Manitou R7 forks, was 2.9, now 3+ lbs.? Nice.

Not so much QC, I would think, as the product tolerances form maximum material condition to minimum material condition would have to be quite huge to make up for 200 or more grams. I would think the compromises are made to cut costs and keep the product within thier target retail price by sacrificing more expenisve parts that are lighter for cheaper heavier parts.

The other consierations, knowing this first hand, is that often the media/sales dept. when the first hear a designer say they may have a chance at getting down to 2.9lbs (before testing is done) they run with it, publish all the adds, etc. and then parts always end of needing to be strengthened because some prototype broke or the found that some aspects of the design aren't practical. Like I said, I know that first hand.

Don't blame the design or the engineers, blame their marketting dept for being way too optomistic and not being honest to the company. I know the guy who was in charge of that product cringes everytime he hears them talk about the 2.9lb R7, and I don't blame him.

I live outside Chicago. There are no mountains. There are barely any hills. I can ride lightweight stuff with ease. I have never broke anything, and I've always had the lightest stuff I could find (without going insane)...so to me, a light fork is what I want. I don't need a 4 pound fork to ride smooth trails. Heck, I do most of my "training" on paved bike paths. I have a Mars Super fork, manual lockout. Getting up there in age. So, I had my fork guy get me a 2005 skareb super w/remote lockout...the first Manitou fork I've seen since they moved production to taiwan. I gotta say, it looked like taiwan. It was in another league manufacturing-wise from all my other Manitou forks. I've had every single manitou model since the original gray/silver Manitou fork came out by Answer (never had the doug bradbury made model). That was back in 1992 or so. So, I finally gave Rock Shox a shot. Got a 2005 SID Race w/remote lockout. Love it, and love the remote, it's very well done, but I find myself having to pump up the air every few weeks...never had to with any Manitou...okay, fine, back to manitou...I give the R-7 a try since it is lighter than the skareb I just had, and won't need the remote lockout now that the SPV is new and improved...that's when I noticed the extra weight added. Bummed me out. If my guy can get one, I'm actually going to try the Spinner Aeris...I saw Travis Brown running one end of last season, and a few others...got great review in MBA...for me, the weight, design, simplicity should be a good match. If not, then R-7 it is, extra weight or not.

Sorry for the ramble.