you want to go!!! See Ya later Judy and Headshok, here comes Girvin | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
IAN
a cross-country rider
from ALASKA
Date Reviewed: March 4, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Girvins dont go well with mud and the arms are a pain to get alighned. The incredible number of bolts to come loose and fall out can ruin your day. The concept is excelent but its not that much better than modern telescopic desighns. Pain in the ass | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Geoffrey Pelsise
a weekend warrior
from New York
Date Reviewed: February 12, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I just got a Pro-Flex 856 UPgrade, you know from Bike Pro. Anyway, I paid $1400 for this bike that was supposed to be awesome. It is, but the front shock, I have to say, bites. I followed my friend off of a four foot drop (he was riding a 'dale Killer V 900 HT w/ DD60)... he landed perfectly, as for me (experienced rider), I also landed perfectly but I felt the fork bend and I heard a snap. Next thing I know the damn interior of the damn thing is falling apart. Did I mention that the thing looks ugly, too? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a cross-country rider
from ma
Date Reviewed: January 29, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
important info!!! If anyone is considering buying a girvin pipeline chubby. call girvin or your local retailer first!!! I found out the hard way that they are all being recalled and won't be fixed until march at the earliest! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adrian White
a cross-country rider
from Victoria, BC. CANADA
Date Reviewed: January 28, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought these forks because a friend of mine recommended them. I am a 180 lbs.
rider and I found the Girvins to bottom out way too quickly, even with the super
heavy elastomer package. Another problem was that after a few rides in the mud
the forks began to creak and groan considerably. Now, if I spend $500 on a set
of forks I expect them to last a little longer that two weeks between cleaning
intervals! However, these fork felt great. Compared to the Judy XC's that I'm
using now, there is no stiction. Dampning is need however for the big hits. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave McDermott
a downhiller
from Portland,OR
Date Reviewed: January 8, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Best darn shocks a fat wad of cash could ever buy! They will cost you an arm, a leg and maybe a first born, but they will ride like no other. I've had them for a few months now and I'll never go back to Rock Sux again! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott Frazier
a cross-country rider
from Alpine, UT
Date Reviewed: January 4, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This is an excellent fork once you have changed to 10wt oil and replaced the elastomers with a spring. I made these changes two months ago and now find the shock performance equivalent to the higher-end Judy's and Manitou's. The Girvin's easily beat the other brands in independent leg movement and overall stiffness. Unfortunately, adjustability is poor on the Girvin.FYI, yesterday I tried the Bomber B-2. Read the reviews on this fork! It is far better than any Judy or Manitou or than the upgraded Girvin. On small bumps you use the full travel with no striction. On huge bumps you use the full travel, no striction, and no bottoming out. Girvin, Manitou and Judy - study up on speed variable dampening or go into another line of business! (Guess I forgot this was going to be a Girvin review.) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott Frazier
a cross-country rider
from Alpine, UT
Date Reviewed: January 4, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This is an excellent fork once you have changed to 10wt oil and replaced the elastomers with a spring. I made these changes two months ago and now find the shock performance equivalent to the higher-end Judy's and Manitou's. The Girvin's easily beat the other brands in independent leg movement and overall stiffness. Unfortunately, adjustability is poor on the Girvin.FYI, yesterday I tried the Bomber B-2. Read the reviews on this fork! It is far better than any Judy or Manitou or than the upgraded Girvin. On small bumps you use the full travel with no striction. On huge bumps you use the full travel, no striction, and no bottoming out. Girvin, Manitou and Judy - study up on speed variable dampening or go into another line of business! (Guess I forgot this was going to be a Girvin review.) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JBN
a racer
from Winchester Mass
Date Reviewed: January 3, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
It blows!!! Words do not describe how bad this suspension fork is. The elastomers are stiff when new, but then they deteriorate until its like theres nothing there. The bushings/pivots get all mucked up and the fork doesn't move anymore. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a cross-country rider
from Anchorage
Date Reviewed: January 1, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I have a pre-ODS model on my 855. Not having ODS has never be a problem for me but the constant cleaning and greasing of the linkage plus replacing the little plastic washers was. Too much maintence for me. I have a new bike coming, No Girvin Linkage on this one! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Zach Baca
a weekend warrior
from Albuquerque, NM
Date Reviewed: December 5, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Overall great materials. Too much linkage and elastomeres freeze.
Should come with springs instead | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chase
a racer
from Charlotte N.C.
Date Reviewed: December 2, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
IF you own a Girvin be sure to lube them every chance, because if you don't
you could have your hands on a nice $400 piece of crap.
If you are considering a Girvin be forwarned, they are very high maintenence! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim Young
a cross-country rider
from Columbus, O-hell-o
Date Reviewed: November 6, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I received a Girvin AL/ODS for my birthday ('96) from my wife (Great women!
Her VooDoo is getting a Marzocchi Bomber Z2 for X-Mas!). The fork was installed
onto my rigid C-Dale the day before a race. It was soooo stiff that day i
didn't really notice the difference. Now i know to change the oil, etc. After
riding the forked-bike for a month or so i was doing a race on a fast course
(no mud, a rarity here in Ohio). I was attempting to cross a ditch (a coupla
meters down to a small trickle of water then back up again) and didnt get my
front wheel up in time. Result: I awoke a little bit later lying on the trail
in a pile, with a tacoed wheel and two bent fork legs. I actually limped another
1.5 laps of the course and finished ~16th (was in second at the time of the
crash!). A friend bent his RS Q-21 also that day... but back to my fork. My
friendly LBS called (and pleaded with!) Girvin and got me replacement legs
really cheap. The original legs had an Easton logo on them, the replacements
do not (i noticed in the '97 catalog that the lowest end Girvin fork does NOT
have Easton legs). I also ordered the Extreme seal kit. I havent put the bike
back together since school has gotten pretty hectic. :-(
Pluses:
* Rigid fork steering (i only have an LX hub and have had no problems or
independent leg movement).
* Not overly heavy, not stupid lite.
* Mechanical design appeals to me more than telescopic forks (and i didnt hear
the bad storys ala Amp forks).
* Not a Judy! (A friend's Judy seemed so 'mushy' when i leaned on it and
seemingly bottomed it out.)
Negatives:
* As seemingly with most forks, 'aftermarket' upgrades are required for optimum
performance (Speed Springs, Noleen, oil change, etc).
* The drop outs won't engage properly with our Thule rack. I end up closing the
'skewer lever' as much as possible (they won't close far enough to lock) then
use zip ties to hold it shut.
* Used teflon spray to quiet those pivot squeeks. I also noticed water INSIDE
one of the legs when i removed it after the crash.
Overall, i like this fork and will like it a whole lot more when i reassemble
the fork with springs and lower weight oil. c ya, t. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Robert Berta
a cross-country rider
from SF,CA. USA
Date Reviewed: October 25, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
The stock setup is over damped althought the latest (97 models) now use the correct weight damping oil. If you have a pre 97 ODS unit change out the oil to 10 wt. and drill out the elastomers center hole to 9mm and you will find a dramatic improvement. Not as much as with the elastomers replaced with Speed Springs which is what I did. This fork tuned this way is among the very best forks and avoids lots of the inherent problems of telescopic forks...mainly flex and maintenance. I wonder about those who say Girvin has higher maintenance needs. If you grease the pivots or use teflon spray and replace the seals with the $7 Extreme Conditions Kit. you won't have any problems with long life....just make sure you check the various bolts that hold it together every ride or so to make sure they are working loose. Friends that have various telescopic forks seem to be having a lot more maintenance problems than on my fork....even when they do the hot rod upgrades like White Bros. And the parts are durable on the Girvin. I suspect that the newer 97 links will be even longer lived but I haven't had any problem on mine. One neat thing is that the expensive parts are not all grouped together....you wipe out a leg that is all you have to replace...not all the seals, dampers, etc. that are the internals of a telescopic fork. Riding wise the fork realy cuts corners...specially fast quick turns. It is also the only fork I know that can be user custom tuned to give different riding responses to suit conditions via a cam. The axle also moves back and up from obstacles rather than perpendicular. Anyone who has ever raced off road race cars knows that is very desireable to maintain contact with the ground. Rating with the stock fork is 4....with either the damper hot rodding or the Speed Spring upgrades it becomes an easy 5. If you are interested in changing out the damper oil check into Jim Frosts web site (via the ProFlex web site). Simple do it yourself project. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jonathan Jones
a weekend warrior
from England
Date Reviewed: October 24, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
Girvins are THE BEST. Top Notch Gubbins. No flex, no weight, cheap, look great and are the only shock forks who's motion can be customised. If anyone was thinking about investing in some shocks, buy these. Don't think of it as an investment but as one huge shot of happiness. Once you have a pair of these guiding you through the single tracks you are guarented hours of ecstatic pleasure. These forks show just what we can do these days with our skills of design and precision engineering. Buy a pair out of respect to their makers if nothing else. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Harvey Nagelberg
a weekend warrior
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: October 1, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
An update on a positive review my son gave the Vector 1. It worked fine till it exploded,joints coming apart. The dealer and the local Girvin guy both tried to say it must have been the result of an accident. The bike was banged up a bit as a result of the fall caused by thre shock collapse. Fortunately my son escaped with minor bruising.The allegations of dishonesty my my local mountain bike shop were more disquieting.They finally offered to have the shock sent,at my expense to Girvin in Montreal.There, thankfully, the Girvin expert said the shock collapsed because the dealer didnt use lock tight in the installation.Girvin sent a replacement, were very supportive and professional.
So watch out for arrogant shop owners and give credit to Girvin for standing behind a product wherein they could have just passed the blame to the faulty installer | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Murray Morris
a cross-country rider
from Woodinville, WA
Date Reviewed: August 27, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
This is a review of the 96 AL version with ODS. The rating is based on my upgrade to speed springs. With stock elastomers I would rate it only a 3. If you change the stock 30 wt oil to 10 it might be more acceptable with the elastomers (or if you drill out the small hole bumper a bit). I still think springs are the way to go with hydraulic damping. Noleen will have a front shock which should be excellent as well but the Speed Springs are much cheaper if you already have the ODS unit and they work very well. The rating would be a 5 if it weren't for the maintenance that needs to be done. The new extreme seals are a must (the white ones which are a harder compound than the old black seals). Girvin also has a lube called Girving Goo which works very well. I got the seals and lube free from a local LBS (they said they get them for free).
I have heard that the adjustment is hard to dial in on the trail but I haven't had any problems. I can adjust front and rear by hand although it isn't as easy as turning a small dial. With the 30 wt oil and speed springs the ride is very plush and handles small to large bumps well. On washboards it seems a bit harsh still but that may be due to the 30 wt. If I switched to 10 I think it would handle them better. I would recommend this fork if you don't mind the maintenance. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kallin Nagelberg
a weekend warrior
from Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: July 24, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
This is probably the most amazing front suspension for it's price that
I have ever come across.
The set up appears very complicated, but mostly just reflects onto one part:
the elastomer dampener.
You can really see it moving on the big bumps, and handles the smaller
obstacles considerably well!
I purchased it for $325.00 canadian, which was slightly less then the rock
shox quadra 21r's, which I found to be not quite as good as my vector 1's.
I would recommend this to most any mountain biker, except those looking for
the higest quality. For them I would recommend the Girvin Vector 2's or
Girvin Vector ODS's. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim Frost
a cross-country rider
from Natick, MA
Date Reviewed: July 24, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
As it comes from Girvin this fork needs some work. The ODS unit comes stock with
30wt oil; it should be about 10wt. The extra damping firms up the fork so much that
it's often like riding with no suspension at all.
To make matters worse they modified the small elastomer for '96, making the shock
spindle hole much smaller. This also increases the damping, making the shock *extremely*
firm.
Luckily these problems are easy to correct. If you drill out the elastomer hole to
9mm the shock becomes a lot more lively, and changing the oil to 10wt will result
in a fork about as plush as a Judy -- but FAR more precise.
If you want to get away from elastomers there are three ways to do it right now.
The first is to replace the entire shock unit with a Risse air/oil unit (sorry,
don't know offhand which model). The second is to replace the elastomer stack
on the ODS-equipped unit with the Noleen spring from the rear of an Azonics T-1
(the 200lb spring is about right for a 150lb rider). The third is to buy the
appropriate Speed Spring from Mountain Speed. The spring solutions result in
the most supple ride, one which is on-par with the best shocks available from any
manufacturer.
The bushing problems that existed in previous years are much improved for '96
by the Extreme seals kit which now ships by default. If you're running an
earlier version, this upgrade is a very good idea. Bushing maintenance will still
be required but the frequency is dramatically reduced.
A lot of people report squeeking problems with this fork. These are easily
remedied by using a dry teflon lubricant (I actually use grease, but that attracts
dirt).
The '96 version went on a diet and the result was not only a lighter fork but
significant flex at the brake bosses. This can be corrected using any brake
booster, a modification which is highly recommended.
With tuning this fork is first-rate: excellent ride, unbeaten precision. Without
tuning it is at best mediocre. Increased maintenance is a drawback, but not a
serious one to anyone with moderate mechanical skill.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
rob
a cross-country rider
from ny, usa
Date Reviewed: June 18, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
i have a rockshox judy xc on my bike at work... and a girvin 756, and 856 at
home. girvin forks... blow rockshox away. if you hear complaints about them
not eating the big bumps... please ask someone who has changed the oil from 20w
to 10w. also look into the coil upgrade available aftermarket. i blowout
rockshox quite frequently at work, but at home i use girvin, cause i can't
afford a blown shock. BOOOOOOOOOM!!! GIRVIN is MTBing. out.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chad G
a cross-country rider
from Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 15, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
these forks suck. Almost everyone I have sold have been brought back with some
problem or another. They bend, they crack, and the only good thing about them is that
you can now choose an aftermarket stem. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan K.
a racer
from truckee, ca
Date Reviewed: June 12, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I borrowed my friend's Pro Flex 955 and went on a 2 hour ride today. It had the converted ODS system on his bike so I was eager to compare it to my 5SX
The front fork is what I'm reviewing and I rate it as fair. It reminds me of a modified manitou 4 but stiffer. The rebound on it was too fast and it didn't take the big hits as well as my mach.
The rigidity was nice but after having the fork beat me on the huge stuff I really wasn't concerned about the stiffness of the fork, just how/if the suspension was gonna get me through the bumps.
On small and medium it's good, but I thought with the oil it'd be a big bump eater. Not.
| | Overall Rating: |
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