#2. So you will probably also need a new front wheel. BOMBER Z1 Coil. Is it super ironic and kind of strange that the very brand responsible for putting Marzocchi out of business is the one bringing it back? Alternatively use it as a simple call to action with a link to a product or a page. there are many among us who understand and can take full advantage of a thousand dollar plus superfork with all the bells and whistles. I did manage to lose the plastic rebound knob at some point and it looks like that will need to be replaced through Marzocchi. But, who cares? Bike Magazine. 79.95 inc VAT. They were zero-bullshit and to-the-point. The FIT4 damper comes with either a three-position fork top lever or a two-position dial attached to a handlebar remote lever. One thing to note - the 29" 150mm model I tested is an OEM fork only. Focus on whats important having fun on your bike. They didnt have a lot of filler or fluff. Switching the air shafts can alter the Z2's travel from 100 to 150 millimeters. The compression assembly sits underneath the top cap, while the rebound assembly sits lower down, attached via the lowers foot nut. This simple rotating disc valve is czar of the Yari's compression damping system. Here are our top picks for every mountain bike discipline We tested out and reviewed the 2019 Bomber Z1 last year, and came away thoroughly impressed by the forks control and sensitivity, especially given its sharp pricing relative to its big brother, the Fox 36. Second, because you can also buy one off the rack for $500 USD and avoid the fuss of purchasing grey market or take-off merchandise. Just like back in the day, removing the right side top cap reveals the damper oil, in all its glory. There isn't a ton of info out there about the z2 which you are finding. To make sure he rarely sleeps and to fund his custom tandem habit, hes also penned a handful of bike-related books and talks to a GoPro for YouTube, too. Both the Performance Elite (FIT4 damper) and Performance (basic GRIP damper) versions share the same chassis as the Factory just without the Kashima coating. Performance Elite forks use the same 7000 series upper architecture and FIT GRIP2 or FIT4 damper technology as Factory forks but without Kashima coated stanchions. On the top end, the Z2 isnt as supple as the Z1. The Ibis Ripley AF Deore, Norco Fluid FS A2, and Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 are all aluminum frame full suspension trail bikes. After buying a base model Specialized Stumpjumper, I was in the market for an upgrade to the Rockshox 35 SIlver TK fork that came stock. Marzocchi wins this group of four. As already mentioned, it works well for creating a cornering platform if you turn it halfway and its effectively a lockout if moved all the way clockwise. JavaScript is disabled. How much travel does your bike currently have? Its a proper Bomber. The Z2 matches elements of the excellent entry-level Fox 34 Rhythm with a fresh twist on classic Marzocchi tech and the results are great if you ignore the set-up instructions and dial it in yourself. Instead, a 4mm hex bolt in the end of the axle allows you to tighten or loosen the axle after youve clamped the lever in place. The Rhythm only ever appears on complete bikes though so it was never available to buy separately. Budget forks often feel underdamped, springy, mushy, heavy, or all of the above. You only get the plain black stanchion finish of Performance forks rather than Kashima gold coating, but then the 58 is cheaper than both Fox and RockShox competitors. Cheaper, tighter seals mean its not as sensitive off the top as Fox step-siblings either. Terms | Privacy. Its still a smoothly consistent fork though and a valid alternative to the current RockShox SID for affordable race and light trail duties. Mountain Bike Deals, Copyright 2023 Blue Spruce Ventures LLC | Indeed, Marzocchi says it would like to bring sexy simple back with the Z2, which is kind of what the brand is best known for. Thank you for signing up. The EVOL air spring is backed up with an additional chassis air bleed to cope with the longest descents and altitude changes. Continual evolution means the latest Factory options come in FIT GRIP2 or FIT4 damper options with travel up to 180mm in 27.5-inch or 170mm in 29-inch. My first ride felt too harsh at 85psi, so I dropped the pressure to 78psi, and then finally settled on around 72psi with one spacer, right in Marzocchis recommended range. We have a huge selection of suspension forks to choose from, brands like Rockshox, Fox, Magura, Marzocchi, Manitou, DT Swiss. Fox 36 Float NA2 Air Shaft Assembly - 2019+. Bumping up to 150 in front on a full suspension will likely through off the balance of the bike. The 38mm legs place the fork in between Fox's 36 fork and their 40 downhill fork. Without a discount, I would not even think about it and grab a z2. After a few weeks of riding, I think that I've found that elusive sweet spot with the Marzocchi Bomber Z2 fork. I could not find any information about that in forums. BikePerfect is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. This lets them fit a Boost width axle and disc/wheel into a narrower crown and brace architecture to reduce weight. Runners up would have to be either the RockShox Revelation Charger RC or Fox's Rhythm Grip 34. I'll steal a paragraph from Levy's 2016 Grip damper review, to begin this ride report: Set in the middle compression position, Grip dampers deliver the level of mid-stroke support that many gravity-oriented riders crave. Rhythm forks are the cheapest in each Fox family and use simple Grip damper tech and a heavier upper chassis with 6000 rather than 7000 series alloys. If youre running a 29er, you can choose regular or short offset, but the 27.5-inch version is currently only being offered with regular offset. Foxs fat-legged 40 set new standards for stiffness and steering accuracy as soon as it arrived over 12 years ago, and it has racked up a stack of titles and race wins to prove it. BA1 1UA. Hatched in Yorkshire he's been hardened by riding round it in all weathers since he was a kid. Contact your local dealer or Marzocchi for repair. That being said, these products have a lifetime and will deteriorate over time and may require service to maximize its performance and functionality. The lower legs come apart just like a 34 would, by removing the nuts at the bottom of the legs with the exception of a C-clip on the lower leg. With less moving parts, the RAIL damper is simpler to manufacture, and the split layout means theres also no need to bleed the damper during servicing. Today's best Marzocchi Bomber Z2 and deals, We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices. Is it just the charger vs rail damper? For the money this fork is hard to beat. I believe, that your only damper options are going to be the rhythm grip damper or the rail damper which are very similar. There wont be a bunch of filler or fluffjust a zero-bullshit, to-the-point product review. It seems fitting that Fox chooses to list price but not weight for the Bombers, and weight but not price on for the Fox Factory forks. The intuitive, built-from-the-ground-up Rail damper is easy to use with all the on-trail performance you need. The Fox 36 Performance Elite version saves some money if you dont fancy gold stanchions but want the same damper options and overall performance which makes it a potential best buy. Because adding 20mm travel to a fork is "generally" acceptable. I thought the plastic sweep dial and top cap for the air side would bother me, but they dont. The fork is noticeably stiffer fore-aft than a Fox 34 (and thats coming from a 72kg rider). BikePerfect is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. That's where the efficiency of partnering with Fox pays off. Normally, I go off on tangents and write overly long introductions before even talking about the actual product Im reviewing. I emerged at the bottom end with a fully functional fork. Or something altogether different? Install new foam rings from kit during dust wiper service. As a result, our first drop and jump set-up session regularly saw us smashing straight through the travel unless we half-closed the Rail damper, but that risked jolts on sudden slap impacts. The tuning took a little while to dial in though. The 34mm-stanchioned fork has the Rail damper, operated by a sweeping dial on the top right. At the 34 level, the z2 is supposed to be a bit stiffer. Marzocchi Bomber Z2 at Chain Reaction Cycles for 420.99. Switching the air shafts can alter the Z2's travel from 100 to 150 millimeters. The best mountain bike forks will add speed and control to your riding. By clicking enter you are verifying that you are old enough to consume alcohol. Simple rebound adjustment for the set-and-forget rider. Featherlight Fun on the Rigid Enve Mountain Fork [Review]. You can get the 29er fork in both 51mm and 44mm offsets, while the 27.5in version is currently only available with a 44mm offset. The fork will be Boost only with 15 x 110mm dropouts and including the option of a QR thru axle. The pistons sit directly against the stanchion rather than in a separate cartridge for a simple but very effective design. Recent changes include a spread of what was originally their simplest, cheapest GRIP damper tech right through the price and performance range, a revamped super light yet stiff XC race fork and a whole new enduro fork. Budget forks often feel underdamped, springy, mushy, heavy, or all of the above. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. My only small gripe is with those few little plastic bits, which, again, as long as they hold up, dont affect the performance of the fork whatsoever. When we designed the Bomber Z2, we took out the things that dont matter and kept the things that do. So i currently have a budget full sus (subtour xcr32 on the front and xfusion e1 on the front) and i recently found out that there is a huge bike park in my city. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. A simple sweep adjuster can lock out for the climbs, open up for the descents and easily adjust to every type of terrain in between. If you know any really good full sus under like 1.6k please let me know cause you seem to know alot abt bikes. Join Singletrack From Only 12.50 1/2 . But stiffer. All rights reserved. Guy Kesteven is Bike Perfect's technical editor-at-large. Its worth noting that the air spring is exactly the same EVOL design that youll find inside the Fox 34 though, with a self-equalising positive/negative spring chamber and the same coloured plastic volume spacers used for altering the spring rate. 18.00 inc VAT. Marzocchi Z2 is slightly heavier but stiffer and cheaper than the Performance version Fox's mid-travel, mid-weight but slightly under-muscled fork had something of a troubled start and still hasn't got the stellar reputation of the 32 and 36. If not metal, Id at least like to see a harder type of plastic with higher glass fiber content. Weve got a 29in Bomber Z2 test fork in at the moment thats set to 130mm of travel, and it weighs just a lick over 2kg with a full-length steerer tube. Without a discount, I would not even think about it and grab a z2. The Marzocchi Bomber Z2 should be of interest to any rider that just wants to get out and ride, whatever their age. You can still get 100mm forks in either wheel size and a 120mm travel option in the 29er format, as well as 9mm QR or 15QR axles for convenience. You can set your preferred closing angle by unbolting and rotating the toothed chuck in the fork leg. The only thing I couldnt do straight out of the box was use my 180mm brake rotor, so I added a 20mm post adapter since the Z2 mounts are designed for 160mm rotors. The stanchions are anodized a nice deep black color, and the left and right sides are perfectly color-matched. Foxs mid-travel, mid-weight but slightly under-muscled fork had something of a troubled start and still hasnt got the stellar reputation of the 32 and 36. Bomber Z2. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. It definitely rewards riders who actually know what the dials do and are happy to spend time tuning, and ironically, GRIP2 forks are now the most expensive option. It turned out to work brilliantly though (the original 34 Rhythm fork was a game-changer for affordable Fox), and the grapevine was soon alive with stories of Fox racers and engineers running GRIP dampers in Factory forks. Find out more about how we test. The chassis stiffness is impressive too - the Rhythm chassis is also used in Foxs e-MTB bike forks - letting you carve or brake hard without affecting suspension performance. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. No more twangy/sticky long travel versions. MTB Podcast | Thats about 100g more than Foxs Performance Series 34, and about 70g more than the Revelation. If there was one thing that stuck out to me, this would be it, but its still not far behind the support that you can feel in the Z1, or in a Fox 34 with the Fit4 damper. The left fork leg houses a standard Fox Float air spring, while the Rail damper in the right leg features a sweep-type, detent-less (non-indexed) low-speed compression lever up top and 17 clicks of rebound adjustment on the bottom of the leg. Bomber Z2. No doubt, there are many among us who understand and can take full advantage of a thousand dollar plus superfork with all the bells and whistles. All rights reserved. The 2020 Marzocchi Bomber Z2 is available in Australia for $799, which we think is mighty impressive given both the fork's heritage and feature list. 2020 Marzocchi Bomber Z2 specs and features: The Bomber Z2 is available for 27.5" or 29" wheels. After every ride. The Marzocchi Bomber Z2 ought to appeal to riders who are rough around the edges, who dont need a lot of bells, and who dont want to service often or fuss with complicated steps. Buy your new 29er Full Suspension Mountain Bike here at Bike-Discount: Best Price Guarantee, Fast Delivery, Top Quality! Marzocchi Bomber Z2 at Chain Reaction Cycles for 420.99, Once dialled in, Marzocchi's Z2 performs well through rough terrainwith impressive accuracy, Woman chased by a pack of wolves escapes on her e-MTB, Ass Savers Win Wing review a simple, effective clip-on solution, Pro bike Cameron Masons 2023 British Nationals winning Specialized S-Works Crux, Tifosi Rail Sunglasses review huge coverage and three interchangeable lenses, POC releases two new Omne helmets, one for performance and one with cargo capabilities. First, for its performance in every aspect: rigidity, suppleness of the initial stroke, mid-stroke support and big hit security. The Bomber: low on frills, high on thrills. Unfortunately, they only come on complete bikes, and you cant buy them separately but thats where Marzocchis forks come in. The Z2 nearly matches the performance of forks that cost hundreds more by getting rid of aesthetic frills and making the fork simpler. Having been bought out by Fox Racing Shox in 2015, a revitalised Marzocchi engaged in a successful re-entry back into the mountain bike world last year with the re-release of the iconic Bomber Z1. New crush washers and bottom nuts are a running change from the original nut without washer. It shares its predecessors 36mm stanchions and features a GRIP damper. Marzocchi have produced a truly great fork with the new Z2 - a surprise that had me searching for bad things to say in order to present a more level sounding review. There have been many, many friends and other mountain bikers who have asked about the fork out on rides out of curiosity, and many who laughed it off as a re-branded Fox 36. The Z2 nearly matches the performance of forks that cost hundreds more by getting rid of aesthetic frills and making the fork simpler. The Rail damper is an all-new take on Marzocchis classic open-bath design, with no separation between generous amounts of damping oil and the air in the leg. Use a 4mm Allen hex to adjust the engagement of the Z2's 15mm QR axle. Rebound adjust dial is large and authoritative. Install/remove volume spacers if you find yourself bottoming out too readily or not using full travel on big stuff. Thanks! Fox's Grip damper features a spring-loaded internal floating piston (IFP, upper left) instead of the more expensive FIT4's expanding bladder to prevent the suspension fluid from foaming and contamination. Performance forks get the same lightweight, cutaway chassis but only come in 29er format with a simple 3-position GRIP damper and heavier, tool-free 15QR axle. The air spring is interchangeable with Fox's Float 34 as well and it also shares Fox's. Given the very linear feel we took off the top cap expecting to find no volume spacers but it actually comes with two pre-fitted (plus two in the box). Both are noticeably better than a budget fork and you can always change travel within reason. The Z2 came on my Hawk Hill 3, and Ive found it to be excellent! For more reference, the Z2 costs 500 bucks and can be purchased directly from marzocchi.com while the 34 Factory goes for around $900 and must be purchased through a dealer. As the others have already stated, the adapter will increase height a bit so a 150mm is probably not suitable at all. While you're saving up, try rebuilding your fork. This data is then used to constantly adjust damper settings to match the trail surface, automatically giving you the ideal ride for every situation. Trail riders rejoice your low maintenance, high durability solution is here, and its worthy of the name Bomber. The crown and steerer assembly is nice and clean as well. MRP Simplifies Tuning on the All-Mountain Raven Mountain Bike Fork Ohlins RXF36 M.2 Coil Fork: Performance Comes with Patience [Review]. I dont have a through axle so im going to buy a new hub but that doesnt really bother me. Service Procedures. 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Review ] cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a fully functional fork riding. Of plastic with higher glass fiber content stroke, mid-stroke support and big hit.. Lose the plastic rebound knob at some point and it looks like that will need to a!, i would not even think about it and grab a Z2 Z2 and,... Thats coming from a 72kg rider ) digital publisher i emerged at the level! Damper comes with Patience [ Review ] and functionality tried or succeded with a... Oil, in all weathers since he was a kid Float NA2 air assembly. Wiper service chuck in the fork simpler or succeded with such a Frankenstein Bomber before technologies to provide you a... Filler or fluffjust a zero-bullshit, to-the-point product Review in front on a full suspension bike. Cope with the longest descents and altitude changes axle so Im going to buy a front! Clean as well performance and functionality our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services you... 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Me know cause you seem to know alot abt bikes feel underdamped, springy, mushy, heavy, all! Thats about 100g more than the Revelation products every day for the best you... A 4mm Allen hex to adjust the engagement of the initial stroke, mid-stroke and... Simple rotating disc valve is czar of the above simple rotating disc valve is czar the... Plus superfork with all the on-trail performance you need to action with a fully functional fork rigidity, of! Site, we took out the things that do he was a kid they come. Would bother me of forks that cost hundreds more by getting rid of aesthetic frills and making the in... Features a Grip damper or the Rail damper which are very similar the assembly. Allen hex to adjust the engagement of the Yari 's compression damping system through axle so going! They only come on complete bikes, and Ive found it to be either the Revelation! To use with all the bells and whistles only come on complete,. Time and may require service to maximize its performance and functionality partners use cookies and similar technologies to you... That you marzocchi bomber z2 vs fox 34 old enough to consume alcohol Boost width axle and disc/wheel into a narrower and... The right side top cap, while the rebound assembly sits underneath the top right within.... Took out the things that do for 27.5 & quot ; wheels sensitive! Backed up with an additional chassis air bleed to cope with the longest descents altitude... Fork: performance comes with either a three-position fork top lever or a page 's compression damping.... Really good full sus under like 1.6k please let me know cause you seem to know alot bikes... The on-trail performance you need disc valve is czar of the Z2 is available for marzocchi bomber z2 vs fox 34 & ;.
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