Forks and disc brakes

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Hello,

I'm looking to build a new full suspension MTB and would like to fit
disc brakes.
What XC fork can I best use to fit disc brakes,

Rock Shox SID
Marzocchi Marathon SL
Manitou Skareb

Also which is the better disc brake choise, Magura Louise or FOrmula
B4 pro?

greeting, from holland,


Joost Smeets

[Michael Dart]

> wrote in message
...
> Hello,
>
> I'm looking to build a new full suspension MTB and would like to fit
> disc brakes.
> What XC fork can I best use to fit disc brakes,
>
> Rock Shox SID
> Marzocchi Marathon SL
> Manitou Skareb
>
> Also which is the better disc brake choise, Magura Louise or FOrmula
> B4 pro?
>
> greeting, from holland,
>
>
> Joost Smeets

I've been very happy with my Marzocchi Marathon (air spring) and Hope Mini
hydraulic disc brake combo on my Intense Tracer. The 1999 SID I had was
very flexy and the damping cartridge either blew on the first ride or was
largely inneffective. I've no experience with the Manitou.

Mike

[S.B.]

wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I'm looking to build a new full suspension MTB and would like to fit
> disc brakes.
> What XC fork can I best use to fit disc brakes,
>
> Rock Shox SID
> Marzocchi Marathon SL
> Manitou Skareb
>
> Also which is the better disc brake choise, Magura Louise or FOrmula
> B4 pro?
>
> greeting, from holland,
>
>
> Joost Smeets

Unless you are a top 5 XC rider in your country, sponsored and with a
private mechanic I would stay away from the B4 (pro, team or else). Sure
they brake decently (for someone under the 70kilo-155lb mark) for the first
year, then problems arrise. IMHO, its too fragile for anything else than pro
XC racing.

BTW - Marzocchi Marathon (not the 2002 model), either S or SL.

S.B.

[D H]

"S.B." > wrote in message ...

> Unless you are a top 5 XC rider in your country, sponsored and with a
> private mechanic I would stay away from the B4 (pro, team or else). Sure
> they brake decently (for someone under the 70kilo-155lb mark) for the
first
> year, then problems arrise. IMHO, its too fragile for anything else than
pro
> XC racing.
>
> BTW - Marzocchi Marathon (not the 2002 model), either S or SL.
>
> S.B

I have the 2002 Marathon S. It's a great fork! And lighter than the 2003
models. What's your beef with it?
--
Off to ride the mountains, D H
Reply to newsgroup. Spam is out of control.

[Sorni]

"D H" > wrote in message
news:1068834242.111464@rh9cache2...
> "S.B." > wrote in message ...
>
> > BTW - Marzocchi Marathon (not the 2002 model), either S or SL.

> I have the 2002 Marathon S. It's a great fork! And lighter than the
2003
> models. What's your beef with it?

That it's not beef-Y enough? (arr-arr.)

I have the '02 Marathon S, too, but I use V-brakes. Chris at Speedgoat
suggested that the '03 was a better choice for disk brakes, as it was
stiffer than the 2002 model. Having never owned/used disks, don't really
know if difference would be discernable...

Bill "just BS-in' about SB's meaning" S.

[Michael Dart]

"Sorni" > wrote in message
...
> "D H" > wrote in message
> news:1068834242.111464@rh9cache2...
> > "S.B." > wrote in message
...
> >
> > > BTW - Marzocchi Marathon (not the 2002 model), either S or SL.
>
> > I have the 2002 Marathon S. It's a great fork! And lighter than the
> 2003
> > models. What's your beef with it?
>
> That it's not beef-Y enough? (arr-arr.)
>
> I have the '02 Marathon S, too, but I use V-brakes. Chris at Speedgoat
> suggested that the '03 was a better choice for disk brakes, as it was
> stiffer than the 2002 model. Having never owned/used disks, don't really
> know if difference would be discernable...
>
> Bill "just BS-in' about SB's meaning" S.
>
>

I also have the '02 and Hope Mini's no complaints about lack of 'stiffness'
here. ;^) I did have a problem with the negative cartridge filling with
oil and getting stuck down lowering my travel. I rebuilt the fork myself
using Bel-Ray 7wt fork oil and have had no problems since.

Mike

[D H]

"Michael Dart" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Sorni" > wrote in message

> >
> > I have the '02 Marathon S, too, but I use V-brakes. Chris at Speedgoat
> > suggested that the '03 was a better choice for disk brakes, as it was
> > stiffer than the 2002 model. Having never owned/used disks, don't
really
> > know if difference would be discernable...
> >
> > Bill "just BS-in' about SB's meaning" S.
> >
> >
>
> I also have the '02 and Hope Mini's no complaints about lack of
'stiffness'
> here. ;^) I did have a problem with the negative cartridge filling with
> oil and getting stuck down lowering my travel. I rebuilt the fork myself
> using Bel-Ray 7wt fork oil and have had no problems since.
>
> Mike

I've no problems at all with it using Hayes discs either. As a matter of
fact, there used to be an issue of the brakes sometimes chattering under
heavy braking, only on occasion and only when I used a SID XC with the
Hayes. I _think_ that was a flex issue attributable to the fork. The
Marzocchi seems to have totally eliminated that.
I hope I don't have to mess with the negative cartridge. So far so good.
I also learned eventually that mine was not leaking air from the negative
chamber, either, as some other have reported. It was in fact just losing
enough air while removing the pump that when I rechecked it on future rides,
it was always lower than expected. Now, I just pump it a good 15psi or so
higher than I actually want to attain, and it works out okay. I confirmed
this by pumping it up, then immediately after removing the pump, I would
check it out, and it was always down from where I had set it. Doesn't seem
to be leaking down at all; I just had to learn that little caveat involved
in setting it up.
--
Off to ride the mountains, D H
Reply to newsgroup. Spam is out of control.

[Michael Dart]

"D H" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Michael Dart" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > "Sorni" > wrote in message
>
> > >
> > > I have the '02 Marathon S, too, but I use V-brakes. Chris at
Speedgoat
> > > suggested that the '03 was a better choice for disk brakes, as it was
> > > stiffer than the 2002 model. Having never owned/used disks, don't
> really
> > > know if difference would be discernable...
> > >
> > > Bill "just BS-in' about SB's meaning" S.
> > >
> > >
> >
> > I also have the '02 and Hope Mini's no complaints about lack of
> 'stiffness'
> > here. ;^) I did have a problem with the negative cartridge filling
with
> > oil and getting stuck down lowering my travel. I rebuilt the fork
myself
> > using Bel-Ray 7wt fork oil and have had no problems since.
> >
> > Mike
>
> I've no problems at all with it using Hayes discs either. As a matter
of
> fact, there used to be an issue of the brakes sometimes chattering under
> heavy braking, only on occasion and only when I used a SID XC with the
> Hayes. I _think_ that was a flex issue attributable to the fork. The
> Marzocchi seems to have totally eliminated that.
> I hope I don't have to mess with the negative cartridge. So far so
good.
> I also learned eventually that mine was not leaking air from the negative
> chamber, either, as some other have reported. It was in fact just losing
> enough air while removing the pump that when I rechecked it on future
rides,
> it was always lower than expected. Now, I just pump it a good 15psi or so
> higher than I actually want to attain, and it works out okay. I confirmed
> this by pumping it up, then immediately after removing the pump, I would
> check it out, and it was always down from where I had set it. Doesn't seem
> to be leaking down at all; I just had to learn that little caveat involved
> in setting it up.
> --

You'll know when you release the pressure from the negative cartridge and it
spews fork oil all over and it runs down the fork leg into your disc
caliper. :^( The cartridge maintenance isn't that bad.

Mike

[D H]

"Michael Dart" > wrote in message
...
>
> You'll know when you release the pressure from the negative cartridge and
it
> spews fork oil all over and it runs down the fork leg into your disc
> caliper. :^( The cartridge maintenance isn't that bad.

Man, I hope I don't get to learn that! I don't want to learn that!!!
Glad to hear the fix isn't bad, though. I haven't had to touch the fork
other than air setup and spraying stanchions with silicone before every
other ride or so to keep it buttery smooth.
I have my old SID XC still waiting for me to tear it down and replace
the O-rings and oil, so I hope I get the gumption to learn that first. I'm
hoping I can get away with a couple years of use on the Marathon before I'm
forced to tear into it, but that might be too optimistic. I better get the
SID ready sometime this winter so that at least I won't be left forkless if
the Marathon gives any trouble.
--
Off to ride the mountains, D H
Reply to newsgroup. Spam is out of control.

[Arpit]

On Fri, 14 Nov 2003 20:35:07 GMT, "Sorni" >
wrote:

>"D H" > wrote in message
>news:1068834242.111464@rh9cache2...
>> "S.B." > wrote in message ...
>>
>> > BTW - Marzocchi Marathon (not the 2002 model), either S or SL.
>
>> I have the 2002 Marathon S. It's a great fork! And lighter than the
>2003
>> models. What's your beef with it?
>
>That it's not beef-Y enough? (arr-arr.)
>
>I have the '02 Marathon S, too, but I use V-brakes. Chris at Speedgoat
>suggested that the '03 was a better choice for disk brakes, as it was
>stiffer than the 2002 model. Having never owned/used disks, don't really
>know if difference would be discernable...
>
I hear mechanical disks are only as good as v brakes, if you are
riding in dry conditions. Hydraulics are supposed to be better though.
>Bill "just BS-in' about SB's meaning" S.
>

[Michael Dart]

"D H" > wrote in message
news:1069030950.492107@rh9cache2...
> "Michael Dart" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > You'll know when you release the pressure from the negative cartridge
and
> it
> > spews fork oil all over and it runs down the fork leg into your disc
> > caliper. :^( The cartridge maintenance isn't that bad.
>
> Man, I hope I don't get to learn that! I don't want to learn that!!!
> Glad to hear the fix isn't bad, though. I haven't had to touch the
fork
> other than air setup and spraying stanchions with silicone before every
> other ride or so to keep it buttery smooth.
> I have my old SID XC still waiting for me to tear it down and replace
> the O-rings and oil, so I hope I get the gumption to learn that first. I'm
> hoping I can get away with a couple years of use on the Marathon before
I'm
> forced to tear into it, but that might be too optimistic. I better get the
> SID ready sometime this winter so that at least I won't be left forkless
if
> the Marathon gives any trouble.
> --

It's really not that big a deal. Just keep a rag ready to catch any oil
that may come out. There is only an ounce of oil in that leg for
lubrication, but it'll ruin a set of brake pads if you get it on them. But
you can still ride the fork after you put air back in. It only took me a
couple hours/beers one evening to do maintenance on it. I put a rigid fork
on my hardtail rather than ride that SID again.

Mike

[Jonesy]

Arpit > wrote in message >...
> On Fri, 14 Nov 2003 20:35:07 GMT, "Sorni" >
> wrote:

> >I have the '02 Marathon S, too, but I use V-brakes. Chris at Speedgoat
> >suggested that the '03 was a better choice for disk brakes, as it was
> >stiffer than the 2002 model. Having never owned/used disks, don't really
> >know if difference would be discernable...
> >
>
> I hear mechanical disks are only as good as v brakes, if you are
> riding in dry conditions. Hydraulics are supposed to be better though.
>
You heard wrong, mech. disk vs. V-brakes. You're correct about hydraulics, however.
--
Jonesy