New Manitou Mezzer Sterling Limited Edition – Tunability with extra shine

Magpies of the mountain bike world, welcome to the Sterling Edition of the Manitou Mezzer Pro. It uses the same 37mm chassis and internal tech as the existing Mezzer Pro – that we tested earlier this year – but each Sterling Edition fork receives an extra level of finishing. To create an ultra-smooth and crisp paint finish, each lower leg and crown assembly are polished by hand in preparation for the paint booth.

As we noted when we tested the Mezzer Pros, riders will enjoy loads of tunability of the air spring thanks to the pairing of the Dorado Air system and IRT (Infinite Rate Tune). Dorado Air is derived from Manitou’s Dorado inverted DH fork. Manitou says:

Using a unique balancing valve at the piston, the positive and negative air springs are equalised during the air fill process. This design provides a smooth and consistent spring rate without any flat or dead spots that can be caused by a balance groove. It also allows users to change the travel easily with the included travel spacers rather than purchasing expensive air springs. 

Acting as a secondary positive air chamber the IRT provides complete control over the mid-late stroke of the fork. This allows riders to tune their initial stroke separate from their mid-late allowing a butter-smooth initial feel without sacrificing mid-stroke support. Being a compressible air chamber, rather than solid volume spacers, as you approach bottom out you should be met with a feeling that is smooth and consistent rather than hash and abrupt.

Want to know if our testers agree? Then read the review!

‘It became immediately apparent on the first descent that this is an absolute bruiser of a fork. Supple, but solid as a rock and not prone to hanging on things or getting knocked off line. Even months into the test, when I was well used to it, during a particularly prolonged and choppy crash it struck me how solid the bike felt with the Manitou Mezzer Pro upfront.’

Mezzer Pro Features

• 37mm stanchions featuring the Manitou Reverse Arch and the new Hexloc SL2 axle give this fork the ultimate stiffness
• Class leading weight enduro fork 2000g (27.5″) 2032g (29″)
• IRT and SKF low friction wipers deliver a super smooth feeling
• Race proven Dorado Air System
• IRT enables to tune mid and end stroke support independently and allows to run lower pressure in the main chamber without dive in effect
• Sealed MC² Bladder-Cartridge prevents cavitation and offers easy maintenance (High&Low Speed + TPC Rebound)
• Hydraulic Bottom Out (HB0) protects your hand
• 140 – 180mm travel internally adjustable in 10mm steps
• 27.5” (37 & 44mm Offset) & 29“ (44mm & 51mm Offset)
• RRP: £999.99

The damping is taken care of through the fully sealed MC² cartridge damper. Adjustments include external high and low-speed compression damping as well as low-speed rebound. There is also a factory set HBO (hydraulic bottom out) to give riders an added level of control when things get gnarly. 

Bleeder screws are also located on the back of the lower legs allowing riders to bleed air while on the trail using a 2.5mm hex key. These bleeder screws double as an oil injection port to give your seals a small blast of semi-bath oil in-between regular service intervals to keep things as smooth as possible at all times.

The Sterling Edition of the Mezzer Pro will be limited to 250 units globally. Don’t hang around if you want one!

Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

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