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MountainBikeReview.com's Forum Archives - Lets Talk about Shocks
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Fork Upgrade.....Help, not Hype please. (9 posts)
|  Fork Upgrade.....Help, not Hype please. | MrMook
Jun 5, 2002 5:28 PM | | I asked for similar advice in the beginners corner, but i diddnt know there was a suspension forum....here goes.
Im looking to upgrade from a RS Jett. it doesnt have enough travel. i top out alot. while i understand that most anything will be an upgrade, i really want something that performs well, and has some adjustability. i have a fisher hardtail and i ride XC. im also 6'4" 225lbs if that matters for stiffness or travel.
Im looking at some Marzocchis...z2 atom race, xfly-80. Most have said Marzocchi is the best bet, but what about a Duke race? or even a Manitou Mars? supergo has some deals on the RS blem models. i have a budget limit of $300 maximum. ive been offered a used noleen air fork for $100, but ive heard horror stories about leaks and other bad news.
there are so many choices and im pretty confused. thanks in advance for any advice you guys have.
MrMook |
| Marzocchi all the way... | chrisJohn
Jun 5, 2002 5:41 PM | | After two years of a Rock Shox SID I am finally going back to a Zoch. Went to demo a MXC-ECC at a LBS and was stoked when I realized what an awesome shock Marzocchi is putting out these days for so little money. Stiff, plush, and that was an air fork no less.
Definitely stay away from light XC forks, SID, Mars, etc. Fox forks are supposedly awesome, but are too much if bought aftermarket. Rock Shox, well enough said.
Only guy I know with a Noleen hates it. It is stiff, but has had air leakage issues. |
| re: Fork Upgrade.....Help, not Hype please. | Bob Powell Jr.
Jun 5, 2002 7:14 PM | | In my experience all the big guys build great forks! Rock Shox, Manitou, and Marzocchi. You just have to know which shock is right for you, and then pick a team. ha ha. I would highly reccomend the '02 Judy SL which has sweet features, it is very stiff and strong(your a big guy), and it only weighs 4.1 lbs. The nice thing about this shock is one side has their new air assist so you can put however much pressure you need to assist the spring on the other side! No swithching springs and elastomers to find that sweet spot. And the best of all is I've seen the mail order mags pricing that sucker as low as $149. Wow. Good luck! See ya on the trails! Bob. |
| re: Fork Upgrade.....Help, not Hype please. | BVT
Jun 6, 2002 3:45 AM | | I'm in the same boat (6'1, 225#). I ride really technical New England singletrack with a few hairy downhills. I'm really close to buying a new fork, and it's a tossup between the 100mm Marzocchi MXR (multi-adjustable coil/oil SSVF valving), the MXC-ECC (air/oil, less adjustable/less sensitive SSV valving but has lockdown climbing feature), or a sturdier 130mm model like the Z1 Wedge or Dirt Jumper 2. The latter 2 can be adjusted to 110mm for better XC duty. Also, Marzocchi told me the ECC will be available for upgrade on most models soon.
I rode an MXC (non ECC) and was quite impressed with the stiffness over my 98 Judy T2 noodle.
I've pretty much written off Rock Shox.
There are, however, some good deals online on the 2001 Manitou X-Vert and X-Vert Air. Check the major online retailers in the "hotlinks" section and see what's out there. Both forks got generally excellent reviews on this site, with a few lemons. Same with almost all Marzocchi models, too. : ) |
| buy a marzocchi.. | kokothemonkey
Jun 6, 2002 5:39 AM | | I would stay far away from SID's and rockshox in general at your weight, I weigh 170ish and flex my SID all over the place. Supergo has red Z2 atom 80 race's for $279, that's a pretty hard deal to beat for an awesome fork if you don't mind the red. Almost worth spray painting the sucker it's such a good fork. |
| Just got a "zocchi" from supergo... | Prendelo
Jun 7, 2002 8:38 AM | | ...this year. I went with the z2 atom race before they ran out of black. I think it would be a good fork for you too. I would stay away from an air fork with your size.
cambriabike.com has these forks too for $30 more. they have all the color options though... |
| re: Fork Upgrade.....Help, not Hype please. | Sigmund
Jun 7, 2002 8:55 AM | | Marzocchi all the way :)
I'm also in your size/weight class (103kg and 196 cm, dunno about pounds & feet). I got a new bike with Marzocchi Bomber MXC Air fork and it absolutely rocks. Stiff, plush, adjustable... in short great.
It doesn't really need ECC, as it can be set up relatively stiff and it still eats all the bumps quite well.
The MXC should cost around 200$ US and it really works well. |
| re: Fork Upgrade.....Help, not Hype please. | Sigmund
Jun 7, 2002 8:56 AM | | Oh, I also use Grimeca System 8 disc brakes with 200mm rotor in front. No problems (flex) and great stopping power. |
| re: Fork Upgrade.....Help, not Hype please. | rob trageser
Jun 18, 2002 11:35 AM | | get the bomber.you can get a SSVF valve upgrade for the MXC ECC that gives you adjustable rebound.ask BETH at Speedgoat.shes one of the techs and did the research for me.shes really nice too. |
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