No other affordable fork series defies expectation as the MX Comp ETA and MX Pro ETA do - period! 

With all of the affordable forks out there today, it can be really confusing as to which way to go. New suspension gimmicks come in and out like fashion, as fork manufacturers tout their "latest and greatest." Not so with Marzocchi's MX series, which has remained largely unchanged for the past few years, which allows Marzocchi the opportunity to take a proven design and through constant updates cause it to evolve into a MTB suspension icon. The MX forks prove that suspension and wine share a wonderful relationship with time.

The constants of the MX series through the years have been the look and feel. Each year Marzocchi brings changes to the chassis, fine tuning the arch, lower legs and the crown, but these are sublte and may be difficult to notice. The same is true of the SSV (Speed Sensitive Valve) damping system, but again it is the subtle improvements of one design over another that makes all  the difference. Over years of constant, persistent and intentional tweaks to a nicely performing design the MX forks certainly have evolved and grown into their own.

 Relatively speaking, the MX series now shares its body design and construction with that of the more expensive performance-minded Marathon forks, with some minor exceptions to detail. For 30mm stanchioned forks, this fork series is quite robust and somewhat immune to the abuses of heavier and more aggressive riders. Marzocchi isn't exactly the "pretty boy" brand, rather iut carries the hard core  manifesto that no matter where the price point is, a product must hold its own and have exceptional durability. Marzocchi keeps quality of construction and udrability at pretty much every level of price point, mainly adding features and more tuneable, higher performing damping cartridges as you climb the price scale - but durability remains a constant throughout (excluding low end OE forks).

One of my personal favorite aspects of the MX series is the SSV damping system. My very first Marzocchi was the MX Pro ETA 105mm, which I purchased mainly based upon reputation and price point. Up until then, I had owned forks considerably more expensive and therefore owned up to the idea that I had "settled" for the MX Pro ETA for lack of funds and considering the possibility that after having been rather moderately impressed with the performance of other forks I might not be compromising too much. At first, I found that the fork was not so plush as the others I had previously and therefore resolved that I had yet made a pretty decent decision. Then about on the 12th ride or so, my MX Pro ETA really opened up to me and just about stopped me in my tracks as I actually became aware for the first time how well a fork could perform. I remember it as clear as day, raging down the Louge in So-Cal and thinking in mid -stroke as it were "Wow, this fork is so incredibly reactive. It's tracking so impressively that I think I'll push it a little more." Well I did push it more, and it just kept my tire glued to the ground in a manner I had not experienced anything close to before.

It was then that I came to realize the genuine value of a properly tuned SSV cartridge. I also came to realize the benefits of Marzocchi's super plush open bath oil system, which I discovered takes a little bit of break in before it amazes you. With a Marzocchi hybrid fork, you get all of the benefits of an air fork in terms of adjustability, but then you get the added bonus of a coil feel which an air fork simply cannot match - plus the ingenious ETA lock-down feature for climbs! Sure, on a spec sheet other forks may look a little more attractive, but none in the price class are nearly so appetizing enthusiasm. If you're going to choose parts based upon weight alone, then you're missing the boat - a really nicely performing one at that.

 That's my word on the MX series - get Marzocchi . . . instead of disappointement.