[Erock99]

Hey guys ~

New to anything but rigid bikes, but recently had my old bike stolen and found an '06 Kona Kula that I really liked.
A few weeks before I got mine, my girlfriend got an IronHorse Warrior which she loves so far.

So here's my question:

Having never ridden a hardtail, I really liked the feel of my girlfriend's fork which is a Tora 302 Air. Smooth, soft, fluid and silent except for a slight sound of air. Mine on the other hand, in comparison, (Gran Fondo 1) is loud (sort of squeaky & rubby), not so smooth and fluid, and seems quite rigid in even after I released all the air.
Can anyone tell me what I might be experiencing here? Just different style/brand of fork? Adjustments? Oil?

Thanks,
Eric

 

[Erock99]

Hi again ~

Just wondering if maybe there was another section or site I could post this question where someone might be able to help me out. (Tried shock section)

Thanks, Eric

 

[snobrder5]

well here's what i've found in my experiance....marzocchi makes their stuff solid, STIFF (i mean no lateral deviantion in the stanctions), and generally heavy...on the contrary, all the rock shox stuff i've ridden has been overly flexy, and whimpy...being that the grand fondo is on the lower end of marzocchi's fork line, it might not have the supple feel that more expensive forks have, BUT, you can bet it's going to take more of a beating than a rock shox fork...the tora may feel nicer, but when you hit the big stuff, i bet the fondo will do better....i have a marzocchi drop off comp on my kula, and it's baller...very smooth over everything, and doesn't bob at all, and is VERY rigid (laterally)...i would say stick with marzocchi, whichever way you decide to go...

 

[Erock99]

Great info ~ thanks sno. :thumbsup:
I'll settle in to the fork a little and keep your advice in mind.

Take care,
E