Anybody know anything about these brands? Are they as good as the big companies---marz, rock shox, manitou????
Thanks.
Thanks.
Stratos and White Brothers Forks..any good???
- Thread starter BigClyde
- Start date
A few years ago, Stratos forks (esp. the S8) were considered the best on the market... they haven't changed physically since then, but their customer service has gone WAY downhill. They're still decent forks, but don't expect much if anything goes wrong. Because of this, used Stratos go for SUPER cheap, since people no longer want to deal with the company.
White Brothers had some serious bushing problems in the past that caused a lot of other problems. They are also not super easy to service at home relative to an oppen bath fork. However, in '02 they were acquired by Eko Sport and changed to teflon impregnated metal bushings were are FAR more reliable. Customer service is improved too, which is a good thing since servicing the cartridges can't be done at home. I currently run a WB DH-3 on my downhill race bike, and it is the single best feeling fork I have ever ridden. It has thus far been very reliable, and basic maintenance is quite easy. The one time I spoke to their cust service, it sounded like a small operation, but they answered the phone immediately and were plenty helpful. I would certainly recommend one of their forks, though they are pricey at retail. IMO, the new DH1.8 is one of the best race forks on the market right now, with regards to weight, performance, and price.
It's hard to generalize about an entire fork line, so I guess if you're considering their forks, you should state specifically which ones you're looking at and what type of riding you plan to do.
White Brothers had some serious bushing problems in the past that caused a lot of other problems. They are also not super easy to service at home relative to an oppen bath fork. However, in '02 they were acquired by Eko Sport and changed to teflon impregnated metal bushings were are FAR more reliable. Customer service is improved too, which is a good thing since servicing the cartridges can't be done at home. I currently run a WB DH-3 on my downhill race bike, and it is the single best feeling fork I have ever ridden. It has thus far been very reliable, and basic maintenance is quite easy. The one time I spoke to their cust service, it sounded like a small operation, but they answered the phone immediately and were plenty helpful. I would certainly recommend one of their forks, though they are pricey at retail. IMO, the new DH1.8 is one of the best race forks on the market right now, with regards to weight, performance, and price.
It's hard to generalize about an entire fork line, so I guess if you're considering their forks, you should state specifically which ones you're looking at and what type of riding you plan to do.
I'll agree with you, except that the system just works. Most riders wouldn't service ANY closed cartridge... so there's not a huge advantage for the relative simplicity of say TPC+. As it is, deCarbon damping makes for fantastic speed sensitive damping and is well proven in the moto world.
It might have taken them 8 years or whatever to sort it out, but the forks are pretty dialed at this point and depending on your local weather patterns, it's not that big a deal to send them in once a season for service...
That being said, there's probably a breakout+ or slider+ in my future... but if it's in my budget to keep a big DH bike around, the DH3 will stay on it.
I agree with Ohio - WB definitely is up there with the big ones. I have been running the 02 DH-3 for a year and am plenty happy. It "quiets" the rig when riding harsh terrain, no spiking issues, is plenty stiff when sagged and is progressive enough for the big hits. I have ridden the fork on 14-15foot drops and won races on it. At 3650gr it is 300gr lighter than a shiver, 200gr more than a dorado - and imho outperforms both (and yes, I have ridden both).
I let a shop do the service once a year - totally worth it.
It might be a litte tall - that's it.
Pic is a little big - scrolling nightmare - sorry.
I let a shop do the service once a year - totally worth it.
It might be a litte tall - that's it.
Pic is a little big - scrolling nightmare - sorry.
I still love my S8.