S
Slash
Guest
So I've managed to narrow it down to three Marzocchi forks. I actually broke my own budget rule and
am considering two forks that approach $300. Here's the rundown.
#1 - 2002 Marzocchi MXR $219 + s/h = ~$240
http://pricepoint.com/product1529.html
Seems like a good all-around fork. Proven, reliable, responsive and still resistant to flex. Not the
lightest, not the heaviest. Has preload and rebound controls with (apparently?) internally
adjustable damping rate. Open bath oil/coil, 100mm.
#2 - 2003 Marzocchi MX Pro w/ETA $270 + s/h = ~$300
http://aebike.com/site/page.cfm?PageID=30&ID=16053
This one wasn't even in the running until I wandered across the Alfred E Bike page selling it at
what seems to be a very good price indeed. Is this fork more or less the 2003 replacement for the
MXR Air? Haven't been able to track down much information on this one due to it being relatively
new. The info I've been able to find is positive, but I'm still not completely sure about the
tradeoffs of air vs coil designs. As such I hesitate to jump into an air design without knowing the
details, but the price seems very tempting. Features ETA, allowing a semi-lockdown with 25-30mm of
travel. Useful? I don't know. My guess is that it'll be entertaining for a while but I can
definitely live without it (and have). Hell, technically I don't even need suspension to begin with,
but what can I say, I'm a gadget *****.
Would this being a 2003 model make any difference? Build quality (Taiwan vs Italy, anything odd like
that), warranty work... the manual seems better at least. Lots of goodies, SSV adjustments, air,
ETA, 105mm travel.
#3 - 2002 Marzocchi Marathon 100mm $300 + s/h = ~$320
http://www.speedgoat.com/PROD/store/categorie.asp?pid=3316&c=3
Magnesium lowers, 3 way ECC lockout, adjustable pos/neg, basically has all the stuff I want and a
lot of things I don't even know how to utilize yet. Again, this seems to me like a killer price.
Yes, it's 2002, yes, it's on closeout, but god damn it is one sexy piece of bicycle part. All of my
concerns from the MX Pro apply to this one, since they apparently both share similar air designs.
Unless I'm misreading the Marathon listing and it's actually coil... is it? I know the 2003 line has
the S and SL designations, but from what I read the 100mm Marathons are all air.
So basically I don't know which to get. Should I just get the MXR? Or should I spring for the
Marathon? They all seem like solid forks on paper, they're all quite good looking (not that it's
really a factor in the end, but...) and I've already gotten good feedback about the MXR - and I'd
sooner trust the regular posters here than soulless mtbr.com "reviewers"...
I'll have to make a decision by saturday, when my self-imposed deadline hits. I figure if I can't
make up my mind by then, it isn't going to matter which one I get so I'll just go with the MXR. Any
way I go, I'll be sure to post my impressions of the fork, an installation report and maybe even a
ride report.
Thoughts? Comments? Bring it on!
-Slash
--
"Ebert Victorious"
- The Onion
am considering two forks that approach $300. Here's the rundown.
#1 - 2002 Marzocchi MXR $219 + s/h = ~$240
http://pricepoint.com/product1529.html
Seems like a good all-around fork. Proven, reliable, responsive and still resistant to flex. Not the
lightest, not the heaviest. Has preload and rebound controls with (apparently?) internally
adjustable damping rate. Open bath oil/coil, 100mm.
#2 - 2003 Marzocchi MX Pro w/ETA $270 + s/h = ~$300
http://aebike.com/site/page.cfm?PageID=30&ID=16053
This one wasn't even in the running until I wandered across the Alfred E Bike page selling it at
what seems to be a very good price indeed. Is this fork more or less the 2003 replacement for the
MXR Air? Haven't been able to track down much information on this one due to it being relatively
new. The info I've been able to find is positive, but I'm still not completely sure about the
tradeoffs of air vs coil designs. As such I hesitate to jump into an air design without knowing the
details, but the price seems very tempting. Features ETA, allowing a semi-lockdown with 25-30mm of
travel. Useful? I don't know. My guess is that it'll be entertaining for a while but I can
definitely live without it (and have). Hell, technically I don't even need suspension to begin with,
but what can I say, I'm a gadget *****.
Would this being a 2003 model make any difference? Build quality (Taiwan vs Italy, anything odd like
that), warranty work... the manual seems better at least. Lots of goodies, SSV adjustments, air,
ETA, 105mm travel.
#3 - 2002 Marzocchi Marathon 100mm $300 + s/h = ~$320
http://www.speedgoat.com/PROD/store/categorie.asp?pid=3316&c=3
Magnesium lowers, 3 way ECC lockout, adjustable pos/neg, basically has all the stuff I want and a
lot of things I don't even know how to utilize yet. Again, this seems to me like a killer price.
Yes, it's 2002, yes, it's on closeout, but god damn it is one sexy piece of bicycle part. All of my
concerns from the MX Pro apply to this one, since they apparently both share similar air designs.
Unless I'm misreading the Marathon listing and it's actually coil... is it? I know the 2003 line has
the S and SL designations, but from what I read the 100mm Marathons are all air.
So basically I don't know which to get. Should I just get the MXR? Or should I spring for the
Marathon? They all seem like solid forks on paper, they're all quite good looking (not that it's
really a factor in the end, but...) and I've already gotten good feedback about the MXR - and I'd
sooner trust the regular posters here than soulless mtbr.com "reviewers"...
I'll have to make a decision by saturday, when my self-imposed deadline hits. I figure if I can't
make up my mind by then, it isn't going to matter which one I get so I'll just go with the MXR. Any
way I go, I'll be sure to post my impressions of the fork, an installation report and maybe even a
ride report.
Thoughts? Comments? Bring it on!
-Slash
--
"Ebert Victorious"
- The Onion