[Radarr]

So while riding yesterday, I noticed that my steering started to get really tough at the end of the trail. It felt like my headset was getting progressively tighter the futher I got down the hill. After I get to the bottom and do a little inspection of the front end, it only takes me a second to figure out my steerer tube is bent. WTF? My headtube is fine - not ovalized at all. It's like the steerer tube just stretched in the back.

It is a brand new fork - this was really the first time, other than riding on campus, that the fork has even seen dirt. It is the 170mm model, and was on my VP-Free.

Has anyone else heard of a problem like this on a 66?

 

[jake133]

That sucks man. I hope this does not happen to mine. Maybe 1.5 is better.

 

[allenzoom]

better that it is bent then snapped!

 

[Sir_Crackien]

for over the 6" make i for 1.5 all the way. it just make since, well at least to me. but for DC forks it doesn't matter.

 

[Radarr]

That sucks man. I hope this does not happen to mine. Maybe 1.5 is better.

That's exactly what I was thinking...

 

[punkassean]

I know someone who bent the crap out of a 66 steerer but considering the type of riding he does I'm not terribly surprised. Marzocchi should take care of it for you, they did for my customer. Give them a call.

 

[Mattoid]

Marzocchi will take care of you for sure man. I have beat the crap out of my 05 66rc relentlasly and its in great shape! Bring on the 06 season! You certainly chose a good time of the year to have it die.

 

[Radarr]

Marzocchi will take care of you for sure man. I have beat the crap out of my 05 66rc relentlasly and its in great shape! Bring on the 06 season! You certainly chose a good time of the year to have it die.

I'd rather it die after I've ridden it for a while...

 

[Salami]

One of the the locals bent his steerer pretty good on an 05 66 RC. He does go rather LARGE and he tends to brake some burly parts (i.e. Banshee Scream).

Marzocchi replaced the steerer for him but said it was the first time they had ever saw it happen and charged him $75 or so.

 

[Eurotrash]

Marzocchi replaced the steerer for him but said it was the first time they had ever saw it happen and charged him $75 or so.

lo that's what they (and anyone else) always say. a frend of mine snapped the steerer clean off on his SX trail, it wrote the frame of as well. He was just riding a single track and went through a drain and it snapped, my psylo has taken bigger hits than that thing. Specialized stepped up to the plate and replaced the frame but Marzo wanted 250 € (300 ish $) to replace the steerer tube and stanctions! (the fork is currently at the factory in italy being inspected)
You guys seem to be lot luckier than us when it comes to marzo warantees!

 

[leprechaun]

Did you come up short on the uphill stair gap at campus??

 

[TheInedibleHulk]

A marzocchi broke?? no f***ing way

 

[Radarr]

Did you come up short on the uphill stair gap at campus??

Lol, no. Just riding along and it all of sudden bent itself. Craziest thing I've ever seen... There were a couple jumps, couple drops, but nothing that should have bent a steerer tube. I think that it, flat-out, just failed.

Just didn't do too well, I guess. Thank goodness my headtube is still fine (thank you Santa Cruz).

 

[Radarr]

A marzocchi broke?? no f***ing way

Yes f***ing way.

 

[frorider]

That sucks man. I hope this does not happen to mine. Maybe 1.5 is better.

ding ding ding. you are correct.

1.5 is better for 'long travel' SC forks. better for all aspects of the fork design, and better for the bearings, and better for the frame (noticed the trend in frames toward 1.5 HT even when spec'd with 1.125 ST forks?).

now the key here is what exactly is 'long travel'? i.e. i think there are good examples of stiff, strong, not terribly heavy 5 inch and 6 inch travel 1.125 SC forks (although even in the 6 inch category, i think marzocchi forks would be better if they were 1.5). but the 7 and 8 inch SC forks may end up being where the inherent advantages of 1.5 HT/ST really come out.

i find it highly amusing that the 2 lb road bike frames have all determined that 1.125 inch is the right size for overall weight/stiffness/strength optimization......and yet many in the mtn bike industry are still pretending that 1.125 is the optimum for 7 inch travel forks ST?

just imagine if marzocchi had been the company to intro 1.5, not manipoo. 1.5 would have taken over faster. :mumble: