Suspension Forks and How They Hold Up
FORKS
Many people feel very strongly about one brand of fork or another. At a bike shop, a typical response to a fork is based on how often we see problems arise for customers. That being said, let’s review some brands of forks:
1. Fox Racing Shox – We love them. Very few problems. Very thorough mechanics and easy (but, not simple) repair. The company is nice to work with.
2. Rock Shox – Since being purchased by SRAM a few years back, they are catching up quickly to Fox. The company is easier to work with than Fox, but we do see (slightly) more problems with their forks. The Reba is an especially nice fork for the money, and has received some pretty cool upgrades for ’09.
3. Marzocchi – These guys were the leaders for a while, but have started to slip as of late. Many of their OEM forks (manufactured by SR Suntour) are junk. The company is easy to work with and they have an amazing upgrade program, if you are interested. They still make some nice stuff.
4. Magura – The jury is still out. So far, so good, but almost no bikes come stock with these forks yet.
5. White Brothers – Seen a surprising number of these forks overworked. They still stand up to a beating and keep on going. The company is a pleasure to work with. Still a niche crowd of followers.
6. Manitou – Once a big player, these guys have all but dropped out of our circle. We still have to repair them, which is rather unpleasant, but they seem to hold up relatively well.
7. Others – We’ve worked on Hanebrink, Maverick, Bombshell, etc. and most of the time they are nicely machined. They are simple and functional and made more for the motorcycle enthusiast turned cyclist. Fun to tune with different weight oils and springs.
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