The Dt-Swiss XMM 120 29 fork is here and what a great looking fork it is. Attention to detail is evident throughout. It was clear when I looked at the MSRP of $980 that something special was going to be showing up. Let’s clarify. At $980 something special better show up!

DT Swiss is well known for their wheels, however, you don’t hear much about DT forks and the technology in them. They have made forks for several years, but, it seems as though they took a year off last year with their 29er forks, as they did not release any new models. The older models were all carbon fiber, which makes sense as they had purchased a company called Pace that built carbon forks. At Interbike time, I didn’t know what to think. No more carbon lowers? Is this the same company? However, once you open the box, it is obvious that it is still Swiss made. I don’t just mean because of the Swiss flag on the crown or the name DT-Swiss. All I had to do is open the owner’s manual to know who made the fork. It is very meticulous with max rider weights, max air pressures, max tire size, and descriptions on the technology and how to use it. This should really help with the installation and initial set up.

Our test fork is a XMM model. It is a 120mm travel model with a tapered steer tube and a 15 qr axle. DT Swiss says it can be a XC fork, a touring XC fork and an Enduro fork. Nice to see a fork maker not telling us we can’t take our wheels off the ground without voiding the warranty. Speaking of warranty, it comes with a 2 year warranty. This is a defect in craftsmanship thing. No bushings or normal wear items are covered. If you drive your car into your garage or favorite fast food drive through with your bike on the roof, you’re on your own there as well.

There is a busload of technology and acronyms to explain. We have ABS, Twin Shot, Torsion Box, RWS ratcheting 15 qr system, rebound, slow speed compression. I would definitely classify this as a tunable fork.

First let’s look at ABS. This stands for “Auto Balancing Spring System”. Besides the obvious; shouldn’t it be ABSS? question, the ABS is a positive and negative air spring. If you put in air in the positive chamber, the fork automatically adjusts the negative spring. DT Swiss tells us that it is always at an optimal setting according to the weight of the rider.

The XMM fork we are running has Twin Shock Technology. The company also has a system called Single Shot damping technology. The Twin Shot dampening has externally adjustable low speed rebound and compression dampening. High speed is set at the factory, which is pretty normal with all the companies I have been involved with. I think the coolest part of the Twin Shot system is the remote lever that locks out the rebound dampening. With no counter spring, the positive air will force the shock to settle into its travel, forcing the front end down. This allows you to lower your front end via a remote lever for those steep climbs that would normally make your front end light. The magic number seems to be 1/3 of full travel. That should produce a ride height of an 80mm fork. I am very interested to see how active the fork remains after lowering it. Imagine Fox’s Talas, but remote actuated. Sounds promising. In addition, the Twin Shot system has a full lock-out for “sprints or road.”

The Torsion Box is very beefy compared to more traditional crowns. This piece promises to be stiff and light. Maybe to others this sounds lame, but, for me, what I appreciate about the Torsion Box is there are no machined out holes. It is smooth. This should make keeping the fork clean much easier. Realistically, most forks, regardless of orientation of the crown, are fairly stiff. It should be noted that stiffer is better when it comes to the structure of a suspension fork. We’ll be paying attention to this characteristic to find out if there is a noticeable difference between it and other forks.

One truly noticeable difference between the DT Swiss and other similar forks is that, for a 120mm travel through axle fork, it is lighter than Fox and Rock Shox offerings. It weighs 3 pounds 12 ounces

The DT Swiss XMM 29er fork uses a 15 qr axle. The DT lineup can be had in 15qr or or with a standard open drop. It also comes in 1 1/8 inch steer tube varieties. Check this link to find out more. http://www.dtswiss.com/Products/Suspension/DT-Swiss-Forks/XMM-Forks.aspx

Of course, the DT Swiss comes with the ability to control low speed rebound and compression settings – all done with nicely machined aluminium adjusters.

A last feature is the 15mm axle. It threads through to a female nut mounted into the leg of the fork. The RWS part of this is what you thread until you meet resistance. Then, by pulling out the handle, you can spin it to get the best leverage position, engage and tighten. When it is threaded as firmly as you like, you pull out, which disengages the ratchet and spinet to the position you want it to be in. Release and go. It is much harder to explain than it is to do.

Over the next couple of months we will be riding this fork in every manner possible within its intended use. Follow us on FaceBook to see more frequent updates and, of course, the web page for the final review.

Marzocchi is back in the Cross Country 29er Suspension game. This year they introduced a bright red Corsa with a full carbon crown, ultra light weight (for a 29er) wonder fork and a MSRP of $929.00. We were in lust, however, we did not get that fork! Instead we got a Corsa SL LR , 1 1/8 steer tube, 100mm travel, white with black slider and crown, with a MSRP of $489.00. This puts this fork in the lower end price point within the high end Cross Country fork market. Not as flashy to be sure, but probably where more riders live as far as budget. We will be expecting a lot out of this fork, as $500 is a substantial amount of money for most of us.

The intended use of the Marzocchi Corsa fork is Cross Country (XC) riding. The fork can be raced, and we intend to do that. Marzocchi defines XC as, basically, keeping the wheels on the ground. By this definition, terrain should not exceed smaller roots and rocks. No jumping, no log riding, no drop offs, no disc brake rotors over 185mm. This brings up an interesting point. When shopping for things like forks, make sure you read the manufacturer’s intended use – one rider’s XC may be another’s All Mountain, so you need to make sure what you are getting will serve your needs. If you like to find stuff to jump off, and seek tougher terrain, look at the 44 ATA or TST 2 micro forks that Marzocchi offers for that style of riding.

The fork we received is set at 100mm of travel, which is the stock setting. All the 29er Corsa forks can be adjusted internally between 80, 100, and 120 mm travel with spacers. Seeing the longer travel settings one might be inclined to think of uses beyond those described above. However, just because the fork has more travel does not necessarily qualify it for a different intended use.

The Marzocchi Corsa SL LR has tapered 32mm stanchions. The steer tube in 1 ⅛  diameter and made of aluminium. If you want a 1.5 tapered steer tube, you have to move up to the mid tier model, the Corsa SL with a price of $669. The Corsa 29 series all come with 15 qr axle systems. The Marzocchi system is simple to use and has an axle with a female threaded end. First thread the axle into the female end while holding it. Then get the correct amount of resistance while lifting the quick release lever up. The concept is very similar to using a standard QR system, but without the annoying little springs. However, it gains a completely closed drop out and the added stiffness that comes with an oversized axle.

Marzocchi uses fitted and slotted bushings on the Corsa line of forks. The bushings conform to the shape of the internal casting machine seat and they have vertical slots that allow oil to lubricate. Marzocchi claims this aids in suppleness.

Now onto the acronyms; AER and LR. AER is a low pressure air system with a coil negative and closed system air piston. The lower pressure relieves the seals of pressure creating a smoother feel and less seal wear, according to Marzocchi. The LR feature works, as the Marzocchi website explains:

“Combining the damping feeling and the reliability of the open bath cartridge with the lightweight of a closed cartridge? Impossible? Not for our engineers! Thanks to the compensation port any exceeding quantity of oil will flow out in the lowers keeping bushings and wipers lubricated. As soon the oil level in the cartridge decreases the quantity gets restored by bringing the previous expelled oil back inside. Combined with the Rebound and Lockout adjusters the LR damper is easy and effective for your best ride experience ever.”

Impressive techno-market speak ! Really, this fork is fairly simple. It has air preload and rebound. Put a small amount of air pressure into the air chamber until you hit the desired amount of sag or spring rate, set the rebound and ride. The owner’s manual is very little help, so a little bit of experimentation is required.

Jamie is the first person to ride this fork and, at his race weight of 165 pounds, we have about 60 psi in the chamber. It is plush and active. Although we have some ride time on it, we are not even close to giving real feedback. Keep an eye on our FaceBook account for periodic updates or random thoughts and, of course, keep your eyes on the site for our final review.

When 29erOnline was just getting started, one of the first things we bought was 3 forks. One was a Manitou Minute 29. Manitou was very proactive in the 29er world from early on. I remember seeing a Manitou fork in Wes Williams’ shop (see Willits Bikes) in Crested Butte, Colorado in late 2000. Admittedly, it was rumored to be terrible. However, you have to give them credit for putting it out there so early in the game. Years later, our first experience with Manitou as 29erOnline was less than stellar. I felt it was too linear and bottomed out too harshly. Still, I saw a lot of potential, and wanted to revisit Manitou as soon as I saw significant changes. In addition, I like companies that compete with Fox and Rock Shox, as neither of the two big companies give great customer service. Manitou, on the other hand, seems pretty up close and personal. History and customer service aside, does the fork perform? While too early to give a full opinion, I can state that its suppleness is excellent.

Tower Pro after trail time with the Blag Flag Wheels on a Specialized Camber Comp Carbon 29

Before I get too far ahead of myself, let’s look at some of the Manitou Tower Pro’s features.

The Tower is what Manitou calls an XC to All Mountain fork. This covers a broad range of use. The Tower can be ridden aggressively but requires the user to use common sense. Remember that it is still a 32 mm chassis. It is also fairly light as well at 4 pound 4 ounces with the 15 mm axle included. How much can it take ? depends on the rider and too many other factors. It is rated to be ridden “All Mountain” so think fast aggressive trail riding .

The Manitou Tower comes in an Expert version and a Pro version. The expert has an MSRP of $399.99 and the Pro version we are testing has an MSRP of $549.99. The expert model only comes in a 1 1/8 inch steer tube with open 9mm drop out version. Future options may become available. If you have a particular set up you are looking for, talk to your favorite bike shop and leave a comment in our comments section. I promise you Manitou is watching. The Pro version also comes in 1 1/8 inch steer tube with open drops or 15 qr and retails for about $50.00 less than the version we have on test.  By today’s aftermarket fork prices, this is a steal. For our test purposes, it will be treated as a high performance suspension fork and rated in comparison to our experiences with other high performance forks.

Our test model has a 1.5 tapered steer tube and the new QR15 Hexlock system that Manitou has developed. I really like this system. It is very easy to use compared to other setups. Granted, none are particularly hard and, besides Rock Shox Maxle, which we don’t care for, we don’t have a hard time with the other systems out there. Still, Manitou deserves credit for making this a simple system with a very solid hold on your front wheel. We opted for the 120 mm travel version. It also comes in either 80/100/120 and a 140 mm version. The travel is set at whatever you buy it at, so pick a team and stick with it.

Check out out video below to see how the 15qr Hexlock axle system works.

Manitou tells the world it has redesigned the reverse arch, lowers and crown. We believe them. It’s a pretty streamlined deal with many fewer holes in the arch compared to those from other companies. This means fewer nooks and crannies to hold mud, a plus in our area. The reverse arch claims to add significant stiffness. Because of its orientation, Manitou claims to achieve equal stiffness, while using less material. This makes a lighter fork that is as strong as its competitors. My initial rides on this fork indicate that, forward to back under braking loads, it feels about the same as other high end forks. However, so far, I notice that there is less twisting at the legs and it suffers less from the fork winding up or deflecting off objects.

The spring system is their Mars system. This is a combination of a small coil spring in series with an air spring. Manitou claims that it will offer the correct spring rate based on rider weight without losing small bump compliance due to the coil springs. It is too early to be conclusive, but, so far, the Tower Pro required no break in to be supple. If it has any shortcomings, suppleness is not among them. A note to add if you exceed the 200 pound mark you may want to upgrade your Mars coil spring to a heavier model. These can be bought through your Manitou dealer.

The  blue  dial on the lower drive side leg is used to adjust the rebound.  The red knob on the top of the drive side leg is called ABS+.  This is used to control compression damping via a tapered needle. The tapered needle controls low speed damping .Internally there is a shim stack used for controlling high speed damping and platform force. When we are talking about high and low speed compression we are talking about the forks velocity not the speed at which the rider is traveling. Sometimes they are not related. These characteristics can be changed internally with the help of Manitou’s Absolute+ tuning kit. A fairly competent mechanic can do this. If you are not comfortable a good shop should be able to do this for you. Significant changes in performance can be achieved by changing just a couple of shims. Owners should take advantage of this unique opportunity to maximize their forks performance.

I will say right now that I will not be riding it in the open setting much. I really like a plush fork, but, in that setting, this fork just goes through its travel too fast for how I ride. Look for future articles that will go through tuning options and internal changes to achieve the ride I want. For future reference we will be referring to firmest setting as the zero setting. I have ran it fully open, about half way and also at one click from the zero setting. It seems the further towards zero you go I want the rebound to get faster(blue dial lower drive side leg)

Spring rate can be changed by changing the weight of the Mars coil spring. This will allow you or your local bike store to tune the fork to your liking. More on the process of changing the coil and another trick that will be covered later after the test crew and I get some more time on the stock fork. I have the kit and plan on using it  (thanks Ed, from Manitou!)

If your into graphs this should make your day. larger version in the gallery

The suspension settings give recommendations for air preload. For 200 pounds, the online manual and table on the fork leg say 70 to 100 psi. I am a little over 200 pounds and was at 110 psi. I opted to put more air in the fork. You can exceed 110 PSI but due to the internals of the fork this may cause other performance problems. So proceed slowly and change in small increments. If you cannot achieve the right feel for you, start by upgrading the coil spring. Still no ? Then keep following the review here as we will be covering this at a later date.

As we get more time on this fork, we will be better able to evaluate performance. My goal will be to see how rider weight affects performance and the spring curve. If you want more updates, check out our FaceBook page as we will be posting updates more frequently there and give you a heads up when introductions and final reviews are on the website.

Check out the new fork from Marzocchi. Many of us have seen photo’s of this fork leaked at Sea Otter 2011. Here are some nice detail shots and some specs.

The Corsa comes in 3 models. The Corsa Superleggera with a carbon steer tube and crown(shown). This is the top of the line model. It has a remote lock out an adjustable threshhold, Air preload with a coil negative and nickel coated sliders. The claimed weight is 1650 grams or 3.63 LBS. the next model is the Corsa Superleggera with an alloy steer tube and crown. It comes with the same features as the top tier model minus the carbon crown and steer tube. The claimed weight is 1785 grams or 3.93 LBS. Lastly there is a model called Superleggera LR. This model does not have the tst micro internals of the higher end models. It has an alloy crown steer tube and hard anodized sliders as opposed to nickel sliders of the higher end models. It does come with a tapered steer tube. The claimed weight is 1850 grams or 4.07 pounds.

One feature that all these Marzocchi models have is adjustable travel between 80-120 millimeters of travel. 20 millimeters of spacers will be included with the fork.

Prices are: Marzocchi Corsa with the Carbon Crown and steer tube comes in red only and will retail for $929.00

Marzocchi Corsa with the alloy crown and steer tube will come in Pearl White and will retail for $669.00

Marzocchi Corsa LR will retail for $489.00. I am actually very interested in this models performance as it is close in price to the Rock Shox Recon that we had less then a great experience with. Could this be the mid range price point fork that sets the standard?

Target delivery time looks like spring of 2012

The top end Marzocchi Corsa Fork. This is a light weight fork with travel between 80 and 120mm

Air spring side of the fork.

Remote lock out and micro adjust knob

Another shot of the carbon crown and steer tube

Detail shot of the carbon crown with 1.5 tapered steer tube

15 qr axle. This is a cross country fork so like most fork designers Marzocchi uses a 15qr axle .

disc brake cable guide

Because in his hands is the new Reba 29er with 140mm travel. This beauty was at the Niner Bikes tent at Sea Otter. Niner will be selling it with a Tapered steer tube and a 20mm Maxle axle only. I have not heard if any one besides Niner will be selling these at this time.

Now I want another WFO9 with this fork on it!

I wish I had more info and hope that Chris or Steve from Niner bikes will chime in on our comments page but it seems that Rock Shox thinks we are to small to waste their time on.

Congratulations to Niner Bikes they are willing to push their bikes design and then follow up with manufacturers to get cool new products for us 29er junkies to enjoy. One more reason 29eronline likes to promote Niner Bikes. More on Niner bikes in a day or two to show off the New Jet9 and the Niner Bikes booth at Sea Otter.

Its been a long wait for this fork to be released. Marzocchi used to make a 29er fork but discontinued it a few years back. I was not impressed with the old one so the removal of it from the market place was not too heart breaking. Fast forward to 2010. With the introduction of the Niner WFO9 Marzocchi released a Niner Bikes  exclusive fork. That is how I ended up with  it.

I believe the fork is dubbed the Marzocchi 44 tst micro. It has a 1.5- 1 1/8 inch tapered steer tube. A 15mm qr front axle helps out with the nice stiff feel of the fork. The crown is husky but not over built. It is an air shock.

The weight of the Marzocchi fork is 4 pounds 9 ounces. That isn’t bad for the travel and abuse this fork is rated for.

The appearance is nice. Nothing too crazy just good old fashion black with a little brown flake in it. It matches the WFO9 Milk Dud Ano finish nicely.

The fork is fairly easy to set up just put air in one chamber based on your body weight. The manual that came with the fork has the recommended air pressure buried in it, you just have to take the time to look for it.

sort of side view.

Things I did not like. First and foremost, The 15Qr axle was a little to long. On my first ride it came loose on me the whole time I was riding. Marzocchi is aware of the problem and has already sent the part out. The warranty tech’s were friendly and didn’t use the classic “that’s the first time we have heard of that” phrase that is all to common in the bike world’s warranty departments. I appreciated the responsibility of just fessing up to the problem and remedying it. Thanks Marzocchi.  If you shipped it on the day I spoke to you and not a week later(since I know you had the part) I would be really happy.

Second is that the rebound just doesn’t get fast enough on this fork. It does not feel nearly as lively as my yesteryear Marzocchi’s did.  I have owned about 6 Marzocchi’s in the past and have sold dozens of them(probably close to a hundred in 5 years). This does not feel like the Marzocchi’s that I used to love. I’ll spend more time playing with it when I get the bike back, hopefully I’ll get the fork to feel right. If I have to change the oil in the first month of owning this fork so that I can get it to feel right I will be really disappointed.

Third, for a fork that is made to be on a burly bike, what’s up with the 15qr. Why not go with a 20mm qr. A 29er with 140mm travel is not the greatest application for a 15 qr. I cant even get a DT Hugi 440 hub with a 15 qr axle. I had to Franken wheel and not match my front hub to my rear hub. That is really tramatic! I am crying.  I almost went and bought Chris King hubs so I could match or Industry 9′s. That would have  ruined my street cred with my local shop. WHY!!! Just make a 20mm option please.

Ride report’s will follow .

Check out prices and some more user reviews on a bunch of different 29er forks here.

I have never owned a Manitou Fork before this one. I have sold quite a few, and generally thought that Manitou made a good product. So I guess my bias towards them is neutral. I was expecting a solid all around fork, nothing too fancy, just something that worked.

At the suggested retail of $633.00 I think that the expectation of a good fork is reasonable. This is not an inexpensive offering(relatively). I just have to say it. Its not good enough to ask that much money. First things first. I don’t think I have seen a time when this fork was not on sale. That is a plus for this fork. I would say if it was not on sale  most people would not buy it and be happy with their purchase.

Is it that horrible? No, the Manitou Minute 29er is not a horrible fork, Its just not $633.00 good. Its performance is very average. On the small bumps it’s fine. I would say it is on par with Fox and Rock Shox 29er offering’s. Definitely not better, but as good.

It is not as stiff in the 9mm axle format as Fox and Rock Shox. I found it flexed more then Fox and Rock Shox. It is not unbearable, but definitely not what I expect.

The weight is about the same as the other brands so that’s respectable. The look and finish is nice. The Cable routing on the reverse arch and provided guides preity much suck. One good thing is that it is easy to set up. Just put air in it set the sag correctly and ride away.

The lock out/SPV dial is very well made . However beyond the first couple of clicks it really serves as a lock out. I messed with it quite a bit and decided it would be used as a lock out or not at all. Does anyone use this feature? If you do please write a comment and let me know, I am trying to figure out besides a total lock out why bother with the steps in between. I know it’s supposed to create a platform to resist pedal induced”bob”with the capability to control how much force it takes to “blow off” and absorb bumps.  I am just saying that it seamed almost worthless.

I think the real weakness to this fork is when you drop of the back end of a ledge or rock, or do a steep roller, or hit the breaks to hard on a down hill, or wheelie drop anything, the Minute 29er blows thru it’s travel like no other fork I have ridden .Riding this fork aggressively was a little nerve racking.

Most forks dive into their travel when doing the above mentioned activities. If they did not then they would not be able to do the job they were built to do. Most forks just ramp up their spring rate a bit earlier then the Manitou 29er fork. The Manitou is just to linear for any sort of riding more then perfect bench cut trail.

I am aware that many people are riding this fork through rock gardens and off drops etc. Blah Blah Blah. Seriously this fork  is under gunned. I think, so far the saving grace of this fork is that wisely Manitou offers a 20mm thru axle. Besides the 20mm option the damping of the fork needs work. But look at the price !! The tune ability of the Rock Shox Reba with the Maxle lite offering makes it in my opinion a better fork.

So I’ll be riding the Manitou Minute Fork more over the next few weeks, but as of now, unless you get a smoking deal on it and are running the 20mm version, look else where. On the plus side Manitou is updating their fork internals in the near future.

Compare prices and get more user reviews on a bunch of different 29er forks here.

Very exciting news .I have finally received a 2009 Rock Shox Reba Team suspension fork for testing . In addition to the Reba team , I have received a 2009 Manitou Minute 29 super . These forks will be going head to head with our bench mark fork, the Fox F29 rlc.

Stay tuned for the initial reactions in the near future . I am personally very excited to try the Reba Team . It has been completely redesigned for 2009 . I feel that this is the fork to compete with the Fox F29 in every category including stiffness.

The Manitou Minute 29 super is by far the coolest looking fork between the three. Every one who has seen the three side by side comment on the looks of this fork .

I have heard mixed reviews about the Manitou . It seems that the only real complains are with quality control . I am however very optimistic that these problems have been resolved . All the things are what I heard , I have not actually have dealt with these issues for myself .  If this fork rides as good as it looks,  I think we will have a winner . Unfortunately the relashionship between looks and performance  have little to do with each other .

The Rock Shox fork is a little homely looking . I am not impressed with the appearance at all . Fortunately that plays in really little in the over all rating this fork will get .

Just for the record , The majority of the testers are using Fox forks . Fox has been the choice of all of us before this website even became an idea . So that is our bias . I am personally open minded about the Fox fork being replaced on my bike . The rest of the testers …I wouldn’t hold my breath . I think that the Reba and Manitou will have to be a lot better then the Fox before the other testers would be willing to give up there forks .

So let the testing begin . I will do a write up of the three forks separately (Fox, Rock Shox, and Manitou ). After we have time on the forks we will write up a comparison and note the overall favorite .

RockShox 08 Reba Race 29er 80mm Blk w/Pushloc disc only – RockShox 08 Reba Race 29er 80mm Blk w/Pushloc disc only