when you are incresing the travel, from 100-120mm, u need to remove the damper side oil until you get an oil height ( air/space between oil and top of damper) of 97mm or else the travel will stay the same at 100m regardless of how many spacers you take away from the air side.
Just upgraded the Suntour pogo stick on my Marlin 6 to one of these, feels like a whole new bike with actually useable suspension. Definitely one of the best bang for buck forks out there
Just got one on my new Merida Big Nine. It’s fantastic. So smooth. The shop pumped it to my weight (although a little on the lower side, just to be safe). After a little adjusting on the rebound it’s now a dream. It’s stiff, smooth, and even all at the same time. So much better than the Suntour XCR on my old bike - which to be fair, is not as bad as a fork for its purpose and price, as many people seem to say.
@@009kcwy Mainly trial, I ride at least once a week (sometimes twice if I'm lucky). The fork still feels good after six months. Still stiff but supple. Still really pleased with it. I mainly ride cross country type trails.
Just purchased this fork for for my 2000 Trek 8000 rejuvenation (purchased new). As I found out when I started researching parts, 26" wheels & 1-1/8" threadless steerers are a thing of the past. This fork was one of the very few options that looked to be of decent quality. This video review has me excited to finish rebuilding the bike and try it out. Cheers.
I've not riding with many different forks, cause I'm newbie on MTB i would say, but as I got some expereance with my bike that came with this Markhor, I'm very impressed with this fork, i'm learning how to ride in XC and I feel very confident with this fork to cross the rock gardens and roots, and its very nice on the hills, the lock is very easy to use, the construction as you told protect very well from the dust and mud. Very good job!
Been wanting to buy the exact same fork since march. 😊 finally by God's grace i can install it to my local bike shoo tomorrow morning.. 😇 thanks for the review sir!
Sir Good day, When the performance of the Markhor fork is already due and needs to have a maintenance, can you a provide video on how to clean it and change its seals? It will be a great help for us riders here in the Philippines. The best channel for meticulous mechanics and mtb riders. More Power on your channel.
I ended up buying one. I like it. Just something I wanted to point out regarding backward arch, I noticed when riding in the wet, water and mud channels down and sits in between the arch and the stanchions. Not a huge deal, but the fact that it doesn't drain away is a bit of a design flaw.
I got a Manitou Machete 100mm fork that has QR dropouts for my 29er and it's almost functionally identical to the Markhor. Very happy with it for trail riding
I recently bought a 2018 Corratec X-Vert 650b 0.3 for 571€ on Amazon (Regular Price is 1199€). It came with the Manitou Markhor plus the remote lockout and i'm reeeeaaaaally happy with it. That's by the way the reason why i became a subscriber of your Channel. I googled the Fork and found the video of you installing the remote lockout :D Keep up the good work! Greetings from northern Germany.
I have the Markhor on my Silverback Slade expert and it is very very good! I don’t worry about the lock out. And I run 2.8 plus trues. It feels light and fast. It is good all rounder: trails, jumps, bike packing, shuttles and pumping with the kids!. I struggle to bottom out, even on big gaps! I like to run it on 120mm.
Marty Richards aka Octodad MTB you can run 2.8 tyres on this fork? Thats good to know. I ordered it a few days ago. Currently running mountain kings 2.2 on a 29er, but if this fork could take 2.4, it would be good for a mix of trail riding and casual XC. I currently have a YT Jeffsey for the bigger stuff, and own a 2015 Canyon Grand Canyon that I’ve upgraded everything to make it lighter as parts wore out. Was thinking about buying a kona honzo, but I think running the manitou on 120mm might bridge that gap a little.
Thomas Lambert Yes I’m running 2.8 And one year later fork is still running very well! And I am very tough on my bikes! I also have a Jeffsy (I love this bike!) and an old Xc bike! My old Xc I use to XX race and gravel
Marty Richards aka Octodad MTB ah good to hear you have a jeffsey too! They are unbelievably wild right? I feel like an irresponsible hooligan father on one! Before opting for the YT, I really wanted to buy a Kona process or hei hei trail but unfortunately Kona are not competitive at all price wise. I love the kona brand, but the jeffsey just seemed perfect, 2 years later and I don’t regret a thing. I am not so much of a fan of my canyon road and hardtail bikes, they were badly set up direct out of the factory and they put fancy parts like XT on things like the rear deralliuer, so you think you are getting an incredible deal, but all the cheaper parts wore out really quickly. I’ve since moved my Grand Canyon from pressfit (i hate pressfit with a passion) to bb24, 3x10 to 2x10, upgraded my Alex rims to mavics and replaced the saddle from a ‘harsh on my family jewels’ to a nice fizik mtb saddle. Bought the manitou to replace the rock shox gold tk 30 (clocked up 20k on them) as I believe there are some pretty good underdogs in that price range. The suntour epixon/Raidon/Aion forks even look pretty much in order quality wise...
Thomas Lambert Yt Jeffsy is like a down hill / enduro bike that you can still ride in the road? So I love it! Too many bikes are single purpose! Yes I have had to replace 2 Press fits under warranty on my hard tail plus bike! And my local bike shop won’t do a third. How is the covid 19 affected your local riding? In New Zealand we have just gone to level 3, so trail centres are open! Taking kids for a ride today. They are driving me crazy not at school!
Marty Richards aka Octodad MTB Marty Richards aka Octodad MTB yeah, Jeffsey is good uphill and downhill. One minus point is the gearing, which you have to be really fit to push the 11 Speed uphill in the lowest gear. The last two years I was in really good shape and it wasn’t a problem, but this year with Corona and less riding I’ve really noticed it’s not ideal. I would swap out the 32 teeth at the front for less teeth (or get fit again!). I’m a Brit living in Germany, Britain has it quite bad, my family have been in lockdown and it’s looking fairly rampant there, people are allowed to do fitness but it’s recommended one hour a day and not far away from home. In Germany we’ve also had lockdown, but it’s been handled really well here. I’ve been fortunate there are really nice local forest trails that I’ve been taking it easy on. The main Mountainbike trail that is maintained by a local mtb club is shut however, the guys couldn’t finish it before the coronavirus lockdown came. You can check Siegen flowtrail if you would like to see a video of it!
Hello, thank for the review. I had it for a few months now. It is too soft for me by following the pressure table. Still to soft by 20% sag and it work well when i tried 10% sag. The rebound is not noticeable like rabbit and tortoise from my old rockshox but it works. The valve cap looks fragile and exposed, i had it cover by an optional accessory, anodised aluminium. If i am not mistaken Manitou is from Hayes which exist at least same time rockshox, fox, marzocchi not forgetting suntour, i believed their R&D and experiences should be at same phase. Luckily they are selling cheaper than Rockshox/truvative parts. I have no regrets for cheap stuff that work well.
I got a 27.5 boost Markhor straight 1 1/8 and came with through axle and all for 199. True that it doesn’t sag much. True that I pump the pressure a little higher than the chart says. I just ride and watch where the o ring ends up and use air pressure to get the 80% or more use of the travel. I like the rebound a little slow to bail me out of trouble when I go off a drop heavy on the front wheel. I use it on a hard tail 27.5 plus bike. And as I understand, the cross member position in the rear uses less metal and thus saves weight. So I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars
Cool! I use the Markhor on my xc hardtail bike and I have a really similar set up on my fork, slower rebound and slightly higher air pressure. It's a pretty consistent fork from my experience
I just ordered one of these forks after watching this video. Very informative! Thanks! I'm going to see if I can rig some kind of universal remote for the lockout.
Just bought the merida big 9 600 2019 edition came with the same fork, overall pretty pleased. About the sounds the fork makes when new, i heard them too though it could be related to the 20 hr break-in period stated in the manual.
manitou has been my go to suspension fork..i have them for 4 different bikes already and the performance compared that of rockshox is more than superb..
Good to read comments like this. It looks like I'm choosing this over the RockShox for my GT project bike and it seems as though I should be pretty happy with it.
I just got mine 100mm 26". Recommended air psi pressure feels super soft... Can i add more psi higher pressure for a more firm ride? Without damaging the forks what should i run?
Ich habe die Gabel seit kurzem und finde sie sehr gut. Besonders gefällt mir das nicht jeder sie fährt. Und ich habe sie für 200€ (reduziert) bekommen 😊
I agree. It is a very good and affordable fork. I broke the remote and bought a new online from China. It was original and cost 23 EUR. Remote has a plastic knob that easily breaks. I am sure there are some more sturdy remotes in metal out there. Let me know if you found anyone that works.
That's cool bud. What happened with me is, all the GOAT suspension forks are like $1000 plus here, and the SrSuntour Durolux was like half the price for a legit fork, it's got magnesium lowers, the whole nine yards. It also had R2C2 dampers before any other company, although I wanted to replace my damper with an R2C2, and it apparently wouldn't work. Yeah, I'm no fork expert, but I've mountain bicycled a lot, and it's in my opinion the best I've ever owned.
How does this fork compare to the Recon RL A2? This fork is currently going for $20 less than the Recon RL A2, both in 100mm version. I have no first-hand experience riding on either one.
Great video. I'm debating between this and the RockShox equivalent, but I think I'm going to wind up with this fork since I can experiment with setting the travel to 120mm. It would probably take some bad reviews to change my mind. BTW, it's going on my old 2000 GT XCR3000. It was a bit of an oddball offering on that particular model because it came with the SID rear air shock but Judy Race coil fork. I bought the different coils back then, so I've been able to tweak it, but it certainly ain't no air fork.
Danny talks about bottoming out which is not really relevant. The problem with most cheap forks is their progression, the lack of it. The progression chart for this fork is probably almost flat. It will dive almost all the way when braking, on most modest bumps, etc.
I'm currently using manitou m30.. Absorbs all the small bumps pretty well during high speed descent... Pretty stiff too while I lock out the fork for off saddle climbs
I bought this fork for my 1999 Giant ATX to replace the damaged 2008 RS SID Team that was on it. And I gotta say, it's a great fork for the price (cost me 180 EUR). It seems like it can take a beating. At least XC marathon riding style with some drops and big tree roots don't make it bottom out or flex. And I really like the backward crown, which keeps the seals relatively clean. And no, the crown-downtube clearance is not an issue, because the crown has a very low profile as it is located above the back end of the tyre, not directly on top of it like in the case of conventional fork crowns. And I agree with you, Danny, the fork is pretty stiff at the beginning and makes weird sounds, but after a while it frees up a bit. I absolutely recommend this fork if you want to upgrade an old MTB or are looking for a relatively cheap replacement.
@@IceGizz xsportā. Bet raksti viņiem e-pastu, jo veikalā viņu nav. Mož man bija tikai 180, jo bija ar taisno trubu, 26" ratiem. Varbūt modernākiem standartiem lielāka cena.
I bought an SR Suntour Raidon and had it custom tunned all for like 220$. works like magic as far as sensitivity goes. any other fork I touch feels like shait when i press on it lel. ofc there are other attributes to consider but if i ever cared abt those, i may just get a tuned higher line SR fork again I think.
What about the Manitou Machete? I just replaced a basic Suntour XCR with a Machete and so far so good. Also, it is about 1.5 pounds lighter. Btw, I bought it brand new for $249.99.
@@_Ciiitron_ I follow some good sellers on eBay and normally I wait for the stuff to go down. Some of them will offer a 20-30% off as the listing is expiring. Others have the "Make an offer" option. And shipped from the US, no 6 six weeks from china wait.... Btw, I just got a Markhor for my gt 26 for $224 las night. From china is between $190 up but honestly, I dont trust them. I've been on Ebay for 14 years.... been there, done that....
The remote lockout is very expensive and the lever is crappy, it malfunctions without extensive maintenance. I use the SR Suntour lever and it works just perfect
Well I think we have the same bike for xc or light trail it definitely works fine, upgrading it to a fox 34 will definitely make it better and it comes with a price.
I just purchased the Manitou Machete for my 2017 Cannondale Cujo 3. I weigh 260 Lbs. How does someone my weight set the fork? They don’t have a recommended PSI limit for someone my size. They recommend 95 PSI for someone who weighs 220 lbs. Should I just set the fork to the maximum recommended PSI level which is 110 PSI. What do you recommend other then losing weight which is what I’m trying to do:). I’m 46yrs old getting back into MTB and find your channel very educational and inspiring, keep up the great work, love your race footage! Thx. Steve P.S. what do you also recommend on the rebound setting?
High recommended review !!! Good Job!!! My english is poor, sorry. After watching two of your vídeos about this bike and its fork, you say that is a good bike with good fork. Is It correct? Mérida big nine NX has been choosen BEST BUY by the reeders of BIKE magazine in my country Spain. Are you agree? 1499€ official price.
@@doncrescas I know that it's adjustable on ABS+ damper, which higher models come with. Markhor comes with TS air damper. Can it be adjusted with shims as well?
Hello there @SickBiker. I am a fan of your vids and always watch them cause it is so informative and based on real situations. But can I ask your opinion about something? I am planning to buy the Merida Big Nine Limited 2019, and i am quite confused to what size is good for me. I am 5'7½" in height and appproximately I have 75cm inseam. I hope you can help me out. 🙂
I'm thinking of getting a ENGLISH only bike called the Calibre line 20. But it comes with a 2017 xc30 solo air for Would this be good enough for trail riding , instead of xc riding. Also, would I be able to send dirt jumps on it or??..
Can the compression damping be adjusted incrementally with the lockout knob? Or is it just on/off? Edit: I have this fork now, and it really isn't just on/off. The knob doesn't rotate much, but it can be incrementally adjusted.
I'm somewhat concerned that the rebound test the video speeds are have been played with and it did not show a true operation of the rebound. It could be seen to be misleading.
What do you think about merida big nine limited edition 2019 version?. It s equiped with the same fork. I m going to buy this bike (1199€ here in Europe). I like your bike, good video.
Im 175 pounds... Can i run 140 psi without damaging the fork? I like firm ride. Or i have to run pressure as shown on the sticker advice psi...forks feel really soft on recommended pressure....
I had a bike with a 2017 manitou marvel comp (15mm TA) before, twas very plush & stiff enough for me. Dont know why manitou stopped making that model & replaced it with a heavier manitou machete fork.
I have both the Suntour Epixon and Manitou M30. The Epixon is stiffer because the stanchions are 32mm dia. The M30 and Markhor both have 28mm stanchions and have similar internals. Between the two I prefer the Manitou, finding it more responsive. Even with proper sag I find the Epixon ride firmer.
I'm wondering if the 300€ difference between a rockrider xc 100 (manitou markhor, tektro btwin brakes and nx groupset) and a rockrider xc 500 (reba, level t brakes and gx groupset) is justified...I mean wich one would you choose since you had tested most of the listed components? Thanks!!!
Hi, my problem with the Fork is that it doesn't react very sensitive, which kind of sucks for trail and xc riding, because I just get flung around on my bike. It would be quite nice if anyone of you could help me. (sag: 31 mm at 4.8bar; rebound is in the middle)
4 роки тому+3
From this video, i think a bit smaller sag could make a positive difference. Try adding pressure, maybe it gets more sensitive. Or just wait a few weeks until my bike arrives and i can test it 😀
@@TyrannoKoenigsegg Oh sorry, i forgot to update you. Yes, i already have the bike, and the fork seems to be pretty sensitive. I haven't measured the sag, i just played with the pressure until it started to feel right. I'm ~75 kg plus clothes, and the fork is around the upper limit of the recommended pressure (~100psi if i remember correctly). Might not be the most technical/scientific way, but my method was that i tried if i can bottom out just by rolling on flat ground and powerfully pushing down the bike, mostly on the handlebar. If i felt that i hit the end of the travel, i added a little bit more pressure. And it feels great now. The rebound is around the faster 1/3, so it doesn't want to dive deeper as much on rocky terrain. Although i haven't had the chance yet to try the bike on rough terrain and bigger mountains (thanks to the pandemic...), but on regular forest trails and roads with small rocks/roots here and there, i feel happy with this setting. The fork absorbs ever small bumps yet it's not too soft either. I'm actually surprised how much it is working on fast bumps, but i should also mention that this is the most advanced fork i've owned so far. So i don't know how it feels to ride with a high end fork. I hope this helps. If you feel the need, i can measure the sag for you tomorrow.
I’ve just ordered a fork too, I’m comparing it to a rock shox tk gold 30 which is now 5 years old having done 20,000km. I will see how it compares to when I first got my rock shox (which was also a good fork for the price point).
Is it possible to use lock-out remotes from another fork? Or are those made brand specific? My Santour has remote, wondering if I could just transfer that one to a Manitou
Thumbs up from me: tidd.ly/c7621160
I just received my Markhor 27.5 9mm QR Fork. Weight = 1665g (3.67 lbs) out of the box with uncut steerer tube. Will install in a few days.
How did that go ? Is it a good fork ?
How would you think it compares in performance to a Rockshox Judy or a recon
when you are incresing the travel, from 100-120mm, u need to remove the damper side oil until you get an oil height ( air/space between oil and top of damper) of 97mm or else the travel will stay the same at 100m regardless of how many spacers you take away from the air side.
Just upgraded the Suntour pogo stick on my Marlin 6 to one of these, feels like a whole new bike with actually useable suspension. Definitely one of the best bang for buck forks out there
Same, my Rangefinder feels significantly better with this fork. That stock Suntour coil fork is serious garbage.
Just got one on my new Merida Big Nine. It’s fantastic. So smooth. The shop pumped it to my weight (although a little on the lower side, just to be safe). After a little adjusting on the rebound it’s now a dream. It’s stiff, smooth, and even all at the same time. So much better than the Suntour XCR on my old bike - which to be fair, is not as bad as a fork for its purpose and price, as many people seem to say.
After 4 months, how is the condition of the fork ? Still stiff ? Do you use it often on trails or more on tarmac ride ?
@@009kcwy Mainly trial, I ride at least once a week (sometimes twice if I'm lucky). The fork still feels good after six months. Still stiff but supple. Still really pleased with it. I mainly ride cross country type trails.
Just purchased this fork for for my 2000 Trek 8000 rejuvenation (purchased new). As I found out when I started researching parts, 26" wheels & 1-1/8" threadless steerers are a thing of the past. This fork was one of the very few options that looked to be of decent quality. This video review has me excited to finish rebuilding the bike and try it out. Cheers.
Just bought one of these. Your review was decisive to my choice. Thanks!
I've not riding with many different forks, cause I'm newbie on MTB i would say, but as I got some expereance with my bike that came with this Markhor, I'm very impressed with this fork, i'm learning how to ride in XC and I feel very confident with this fork to cross the rock gardens and roots, and its very nice on the hills, the lock is very easy to use, the construction as you told protect very well from the dust and mud. Very good job!
I think you shoud rephrase it . It's not cheap, it is affordable
Cheap for an mtb fork
for an air fork with adjustable rebound and a remote thats crazy cheap!!!
Cheap for people who have more money😏
Best review for this fork! It made my decision for buying it!
I had Judy Silver and it was very flexy. I don't know if gold would be better.
Been wanting to buy the exact same fork since march. 😊 finally by God's grace i can install it to my local bike shoo tomorrow morning.. 😇 thanks for the review sir!
Sir Good day,
When the performance of the Markhor fork is already due and needs to have a maintenance, can you a provide video on how to clean it and change its seals? It will be a great help for us riders here in the Philippines. The best channel for meticulous mechanics and mtb riders. More Power on your channel.
I ended up buying one. I like it. Just something I wanted to point out regarding backward arch, I noticed when riding in the wet, water and mud channels down and sits in between the arch and the stanchions. Not a huge deal, but the fact that it doesn't drain away is a bit of a design flaw.
I got a Manitou Machete 100mm fork that has QR dropouts for my 29er and it's almost functionally identical to the Markhor. Very happy with it for trail riding
I recently bought a 2018 Corratec X-Vert 650b 0.3 for 571€ on Amazon (Regular Price is 1199€). It came with the Manitou Markhor plus the remote lockout and i'm reeeeaaaaally happy with it. That's by the way the reason why i became a subscriber of your Channel. I googled the Fork and found the video of you installing the remote lockout :D Keep up the good work! Greetings from northern Germany.
You can use multiposition lockout shifter to change compression if there is an abs+ damper.
Also you can try to use 3 speed shifter ;)
I have the Markhor on my Silverback Slade expert and it is very very good! I don’t worry about the lock out. And I run 2.8 plus trues. It feels light and fast. It is good all rounder: trails, jumps, bike packing, shuttles and pumping with the kids!. I struggle to bottom out, even on big gaps! I like to run it on 120mm.
Marty Richards aka Octodad MTB you can run 2.8 tyres on this fork? Thats good to know. I ordered it a few days ago. Currently running mountain kings 2.2 on a 29er, but if this fork could take 2.4, it would be good for a mix of trail riding and casual XC. I currently have a YT Jeffsey for the bigger stuff, and own a 2015 Canyon Grand Canyon that I’ve upgraded everything to make it lighter as parts wore out. Was thinking about buying a kona honzo, but I think running the manitou on 120mm might bridge that gap a little.
Thomas Lambert
Yes I’m running 2.8
And one year later fork is still running very well! And I am very tough on my bikes!
I also have a Jeffsy (I love this bike!) and an old Xc bike!
My old Xc I use to XX race and gravel
Marty Richards aka Octodad MTB ah good to hear you have a jeffsey too! They are unbelievably wild right? I feel like an irresponsible hooligan father on one! Before opting for the YT, I really wanted to buy a Kona process or hei hei trail but unfortunately Kona are not competitive at all price wise. I love the kona brand, but the jeffsey just seemed perfect, 2 years later and I don’t regret a thing. I am not so much of a fan of my canyon road and hardtail bikes, they were badly set up direct out of the factory and they put fancy parts like XT on things like the rear deralliuer, so you think you are getting an incredible deal, but all the cheaper parts wore out really quickly. I’ve since moved my Grand Canyon from pressfit (i hate pressfit with a passion) to bb24, 3x10 to 2x10, upgraded my Alex rims to mavics and replaced the saddle from a ‘harsh on my family jewels’ to a nice fizik mtb saddle. Bought the manitou to replace the rock shox gold tk 30 (clocked up 20k on them) as I believe there are some pretty good underdogs in that price range. The suntour epixon/Raidon/Aion forks even look pretty much in order quality wise...
Thomas Lambert
Yt Jeffsy is like a down hill / enduro bike that you can still ride in the road? So I love it! Too many bikes are single purpose!
Yes I have had to replace 2 Press fits under warranty on my hard tail plus bike! And my local bike shop won’t do a third.
How is the covid 19 affected your local riding? In New Zealand we have just gone to level 3, so trail centres are open!
Taking kids for a ride today. They are driving me crazy not at school!
Marty Richards aka Octodad MTB Marty Richards aka Octodad MTB yeah, Jeffsey is good uphill and downhill. One minus point is the gearing, which you have to be really fit to push the 11 Speed uphill in the lowest gear. The last two years I was in really good shape and it wasn’t a problem, but this year with Corona and less riding I’ve really noticed it’s not ideal. I would swap out the 32 teeth at the front for less teeth (or get fit again!). I’m a Brit living in Germany, Britain has it quite bad, my family have been in lockdown and it’s looking fairly rampant there, people are allowed to do fitness but it’s recommended one hour a day and not far away from home. In Germany we’ve also had lockdown, but it’s been handled really well here. I’ve been fortunate there are really nice local forest trails that I’ve been taking it easy on. The main Mountainbike trail that is maintained by a local mtb club is shut however, the guys couldn’t finish it before the coronavirus lockdown came. You can check Siegen flowtrail if you would like to see a video of it!
Great camera angle of the fork! Really enjoyed watching the fork in action like that.
Just received mine, its awesome. Ty Sickbiker!
Excellent review, you sold me on it. Thanks.
2:18 That fork went up with more than few mm, it went up like 0.5 - 1 cm.
Hello, thank for the review. I had it for a few months now. It is too soft for me by following the pressure table. Still to soft by 20% sag and it work well when i tried 10% sag. The rebound is not noticeable like rabbit and tortoise from my old rockshox but it works. The valve cap looks fragile and exposed, i had it cover by an optional accessory, anodised aluminium. If i am not mistaken Manitou is from Hayes which exist at least same time rockshox, fox, marzocchi not forgetting suntour, i believed their R&D and experiences should be at same phase. Luckily they are selling cheaper than Rockshox/truvative parts. I have no regrets for cheap stuff that work well.
I think Manitou focus more on OEM parts.
I got a 27.5 boost Markhor straight 1 1/8 and came with through axle and all for 199. True that it doesn’t sag much. True that I pump the pressure a little higher than the chart says. I just ride and watch where the o ring ends up and use air pressure to get the 80% or more use of the travel. I like the rebound a little slow to bail me out of trouble when I go off a drop heavy on the front wheel. I use it on a hard tail 27.5 plus bike. And as I understand, the cross member position in the rear uses less metal and thus saves weight. So I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars
Cool! I use the Markhor on my xc hardtail bike and I have a really similar set up on my fork, slower rebound and slightly higher air pressure. It's a pretty consistent fork from my experience
Guys, thanks for your feedback!
I just ordered one of these forks after watching this video. Very informative! Thanks! I'm going to see if I can rig some kind of universal remote for the lockout.
Just bought the merida big 9 600 2019 edition came with the same fork, overall pretty pleased.
About the sounds the fork makes when new, i heard them too though it could be related to the 20 hr break-in period stated in the manual.
manitou has been my go to suspension fork..i have them for 4 different bikes already and the performance compared that of rockshox is more than superb..
Good to read comments like this. It looks like I'm choosing this over the RockShox for my GT project bike and it seems as though I should be pretty happy with it.
@@MissingLinkMTB I'm having some fitted to my GT Helion. Bikes in the shop right now 🤙
Thank you for this review I've been thinking about that song you pretty much sold me on
My Merida Big Nine 500 comes with the Marhor fork. I really like it and it performs well.
Might be a bit soft for heavier riders tho
I live in the Philippines I just ordered the manitou machete for 13,000 pesos that's a 1 month budget for a whole family here.
11k lang syan samin
In my country is 1000 RON (Romania) and this is almost a part-time wage that's almost to pay the bills and eat something for 2 weeks.
Excellent review, i'm excited to get it. Thank you.
I’m running my Markhor at 120mm and with a bit more oil in the bath and at about 120psi for a 150lb rider. It works for everything
Anthony Walters why do you run such a high psi for your weight?
I just got mine 100mm 26". Recommended air psi pressure feels super soft... Can i add more psi higher pressure for a more firm ride? Without damaging the forks what should i run?
emilycrystalarelyvictor if you are running a Markhor just keep the pressure under 150psi
emilycrystalarelyvictor I run 130psi for a firmer ride
The Manitou Markho Boost is currently on sale for £87.99 at chain reaction cycles
Sold Out
Ich habe die Gabel seit kurzem und finde sie sehr gut. Besonders gefällt mir das nicht jeder sie fährt. Und ich habe sie für 200€ (reduziert) bekommen 😊
Smart man, very informative . Thank you.
"PSSSST". "CLICK CLICK". YOU ARE SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE!! :P
9:00 wtf is that cable routing doing?
I agree. It is a very good and affordable fork. I broke the remote and bought a new online from China. It was original and cost 23 EUR. Remote has a plastic knob that easily breaks. I am sure there are some more sturdy remotes in metal out there. Let me know if you found anyone that works.
That's cool bud. What happened with me is, all the GOAT suspension forks are like $1000 plus here, and the SrSuntour Durolux was like half the price for a legit fork, it's got magnesium lowers, the whole nine yards. It also had R2C2 dampers before any other company, although I wanted to replace my damper with an R2C2, and it apparently wouldn't work. Yeah, I'm no fork expert, but I've mountain bicycled a lot, and it's in my opinion the best I've ever owned.
Here in our country philippines The price of that fork is 8500 pesos in short 180 dollars only.
How does this fork compare to the Recon RL A2? This fork is currently going for $20 less than the Recon RL A2, both in 100mm version. I have no first-hand experience riding on either one.
Awesome review, been planning to buy this fork for a long time. Consider it as sold. Lol
How you think which fork better:
-This markhor
-RS recon silver tk?
Vladimir Ifeelgood markhor. I’ve tested the recon, it’s better than the gold.
Loved your diy gopro stick and the angle was just👌👌👌
Great video. I'm debating between this and the RockShox equivalent, but I think I'm going to wind up with this fork since I can experiment with setting the travel to 120mm. It would probably take some bad reviews to change my mind. BTW, it's going on my old 2000 GT XCR3000. It was a bit of an oddball offering on that particular model because it came with the SID rear air shock but Judy Race coil fork. I bought the different coils back then, so I've been able to tweak it, but it certainly ain't no air fork.
Kool
I just bought this fork,. It doses this squishy sound on and on.
But I love it! 😂
Idk if im right it might be the sound of the oil inside the fork. Mine to after I do a lower leg service it started to squish again. 😂😂
Danny talks about bottoming out which is not really relevant. The problem with most cheap forks is their progression, the lack of it. The progression chart for this fork is probably almost flat. It will dive almost all the way when braking, on most modest bumps, etc.
Yes, Marko is right. The strange thing is, that the linear character of this fork actually makes it pretty good on MTB marathons.
awesome review, seems a world away from cheap springs. has it held up over the years? thanks for the video :D
First timer! Great review! Look forward to more content.👍
I'm currently using manitou m30.. Absorbs all the small bumps pretty well during high speed descent... Pretty stiff too while I lock out the fork for off saddle climbs
Backward CROWN brace amazing !!!!!!!!!!
You said there is almost no sag. Doesn't that mean the pressure too high? I've read the sag should be 15-20% for xc racing.
Hi,
Do you see a big difference between this manitou and the Reba RL ?
I've got the opportunity to change my Manitou for a Reba
Thank you
go for the reba RL. for its a lot stiffer and responsive . im satisfied with my reba. i did upgrade from manitou r7
Hey danny can you do a comparisson between markhor manitou ang epixon air fork. Thanks danny. Solid subs here.
Good video, great angles, thanks.
I bought this fork for my 1999 Giant ATX to replace the damaged 2008 RS SID Team that was on it. And I gotta say, it's a great fork for the price (cost me 180 EUR). It seems like it can take a beating. At least XC marathon riding style with some drops and big tree roots don't make it bottom out or flex. And I really like the backward crown, which keeps the seals relatively clean. And no, the crown-downtube clearance is not an issue, because the crown has a very low profile as it is located above the back end of the tyre, not directly on top of it like in the case of conventional fork crowns. And I agree with you, Danny, the fork is pretty stiff at the beginning and makes weird sounds, but after a while it frees up a bit. I absolutely recommend this fork if you want to upgrade an old MTB or are looking for a relatively cheap replacement.
Thanks so much for sharing Arturs. You've got it cheaper than in Poland.
Kur var dabūt pa 180€?
@@IceGizz xsportā. Bet raksti viņiem e-pastu, jo veikalā viņu nav. Mož man bija tikai 180, jo bija ar taisno trubu, 26" ratiem. Varbūt modernākiem standartiem lielāka cena.
@@spircix skaidrs, paldies. Tāpēc jau likās, ka pārāk lēti, jo 26". Man 29", cena 215.99€.
Redz, veciem standartiem mēdz būt savas priekšrocības :D Bet tāpat 36 EUR starpība nav nemaz tik daudz!
Mine just arrived and seems to be awesome! :D
Lol, I have a Lutu 120mm straight qr for 45 euro, i use it on singel trails in the netherlands, that what you call"does the job"
how is it?
Works on 55lbs ebike for 2 seasons so, far
I bough an SR Suntour Epixon for a "gets the job done" fork, and it was only $190.
I bought an SR Suntour Raidon and had it custom tunned all for like 220$. works like magic as far as sensitivity goes. any other fork I touch feels like shait when i press on it lel. ofc there are other attributes to consider but if i ever cared abt those, i may just get a tuned higher line SR fork again I think.
So how was your fork this time
You're fast!! Awesome review!!
Which one would you choose between this fork and the suntour raidon? Thx
Rodrigo Mincoff Don’t use Suntour, there are no replacements for the parts of the suspension, once the suspension failed is not reusable
@@diegocancer thx! I got the rst f1rst instead. Very happy with it
@@rodrigomincoff9890 how's the rst working for you so far?
What about the Manitou Machete? I just replaced a basic Suntour XCR with a Machete and so far so good. Also, it is about 1.5 pounds lighter. Btw, I bought it brand new for $249.99.
Where did you purchase it at such a steep discount?
@@_Ciiitron_ I follow some good sellers on eBay and normally I wait for the stuff to go down. Some of them will offer a 20-30% off as the listing is expiring. Others have the "Make an offer" option.
And shipped from the US, no 6 six weeks from china wait....
Btw, I just got a Markhor for my gt 26 for $224 las night. From china is between $190 up but honestly, I dont trust them. I've been on Ebay for 14 years.... been there, done that....
Epixon or manitou
Can you help me whats the best choice for xc
We rocking the same bike. May i know where did you bought your conversion kit for remote lockout?
Should I get this or rockshox recon rl a2 for XC and light trail?
The remote lockout is very expensive and the lever is crappy, it malfunctions without extensive maintenance. I use the SR Suntour lever and it works just perfect
Well I think we have the same bike for xc or light trail it definitely works fine, upgrading it to a fox 34 will definitely make it better and it comes with a price.
can you compare it to epixon fork?
excellent review well done
Great review, thank you!
I just purchased the Manitou Machete for my 2017 Cannondale Cujo 3. I weigh 260 Lbs. How does someone my weight set the fork? They don’t have a recommended PSI limit for someone my size. They recommend 95 PSI for someone who weighs 220 lbs. Should I just set the fork to the maximum recommended PSI level which is 110 PSI. What do you recommend other then losing weight which is what I’m trying to do:). I’m 46yrs old getting back into MTB and find your channel very educational and inspiring, keep up the great work, love your race footage!
Thx. Steve
P.S. what do you also recommend on the rebound setting?
I'd contact the Manitou and ask them for a recommendation.
And thoughts on the rockshox Reba 120mm? I'm about to buy one used for half price.
High recommended review !!!
Good Job!!!
My english is poor, sorry. After watching two of your vídeos about this bike and its fork, you say that is a good bike with good fork. Is It correct?
Mérida big nine NX has been choosen BEST BUY by the reeders of BIKE magazine in my country Spain. Are you agree? 1499€ official price.
Does anyone know how it works under a person ~110 lbs (50 kgs)? The lowest value in the preassure table says 70 psi for 120 lbs.
On the damper it comes with you can adjust the shims to make it appropriate for a lighter rider.
@@doncrescas I know that it's adjustable on ABS+ damper, which higher models come with. Markhor comes with TS air damper. Can it be adjusted with shims as well?
@@danielneszew1097 The Markhor comes with the Kwik Toggle damper and can be upgradable to the ABS+ damper.
Good review. Thank you 😊
this fork VS the suntour epixon??
Well, the Epixon is very interesting too. A bit heavier, than the Markhor, but with 32 mm stanchions, so maybe even stiffer.
Hello there @SickBiker. I am a fan of your vids and always watch them cause it is so informative and based on real situations. But can I ask your opinion about something? I am planning to buy the Merida Big Nine Limited 2019, and i am quite confused to what size is good for me. I am 5'7½" in height and appproximately I have 75cm inseam. I hope you can help me out. 🙂
Great video! Where do you bought the lock on?
I'm thinking of getting a ENGLISH only bike called the Calibre line 20. But it comes with a 2017 xc30 solo air for Would this be good enough for trail riding , instead of xc riding. Also, would I be able to send dirt jumps on it or??..
Manitou markhor or rockshock judy silver? what is the best
One is tapered one isnt ?
Good question
easy. Manitou
manitou obviosly
I chose the Manitou
Can the compression damping be adjusted incrementally with the lockout knob? Or is it just on/off?
Edit: I have this fork now, and it really isn't just on/off. The knob doesn't rotate much, but it can be incrementally adjusted.
As he says at 1:10, no compression, just locked/unlocked. I also have this fork on my merida bike, very good for its price ;-)
It's just on/off
How does it compare to Reba ?
I'm somewhat concerned that the rebound test the video speeds are have been played with and it did not show a true operation of the rebound. It could be seen to be misleading.
Yes, I see it now. It does work, though the camera doesn't show it too much.
TALK about the Cheap Shimano Brakeset !!! on this bike
What do you think about merida big nine limited edition 2019 version?. It s equiped with the same fork. I m going to buy this bike (1199€ here in Europe). I like your bike, good video.
Were you able to try the ABS+ upgrade for this fork?
Im 175 pounds... Can i run 140 psi without damaging the fork? I like firm ride. Or i have to run pressure as shown on the sticker advice psi...forks feel really soft on recommended pressure....
I think you would be just fine but don't take my word for it.
Well look what pressure they recommend for the heaviest riders and take that, it'll certainly be able to handle that.
What are you wearing? The black T-shirt and shorts, I’m also looking for something like that less street bike but not baggy
Jungal
I had a bike with a 2017 manitou marvel comp (15mm TA) before, twas very plush & stiff enough for me. Dont know why manitou stopped making that model & replaced it with a heavier manitou machete fork.
Manitou Markhor or RST First or Sr Suntour Epixon, which is better?
Conrado Mydlo i went with the manitou but haven’t tried the epixon
@@jayf2487 I think I'm going to manitou too
I have both the Suntour Epixon and Manitou M30. The Epixon is stiffer because the stanchions are 32mm dia. The M30 and Markhor both have 28mm stanchions and have similar internals. Between the two I prefer the Manitou, finding it more responsive. Even with proper sag I find the Epixon ride firmer.
Rst is for sure a bad choice
I ended up buying a Manitou Machete and I'm waiting to arrive
Sir can you make a review of the manitou machete?
I'm wondering if the 300€ difference between a rockrider xc 100 (manitou markhor, tektro btwin brakes and nx groupset) and a rockrider xc 500 (reba, level t brakes and gx groupset) is justified...I mean wich one would you choose since you had tested most of the listed components?
Thanks!!!
Xc 50 all the way
Hi, my problem with the Fork is that it doesn't react very sensitive, which kind of sucks for trail and xc riding, because I just get flung around on my bike. It would be quite nice if anyone of you could help me. (sag: 31 mm at 4.8bar; rebound is in the middle)
From this video, i think a bit smaller sag could make a positive difference. Try adding pressure, maybe it gets more sensitive.
Or just wait a few weeks until my bike arrives and i can test it 😀
@ did you get your bike?
@@TyrannoKoenigsegg Oh sorry, i forgot to update you.
Yes, i already have the bike, and the fork seems to be pretty sensitive. I haven't measured the sag, i just played with the pressure until it started to feel right. I'm ~75 kg plus clothes, and the fork is around the upper limit of the recommended pressure (~100psi if i remember correctly).
Might not be the most technical/scientific way, but my method was that i tried if i can bottom out just by rolling on flat ground and powerfully pushing down the bike, mostly on the handlebar. If i felt that i hit the end of the travel, i added a little bit more pressure. And it feels great now.
The rebound is around the faster 1/3, so it doesn't want to dive deeper as much on rocky terrain.
Although i haven't had the chance yet to try the bike on rough terrain and bigger mountains (thanks to the pandemic...), but on regular forest trails and roads with small rocks/roots here and there, i feel happy with this setting. The fork absorbs ever small bumps yet it's not too soft either. I'm actually surprised how much it is working on fast bumps, but i should also mention that this is the most advanced fork i've owned so far. So i don't know how it feels to ride with a high end fork.
I hope this helps. If you feel the need, i can measure the sag for you tomorrow.
@ thanks for the info my guy!
I’ve just ordered a fork too, I’m comparing it to a rock shox tk gold 30 which is now 5 years old having done 20,000km. I will see how it compares to when I first got my rock shox (which was also a good fork for the price point).
How about the Epixon Elite on your next test???
I ride a Suntour Epixon and i like it 😇
I want to try those as well
@@TreasureHuntingSWPA412 i think they arent that cheap but reaaaalllyyy worth the price!
How's your Epixon this day bruh
Is it still ok?
Is it possible to use lock-out remotes from another fork? Or are those made brand specific? My Santour has remote, wondering if I could just transfer that one to a Manitou
This might be way late, but yes. My friend's Epixon lockout worked fine.
Could someone possibly give me all the dimensions for this fork?
Cheek on net 😬
Would a 2.8 wheel (71mm) be compatible with this fork?
No, only up to a 2.4 or 2.5 depending on the casing
What is better markhor or m30 for xc races? Or maybe an alternative like the sr suntour axon non boost?
This is a good replacement to my Rockshox XC 32 Solo Air 2013? My old Rockshox is dying.
yea, it has more features
I'd recommend a rockshox judy RL
Yes, But Rockshox Recon would be great too.
I also have rockshox xc32😅