Mountain Biking - Best suspension fork?

Just wondering what the best fork under $250 would be for a person 185-200lbs. I do normal to aggressive/technical XC and want a fork that could take some abuse. I have been researching Marzocchi MXR, MXC, and EXR forks so far on the web. Does anyone have any experience with these forks or should I look elsewhere i.e. Rockshox, Manitou, Fox? I am on a budget and I want adjustibility as well. My bike currently has a RS Judy TT and i could definitely tell that they are low end after test riding a Sugar with a manitou Black. Any info would be great....Thanx

The exr is very low end and in your weight range will only last about a season (if that). The MX series is definately something to consider for that kind of riding. I am not a huge fan of the feel of other forks so far so Marz is the only one I plan to buy until I try something else I like.

http://pricepoint.com/product573.html is a good fork worthy of that kind of riding. And the ETA is nice if you know you are going to have a long climb and want to drop the travel. :)

Currently, I'm doing some research for a friend. He's about your size and is looking for a deal for his hardtail. What I've found so far, is a Manitou Black Comp 100-120 mm travel for $249.

I also found a Marz. MX Comp w/ ETA for $259.

If you're interested in a beefy fork, there is a Marz DJ3 available w/free headset for $269.

L8R

I should probably mention that I have a Trek 4500 as of now. Would 100mm work with my bike? I really want 100mm!!! 80mm just doesn't cut it all the time. So the MX is a pretty durable fork? Can I do any adjustments ie. rebound, preload?
The shock I have now only has preload and I need a set of pliers to turn it.

100 should be o.k. with your frame. If getting a BLACK, get the one with the 80/100 travel adjustment. If you get the 100/120, you bike will handle like a wet noodle in the 120 mode!

L8R

A good rule of thumb is take you current fork and you can add or remove 20mm. If you currently have an 80mm fork 100mm should be fine. The riding will feel diffrent bu it won't kill you :D

I am not sure if I should go with the Black. It's a little pricy for me (over $300 at pricepoint). I did like the feel though when I tested one, although I wouldn't really call riding across a parking lot and hitting a few curbs a test ride. I noticed a MXR at pricepoint as well as the MX comp. Would any of the MX" series be a good choice for me. Also, air or spring or both? oil? I am not knowing

I prefer spring...it depends on the hits and the riding and the preference. It sound like both would be ok for you so really it is your preference as to weight vs strenght (I find spring to typicall be more burly)

Hey,

I prefer air sprung forks because being able to tune the ride whevever you want is something i like. Like if you gain a little weight during the winter just take the pump to it.

BTW i live in Ann Arbor

If you love plastic and poor customer service - go with Manitou. If you like machined bits and great service, go with Marzocchi. It sounds like we have different needs, but I recently bought one of the '01 X-Flys Pricepoint is blowing out - phenomenal fork.

I recently upgraded my Trek 4500's Judy TT fork to a 2002 Rockshox Psylo SL. The fork is awesome!! It has 80-100-125mm U-turn adjustment, rebound adjustment, and adjustable preload with lockout just in case you're in a hellacious uphill pedaling frenzy and don't want all the energy you're putting into pedaling to be absorbed by the suspension of your bike. I got mine from pricepoint for $249 but they seem to be sold out of the 2002's now. The 2003's price jumps significantly from the 2002's, although the list of features doesn't. You might wanna look around the net some and see if an online retailer (or LBS for that matter) has any leftover 2002 Psylo SL's. You won't be dissapointed. Good luck with whatever fork you choose though!!!

Here's a link to a thread I posted a while back with pics of the Psylo installed on my bike. Might help you to visualize some things. (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21915&highlight=finally+got+my+bike+upgraded)

If you are heavy steer clear of air forks. The Black is a good choice and any marzocchi is good enough. I personaly have a manitou Axel. It is ok for its money ...however the springs are very soft for me. The judyTT is a veeeery basic fork...and i am amazed that it bears the famous rockshox name on it.

Yep. As a long time Rockshox user I agree the Judy TT is crap. Even my 96 spec Judy DH rides better than any 04 Judys, even RS Pilots. Shame I can no longer get any parts for the old Judy DH. This fork was such a revelation back in its day - twin springs, twin dampers, rebound and compression adjustable and fully serviceable with backyard tools!

Still, I best remembered the good old RS Mag21 - Twin air springs, air assisted, oil damped and with 6 preset damping adjustment. And if you are handy with drill, you can really tune the fork with infinate adjustment.

Funny how things are in life comes and goes - the RS SID World Cup has more common with ancient RS 21 than any other '04 RS range.

I upgraded my Judy TT for an 03 MX comp with ETA, the ETA is handy and if you go for an MX try to get the ETA although its not a major problem riding without it. You should be able to get a 03 MX comp ETA for under £200 and apart from a few cosmetic changes the 03 and 04 forks are the same.

I ride aggresively and have found that the fork holds up well, and is a huge improvement over a Judy TT. I can't really comment on any other fork you mentioned as I have not used them enough.

Also the Marzocchi forks have a good reputation for reliability.

Evo

you can upgrade the judy tt with englund air cartridges, it shaves weight plus you get the feel of an air fork (if that's what you want). i'm partial to air forks because they are all i've really ridden. i really enjoy the plushness of my manitou xvert air, and it is stiff enough for me (i'm 170lbs and ride xc). got a RS mag and it's insensitive to smaller hits but soak larger ones well. picked up a sid xc and it feels almost exactly like the mag, maybe a bit more plush. rode my friend's sid dual air and it is just as plush as my xvert. all of those forks were purchased used for under $100 from either mtbr or locally.

i also got an older judy with the englunds and i was surprised to how plush they were. try to test ride a sid dual air, then if you dig how it feels, an englund upgrade to your judy would simulate that, although you don't get that much adjustment (only by changing air pressure). however, i find that i never really adjust my fork once i got it dialed in.