The Marzocchi Bomber Z2, Bomber Z1, . Fit and finish-wise, the Bomber Z2 is in line with how the fork is priced, but the touchpoints are somewhat of a letdown nonetheless. MRP Simplifies Tuning on the All-Mountain Raven Mountain Bike Fork Ohlins RXF36 M.2 Coil Fork: Performance Comes with Patience [Review]. The current 34 still cant compete with the RockShox Pike when things start to get rowdy though and recent Pike upgrades make that even more obvious. Thanks! It's got lots of support for pedaling and cornering, and it never goes all the way to the O-ring unless you make a hugemistake. It will be stiffer than the 34 because it has a slightly different chassis, and some say the damper is better too. Cheaper, tighter seals mean its not as sensitive off the top as Fox step-siblings either. If you know any really good full sus under like 1.6k please let me know cause you seem to know alot abt bikes. Given the very linear feel we took off the top cap expecting to find no volume spacers but it actually comes with two pre-fitted (plus two in the box). All four are proven contenders, but the fact that two of them are not technically for sale illustrates the depth of the void in this essential market. That means fewer clicky dials, but all the on-trail performance of a stiff chassis and butter-smooth damper, from top to bottom. The one-size-fits-all lowers take a 27.5 x 2.8-inch or 29 x 2.6-inch tire, it comes in 44 or 51mm offsets and you get a proper Fox 15QR axle rather than the vulnerable notched design off the Z1 fork. Anyone who wants near top-shelf performance, a manageable price, a simple design that won't require a ton of specialty tools to service and won't notice a few extra grams should get along very well with the Bomber Z2. Performance forks are the most confusing in the Fox range. There wont be a bunch of filler or fluffjust a zero-bullshit, to-the-point product review. Simple rebound adjustment for the set-and-forget rider. Its capable, stiff, offers good service interval times and a genuinely pleasing price tag. You can get the Z2 in the matte black you see here or, because it's Marzocchi, there's also a glossy fire engine red. They were zero-bullshit and to-the-point. 18.00 inc VAT. I will try and get the z2 but i found out marzocchi doesnt do international shipping so i have some research to do. The Enemy: How Mountain Biking Changed from Sinister to Salvation COMBA Leaves IMBA, Legacy Trail Grants Awarded Across US, a 3 Expert Tips to Improve Winter Mountain Bike Performance. The topic 'Marzocchi Z2 vs Rockshox 35 Gold' is closed to new replies. The Z2 nearly matches the performance of forks that cost hundreds more by getting rid of aesthetic frills and making the fork simpler. from 305.00 inc VAT. That being said, these products have a lifetime and will deteriorate over time and may require service to maximize its performance and functionality. After a few years on the rocks, Italian suspension brand Marzocchi has been clawing its way back into the suspension market. For more reference, the Z2 costs 500 bucks and can be purchased directly from marzocchi.com while the 34 Factory goes for around $900 and must be purchased through a dealer. Under braking or hard cornering, the Z2 leaves other 34 and 35mm stanchion forks found wanting. Pricing is still slightly higher than the RockShox Lyrik but both forks feeling similarly superb on the trail. In reality, the new Z2 is essentially a shrunken-down Z1. Press J to jump to the feed. Company Boo-hoo. The Revelation, however, beats the Rhythm, with equal suppleness everywhere else and a lower asking price (if you can manage to find one on the interweb). Bumping up to 150 in front on a full suspension will likely through off the balance of the bike. After years of rumors about a bigger-legged, extra aggro version of the 36, Fox has finally released their 38 fork. The pistons sit directly against the stanchion rather than in a separate cartridge for a simple but very effective design. From what I can tell, the Bomber Z1 is just a rebranded Fox 36 Rhythm with a slightly reshaped arch. With less moving parts, the RAIL damper is simpler to manufacture, and the split layout means theres also no need to bleed the damper during servicing. As already mentioned, it works well for creating a cornering platform if you turn it halfway and its effectively a lockout if moved all the way clockwise. 43.95 inc VAT. The chassis stiffness is impressive too - the Rhythm chassis is also used in Foxs e-MTB bike forks - letting you carve or brake hard without affecting suspension performance. Simple as that. That price puts it a fair whack cheaper than a Fox 34 Performance Elite Series fork ($1,189), and it also undercuts the RockShox Revelation RC ($999). Your Marzocchi Warranty Technician will evaluate the failed product and consider factors such as age, riding hours, intended use of product and use environment when determining a warranty claim. Great news then that the structural topend-plus seals, air-spring and volume spacers of the Z2 are the same as the Rhythm. There arent any indicators, so riders will have to remember where they like their settings, but its not hard. They reset the benchmark again with the hard-hitting, hench-legged 36 and then went on to reset stiffness standards in DH racing with the 40. At 2.8kg (6.2lb) even in 27.5-inch, it is relatively weighty and the price is very high as theres no economy option unless you shift onto Marzocchi branding with the Bomber 58. Because this is a Marzocchi Bomber. Its not pretending to be a fork for serial suspension tweakers or gram counters. Is it just the charger vs rail damper? Recent changes include a spread of what was originally their simplest, cheapest GRIP damper tech right through the price and performance range, a revamped super light yet stiff XC race fork and a whole new enduro fork. Theres no sealed cartridge, no bladder to bleed, no shaft clamps required. Nice review! Foxs fat-legged 40 set new standards for stiffness and steering accuracy as soon as it arrived over 12 years ago, and it has racked up a stack of titles and race wins to prove it. The Bomber Z2 revives this purist mindset with a smooth and plush mountain bike fork thats ready to ride out of the box. Fits Fox 34 Rhythm & Marzocchi Bomber Z2 forks. VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. I have ridden a Fox 34 with a Fit 4 damper and a Pike Select, . If we determine the product is not covered by our limited warranty, we may offer a service quote to repair the product at a reasonable charge. The review youre about to read will be simple and straightforward. More MTB products should be like this. We reviewed the Marzocchi Bomber Z1 earlier this year and, while it was a decent enough fork (scoring 8/10), it felt like it was something of a missed opportunity. But Im skipping all that this time. It seems fitting that Fox chooses to list price but not weight for the Bombers, and weight but not price on for the Fox Factory forks. A forum community dedicated to Mountain Bike owners and enthusiasts. The Super Deluxe would trade blows with and generally outperform a Marzocchi Bomber CR, but $400 is a lot to spend for a climb switch. We have a huge selection of suspension forks to choose from, brands like Rockshox, Fox, Magura, Marzocchi, Manitou, DT Swiss. Marzocchi Bomber Z2 is a low maintenance, high durability mountain bike fork for trail riders. About Us | Due to upgrades on another bike, I have a Marzocchi Bomber Z2 and a Fox 34 Rhythm, and I'm trying to determine which figure out the functional difference between them, since the Z2 appears to be based off of the same chassis. Most of the remaining ten percent get their suspension and tuning for free. Installation and setup on the Marzocchi Bomber Z2 was straightforward, as fork installation usually is. Service intervals are also extended considerably as the damping oil acts as a seal lubricant, too. When Fox bought the Marzocchi brand in 2015 there was a hope theyd revive the open bath damper, sloshing oil forks of the Italian firms glory days. Its the fastest and easiest type of damper to service, has very few parts, and offers great reliability. One thing to note - the 29" 150mm model I tested is an OEM fork only. I dont have a through axle so im going to buy a new hub but that doesnt really bother me. Quality>quantity for overall ride feel. Please, It appears you're using an old version of Internet Explorer which is, tested out and reviewed the 2019 Bomber Z1 last year, 34mm diameter butted & anodised 6000-series alloy stanchions, 100, 120, 130, 140 & 150mm travel options, Adjustments: Air pressure, air volume, rebound, low-speed compression & lockout. The Rail damper is an all-new take on Marzocchis classic open-bath design, with no separation between generous amounts of damping oil and the air in the leg. 28.00 inc VAT. Rather than chunky 36mm stanchions and 130-180mm of travel, the Z2 sizes down to 34mm stanchions and 100-150mm of travel. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. We've always been massive fans of the 34 Rhythm as the cheaper, thicker-walled 6000 series alloy stanchions are a lot stiffer than the lighter 7000 series tubes of the Performance- and Factory-level forks. Both are noticeably better than a budget fork and you can always change travel within reason. The Marzocchi Bomber Z2 exceeded my expectations for a $500 fork. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/27-5-full-suspension-mountain-bike-st-540-s-blue-orange/_/R-p-301117. Marzocchi followed the Z1 fork with a Bomber CR coil rear shock, another affordable, bomb-proof suspension option, although this time, it was basically a re-branded Fox Van RC shock. Featherlight Fun on the Rigid Enve Mountain Fork [Review]. Ive got 120mm up front so the fox would be the same. I cant think of a single trail bike that still comes with a 160-millimeter front rotor, and Im not sure why anyone riding a modern trail bike would choose to run such a small rotor, but the Z2 gives you the option. Without a discount, I would not even think about it and grab a z2. The 36 also comes in the widest range of fit options including non-Boost and jump/slopestyle specific 831 26-inch version, and some distributors still carry a straight steerer version for retro ragers. Rim Brakes/disc Mount Too C $412.20 C $34.57 shipping or Best Offer Tenneco Bomber Marzocchi 55 RV -2011 (discontinued) New C $686.96 or Best Offer I have soft fat rubber tyres on wide rims for that. New Z2 Lower Chassis comes without foam rings under dust wipers. 160mm rather than 180mm rotor mounts are an odd choice for a hard-riding fork that can easily handle bigger MTB discs. Im not sure what to do. Includes brand new seals pre-installed, plus a new foot nut and crush washer. In his review, Mick offered up this concise but accurate evaluation; the Bomber is a great fork, hands down. It also probably helped that the Z1 looked absolutely grouse with those dashing red lowers. Best Bike Trails | The square crown will hit the down tube on a lot of gravel bikes if you turn it 90 degrees, and most gravel wheel hubs are 12mm axle, not 15mm. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Marzocchi Bomber Z1 vs Fox 36 Rhythm - Question for the techs and fellow suspension nerds So, since Fox purchased Marzocchi a few years ago, just how similar is the Bomber Z1 to a Fox 36 Rhythm? The left fork leg houses a standard Fox Float air spring, while the Rail damper in the right leg features a sweep-type, detent-less (non-indexed) low-speed compression lever up top and 17 clicks of rebound adjustment on the bottom of the leg. Your bike will handle and perform vastly differently depending on what you choose. Well be riding the 2020 Marzocchi Bomber Z2 fork over the coming months to see how its performance compares to the Fox 34, and to find out just how the new RAIL damper will fare in the long run. Marzocchi Z2 is slightly heavier but stiffer and cheaper than the Performance version, Excellent accurate, reasonably light chassis in loads of formats, Now backed up with equally excellent GRIP2 or FIT4 dampers, Marzocchi Z1 provides a Rhythm level equivalent, Even stiffer big hit single crown performance with Foxs excellent damping tech, Extremely precise line and damping control, Very expensive and no Fox budget options, just Marzocchi, Fox derived GRIP damper and EVOL air spring guts for smooth big hit control, Less mid stroke support than lighter, cheaper RockShox Yari, Fit and forget forks with impressively long service intervals, Predictably controlled, fit and forget suspension action, Stiff structure gives accurate steering without flutter and binding, Relatively heavy and not as supple as Fox, Compression damping needs situation specific use, A bargain for 27.5" wheeled DH racing or bike park use, Nice to see brands offer a dirt jump fork. The Z2 goes full throwback by using an open-bath damper. Rides: Pace RC295, Cotic FlareMax, Specialized Chisel, Vielo V+1 gravel bike, Nicolai FS Enduro, Landescape custom gravel tandem. And maybe not for the better. The Factory 34 SC comes in 27.5 or 29-inch wheel formats with two color options and either two-position fork top damping or two-position remote control damping. Whereas the Z1 fork borrows the GRIP damper directly from Fox, the RAIL damper found inside the Z2 is unique to Marzocchi. The GRIP is still on the best "entry level" damper you can buy. The Marzocchi Bomber Z2 fits squarely in the trail bike category, whereas the Z1 takes on enduro and freeriders alike. The efficiency is that we designed the fork so we can use less ofthem. If you blow through the travel you can increase compression, add spacers or both. Nuff said. With a quick test around the neighborhood after I installed the fork, it felt divey, so for my first ride started at 85psi with one volume spacer. After every ride. Thank you for signing up. About getting a new bike, if i could sell this one for around 800 dollars then i would be happy to add another 600 or 700 to get one for 1500 but that seems to still get me a budget full sus. The fork should not be used if any of the exterior parts appear to be damaged. 74.95 inc VAT. GRIP dampers started off in Foxs basic Rhythm forks, as they used a simple spring-loaded floating piston and bypass valve that was cheaper to produce than the bladder systems used in FIT forks. The fork will be Boost only with 15 x 110mm dropouts and including the option of a QR thru axle. However, Fox says that the construction of the Rail damper is actually pretty similar in construction to the Grip damper. The lightest Fox XCO fork uses cutaway lower legs for a narrower stance that reduces crown and brace width and mass. Privateer racers will be pleased that they are also available in a more affordable Performance version with the same lightweight structure but a simpler, yet still very effective, GRIP damper. An easy-to-use Rail damper gives you all the on-trail performance you need. That price puts it a fair whack cheaper than a Fox 34 Performance Elite Series fork ($1,189), and it also undercuts the RockShox Revelation RC ($999). Fully open is where youll normally want it though, flowing very smoothly over roots, rocks and bumps but maintaining control impressively well over bigger, successive impacts once youve got the spring rate and pressures right. BOMBER Z1 Coil. The tuning took a little while to dial in though. For reference, claimed weight for a Fox 34 Factory (29er, 130 millimeters) is 1,790 grams. Marzocchi Bomber Z2 at Chain Reaction Cycles for 420.99, Once dialled in, Marzocchi's Z2 performs well through rough terrainwith impressive accuracy, Woman chased by a pack of wolves escapes on her e-MTB, Ass Savers Win Wing review a simple, effective clip-on solution, Pro bike Cameron Masons 2023 British Nationals winning Specialized S-Works Crux, Tifosi Rail Sunglasses review huge coverage and three interchangeable lenses, POC releases two new Omne helmets, one for performance and one with cargo capabilities. Id actually rather have a Bomber Z2 than a more expensive Fox 34 due to its stiffer construction and the knock-on effect this lack of flex has on the forks predictability and consistency. Indeed, Marzocchi says it would like to bring sexy simple back with the Z2, which is kind of what the brand is best known for. Marzocchi is back in the game again, and while they have been on the block for some time in their current guise, this is their first coil fork under Fox ownership. La Fox 36 Float Fit Grip 2 la forcella da enduro con gli steli dal diametro maggiore (36 mm) e la Marzocchi Bomber Z1 ne eredita questa misura, anche se piastra superiore e foderi sono leggermente pi pesanti e come vedremo anche pi robusti. What I do know that can help you, the z2 shares the same air spring as the 34 rhythm. FIT4 forks are also cheaper than GRIP2 forks. Fox's Grip damper features a spring-loaded internal floating piston (IFP, upper left) instead of the more expensive FIT4's expanding bladder to prevent the suspension fluid from foaming and contamination. Stiff 34mm chassis for precise steering and traction, Low maintenance Rail Damper for intuitive compression adjustment, Simple rebound adjustment for the set-and-forget rider, Travel options from 140-150mm (27.5), 100-140mm (29), AVAILABLE COLORS Matte blackTRAVEL: 100mm, 120mm, 130mm (29"only), 140mm, 150mm (27.5" only)WHEEL: 27.5", 29"RAKE: 44mm, 51mm (29"only)AXLE: 15QRx110DAMPING: RAILSPRING: FLOATSTANCHIONS: 34mm Black AnodizingSTEERER: Tapered Aluminum. Continual evolution means the latest Factory options come in FIT GRIP2 or FIT4 damper options with travel up to 180mm in 27.5-inch or 170mm in 29-inch. I smile every time I look at this fork. Looking to build on that momentum, Marzocchi has recently added another fork to its lineup for 2020; the brand new Bomber Z2. Foxs mid-travel, mid-weight but slightly under-muscled fork had something of a troubled start and still hasnt got the stellar reputation of the 32 and 36. 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