At first glance this fork looks like a normal MX Pro ETA. But it's vitally different, sporting a 1in steerer tube. There are still loads of well-loved and well-maintained older bikes out there, but getting a suspension fork with a 1in steerer is increasingly difficult. Marzocchi, though, has come to the rescue for 2008.
Based on the MX Pro ETA, the fork offers 100mm of coil/air sprung and RV damping with external adjustment and an ETA dial locking the fork down to 25mm of travel for better climbing. The Magnesium alloy legs are fitted with mounts for V-brakes bosses (it's safe to assume disc brakes won't be needed here), 30mm stanchions and a weight of 2.17kg (4.8lb).
They're available for a limited time only and priced £224.95, so be quick if you want a pair. Marzocchi say there's popular demand for a 100mm fork with a 1in steerer tube, but we can't help wonder what a bike old enough to need a 1in steerer fork will handle like, what with the lack of geometry correcting for long forks when 1in bikes were the vogue.
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gingerflash
Posted: 11/09/07 16:19:01 01
Marz have always done their cheap forks in 1 inch so this is hardly news.
The trouble is they're 100mm travel and very long compared to other brands. how many 1 inch steerered frames were designed around anything like that?
I've tried them on a 1996 P7 designed for 60mm and the geometry and handling was awful.
If they're serious about providing something to keep old retro bikes going, they should be no more than 75mm travel and maybe even less. In the days of 1 inch steerers, Rockshox's pro level DH fork had 75mm of travel! XC forks were around 50-60mm.
Also, the fork's almost 5lb and has no brake cable stop for cantilevers.
I will keep looking for second hand forks I think. ...
