Manitou Markhor Fork [Rider Review]

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for.

Whether you are riding a full suspension or tail mountain bike upgrading the fork can have make a big difference in performance. Having a "modern" suspension can enhance grip on the trail second only to tire choice. Our friend David shares his thoughts on the Manitou Markhor fork. Check it out!

Overview

We are in the middle of a pandemic, and my only escape from anxiety is on two wheels. Unfortunately, my mountain bike is 15 years old, and new bikes simply aren’t available. What to do? My bike has a 1 1/8 head tube, and the last time I rode with any suspension was during the heyday of open bath coil designs. I hate to admit it, but the mountain bike industry left me behind with new technology and industry standards. I began doing what I always do, scour the used market for a secondhand suspension fork to put on the steel steed. During the search, I came across a helpful fork upgrade video from Worldwide Cyclery (WC). I buy a lot from WC because I live in the middle of nowhere, and they are always quick to ship and support. This video introduced me to the Manitou fork line. While today’s market seems dominated by two brands, Manitou is familiar from my golden years of mountain biking. The Manitou Markhor fork caught my attention; it seemed designed specifically for people like me.

Manitou makes this fork for all common wheel sizes, even 26. The Markhor has an aluminum steerer tube, and stanchions, which keeps the overall fork weight down. WC only had a few left in stock, so I took a leap of faith and purchased one. Installation was a breeze, but when it came to set up, I needed help. The fork doesn’t come with any setup instructions, other than the pressure chart on the back of the left fork leg. This is my first air spring suspension fork, and I really didn’t know what I wanted. I am used to a rigid fork in technical trails, but there is enough elevation where I live to want a plush setup for the downhills. I reached out to the support staff at WC, and they were quick to respond and help. They gave me both an understanding of how the fork internals worked, and some pointers on setting up the pressure, rebound, and compression lockout. Their guidance helped me the sweet spot with this fork.

This fork has enough adjustability in the compression that I can run firm when technical or climbing, and can open up the plushness when letting the bike fly on the downhills and fire roads.

The fork feels very light on the front end, which helps my confidence maneuvering over longs, rocks, etc. In a nutshell, this fork has brought new life to an old bike. It was made to fit older frames, but not alter their geometry. The only downside in my opinion was the lack of support information from Manitou. The fork comes with nothing, and I couldn’t find much on the Manitou website for the Markhor.

Final Thoughts

Worldwide Cyclery really stepped up to fill this void. In a world dominated by expensive carbon full suspension bikes, I was impressed with WC’s eagerness to help me out; the guy trying to keep a 15-year-old bike running smooth. Bottom line, the Manitou Markhor is a great fork for an older bike, and Worldwide Cyclery is the only place I would buy it from.