[kramerski]

Cross County Forks

I’m currently in the process of looking for a new fork for my new warranty replacement frame. I’ve narrowed it down to two choices. A Marzocchi Marathon S (Dual Coil Springs) or a Manitou Black which model I don’t know since there seem to be eighty varieties of each model. It would be a coil sprung alloy steerer tube model with 100mm of travel.

I’m coming off a 1999 Marzocchi Z-2 Atom Bomb (can’t bring it with me, different head tube sizes). I ride all country and do a good number of epic rides. I’m looking for performance, durability and reliability. Lock-outs aren’t that important to me. Weight isn’t a huge factor either. I DO NOT want an air fork.

Does anyone have any opinions, thoughts or ideas?

Thanks!

 

[ARmtnBIKER]

I would chose the zokie over the Manitou myself, especially if your not worried about weight. I had a Marathon on a '02 King Kikapu and it was a really nice feeling fork, although mine was the air version, I really liked the compression lockout on it, seemed to really help shift your weight forward on steep climbs. Marzocchi's makes really dependable forks, biggest drawback I've seen with the 3 I've had in the past was their weight.

 

[McGRP01]

I agree, go with the 'Zocchi. The black is very soft. Or at least it felt that way to my 165 lb. body.

 

[Ifelloffabike]

Originally posted by McGRP01
I agree, go with the 'Zocchi. The black is very soft. Or at least it felt that way to my 165 lb. body.

you do realize that that can be fixed with a very simple change of the spring to a firm spring... right?


I love my two blacks, i have one on my sugar trail bike and its stiff and smooth. i also have one on my street/trials/dj hardtail and it still working, so that would say something about its durablility.

 

[ghostrider]

Having ridden both forks, I'd say go with the Marzocchi. I have an 03 Marathon S, and it is a solid fork. Stiff and smooth. The ETA is a cool feature, and it has good adjustability. I've found Marzocchi forks to be very reliable in the past.

As for the Black, I had one a while back, and it also is stiff and smooth, but the spring rate is way too soft. Sure you can change it, but WTF? Who wants to buy a fork and they pay for a mod that should have been there in the first place? The reverse arch is cool, but the plastic stuff is cheesey. If you can find one cheap, it would be a fine alternative.

 

[Serial Midget]

A marzocchi marathon 2 dual coil weighs 1985 grams...

A manipoo black 100/120 weighs 1849 grams...

I would go with the manitpoo - it weighs a little less and has more travel if you need it. I also value Heidi's opinion - she does not think the marathon is a good fork for XC. Maybe she will explain what she didn'tlike about it..?

 

[ghostrider]

Originally posted by Serial Midget
I would go with the manitpoo -

You're forgetting that everyone doesn't weigh 103 pounds like you.

 

[Serial Midget]

Originally posted by ghostrider
You're forgetting that everyone doesn't weigh 103 pounds like you.

I weigh 165... :eviltongu

I did test a manotou black 100/120 dialed in for a guy who weighs 170... I was not impressed by the "feel" but I think that had a lot to do with the weight more than anything else. I ended up with the dreaded SID air fork. My former XC fork was a Marzocchi X-Fly which eventually morphed into the marathon - or so their customer service told me. After 2 years I have grown to dislike the marzochhi quite a bit.

 

[mrbigisbudgood]

If your happy with the performance of your Z-2, your hooked for life. Stay with Marzocchi, I strayed away 2 times now and have paid the penalty every time.

 

[Heidi]

Originally posted by Serial Midget
A marzocchi marathon 2 dual coil weighs 1985 grams...

A manipoo black 100/120 weighs 1849 grams...

I would go with the manitpoo - it weighs a little less and has more travel if you need it. I also value Heidi's opinion - she does not think the marathon is a good fork for XC. Maybe she will explain what she didn'tlike about it..?

I had the air fork though and that is totally different. The coil would be a great fork though!!! I just had reliability issues with the air one, oh, and it was heavy.

 

[Serial Midget]

Originally posted by Heidi
I had the air fork though and that is totally different. The coil would be a great fork though!!! I just had reliability issues with the air one, oh, and it was heavy.

OH. Well I am nothing if not fickle... go for the Marzochhi!!!

The X-Fly is an air fork too, I now think the SID is far superior as far as air forks go.

What fork did you replace the Marathon with?

 

[Babar]

A german bike mag, did a test and found manipoo skareb and black was stiffer than marz marathon. I dont remember the exact numbers they got.

 

[dfinn]

fox float 100rl

why are you against the air fork? my fox fork handles much better than my coil sprung 'zoke.

 

[Jesus]

I had an '03 Marathon S on my XC rig for about a month. I loved the fork, but I weigh about 220 lbs, and was eating up most the travel just sitting on the bike. And since it came with the stiffest springs already, I went to a Sherman Flick.

I have had nothing but problems with this fork. In fact, every Manipoo I have ever owned has had some kind of problem. But I have never had any problems with the Marzocchi's I have owned (Monster, older Z1, newer Z1 FR, old and new Jr T, Super T, Shiver SC and DC, and now my Marathon).

Put it this way, if I could get stiffer springs for my Marathon, I would get rid of the Sherman. But as it is, I am selling the Marathon.

Go Zoke!

 

[RITFreeRider]

I must say that the black forks are the biggest pieces of crap produced. I've watched my friends break the internals on that fork more times than I can count. Where as I've never had a problem with marzocchi and neither does anyone I ride with. If you like the z-2 no reason to jump ship, just get the marathon.

However I have a Fox Vanilla 100 R that is perfect. I feel it's plusher than the marzocchis for some riding. It's also adjustable so you can get 80, 100 or 125 mm of travel out of it. Just another thought.

In either case don't get a manipoo, just not worth the hassel at least with the blacks.

 

[squatting_dog]

forget both,

get a fox float -nothing is more smooth

the marathon a far behind second

 

[Ifelloffabike]

Originally posted by RITFreeRider
I must say that the black forks are the biggest pieces of crap produced. I've watched my friends break the internals on that fork more times than I can count. Where as I've never had a problem with marzocchi and neither does anyone I ride with. If you like the z-2 no reason to jump ship, just get the marathon.

However I have a Fox Vanilla 100 R that is perfect. I feel it's plusher than the marzocchis for some riding. It's also adjustable so you can get 80, 100 or 125 mm of travel out of it. Just another thought.

In either case don't get a manipoo, just not worth the hassel at least with the blacks.

thats funny that your friends have been breaking the internals on blacks. Ive been riding a black on my dj/street/park bike that i have been beating the crap out of and its working perfectly fine. That is the same fork that was used for around a year on my crosscountry bike before i picked up another black elite but with the travel adjust on top and lockout. if anything is going to mess up a fork its going to be landing over-rotated 180's off a 5 set, and landing way noseheavy off a 14ft double.

I dont know what your friends are doing to those poor forks because i cant imagine that they have such horrible luck.

 

[RITFreeRider]

Originally posted by Ifelloffabike
thats funny that your friends have been breaking the internals on blacks. Ive been riding a black on my dj/street/park bike that i have been beating the crap out of and its working perfectly fine. That is the same fork that was used for around a year on my crosscountry bike before i picked up another black elite but with the travel adjust on top and lockout. if anything is going to mess up a fork its going to be landing over-rotated 180's off a 5 set, and landing way noseheavy off a 14ft double.

I dont know what your friends are doing to those poor forks because i cant imagine that they have such horrible luck.

My friends internals have broke on little stuff like 5 foot drops and just normal riding. I've never seen a fork costing in upwards of $300 with plastic internals. My fox vanilla along with my shiver and Z1 freeride have plastic anywhere that it might break. Sure Blacks might feel great untill the break but there are too many problems that I've seen to make me want to run one. But I'm glad to hear someone is having success with them. Don't get me wrong I don't hate manitou, the shermans that I've ridden compare right up there with just about anything else. I just haven't seen great things from the blacks, that's all.

 

[Ifelloffabike]

Originally posted by RITFreeRider
My friends internals have broke on little stuff like 5 foot drops and just normal riding. I've never seen a fork costing in upwards of $300 with plastic internals. My fox vanilla along with my shiver and Z1 freeride have plastic anywhere that it might break. Sure Blacks might feel great untill the break but there are too many problems that I've seen to make me want to run one. But I'm glad to hear someone is having success with them. Don't get me wrong I don't hate manitou, the shermans that I've ridden compare right up there with just about anything else. I just haven't seen great things from the blacks, that's all.

you really cant be comparing z1's and shivers to a black, They just arnt ment for the same purpose. This may be why your friends are breaking the internals. Its not a fork made for taking drops, its a trailriding fork, plain and simple. If your friends are jumping off stuff then maybe they should be riding a sherman.

also last time i checked Psylos (costing well upwards of $300) have a crap load of plastic parts inside of them.

 

[RITFreeRider]

Originally posted by Ifelloffabike
you really cant be comparing z1's and shivers to a black, They just arnt ment for the same purpose. This may be why your friends are breaking the internals. Its not a fork made for taking drops, its a trailriding fork, plain and simple. If your friends are jumping off stuff then maybe they should be riding a sherman.

also last time i checked Psylos (costing well upwards of $300) have a crap load of plastic parts inside of them.

Psylos are just as bad. I had a psylo race for 3 weeks before I trashed the bushing just from riding it on pavment.

 

[Ifelloffabike]

maybe you are just really really unsmooth or something. It took me a few months to break the psylo i had.

 

[Accordvsick]

Any of you guys running a 3 inch rear travel frame that is spec'd for a 80mm fork and threw a 100mm fork on there? what issues will i face if i go this route?

 

[EBasil]

Originally posted by Accordvsick
Any of you guys running a 3 inch rear travel frame that is spec'd for a 80mm fork and threw a 100mm fork on there? what issues will i face if i go this route?

I'm riding a hardtail designed for 70mm of travel, with a 100/120 fork on it, and the deal is this: for every inch of additional axle-to-crown (varies by brand), your headtube slackens about a degree. On my bike, this creates a chopper effect that transformed the bike from a very fast steering, great climber to a slower steering, wheelie-poppin' climber that descends with excellent stability. For you, you're looking at about a degree difference...slightly larger turning radius, slightly increased need to weight the front for climbing and slightly more stable at speed.

 

[Pulser955]

I have a Black Elite I have bin beating the **** out of and its bin grate. I got it used just to get a fork on my FS frame so I could ride in and I have had it a year with no planes on changing it for now.