[Andrewpalooza]

It looks like I might be getting the new Manitou R7 fairly soon. The aftermarket forks won't be available until August, but the OEM versions are due in about 45 days. Anyway, through a hook-up I might be getting a R7 Platinum with 100mm travel. $270.

Anyway, whats the word on these forks? I've read as much as I can, but there isn't a whole lot out there. Naturally, Manitou's website has nothing. Also, I was thinking about the Marzocchi Marathon Race earlier, but I can get this fork for half the cost and I think that the extra 20mm of travel will come in handy. Your thought?

 

[LacticAddict]

It looks like I might be getting the new Manitou R7 fairly soon. The aftermarket forks won't be available until August, but the OEM versions are due in about 45 days. Anyway, through a hook-up I might be getting a R7 Platinum with 100mm travel. $270.

Anyway, whats the word on these forks? I've read as much as I can, but there isn't a whole lot out there. Naturally, Manitou's website has nothing. Also, I was thinking about the Marzocchi Marathon Race earlier, but I can get this fork for half the cost and I think that the extra 20mm of travel will come in handy. Your thought?

I'm very interested in the R7 myself. I currently have an '04 100mm Skareb Elite with SPV which I like very much. But the R7 looks to be even lighter and the new SPV technology on it looks sweet, too. How are you getting one so soon (and can you get me the hook up, too ?

 

[Andrewpalooza]

I'm very interested in the R7 myself. I currently have an '04 100mm Skareb Elite with SPV which I like very much. But the R7 looks to be even lighter and the new SPV technology on it looks sweet, too. How are you getting one so soon (and can you get me the hook up, too ?

I'm getting it through a sponsor. Unfortunately, I'm not supposed to order parts for others. I'm definetly curious about how this fork will handle; but it looks like I'm going to have to be the lab rat on this one.

 

[bellullabob]

Talked to Answer

about the R7 and they said that if all goes without a hitch, the earliest the general public would be able to get their hands on the fork would be end of Aug.

Anyways, Lactic, your current fork is less than a year old!

I'm very interested in the R7 myself. I currently have an '04 100mm Skareb Elite with SPV which I like very much. But the R7 looks to be even lighter and the new SPV technology on it looks sweet, too. How are you getting one so soon (and can you get me the hook up, too ?

 

[Andrewpalooza]

about the R7 and they said that if all goes without a hitch, the earliest the general public would be able to get their hands on the fork would be end of Aug.

Anyways, Lactic, your current fork is less than a year old!

The aftermarket forks won't be available until August, but the OEM versions are due in about 45 days.

Guess I'm not the general public...

 

[Guital2]

Theres a review in the new Mountain Bike Action...

 

[bellullabob]

don't make me buy mba

Theres a review in the new Mountain Bike Action...

Don't make me buy it: what they say? thumbs up or down...

 

[Hecubus]

It looks like I might be getting the new Manitou R7 fairly soon. The aftermarket forks won't be available until August, but the OEM versions are due in about 45 days. Anyway, through a hook-up I might be getting a R7 Platinum with 100mm travel. $270.

Anyway, whats the word on these forks? I've read as much as I can, but there isn't a whole lot out there. Naturally, Manitou's website has nothing. Also, I was thinking about the Marzocchi Marathon Race earlier, but I can get this fork for half the cost and I think that the extra 20mm of travel will come in handy. Your thought?

Well there's simply not much out there to go on but the fork doesn't seem like anything new or special, and thats a good thing. Looks basically like its a refined version of the skareb and black which already perform exremely well. I think this will be THE lightweight racing fork to have and another nail in Sid's coffin.

 

[Hecubus]

Don't make me buy it: what they say? thumbs up or down...

Why would you care about what MBA has to say? For better or worse their review is probably going to be one of their prepackaged, slightly reworded review of another similar fork witha few buzzwords thrown in.

 

[ssmike]

The R7 is a really nice fork. I rode one several months ago and have been riding one recently (don't ask). My previous fork was Minute 2:00. The R7 has a nice stiff chassis like the Minute, but is much lighter (in fact it actually does ride a lot like the Minute). It's a really good fork if you want something light, but don't want the flex usually associated with light-weight XC forks.

 

[Guital2]

Well for what it is worth, mba was impressed....

 

[LacticAddict]

about the R7 and they said that if all goes without a hitch, the earliest the general public would be able to get their hands on the fork would be end of Aug.

Anyways, Lactic, your current fork is less than a year old!

Ah yes, but now that I'm officially a weight weenie (I just put an SLR saddle on my Superlight - I think that makes me officially a WW now, right?), I'm always on the lookout for a few grams less! End of August is good for me anyway, though. Gives me some time to save up...

 

[2:1]

IT, or not IT?

Over the years, I've converted my old Merlin from a fat-tire, short-stemmed, trail bike to a skinny tire, long-stemed race bike. For as long as I can remember, I've had 100mm on it, until I got a TALAS. When I was doing this whole bike metamorphosis, I switched to a Black Platinum 80, and now the bike is basically telepathically controlled.

So now I'm agonizing about rake and trail, and whether or not I want to get an R7 with 80mm, or a slightly heavier 100mm with IT. I know there's no "right" answer here, but what would you do?

 

[LacticAddict]

Over the years, I've converted my old Merlin from a fat-tire, short-stemmed, trail bike to a skinny tire, long-stemed race bike. For as long as I can remember, I've had 100mm on it, until I got a TALAS. When I was doing this whole bike metamorphosis, I switched to a Black Platinum 80, and now the bike is basically telepathically controlled.

So now I'm agonizing about rake and trail, and whether or not I want to get an R7 with 80mm, or a slightly heavier 100mm with IT. I know there's no "right" answer here, but what would you do?

I'll put in my $0.02...

I used to have an 80mm Mars on my Superlight. I loved how light it was, but for more aggressive, technical XC (even in races), it fell short. I upgraded to my current 100mm Skareb and have been very happy with that decision. It all depends on what you like to ride, of course (technical, rocky stuff, or maybe not so much). To me, the Skareb is still pretty light - and it's definitely stiff enough - but it let's me be that much more aggressive (and hopefully faster) through the tech $h!t... I know that for me, when the time comes, I'm gonna go for the 100mm R7 (anybody know the official weight on that one?). I just did a XC race in New Jersey over the weekend where I could've used a 5-5 trailbike!

 

[Andrewpalooza]

Over the years, I've converted my old Merlin from a fat-tire, short-stemmed, trail bike to a skinny tire, long-stemed race bike. For as long as I can remember, I've had 100mm on it, until I got a TALAS. When I was doing this whole bike metamorphosis, I switched to a Black Platinum 80, and now the bike is basically telepathically controlled.

So now I'm agonizing about rake and trail, and whether or not I want to get an R7 with 80mm, or a slightly heavier 100mm with IT. I know there's no "right" answer here, but what would you do?

Personally, I can't do with 80mm of travel. On any of the trails that I ride, there are section where I take to the air. There are some tech downhills and log piles to get over, etc. I've been experimenting a lot with the amount of travel I run on my Psylo, and quite honestly, I would much rather go with at least 100mm. As for IT, I don't really want to pay for that, as I don't think I'd use it much. But if it comes with it already, I'm not going to complain. Like I said I'm getting the OEM version, which may be different, so I'm not quite sure as of yet. Anyway, yeah, I'm going to sacrifice some weight for better trail manners. My other bikes are a dirt jumping/urban single speeder and a 6 and 7 inch freeride bike, so I have to keep my XC bike at least somewhat of a trailbike simultaneously.

 

[bellullabob]

Ah yes, but now that I'm officially a weight weenie (I just put an SLR saddle on my Superlight - I think that makes me officially a WW now, right?), I'm always on the lookout for a few grams less! End of August is good for me anyway, though. Gives me some time to save up...

The ultimate mark of a weight weenie is being willing to give up the family jewels to save 90 grams!!!!

So for the R7, plush with no stable platform but w/ remote lockout, or snap valve?

 

[Ole]

IT about the spring rate

As for IT, I don't really want to pay for that, as I don't think I'd use it much. But if it comes with it already, I'm not going to complain. Like I said I'm getting the OEM version, which may be different, so I'm not quite sure as of yet. Anyway, yeah, I'm going to sacrifice some weight for better trail manners. My other bikes are a dirt jumping/urban single speeder and a 6 and 7 inch freeride bike, so I have to keep my XC bike at least somewhat of a trailbike simultaneously.

I've tried various Manitou air forks over the years, and the spring rates have always been weird and not very good. Until IT. IT is the same as Rock Shox Dual Air, with the difference that you only fill the lower chamber, and use the IT lever to bleed air into the upper chamber. And back, when you want to lower the fork. The result is a perfect spring rate that can be ridden much more agressively than the pathetic coil-on-air they use on their non-IT forks. If they would make a R7 with IT and non-spiking TPC Lockout in 100mm, I'd be sold. I'd also cut the IT cable and just leave a short stub to pull when setting the air pressure.

Right now my SID Carbon with 95mm of actual travel, increased air volume, higher-flow Pure Damper, unpured Pure Damper and bolted front hub beats the [email protected] out of my 80mm Skareb Super in all conditions except very slow, very technical terrain. Which is not what my race bike is used for anyways.

Ole.

 

[LacticAddict]

The ultimate mark of a weight weenie is being willing to give up the family jewels to save 90 grams!!!!

So for the R7, plush with no stable platform but w/ remote lockout, or snap valve?

Yeah, I havn't ridden the SLR yet (tommorow morning might be the first ride - I'll let you know how it goes), but either way, it looks sweet. As for the R7, I gotta go with snap valve. I definitely like the idea of having SPV as opposed to having to throw a switch. I already have to do that with my RP3 and although I love that shock, I don't really need another "on the fly" adjustment to worry about...