Suspension forks, your views/experience please

[Mike Muz]

Happy Sunday folks,

I would like your opinions on some forks. I'll be setting up a nice steel hardtail soon, I have a choice of RockShox SID or Manitou Mars. Both from the same around 1998 - 2000 ish era
I ride xc so I don't want to ride over cars, just get from a to b quickly, even though I don't actually race.
So, which would you choose for ride quality, ease of maintenance etc given that?

Ta,

Muz

 

[mk one]

The SIDs are nice working forks, though I have always found them noodley, lots of flex.

Only ridden Manitou a few times, a bit more basic in use from memory.

 

[Markybeau]

I've ridden Manitou Mars for a couple of years in the past. Nice fork, quite plush. They tracked well and didn't flex much but I'm quite small and light. Popped a seal quite easily and it damaged a stanchion. I do XC riding, no jumps or silly nonsense.

 

[Cloverleaf]

Manitous from that era were in my experience were better made, stiffer like for like, had a much better damper and were generally a higher quality product. However, both are now impossible to get things like wiper seals for so I'd choose based on condition (inside and out). If the Mars is a non-air version (I think they did one?) then the elastomers are likely dead although only half the stack is elastomer and it should be easy enough to replace it with a full spring taken from another fork.

 

[ishaw]

I think sids were a bit flexy, if go for the mars. Are they the carbon bridge version. Always liked the look of them, no experience myself of them though.

 

[PanoIgano]

I would be interested to know more about the difference between these two forks too as I was thinking to fit a sid on one of my bikes for the same reason like Mike.

 

[clubby]

Had SID’s back then and they were pretty flexy fore and aft. You could feel it under heavy braking. OK laterally and steered well for an XC fork. There was a known bushing issue around that time, mine were replaced at their first service. Probably no way of knowing if yours have been done though.

 

[PanoIgano]

Thankfully I came across this thread just before making a ‘99 Sid purchase.

Now my question is: aside from Manitou Mars and Sid what are other v break compatible forks that fare better from early 2000s?

Any help would be much appreciated!

 

[Markybeau]

Magura Rond Quake Air

 

[novocaine]

Marzocchi Z2,3,4,5 flylight.