Fork choice

[Edog]

Need some help with a fork choice, building a heavier downhill/freeride type of bike.
Don't have a ton of loot, I know I want to start out with a single crown 1 1/8
It's going to be more than likely a used purchase
Options are the;
Fox Vanilla RC36 160mm
Zoke 66 RC2x 180mm
RS Domain 180mm

I kinda like the Domain, very simple looks like my Pike on Steriods. I kinda want more than 160 in travel the bike has 170 in the rear. I figured I could get a cheap dual crown for the lift days, hoping to race a bit this season.
Looking to spend about 4 notes. The bike will be used to generally break parts of my body, fool me into doing things that will no doubt lead to a stint in the ER.

I don't like anything by Manitou at all, absolutly not, I tell ya I'm not kidding, No F***ing way mate

[Hoosierdaddy]

I would rule out the Fox 36, I have one on my Blur LT, it's an 07 and although it is plush and very tunable I think the crown would be a little weak for hucking. I weigh 235 lbs. and don't trust it for any big jumps. I have a Marz. Z1 light ETA on my Enduro and it feels more solid (the crown) than the Fox. I think the 66 is a great fork, I was looking at that for the Enduro but it has too much travel so I went with the Z1.

I haven't been a huge R/S fan in the past, but I know they are building some good stuff now. I can't really comment on them.

Good luck with your search!

[Geronimo]

Jenson is selling the RC2X for 529. I know you only want to spend 4 bills but 529 is a smoking deal. I paid alot more for mine and it's the best mtb purchase I've made, if you don't count the spandex.

[allison]

You think air only? What bike is it going on?

I raced one and practice two Fontana races last season on my Enduro with the Fox 36 Talas. It was pretty good. We set it up to be plush.

The RS Totem comes as an air shock and has more suspension.

Never used the Lyrik, but I know a guy that had one on his 6.6. He loved it. But, Fox is good also. If you're gonna climb at all, mebbe pick the lighter one?

[alank]

The Lyrik is extremely supple.

[J_Sims]

I do not really htink you can go too wrong with anything you are lookin at... I rode a domain around a bit the other day and it seemed to soak things up very nice... Of course I was just running into curbs and stuff ina parking lot....

I am struggling with the same forking question but I think I am going to rock the totem dual air

[maxwell]

Here ya go!

66 Series 66 RC2 ETA 66 RC2X The 66 is the long travel single crown fork that many try to imitate but none can duplicate. This fork delivers with function and technology. This year we’ve integrated the all new ATA system into the fork as well as ETA in case you need to climb instead of shuttle your closest trail. Progressive riders demand a fork that works on the big drops with the freedom of a single crown. The 66 is the only choice.


- 180mm Travel
- RC2
- ETA Adjustability
- Coil Spring
- Reinforced Alloy Steer Tube & Crown
- 35mm Alloy Stanchions
- 6” Post Mount (Max Disc 8”)
- 20mm Axle


Flat black
Fatty Silver/Grey

[Edog]

Thanks for the advise. I went with the Domain. I got a killer deal, with a headset thrown in. I'm going to regret not getting the 66. But my Pike did me proud & I'm happy to go with Rock Shox. The Totum would have been perfect but out of my budget. I've still got to scrape some other bits together. I'll post some pics when I finish the build. Luckly I was able to get the fork in black not that minty green, that would only provoke some serious ridicule!

[Flat Broke]

Edit: Cool that you got the Domain. I took a little too long to eek out my response I guess New for new at full retail, the Domain is the easy choice when you're lookin for the $$/performance ratio. I had read here or somewhere else, that the guys testing the Rocky mountain Slayer 66 were loving that fork, so I'm sure you'll be stoked with it. Make sure you order up the correct spring for your weight as you can't really bandaid that part of the setup with oil height adjustments like you can with the Marzocchi stuff. Make sure to post back up after you've gotten some time on the bike with the fork. Out of curiosity, what frame is this going on?


I've had an 66RC2X, and it was at that time the nicest fork I'd ever ridden. I've got an 07 36RC2 that will be going to Mammoth in a couple of days and I'm hoping to get the same warm fuzy with that setup.

The 66RC2x is a VERY beefy fork, and some folks will complain about the suppleness compared to a 36. One thing with Marz forks is that you really should take the time to tune the oil height and type to your weight and style. After setting the oil up properly in my 66, that fork was very supple, but I never bottomed it out (I weighed 250-255 w/o gear when I was riding that fork. If you can swing it, the price Jenson has going with the 66s is UNBEATABLE. There are plenty of people that have paid more than that for a used one.

The only comments I can make about the Domain is that I almost bought one over the 36, but got such a smoking deal on the 36, that I figgured I could try it out, and if I didn't like it, sell it and buy a Domain 318. The Domain uses the Motion Control Dampening which I've used via the Revelation (Pike w/o 20mm). The dampening system works well and offers a good amount of tangible adjustments. The chassis on the Domain is on par with the 66's beef, and similar in weight. If you were paying full retail for the forks mentioned, and the Jenson Deal wasn't on the table, the Domain would be my choice. With the Jenson deal making the 66 comparable in price to the Domain, I think I'd go with the 66, but that's only because I know what I'd be getting, and the "X" cartridge for end of travel compression dampening is nice for allowing the fork to be setup to use a good majority of it's travel, yet not experience frequent bottom outs.

As stated, you really can't go wrong with any of the options listed, and budget will likely be what drives you more one way than the other. Unless you can find a REALLY clean used fork, I'd say get a new one. I'm also betting that if you run the 66 or the domain coil (Not the U-turn) you probably wont need to pick up a cheap dual crown setup for occaisional racing. So you might want to factor in that when you're making your choice. A decent older Boxxer (your cheapest DC bet that will work properly) will run you around $125, then figgure you'll be needing to swap springs, do an oil change and possibly seals to get it nice and fresh. Once you add that coin on top of your orriginal $400ish target, the 318 and 66 are easily attainable (for the 66, that is true as long as Jenson has em on blowout). At my weight, I didn't feel the 66 deflect at all. There are more than a couple guys that are running them on their mini DH rigs, and a great deal more that are running them instead of dual crown setups on their freeride rigs, so I'm pretty sure you'd be okay using it for the odd lift assisted day or what I've seen in pictures of the Fontana course. But there are tons of folks on here who have first hand experience with Fontana that could answer that better.

Sorry about the long diatribe, but I went through a similar decision making process a couple months ago and know exactly how un-nerving it feels. What was worse for me is that I already knew how nice the 66 felt, so it was harder to look at my options objectively.

Chris

[mullarks]

Sounds like you need a bigger fork but I have an RS Lyrik Solo Air sitting in my garage that I would be willing to part with if you were interested.

Nevermind sounds like you got the Domain, hope you enjoy it.

[soul rider]

go to Jenson right now!!! 2007 66 RC2X for 499.99 deal of the year. 1 1/8 180mm ( true 7 inch)
you will not be disappointed, you will be happy.
do it now, what are you waiting for? buy it.
i tried...