I am going to be building up my Nukeproof Mega and am looking to get the forks sorted what would you choose and why is there any reasons why you would choose one over the other ?
If I was buying a lyrik I would have to get an older one with the charger 2.1 damper 2021 as they no longer make a 170mm lyrik.
The other options are something like the Fox 38 Factory or RockShox ZEB. Would the stiffer fork with thicker stanchion be beneficial ?
Is your mega 27.5 or 29?
If 29 id want the stiffer chassis of the 38 or Zeb at 170mm travel (unless you're quite light).
I've had zeb on a previous bike, and 38 on my current ebike, and both are great. Personally I marginally preferred the feel of the 38, seems a bit more composed to me.
Is your mega 27.5 or 29?
If 29 id want the stiffer chassis of the 38 or Zeb at 170mm travel (unless you're quite light).
I've had zeb on a previous bike, and 38 on my current ebike, and both are great. Personally I marginally preferred the feel of the 38, seems a bit more composed to me.
My mega is a 29er and I'm about 85kg
Fox over Rockshox every time. I've had a couple of Rockshox and they've been nothing but trouble, Fox have been very reliable.
If you can find them have a look at Manitou Mezzer Pro as well, kind of midway between a 36 and a 38, got a set on my enduro bike and they're excellent, especially for lighter riders.
Fox over Rockshox every time. I've had a couple of Rockshox and they've been nothing but trouble, Fox have been very reliable.
If you can find them have a look at Manitou Mezzer Pro as well, kind of midway between a 36 and a 38, got a set on my enduro bike and they're excellent, especially for lighter riders.
Some bargains on merlin for 38's and Zebs at the moment.
I could be wrong, but have heard over the years that the kashmir coating on Fox factory, lasts longer than standard black ano coating.
It's really hard to pick between them. How sensitive are you to the minor differences? People at the sharp end who might notice usually end up in the fork they're paid to ride and do just fine.
Both the Zeb and the 38 are the best forks every and leaps and bounds beyond the faultless forks of last season, right up until the new model releases.
The reason I'm running factory 38s? I was trying to decide what fork to get and then they turned up at about £600 in the fire sales last year. Reading enough.
I avoided the Mezzer because even when they came in through Hotlines, support was limited, it's now non existent in the UK.
There's the formula selva if you wanna keep the weight down and still run 170mm, there's also a coil version that's around the same weight of a Zeb or 38
I've got lyriks 160 zeb 160 (both select+) and fox 38 factory 170.
All 29er. I weigh about 93kg.
Of them all I prefer the fox. A bit more faff to set up, but they seem plusher yet supportive in the mid stroke...but there really isn't much in it.
I also prefer the stiffer chassis of the bigger forks, though the lyriks is also fine.
I avoided the Mezzer because even when they came in through Hotlines, support was limited, it's now non existent in the UK.
Good news about Using. Hopefully they've got a stock of more than just seals.
im running 170 lyriks on both my Bird Aeris AM, and my Nordest Hardtail. Great fork. Plenty stiff enough in my opinion. Unless you're after marginal gains. If you can get one cheap, go for it
How did Ison etc change to using? 8 hate autocorrect
I doubt you'll regret buying either, both are great forks, just pick the brand you prefer. A mechanic/engineer friend has bought some mezzers, has had them pieces to custom tune them (was annoyed he could have modded the OEM piston to match without trouble), and reckons there the best thing since sliced bread, makes me curious.
The latest Lyriks are a big improvement over the old ones but not available in 170 so I'd ignore them unless they are practically free. I've got 38 Factory forks on my KSL, my similarly fat friend has Zeb Ultimates. I prefer the 38s, my mate prefers the Zebs but to be fair I'm so concerned about how shit his brakes feel that I don't have the capacity to worry about the forks.
TL:DR get the big forks, brand doesn't really matter.
Get a Zeb or 38, whichever is the best spec in your budget.
A 38mm fork for your bike and weight for sure. I'm around the same and jumping from my 36 (160mm) to a friends 170mm Zeb was a real surprise in terms of how noticeable the stiffness was.
The overlap between upper and lower, and the stiffness of the crown, matters more than stanchion diameter … but the 38mm stanchions forks are better in both regards.
Seems like every new generation of Rockshox promises to fix the issues of the old one and has loads of people saying "it's much better" and others saying "yeah but now it does this other thing I don't like". It's exactly like Fox used to be tbh, you could almost suspect they've built it into the process so that there's always something to upgrade to next year. But I've still never ridden a Charger fork I was completely happy with, there's always something. They've all been good, totally usable, don't get me wrong but even spending time and effort on them I've never had one that was great, and at this price they should be great.
The Grip2 damper is bloody fantastic imo. It works really well and the adjustment is really transparent and easy to understand which is a massive bonus- basically you can have the best damper in the world, it doens't matter if you can't make it work well for you. I've not yet tried the Grip X2 if that's in budget for you, but if it's not fantastic we need to find the designer and throw them in a volcano. TBH even the Grip can be really good as long as you can find something that suits you in the settings.
And I'd throw the airspring in the bin and fit a coil but that's just me.
The Charger 3 Zeb was OK, but was made much better by fitting a TruTune magic insert.
A good option if you can get the old model cheap/used.
I'd just get a discounted 38 from Merlin though.
Z1 coil another option for 170mm - if the spring weight options suit you.
just to throw another option into the mix - Ohlins RXF 38 (or 36) M2's. my mate has a set on his e-bike and they are by far the nicest feeling air forks i've ridden and feel closer to a coil set up. little bit more faffy on the set up though by the sounds of it and very spendy and don't seem to get discounted as much as fox and rockshox.
however if you're not bothered by the weight penalty (c1.5 / 2 lbs) have a think about converting your air forks to coil with something like the Vorsprung smashpot. I converted my fox 38's c 18 months ago and (to me at least) they feel like the best fork i've ever ridden - supple yet supportive, brilliant traction, great small bump sensitivity and work equally as well if you're pushing hard or at an easier pace
I'd love an RXF 38. They aren't £499 like the PE 38s in Merlin, though
just got the perf elite of merlin for £480, massive upgrade to my 36 rhythm.
factory at £599 less £20 voucher if you have the points is a no brainer..
i set up per fox guidelines and a shockwiz and factory setting are pretty spot on.
I came to say a Mezzer. I was beaten to it. But I'm still saying a Mezzer.
Properly (and infinitely) adjustable air spring and a damper that:
a) works
and
b) is designed to be DIY tuned if you want to.
Relative speaking, it's stiff and light. It has hydraulic bottom out control which you don't realise you need until you find yourself needing it. And when you find yourself needing it, you'll be glad you've got it.
I used Hayes in Germany for tech support before ISON took over. They were excellent to deal with and warrantied the CSU for me even though I bought the fork privately via eBay so I wouldn't let the lack of support put you off.
I guess if you're not a tinkerer then it's maybe not for you but if you're happy twiddling things and adjusting air pressures until you find the sweetspot, it's great. By far the best fork I've ever had and possibly the best thing I've ever bought relating to bikes.