Submitted by
leshark
a Downhiller
from Weston-super-Mare, England Date Reviewed: August 5, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Mendip
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$160.00
Purchased At:
On Ebay
Strengths:
Soo Smooth, lots of travel and light (I believe) Great all rounder, long travel, light (supposedly) and great price
Weaknesses:
Fair amount of twist/flex, really poor decals that are hanging off
Similar Products Used:
None, my other bikes a Whyte PRST4
Bike Setup:
EPX Terrashark (Austrailin Carbon frame) Sun Downhill wheels
SRAM mech and changer, DMR Head/Handle Bars & SDG Ti Seat
Bottom Line:
Great forks, seem best set with low air and about 30% sag, soak up everything once set up properly, lockout great for the slog uphill, I've used them on a hybrid all mountain build, only really annoying thing everybody says there one of the lightest single crown 5.5 inch travel forks (even Marzocchi) but I cant find anywhere what they actually weigh, looks like I'll have to strip the bike down to get the weight, unless anyone reading this can tell me (email me on leshark@btinternet.com)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David Horn
a Cross Country Rider
from South Shields Date Reviewed: November 1, 2007
Favorite Trail:
hamsterley
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
chainreactioncycles.com
Strengths:
This product will take everything you thro at it can be used for everything you do from riding the streets to racing
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
boxxers and jr-t's
Bike Setup:
giant acid 2, race face ride, single speed, halo combat, race face bottom bracket
Bottom Line:
the bottom line is that these forks are the best forks you will buy they are kinda cheap and are absolutaley amazing for all types of people.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dan Ringrow
a Weekend Warrior
from Somerset Date Reviewed: June 2, 2007
Favorite Trail:
steep ones
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
bike city
Strengths:
Absorbs all the little bumps and also the large jumps. It is called an all mountain but it is just as good at jumps as cross country.
Weaknesses:
Very little adjustment.
Similar Products Used:
'07 Mazorochi dirt jumpers
Bike Setup:
felt Q220
Bottom Line:
Well worth the cash
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jaroslaw M
a
from Opole, Poland Date Reviewed: October 19, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$320.00
Purchased At:
www.ride-zone.com
Strengths:
Good look, very stiff, weight, it shows his class on the trail
Weaknesses:
not 130mm travel - max.120mm, wrong oil level (makes annoying sounds while riding)
Similar Products Used:
Manitou Black Comp
Bike Setup:
hardtail: Shimano XT/Hone/Deore, Sun Single Track, DT Champion, Amoeba, North Shore, Tioga Factory DH...
Bottom Line:
Great fork for agressive xc/enduro/fr, 120mm travel. I think that the biggest + is a possibility to adjust the air pressure for rider weight.
I'm only dissapointed of travel and wrong oil level in my 2005 fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mark beaveridge
a Racer
from England,Northampton Date Reviewed: October 11, 2006
Favorite Trail:
harlestone furs
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$350.00
Strengths:
plush easy to set up,sweet looking and kinda cheap,good for all diciplines.
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
manitou minute 1
Bike Setup:
identiti dr jekyll 4x setup
Bottom Line:
they are my favourite forks i have ever used would not choose anything else
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jay FiggA
a Downhiller
from cambridge, ontario, canada Date Reviewed: July 25, 2006
Favorite Trail:
the "cove" fr park
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$450.00
Purchased At:
cycle
Strengths:
This fork is absolutely amazing! it is a simple yet strong, easy to use,all you do is pump it up w/ an air pump to wat ever psi u like, u can adjust it for DH, or FR or AM or Xc Or u can pump it so hard that it is perfect for DJ or urban. u can fill her all the way and its so perfect for trials, thi
Weaknesses:
this fork would be even better if it had eta and possibly 150+ travel, but the 130 is perfect.
Similar Products Used:
Boxxer world cup, Jr T, RST GIlas, Nixons, and z1 freerides. Z1s are the worst forks ever made, they suck.
Bike Setup:
from head to toe= dual bar DH Bars, mobilus fr stem, am 3 fork, avid 5's gary fisher GED 05 13" frame, hussefelt cranks, single track rims.
Bottom Line:
the bottom line is that this fork is the pimp, shes cheap in price but rich in quality, u just have to no how to tune it, just differ every class by about 15 psi! this fork would be assome for any one!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
cam boley
a Weekend Warrior
from barnstable, MA Date Reviewed: July 18, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Trail of Tears
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$279.00
Purchased At:
Price Point
Strengths:
Good quality, strong, kind of light, cheap
Weaknesses:
Not enough adjustibility
Similar Products Used:
RST
Bike Setup:
Kona Dawg, AMIII, BB7, Rhynolite Wheelset,
Bottom Line:
Good fork for the price, tough and durable
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jonny Goodness
a Cross Country Rider
from Tulsa, OK Date Reviewed: July 7, 2006
Favorite Trail:
The goodones
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$230.00
Purchased At:
Greenfish
Strengths:
Solid, much better feel than any air fork I have have ridden in the past. Takes a big hit just fine.
Weaknesses:
Not enough suppleness in the first 2 inches of travel... cant seem to find that happy medium between nothing and too much. It's an air fork though. Would benefit from some compression and rebound dampening controls but for $230 I dont mind changing the oil around until I get what I want from it.
Similar Products Used:
97 Judy, 99 Judy, 99 Manitou SX, Manitou Black Comp 80/100, Manitou Black Elite 100/120, Manitou Axel 80.
Bike Setup:
Bike is an 02 Giant AC Air with many replaced/improved features... Fork came with 7.5wt oil in it. Not enough rebound dampening. I have since changed the oil to 10wt and it has improved. I'm going to ride it like this for a bit and them if its not enough I'm going up to 15wt.
The positive sprin on this fork is tricky... you have to really play with the air settings in each leg as each leg gives a different feel.
Bottom Line:
This fork is good for the money but lacks adjustability. You can get the results you want with it but you have to get into the fork... there is absolutely no trailside adjustability.
It's a really good design when it comes to stiffness though, it feels very stable.
If you buy this fork know that (1) it may be called all mountain... but you are still buying an air fork (2) it has no adjustability (3) it takes some work to set it up to your taste.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark Wallace
a Weekend Warrior
from Tucson Date Reviewed: May 25, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Milagrosa
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$299.00
Purchased At:
Performance
Strengths:
Air adjustability, Stiff enough for a 200 lbs guy (when set-up) Stable through the rough.
Weaknesses:
Tough to find out how to set them up.
Similar Products Used:
Rock Shock Psylo, Marzochhi VF66, Manitou Minute 1.
Bike Setup:
Kona Kahuna - Manitou 3 way shock, Terra Max Wheels, Hayes Hydraulic Brakes.
Bottom Line:
I am 200 lbs plus and doing the real all mountain thing and setting the fork up as follows has given me great results: 10 weight oil 45 CC from the top with the fork fully compressed. Pumped to 40 to 50 lbs of pressure. With the fork set this way it has saved my ass when bombing down some rough sections chasing my teenage son, and my crazy buddy. This fork has has a solid feel and doesn't sponge out when you dive off 1 - 3 foot step type rocks. It has a little too much travel than my bike was designed for so my front end tends to float up on steep climbs, but it is a fair trade off. If you are looking to cut grams this isn't the fork for you. However, if you are looking for a true all mountain fork, and don't have a ton of cash this fork fits the bill.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kyle
a
from State College, PA, USA Date Reviewed: May 24, 2006
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$249.00
Strengths:
Longer travel (130mm), soaks up all bumps nicely, dual air
Weaknesses:
None so far
Similar Products Used:
RockShox Pilot XC (100mm)
Bike Setup:
Fetish Cycles Discipline
Bottom Line:
Im 6'4" and 240lbs without gear and I tend to ride aggressively. This fork has held up to everything so far. Can't beat it for the price.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Marek
a Downhiller
from Thunder Bay, ont , Canada Date Reviewed: May 3, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
rollin thunder
Strengths:
Well I think its pretty intense travel and very plush, good lookin... i like the black rods, pretty tought i think. Capable of pulling some sick stuff.
Weaknesses:
I havnt really found anything.. might be a litlle weak im not shur yet.. untill i break them (maybe).. took a 10 foot drop and heard a little bang i didnt know what it was.. Probably just bottomed them out but nothing a little more air in them cant fix(but im only 150 pounds)
Similar Products Used:
rock shocks pilot... and some other piles of something bad.
Bike Setup:
2005 Brodie bruzza.. tough bike (hardtail). all the standard stuff better derailer tho and like it had the shocks changed to the AM3's from drop off 4's i have no clue why... im going to complain tomorrow but i dont know these might be better...
Bottom Line:
To tell the truth its pretty nice like iv been riding this bike for about a week and I have been beating the @#$% out of it and it seems to hold up nicely but time will tell... i think i bottomed it out once but i hit the drop wrong ( i felt my bikes pain)... but nice fork i think..
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim Zagryn
a Weekend Warrior
from Northford, CT Date Reviewed: March 27, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Tyler Mill
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$260.00
Purchased At:
Blue Sky Cycling
Strengths:
Beefy, Marzocchi quality, decent weight for the price & beefyness of the fork. Dual leg air adjustment with standard schrader valve. Reasonably low air preasure requirement lends to the reliability factor ~ 50lbs for a 200lb rider such as myself.
Weaknesses:
Fork came with wrong oil set up & needed oil tuning before it could be used (lacked sufficient rebound dampening & topped out violently just by pressing down & releasing). Works great now that the oil level is to spec. Owners manual has minimal useful info dispite being as thick as it is.
Similar Products Used:
~95 Rock Shock Mag 21, ~97 Judy, ~99 Manitou Mars (whimpy shock that ate through air seals like crazy even after beefyest springs installed, just needed too much air preasure, 02 Marzocchi MX Comp
Bike Setup:
Iron Horse Hollowpoint Team, Sun Single Track rims, XT, Hayes mechanical discs
Bottom Line:
My MX Comp solidified the praise I've heard for Marzocchi forks. Once tuned, the AM3 takes my confidence in the bike's front end to a new level. Great value for a 200 lb rider looking for a rock solid all mountain fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
david dobson
a Downhiller
from charlotte, nc. usa Date Reviewed: March 9, 2006
Favorite Trail:
poplar tent/ beach springs
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$450.00
Purchased At:
south park cycles
Strengths:
rigid, plush or stiff. adjustable by preload or oil viscosity. i got the bear bones fork
Weaknesses:
bear bones fork
Similar Products Used:
rock shock psylo
Bike Setup:
khs fr2000 (6 inch) truvativ dh bar and stem, mavic dee max ust, conti ust tyres, gripshift, shimno dr train, avid juicy brakes
Bottom Line:
by changin the air preload and oil viscosity i can set this fork up for freeride, tril riding, or urban assualt. if you know what ur doin u dont need all those facy dials....but they do come in handy great fork for what it is intended
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
tom chasse
a Weekend Warrior
from presque isle, me usa Date Reviewed: March 3, 2006
Favorite Trail:
nordic heritage center vacationland
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$459.00
Purchased At:
Mountain Enterprises
Strengths:
This fork is strong, simple and a great value. No bells and whistles but does the job very well
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
manitou minute 2, sid 100, bomber z1, bomber mx pro, bomber dj and several others
Bike Setup:
turner 5 spot all xt with thompson stuff my other bike is jamis xlt 3.0 mix of xtr and xt with race face stuff both have all mountain III's on them.
Bottom Line:
This is a no nonesense hard charging fork. It does the job with no problems and no bells and whistles. I set it up right the first time and never have to mess with it. Just the way I like it. There are many more expensive and adjustable forks out there but if you get a great fork you don't need all that stuff. I love this fork and have had more expensive and adjustable one but never used the adjustments much and they just took money from my pocket. By using this fork I have more money to have more bike choices. I have a large stable. I like it that way it allows me to have more friends.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a Weekend Warrior
from Boston Date Reviewed: January 31, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
MTBR
Strengths:
Good fork for the money. Feels solid and smooth, especially for rocky and rooty New England trails
Weaknesses:
Takes some patience to set it up how you like it. Zero on the fly adjustability
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi Z1 FR Manitou Black
Bike Setup:
Orange Surly Instigator Singlespeed. Trail Pimp wheels with Woodman hubs, Azonic bar, stem and seatpost, Avid Mech brakes
Bottom Line:
For the price that I paid, ($200) you are not going to get a much better value. I had been worried about getting an all air fork but one ride on the All Mountain III cured that. Lets be fair, it doesn't feel quite like a coil but its darn close. I ride this fork on a hardtail that used to have a Manitou Black Elite on the front. The difference is night and day. While the Manitou Black is a nice fork and has a lot of adjustability, I didn't realize how unstable it was until I but the All Mountain III on the front. There is not flex or shakiness whatsoever. My confidence hitting rock gardens and doing smaller drops on the singlespeed has doubled. I have mine set to 130mm of travel and put in a bit more oil than recommended for my weight to prevent bottoming. I set it up with Marzocchi's recommended oil levels and felt like I was just blowing through the travel, even on tiny drops. It took me about 3 or 4 rides to really adjust the amount of air and oil to get the fork how I like it. I guess that would be the only real downside. That said, this fork is not a Z1 FR or Marzocchi 66. It is a lower cost fork with basically no one the fly adjustability. But if you know that when you buy it, you should be very happy.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Cole Dietrich
a Downhiller
from Nanaimo, BC, Canada Date Reviewed: January 27, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Whistler - A line
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
Pacific Rim Bikes
Strengths:
These Forks are a great hydrolic fork. They are good for downhilling, dirtjumpin, and anything else. The air preloads let you adjust the "plushness" for what kind of riding you are planning on doing. IE: more air for big drops/ downhillin , less air for roots and trails. This fork is worth the money. 5 inches of pure softness.:)
Weaknesses:
Not enough travel when hittin big, but if you set the air right inside the forks, it performs just aswell as a 6 inch fork ( or higher)
Similar Products Used:
z1 freerides. I hate locking forks.
Bike Setup:
2003 Norco Bigfoot, with gaza tires ( huge!) new pedals. Bamber all mountain 3 forks. Recently bought a 2001 norco buzz with 5.5 inches travel on the back. Planning on converting all my parts from the bigfoot to the buzz frame.
Bottom Line:
This is a great fork. Dont hesitate on buying it. Tip when buying forks. Dont look at the year of the fork. most hydrolic forks perform just aswell as a new fork does. Dont be afraide to buy used bikes / forks!!!!!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rudolf Steenkamp
a Cross Country Rider
from Paarl S.A Date Reviewed: September 1, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Delvera
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$480.00
Purchased At:
Bike dealer
Strengths:
Great for agressive riding and small jumps.Like the dual air ajustments.
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
Giant vt2 xtr back spezialized tires titec ext..
Bottom Line:
one nice shock boosted performance of the bike and me. Its a must for any mtb.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alex
a Weekend Warrior
from Montreal,Quebec,Canada Date Reviewed: August 19, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Bromont freeride trails
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
www.cambriabike.com
Strengths:
Great looking, light, fantastic for agressive XC and great for light freeride. Adjustable air springs in both legs.
Weaknesses:
None so far.
Similar Products Used:
Marzocchi MX.
Bike Setup:
Norco Fluid 3.0, all XT, Fox Vanilla R rear suspension
Bottom Line:
Marzocchi quality! Cheap, comfortable, good performance on virtually any type of riding. A must buy!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
george pearson
a Weekend Warrior
from st albans, herts, uk Date Reviewed: June 7, 2005
Favorite Trail:
aston hill or pioneer DJ
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$475.00
Purchased At:
www.lesiurewheels.com
Strengths:
light, strong, great looking, adjustable travel.
Weaknesses:
i have not found any yet..
Similar Products Used:
marzocchi dj 2, marzocchi z1
Bike Setup:
kona stuff worth to much its beautiful
Bottom Line:
this fork is brilliant for the money i would have it over dirt jumpers and other forks that are similar as its got adjustable air travel takes the hits and you dont feel anything riding it set up for xc.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bob Henderson
a Downhiller
from mill valley C.A Date Reviewed: December 8, 2004
Favorite Trail:
zig zag
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
Mikes bikes
Strengths:
good for jumping and park rideing ok for downnhilling bad for freeride fun pretty plush not to plush fun to use looks sexy
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
Z1 series
Bike Setup:
p.3 with cool componnts
Bottom Line:
I dont have any but it is a really good fork you need to buy it buy it now the fork is awsome really get it perfect for all typs of riding
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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