What's the top 2 brands of mountain bike forks out there?

Question

I want to build a XC bike either hardtail or full suspension. Is Fox Forx and Rock Shox the best?

Answer 1

IMO it's Fox and Marzocchi. A lot of the pro's use either or...

Answer 2

Fox and Marz are the most reliable brands out there. Fox tends to use all metal construction (no plastic dampers or other garbage like that) and Marz has a history (after they went to the Z-series at least) of being the most bombproof forks out there, just not the lightest. Their lower end models of late aren't quite as good though.

Rockshox is decent, but aside from Boxxers, you will pretty much NEVER see one of their forks on the North Shore (BC).

Manitou has awesome R&D, but their forks don't seem to last as long and require almost daily maintenance.

Basically, if you've got the cash, get a Fox Forx. If money's tight, get a Marz - or perhaps a RockShox if you're not too hard on your bike.

One other thing to keep in mind is where the nearest warranty centre is. If you have to send your fork out of the country to get it fixed, you'll be waiting for a while.

Answer 3

i think fox has the best suspension of anything. buy it if you can afford it - performance doesnt come cheap. i currently have a Marzocchi Drop off 130mm. its got a bit a bob, but is very plush and highly adjustable via dual SPV air cartridges.

Rock shox has some descent stuff, but expect to pay several hundred dollars for a good one. ive heard that this brand is very solid and has tough shocks.

Marzocchi is descent. as stated before, i have a drop off with 130mm and it was on sale for $250 (2005 model) but i love it.

manitou has a few good fork. ive heard only the Minute line of forks and the Travis series are the only good ones though.

you should get a light dual susp. frame and use a fox float or talas air shock. i plan to upgrade to one soon because they are light and ive heard a lot of good reviews about these shocks.