Eurobike 2013: Manitou Mattoc All Mountain Fork

Manitou forks has been quiet for a couple of years, with only the downhill Dorado being a stand out fork in its range. Now, however, comes the Mattoc; a 160mm trail fork designed by the Dorado designer, using much of the same technology. And, 26in lovers rejoice as there’ll be 26in and 27in versions.

The chassis is similar to existing forks like the Tower, with a tapered steerer and the X-Loc axle. However, the Mattoc internals have been developed for the rufty-tufty world of enduro with much trickle down from the Durado.

The Mattoc was named after the trailbuilders’ tool

Numbers first then: It’s coming out early 2014 and will be available in 140/150160mm via clip-on/off internal spacers, so it’s easy to change the travel. Stanchions are 34mm. The 26in version will even go to 170mm. The lowers are the same, although the fork offset is different for both forks. Theoretically, though, it would be possible to buy the 26in version now and then run 27in when/if/when you upgrade. A 27in wheel in a 26in fork would have more trail (and be more stable/DH feeling at the expense of some slow speed nimbleness), so it might be an acceptable upgrade path for a 26in rider who might want to go bigger wheeled in the future. Or you could just go out now and get a 27in bike. Did we mention that they were everywhere at the show?

Lovely satin red finish. Black and white available too.

The fork has a clever hydraulic bottom-out. Rather than have a steeply ramping air-curve at the bottom of the stroke, there’s a more linear air spring and when the fork is into its final 30mm of travel, it engages with the hydraulic bottom out, where the rate of bottom out curve is governed by the flow of oil through adjustable ports.

Rather than slot the bushings on the stanchion-facing side, to allow oil to pass through, the Mattock has slots on the back side of the bushing, to allow oil to pass, while keeping full bushing contact on the stanchions to keep things solid. There’ll be a Pro/Expert/Comp level of fork and although we don’t have prices yet, they’re looking to be less than the cost of an equivalent Rockshox Pike.

The Mattoc. Classic Manitou reverse arch and bold graphics.

Chipps Chippendale

Singletrackworld's Editor At Large

With 23 years as Editor of Singletrack World Magazine, Chipps is the longest-running mountain bike magazine editor in the world. He started in the bike trade in 1990 and became a full time mountain bike journalist at the start of 1994. Over the last 30 years as a bike writer and photographer, he has seen mountain bike culture flourish, strengthen and diversify and bike technology go from rigid steel frames to fully suspended carbon fibre (and sometimes back to rigid steel as well.)