The Z1 is more than a match for many higher-priced forks from other manufacturers though. It’s heavier and a bit more expensive too. It’s appreciably more forgiving on square-edge impacts and heavy landings than the similarly-priced RockShox Yari, but it’s not as supple off the top and requires a touch more care when skimming through pitter-patter roots or loose rocks. It’s not quite as supple over high-frequency chatter either, but the difference is subtle considering the £390 price difference, even if the setup I used to get the two forks working at their best is quite different. Unsurprisingly, the Z1 is noticeably less refined than its pricier sibling the Fox 36 GRIP2, and more readily ploughs through the middle of its travel until those volume spacers come into play near the end. How does the Marzocchi Bomber Z1 compare to its main rivals? The stiff chassis tracks well when pushed hard into blown-out berms and big holes too. So, hand pain was impressively manageable on long descents, particularly those with lots of square-edge hits. The flip side is that it sucks up medium-large impacts brilliantly, with very little feedback through the bars. Air Shaft Assy, FLOAT 34 27.5 140, Rhythm. Our bombproof designs ensure youre on the trail while others are stuck at home waiting for their parts to get serviced. Marzocchi shocks and forks keep you riding longer with minimal maintenance. With three volume spacers fitted, it rarely bottomed-out as the spring force ramps up towards the end.īut it still lacks mid-stroke support compared to the best forks I tested, so it rushes through the middle of its travel until it hits that ramp-up in spring force near the end.Īs a consequence, it’s not as reserved in how it uses the middle part of its travel than some of its rivals, particularly when stabbing on the brakes or riding through steep steps, where it sits noticeably lower. 2002-017 32 Damper-side and ALL 32-34-36-40 Spring-side Removal Tool. With this lower-pressure setup, the beginning-stroke sensitivity, which greatly affects flat-turn traction, was respectable but not class-leading. The Z1’s smaller negative spring means that with the recommended air pressure it was relatively reluctant to settle into its early travel yet pushed through its remaining travel easily.Īdding a third spacer (it comes fitted with two) and reducing the air pressure by 5psi to 75psi provided me with 31mm (19 percent) of sag and just enough bottom-out resistance. I love the fork, but it's not quite as plush as I would like it to be.The Marzocchi’s GRIP damper has a continuous range from open to a firm lockout. Mine was using a paltry 3" of the 6" of travel. I was riding with a friend of mine who has a 4" travel Bomber fork and he was getting all his suspension. At that low of pressure, I'd assume I'd be blowing through the travel, but it isn't. I've got it set at somewhere around 10 psi (I'm not sure since the gauge on the shock pump isn't meant to measure that low of pressures) or 2 pumps from empty. That said, I'm a bit concerned about the lack of travel coming from my Z150. My rides are so few and far between that I don't take time to re-adjust things and try something different. On top of that, I haven't had much extra time to tweak the fork. I've only gotten about 10 good rides on it. So, I've been pretty busy this summer (I got married in August) and haven't ridden my Z150 as much as I would've liked to.