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05/16/2008
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Marzocchi Sessions '05
The Italian fork maker
does things up in Whistler
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Words and photos by Stuart Kernaghan
Marzocchi suspension
forks are a long-standing tradition in freeriding, and a vital part of Shore
riding since
Bombers were introduced back in the mid-'90s. People are
always interested to see what the company is coming out with next, and the
annual Sessions
product launch event for the upcoming model year is big news.
The event has been held
in Whistler in the past, and the destination itself has become almost as
much of a draw for some people as the product - so much
so that the European press nearly revolted when they
heard
Marzocchi
was
planning on holding Sessions on the Continent.
Thankfully, common sense prevailed and Marzocchi kept the Euros happy by shipping
them up to the bike park for several days of superlative riding, some serious
wining and dining, and new Bomber girls. Wait - wasn't this supposed to be
a product launch? Oh, that's right. There were also tech demos
and a whole
bunch of new forks thrown into the weekend. Somewhere.
Marzocchi has made a concerted effort to stay on top of its game in recent
years, and the result is a beefed-up line of forks that fills in gaps, steps
it up, and
ensures
that
Bombers will still be a popular fork with riders who are hard on their equipment
and have come to expect solid performance from their equipment.
What you'll find here is the complete low-down on Marzocchi's new all mountain,
freeride, and downhill forks for 2005. There are a few favourites in the mix,
but there's also a lot of new stuff, all of which is scheduled to be available
at your favourite LBS
in September.
Features for 2005 - new and not-so-new
Marzocchi is always been upgrading its forks, and this year was no different.
Several new innovations showed up on the '05 forks, each of which are designed
to
add to the riding experience.
| Feature |
Description |
| ETA |
External Travel Adjustment - comes from the ECC concept,
locks the rebound and compresses the fork but still provides 30mm of travel;
for
those times you want to lower the front end and / or minimize travel |
| TST |
Terrain Selection Technology - damping adjustment that lets
you dial in things like high-speed sensitivity and big-hit capability at
the same time, or greater low-speed compression to minimize bob when you're
climbing; on-the-fly adjustments are possible |
| TAS |
Travel Adjustment System - 20mm of overall travel adjustment
that operates separately from the ETA that allows you to fine-tune the ride
height or match it to the rear suspension |
SSV
& SSVF |
Speed Sensitive Valving and Speed Sensitive Valve Floating
- used to control damping; SSV is either non-adjustable or has an internal
rebound adjustment. The SSVF moves inside the fork leg, allowing greater
small bump sensitivity, and uses an external rebound knob. Fine tuning can
be done on both systems by changing oil viscosity or valve porting. |
| HSCV |
High Speed Compression Valve cartridges - regulates oil through
shims and a specially designed valve; shims flex based on impact, speed,
force, rider weight, and so on to eliminate bottoming. A high-end feature
.
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| Cryofit |
Stanchions are placed in liquid nitrogen to contract and
the crown is heated to expand, and the pieces are pressed together for
super-tight fit and stiffness. |
| 20mm axle |
Dedicated axle and 20mm drop-outs |
| Mag casing |
Magnesium monolite / lower casing with a low-rise arch design
for increased stiffness |
The all-mountain series
One of the big new markets Marzocchi wants to tap into is the all-mountain
scene. Sure, it's possible to use a freeride fork for all-mountain riding
but
you may end up with a fork that's overbuilt for your needs.
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The four models of the new All Mountain line run from SL at the top to
the 3 at the bottom. Each fork in this series is disc-brake only, and
comes with standard drop-outs, 32mm stanchions, and international standard
disc brake mounts. They also feature the new All Mountain crown,
which has been machined to cut down on
weight.
All Mountain SL
| Target Weight |
4.08 lbs |
| Damping |
TST |
| Features |
Preload (PL)/ Compression (C) / Rebound (R) / TST |
| Spring |
Doppio Air System |
| Travel |
110mm to 130mm / 130mm to 150mm |
| Steer tube |
Alloy XC |
All Mountain 1
| Target Weight |
4.80 lbs |
| Damping |
TST |
| Features |
PL / C / R / TST /Extension Travel Adjust (ETA ) / Travel
Adjustment System (TAS) |
| Spring |
Air / Coil |
| Travel |
110mm to 130mm / 130mm to 150mm |
| Steer tube |
Alloy XC |
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The All Mountain 1 - The cookie dough colour takes
some getting used to |
The Travel Adjustment System (TAS) - 20mm of fine tuning |
All Mountain 2
| Target Weight |
4.31 lbs |
| Damping |
Dual SSV |
| Features |
PL / R |
| Spring |
Air / Coil |
| Travel |
110mm, 130mm, or 150mm |
| Steer tube |
Steel |
| Options |
Alloy steerer, ETA, dual coil springs, external rebound |
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All Mountain 3
| Target Weight |
4.30 lbs |
| Damping |
Dual SSV |
| Features |
PL / R |
| Spring |
Air / Coil |
| Travel |
110mm, 130mm, or 150mm |
| Steer tube |
Steel |
| Options |
Alloy steerer, ETA, dual coil springs |
The SL comes in a silver colour, the 1 in light brown, and the 2 and
3 in black; all four models come with black stanchions.
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The new All Mountain crown, complete with cut-outs |
Freeride and DJ forks
The fork that made Marzocchi what it is in the freeride world, the
Z1, is back for more in '05 and it's got a few new features to show off. The
most notable are the 20mm drop-out and dedicated through-axle, which
has been an issue for some riders out there.
These forks also boast a forged freeride
crown with a cryofit 'M' design and 32mm stanchions. Black legs, legs, crown,
and gold ano top knobs make this four-fork line look seriously sweet.
The Z.1 FR 3 - adding style and performance |
Z.1 FR SL
| Target Weight |
4.52 lbs |
| Damping |
TST |
| Features |
PL / C / R / TST |
| Spring |
Doppio Air System |
| Travel |
130mm or 150mm |
| Steer tube |
Steel |
Z.1 FR 1
| Target Weight |
5.06 lbs |
| Damping |
HSCV |
| Features |
PL / C / R / ETA |
| Spring |
Coil |
| Travel |
130mm or 150mm |
| Steer tube |
Steel |
| Options |
Alloy steerer |
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Z.1 FR 2 & 3
| Target Weight |
5.06 lbs |
| Damping |
HSCV (one side), SSV (one side), with 888-style cartridges
*** Dual SSV |
| Features |
PL / R *** PL |
| Spring |
Coil |
| Travel |
130mm or 150mm |
| Steer tube |
Steel |
| Options |
Alloy steerer |
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A close-up of the 20mm drop-out and axle |
Not to be ignored, the dirt jumping crowd gets a beefed-up line of forks for
'05.
Dirt Jumper 1
| Target Weight |
7.62 lbs |
| Damping |
Dual SSV |
| Features |
PL / R |
| Spring |
Coil |
| Travel |
100mm |
| Steer tube |
Reinforced steel |
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There's nothing light about these babies, with weights
more than 2.5 lbs heavier than the Z.1s, but reinforced steel steerers
and 32mm stanchions
should hold up to a serious beating at the local jumps or skate park.
The DJ 1 and 2 also feature 20mm drop-outs. Colour selections are a
darker beige (a different shade of cookie dough?), camo green, and black,
from top to bottom in the order. |
Dirt Jumper 2
| Target Weight |
7.26 lbs |
| Damping |
Dual SSV |
| Features |
PL / R |
| Spring |
Coil |
| Travel |
100mm |
| Steer tube |
Reinforced steel |
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Dirt Jumper 3
| Target Weight |
7.26 lbs |
| Damping |
Dual SSV |
| Features |
PL |
| Spring |
Coil |
| Travel |
100mm |
| Steer tube |
Reinforced steel |
| Options |
20mm drop-outs |
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| Marzocchi is designing these forks for the slalom and DJ crowd, and for
that reason, included the 100mm travel, 20mm drop-out Shiver single crown
in this category. The fork has 30mm stanchions, comes with stanchion guards
and a forged CNC-machined crown, and accepts an 8" rotor.
I need more
travel! - part 2
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Shiver SC
| Target Weight |
TBD |
| Damping |
HSCV |
| Features |
PL / R |
| Spring |
Coil |
| Travel |
100mm |
| Steer tube |
Steel |
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