Mountain Biking - forks and frame correction?

Hi crew.

Ok i have converted the Axel travel to 100mm from 80mm. Improvment but not huge. Anyway i am considering the following forks as a long run upgrade and i would like your opinion both on the forks and on how will they fit the bike-alter geometry .(wouldnt mind to slacken things a bit in order to improve control over fast or hairy descents.)

Marzocchi MXPro ETA
Marzocchi Z1 DropOff ETA normal dropouts
Manitou Black Comp 100/120
Manitou Sherman Firefly.

My rides are a do it all mix. painfull climbs. singletrack over rough terrain, ultra fast fire roads and steep descents over rocky,rooty terrain. I got a 2003 Rockhopper HT 19". I really like the do it all MXpro but i started to love the burly look of Z1 and Sherman.
I would love to hear opinions on that and i am really eager to get feedback from current users.

Thank you all
Yannis:beer:

I like both of those Marzocchi, the MXPro is more of a XC/Light Freeride fork, while the Z1 is more designed for downhill and has roughly a inch more travel to it.

The Sherman is getting great reviews but is in its first year of production. I wouldn't buy one right now as long term quality isn't known. The MXPro is a good all rounder and has around 4 inches. A decent fork for sure. The dropoff is 5inches travel with bigger stanchions which makes for a much stiffer and stronger fork.

My vote is for the Z1 too.

Just realize, the Z1 is 5" of travel and will definately slacken up your steering, plus, the thing is heavy! Personally, I prefer heavy vs something lighter and not as smooth and much weaker.

My vote is for the Z1 as well!

L8R

thanks guys and especially a2 and mael. Is the Z1 Freeride SL lighter than the Dropoff? Since all Z1 have eta the climbing ability of my bike should increase rather than decrease (due to slackening) and i think that the downhill/control over rough territory will improve. Are my allegations correct?

I have a 99 rockhopper comp, and some '02 MXC airs. The MXCs are comparable to MXComps AFAIK. I couldn't be happier. The steering is a little slower (went from 80mm to 100mm) but after getting used to it I like it better that way. The control is so much better than before.

I'd be very cautious about increasing travel further to 5" though

Hey skdsl,

Nice bike. My frame is '03 and it has an 80/100 fork. So i presume that it is corrected even for 100mm right? If so the result of an 130 fork to a 100mm corrected frame will me similar as to the 105mm fork for an 80mm frame. Right?
Also the DropOff is 2.4kg ,my axel is 2kg, how much does the Freeride SL weight?

The MX series weighs around 3.6 pounds...the Z1 weighs 4.5 pounds accross the board. The longer travel will affect steering but imo it is worth it. The z1 is an awesome fork and while I go to fast to worry about the ecc (when Ihave tried it, it kicks ass) I use it less then I could if I was willing to stop and flick the switch. A remote ecc would be sweet.

If you use the eta then yes this fork will improve you climbing AND you descending. Just be sure to get the right sprung springs in your fork. They should do this for free.

hey mael. which Z1 do you have? The dropoff weighs at 5.5 and the Z1FR-SL wheighs at 4.5 according to a site. Damn man i really love the looks on these forks and the stiffness/stong looks of them. Should i go from the axel to MX series with the frame i got or straight for the Z1 Dropoff? I am not a weight weenie but i wouldnt like a complete tank on the front in terms of weight.

I have the z1 fr...and the thing feels great...unless you are really worried about the weight the performance more than makes up for it imo ...

I couldn't find weights on the site so I went to a retail site...I don't know your riding but if you plan on drops and steep descents (like myself) I went with the z1 with super stiff springs...the only thing I regret is the eta...I don't use it (no time)

You have the light Freeride SL or the normal Freeride? I do very steep descents on rough terain and since i ride a ht i need more control up front. Since i do also extreme climbing should i go for the Z1 Dropoff ETA? or maybe the MXProETA?

I actually have the 2002...but the internals changed very little except for a better lockout system. The rebound is the same and stanchions are larger...the z1 really is a very aggressive fork and the reason I got it was the qr20 AND ecc and Rebound. The ecc for me is essentially useless.

If funny but the MX is essentially last years z1 fr without the qr20 and an inch less travel. The MX sounds like you thing. It will be good on descents...the rebound will kickass when you get it dialed in and the eta will help with your climbs. The MX is cheaper I assume because of the shorter travel, lack of qr20 and 30mm stanchions. Those last two things sacrifice some stiffness but I am sure most people don't notice unless you really rail the turns...

Ok since you want to be told what to buy. *I* would but the z1, it will weight more but it will be much stiffer and handle fast turns better in the long run and I LOVE 5inches of travel and would never go back to 4 again. I also weight 250ish and the extra thick stanchions and qr20 would be noticable. Thats my answer. I have told you the differences you have to decide for your style of riding. Either one has rebound which is good but the z1 is stronger and meant for bigger drops and is less useful as a xc fork (it works but 4inches of travel will feel better on xc tracks)

Really thanks mael. i ll try if i can to test ride them both. if i dont get this chance then it will be a tough shootout between them!