Our Take on goodies we work with daily.
Fox entered the MTB world in 2003, from their long-established record in the off-road vehicle market. They have been a bench mark for all others, but not without their teething problems as they grew alongside the exploding MTB market of the mid-2000’s. When the updated 36 forks came out in late 2014, it was a “game changer” for the expanding Enduro riding segment. Since then, Fox has consistently been the go-to product for OEM spec and aftermarket for forks, shocks and dropper posts.
Fox is consistently a top performer and they offer virtually every small replacement part – no throwing out perfectly good suspension due to one missing part. The availability of these parts enables us to custom tune dampers in forks and shocks using OEM quality parts, we can get every shim and o-ring they produce! Cool!
The cross-compatibility of products allows us to swap out parts and update some older equipment. While they have some lesser expensive goods, they are not in the least bit “cheap” as shown with the new Marzocchi line up, which Fox owns and produces at lower costs without compromising performance or durability. Fox’s customer service is second to none for us. They bend over backwards to help out, and that helps us help you. This is a major factor in why we recommend Fox products.
Since the invention of the RS1 fork by Paul Turner in 1989, Rock Shox has seen plenty of ups and downs but the introduction of the updated Pike fork in 2014 really turned them around and stamped their place on the suspension map once again. With Fox catering to the high-end market in the early days, Rock Shox garnered a larger OEM spec on bikes with its big race history winning world cups in many disciplines over the decades. While Rock Shox has produced some iffy products in the past, their broad range spec kept them on top.
The 2014 Pike was strong, light enough, had a great supported ride feel and offered lots of spec options that set it apart. Today, Rock Shox has a huge range of top-notch equipment in both aftermarket and OEM with a variety of price options. You’ve come a long way baby!
Rock Shox produces a broad range of products to accommodate the OEM market, both in high and low end. Their range of products allows us to replace shocks and forks on older bikes without spending big dollars. Rock Shox has a well supported parts inventory, while not quite as detailed as Fox, it’s much better than the old days! Rock Shox now makes it easier to update some older products to match the current iteration and improve its performance at a low cost. While the Rock Shox vs Fox debate will always go on, we have little to complain about with today’s line-up.
We like the ability to tune the Fox dampers a little easier, but we find the Rock Shox forks to be a tad more structurally stiffer when comparing similar equipment. All such good stuff!
A major innovative invention of Paul Turner after selling Rock Shox. Paul’s first frame and integrated rear shock appeared in 1999, the venerable ML7 (meaning its 7th iteration) and the DUC32 fork in 2003.
The Monlink design (ML of ML7 etc), which shared some similarities with the GT I-Drive of the early 2000’s, was one of the most efficient fully suspended bicycle designs of its time. Light, simple, attention to axle path, low chain torque and just plain unique made It special.
The DUC32 was a revolutionary approach to front suspension that still rivals forks today. At 150mm (26” wheel) its inverted design had class leading fore/aft stiffness where it mattered most and it was the lightest weight in its travel class.
As a former Maverick employee, rider, designer, hack engineer and customer service rep, I still have fond memories of the Monolink/DUC32 ride. I’m continuously amazed at the amount of Maverick aficionado’s that keep thriving on and loving their equipment! They come thru the door for maintenance and upgrades on a weekly basis. We don’t see many other suspension brands that are 10 to 20+ years old that people want to keep running, and that says something.
The Maverick Bike name is slowly fading as the younger generations are born into the current amazing crop of bikes today but we’re here to keep Mavericks running as long as we can. We continue to make some replacement parts for Mavericks so let us know what you have and we can probably help breathe some life back into your old steed.
16948 South Golden Road, Unit B
Golden, Colorado 80401