nmn25

I have a faith 2. If I get into a good college (Stanford, Brown, Middleburry etc), my dad will give me 2000 to upgrade my bike. I want a new fork and am setting 1500 of it towards it. I want at least 170mm of travel (fork now has 170mm), but 200mm is what I want most. It has to have at least adjustments for compression and rebound. I am going to compete recreationaly in DH, but freeride frequently, right now, drops about 8' and tables/gaps 10-20', but I plan on improving

I was thinking:

2006 Boxxer ride
2006 888 or 66 vf2 (Yeah, the WHITE one)
2006 travis 203mm single crown

what do you guys think, post sugestions

Maelstrom 

Why the vf you have the money for the good version. And isn't the ride in the 600$ range. With that kind of money I would look at the Fox 36 or 66Rc (whatever extensions they are using now)

I don't trust manitou anymore so I couldn't recommend the travis, and the boxxer ride is basically garbage and needs a lot of internal tweeking to make it feel right.

cryptid01

RC2X.

I think he wants the VF because it's white.

Maelstrom 

Oh...ya I guess it does read like that. Well the VF is a lesser product than the rc2x (sheesh man marz needs to get their naming under control)...

mtnbiker66

Who would run a white fork? I want a VFRCX243.75KWO.... in pink

nmn25

I thought the vf2 was the best. I HATE the color (hence the sarcastic coment). I meant whatever was the best 66 or 888. The ride is like 800, and has variable rebount and travel (I would never use the travel thing though). Please keep the suggestions coming!

DylanTremblay

Another option is the Fox 40. I have only heard good things about it so you can look into that if you want.

concernicus

i would also reccomend the 40, but it costs a grand, and i think that its above his price range. what he should try is the fox 36 series, either the talas or vanilla. you cant go wrong with anything fox.

cryptid01

Someone who bought their fork based upon its capabilities and not its color?

(although I did get a pimpin' white seat to match...gotta look good while posing in the parking lot, know what I'm sayin?)

cryptid01

Yeah they do. For example, the 66 Light ETA is actually heavier than the 66 RC2X. Go figure.

Besides that, though, it's really not that bad. For 06, all the high end coil/oil Marzocchis (888RC2X, 66RC2X, 66 Light ETA, Z1 Light ETA) have the new RC2 damper in one leg with external rebound and compression. The "X" at the end indicates an RC2 damper in the other leg and and adds external low speed compression adjustability. The ETA forks have the ETA in the other leg instead. The Z1 Light ETA is a GREAT fork which also has externally adjustable travel and comes in bling white, as does the 888, I think.

Maelstrom 

Then I would get the 66rcxfsrds2.

nmn25

I thought about the 36, but it only goes to 160mm of travel, which is not enough. I want at least 170mm. I know rst used to make a couple of high end dh forks, but now or at least for the past 5 years, they have stuck with entry level stuff. On their site though, there is a 180mm travel triple clamp with rebound and compresion adjust, and 36mm stanchions. I know it is priced cheaper, but does anyone know hhow it performs? (unlikely option, but what the hey)

scrublover

I'm assuming you're talking about the 05 model.........

The 06 is a *very* different beast than the 05. 06=same Motion Control adjustable compression/rebound as in the other 06 Boxxer lineup. Very easy right out of the box to get it feeling very nice.

I just popped to 06 internals into my 06 model Ride. It's now an extremely different fork. Granted, if he wants a full 8" of travel, it ain't the fork for him. But 5-7" of adjustable fork travel, with MoCo damping/adjusments on the front end of a big bike that pedals uphill more than it goes up on the lifts works pretty well for me.

Hopper

What I hear you saying is you would go travel over function........ Personally I would run a Fox 36, it is a sexy fork that runs buttery smooth and is a very capable fork for freeride and even DH. I would also look Marz 66RC2x and even an RS Boxxer Team.

Again personally, I would be going for a 170mm version of the 66RC2x. 170mm is a very good amount of travel to use as an occasional DH/Fr fork. The fork I personally want is a 170mm 888RC2x, but I reckon I hear somewhere the 888 no longer comes in 170mm????

Maelstrom 

You might be right, I haven't had a chance to play on the new boxxers, they have just been using the same internals for so long I stopped paying attention and guess didn't notice they made a change

scrublover

worth checking out. they are a very different thing than boxxers of the past. tighter/better turning with tghe new crowns. larger tire clearance. better bushing overlap/stiffer, with wider legs. and the big one: much better seals than boxxers past.

the new damping rocks! very, very adjustable to get the feel you want.

of course, i'm biased. (nothing super huge in the pics, but sure fun)

nmn25

I think I want to revise my money to $1200 for a fork. I want to get XT shifters as well. If anyone has would like to praise their 170mm or more of travel forks, please do. I'm open to everything (nice that is). what about smaller companies like whitebrothers, avalanche, foes, maveric (not sure if they make a long travel fork) etc...?

scrublover

So if you don't want/care to actually use adjustable travel, I'm sorta' confused as to why you'd even list the Boxxer Ride in your options. Especially when it's a 7" fork, and you seem to be wanting more travel anyhow.

If, as you say, you're budgeting 1200 for a fork......

get the 888, or the Fox 40, or the RS World Cup.

dminor 

I have to second (or third) the Fox 40; next would be an 888. If you wanna be different, you could go with a White Bros Groove 200 or a Stratos S8.

(Being the sponsor wh*** that I've been accused of being, I'd normally say the RST Sigma X5...but I have no idea where you'd even find one. Besides, everyone else would laugh at me )

cryptid01

mtnbiker66

You gotta do what you gotta do.

TroyLeeRacer199

If you are going to spend a lot of money on it, I would say get the Fox 40. You said you wanted to put about 1500 toward it, so the Fox 40 would be a good choice in my opinion.

myenzo

I freeride with a 66 now and I'm going to race DH on it later this season, its a really nice fork.

dark_biker

i think if your dirt jumping or just freestyling you shuould slap on a pair of dirtjumper 3s there cheap and effective

nmn25

dj3's? are you serious (I can tell you didn't read the intro) ? right now It has 7inches in the front, and 8 in the back. I use it as a downhill and "extreme" freeride. I said I want at least 170mm of travel, preferably 200mm (not 100, which would completely jack my frame), and that it would at least have compresion and rebound, which the dj3 does not.

I'm not trying to sound rude or anything, but that is one of the last froks I would use, being how rediculous it is