HYBRID FORKS 

By DSC definition, a “hybrid” fork is a fork that has one air leg and one coil leg. Having both provides an incredible advantage, and no other company knows how to fully benefit from this marriage than Marzocchi.

What’s Wrong With An Air Fork?

Nothing really. Air forks have come a really long way in terms of reliability and suspension performance, that part is obvious. You get infinite adjustability at a lighter weight than coil forks which is wonderful. However, there are some concerns that arise. Here are a few issues that arise with dual air forks:

• Air forks tend to have a linear spring rate, and therefore have a greater propensity to bottom out or just blow through too much travel
• In order to avoid bottoming out you must increase the overall air pressure in the main air canister, which adversely stiffens the whole fork, which alters the small bump or slow speed compression compliance (not true for  Marzocchi Doppio Air forks equipped with the PAR chamber though)
• With a more linear spring rate and despite the anti-compression pedal efficient platforms out there, air forks tend to experience more substantial brake dive on steeper descents
• While air forks are getting rather smooth and plush, still an attuned rider is left to realize that air forks are just not as smooth nor as plush, neither as subtle in their reactions as coils forks
• Air forks cannot come equipped with Marzocchi’s ETA system (which may or may not be a factor)

Pressurizing the main air chamber in a “hybrid” fork obviously effects how the fork will react in terms of overall stiffness or resistance to compression, but the coil spring is still is the overall determining factor for how the fork feels. Neither leg cancels the other leg out, but the coil does have a much stronger influence, allowing the fork to retain a coil-like feel.

Advantages of an air leg:

• Infinitely adjustable for weight and/or riding style
• No extra spring kits to purchase to adjust for compression
• Lighter leg means an overall lighter fork

Advantages of a coil leg:

• Coils feel better; warmer, livelier, more responsive, smoother--- shall I go on?
• Instead of changing out a coil leg, you can easily adjust the oil grade to lighter or heavier without changing springs
• Coils (with today’s technology) ramp up more effectively than air shocks for better bottoming resistance without sacrificing small bump/slow speed sensitivity
• Optional ETA feature for lock-downs on climbs
• Less worry and maintenance

This combination of feel and adjustability is absolutely unsurpassed.  But what about the SL models with Marzocchi’s Doppio Air system or a Fox Forx? Yes, of coarse they are lighter, in some cases as much as 1/2lb or more, but why compromise that extra magic in a “hybrid fork” only to loose a little weight with an air fork? From my perspective, you should choose the fork with the overall best performance, despite the spec sheets and that all adds up to a Marzocchi.