[tsvaughn]

Which 80-100mm fork gets your vote for the easiest-to-maintain? It seems like I’m always having problems with my Fox TALAS and Zoke Marathon. I’d really like a fork for my singlespeed, besides a rigid, that that I don’t have to rebuild every 3 months. Fox Vanilla? Zoke MX Coil?

 

[MK_]

I think that you're looking for a low/no maintenance fork, rather than easy. Look for a sealed damper forks like manitous, foxes and zokes are open bath, so the same oil that dampens, lubes the stanchions. Dirt gets in easy. Manitou separates the chambers, so the damper oil stays clear for a very, very long time.

_MK

 

[Warp]

Any Manitou.... those are the easiest on earth to maintain. No joke.

If you get a Microlubed one, better yet regarding less maintenance. Just a few squirts of grease from time to time and you're done.

Those can run with no oil changes for 2-3 years depending on riding conditions. A friend of mine has a '01 (which was mine before) which I opened like 1 year ago... oil was clear and pristine.

 

[XSL_WiLL]

Definitely Manitou. Their semi-bath lubrication system keeps the fork oil clean for a long long time. If you want something that you'll never ever have to maintain? Look into some spring/mcu system. Cheap and carefree, but it acts like a pogo stick.

 

[mattsavage]

Manitou for sure! Greenfish has the 03 Black Elite 80/100 with TPC+ for $189. Disc Specific, though. Full warranty. I've never regreted buying mine, two in the last two years.

You can pull those things totally apart and have them back together in 20 minute or less!

 

[Mr.P]

I just pulled my 2002 Manitou Black apart last week for the first time in 3 years of weekly riding. The fork seals were dirty at the top where they are designed to capture the dirt and the rest was clean green grease! Unbelievable. The oil was clear as well.

I added Enduro seals for giggles.

An easy and fun project I will be doing seasonally now that I have the confidence (I thought it would be crazy complicated)

For all the bling of competing forks, 3 years trouble free enjoyment has my attention.

Mr. P