In the realm of longer travel 29″er suspension forks, Manitou made their DH fork named the Dorado available in a travel reduced form for 29″ers in 2009. Now with the introduction of the 2010 Dorado, the fork has been made available in 29″er form again with the upgrades that the 26″er version also gets. Here is the Manitou press release with all the details:
The Hayes Bicycle Group is pleased to announce the official release of the 2010 Manitou Dorado Pro.
The Dorado Pro features 7050 aluminum legs and utilizes the same premium internals as the Dorado MRD carbon version. With premium durability, the Dorado Pro maintains its World Cup DH race pedigree. However, it’s not a typical DH race fork anymore. With the added strength of the 7050 aluminum legs, it becomes a very capable park, free-ride and big mountain fork. Along with proven TPC+ damping, the fork has plush top-out coupled with a unique hydraulic bottoming ramp-up that makes the fork feel bottomless.
Updates for 2010 include an improved two-chamber, large-volume, low-pressure air spring which simplifies set-up and optimizes fork performance. The air spring pressure is now tuned by using a single valve at the top of the fork eliminating the second valve at the bottom of the leg. The pressure in the two chambers auto-equalizes when a shock pump is connected offering ease of set up by adding and/or bleeding off air from the top. Also, all mount hardware features high grade bolts with deep hex broaches offering an improved tool inter-face, and the brake line guide has been improved for optimum routing.
Spec:
Weight: 6.55lbs
Travel: 180mm/203mm for 26”
175mm for 29”
Chassis: Alloy Legs & Crown
Spring: Dual Air Chamber
Damper: TPC+
Hub: 20mm Hex Lock
The 2010 Dorado Pro was designed and tested in California and North Vancouver and is handmade in our Milwaukee, Wisconsin, facility. The Hayes Bicycle Group will continue to offer a one-year service program which allows riders to return their fork for factory service and inspection at no charge (specific rules apply to factory service). All race support at the HBG race truck will remain free of charge as we continue to support race teams, free riders and privateers. MSRP for the Dorado Pro in 26” is $1,749 and $1,799 for the 29er version. For more Manitou suspension fork information, see their site here.
That is a pretty big fork, wonder if they could knock it down to say 120-130mm
Reducing the travel would be like sleeping with your sister; it sounds nice but is really the worst idea ever. The Minute comes in 120 and so does the Reba, both available with a thru-axle, so why sleep with your sister, when other girls are available.
Cool. I have zero interest or use in a fork like this, but I like how they paid attention to some details, like deeper hex broaches. Brilliant! A DH 29er makes sense to me.
That is a big ol’ tall fork and ChiefRock, thats an interesting analogy.
Its a disturbing analogy.
29er version gets a $50 premium tacked on? Sounds like a ‘just because we can’ tax.
Still, this fork should open up the realm of DH for frame manufacturers. Maybe a Boxxer will follow.
The 29er version does have more material than the 26, and I’d imagine it takes a bit longer to produce (machining and what not). Besides, at that price, what’s $50?
How much would a 29er DH bike weigh with this 6 pound fork on it?
Possibly lighter than some 26inch DH rigs? Just curious …
Is there even a frame to put this on yet? Kinds seems a chicken and the egg scenario.
@dman: Lenz Lunchbox 7″ travel rig and the PBJ Lenz, (which is a true DH 29″er) the W.F.O.9 Niner Bikes rig, shown last year with a Dorado, by the way, and Intense has the DH proto which looks to be a strong possibility for production.
The 29er version doesn’t have more material than the 26er version. All they’re done is restrict how far the sliders compress into the uppers with a spacer so that the tire doesn’t hit the lower crown at full compression. It’s still just the plain old Dorado. Same thing with the Maveric DUC32. The “29er version” is simply the 26er version with 1.5 inches less travel because a spacer was put inside to limit compression and rob the rider of travel.
Inverted air forks are the simplest forks for manufacturers to produce 29er versions of. They just require a plastic spacer to shorten up the travel. They don’t have to make a new, taller lower casting or change any of the internals and if nobody buys them, they can sell them as 26er forks. It’s risk-free. True commitment to 29ers by a fork maker would be the development of a 140 or 150mm trailbike fork designed for 29er geometry. Marzocchi has done this but their air forks have never really hit the ball out of the park. A Fox 36 seems the most likely candidate because once we get into the 5-6″ range, 32mm stanchions will make for pretty noodly forks. Come on, Fox! Surprise us with a fork that will play well with the Tracer 29!
Now then, are there any 29er DH bikes out there with 7″ rear travel?
@Adam: The aforementioned Lenz PBJ or LT Lunchbox. 😉
Thanks for the info Adam, I didn’t know that.
But I stand by my statement. The spacer is, technically, more material 😉
I just checked out the Lenz PBJ – that looks cool. Is anyone out there riding the PBJ or the Niner? I’d be interested in how these handle. These would be cool bikes to get when I win the lottery 🙂
Hey Everyone,
I received this update/comment from Rich at Manitou today. Here’s his comments:
“First off, I’d like to say hello I’m a 29er type of guy that has a good bit to say about this topic. I’d like to say I bring some level authenticity to this discussion. Forgive the grammar, I’m a bike guy with a degree but not in the language arts.
Product development: Means co-development, its part of leaning forward, in this case we were approached by numerous frame designers including Jeff at Intense. We were able to react quickly with a fork and a DH 29er wheel set. Tires and tubes are catching up but still a limiting factor.
Concept: Think of it as a rough sketch, you don’t have to look at it or judge it, nobody is making you ride it either… This type of dialogue is good, it brings attention to the idea and people start thinking about it.. Trust me, I know there is World Cup downhiller’s looking for an advantage on certain courses and if this concept give them an advantage they’ll be riding it in the up coming WC season.
Tooling/adapting: The Dorado is an inverted fork, there’s no arch so Manitou can use the same fork chassis for 26 and/or 29er. RS of Fox would have to retool the lower casting and/or modified an existing tool. There’s a lot of money and time involved so they won’t be on this till one of the big three tells them it’s getting hot. Manitou is owned by HBG and has the ability to react to demands from the likes of Intense, Lens and Niner… One of the big three is working/testing a 29er DH bike as we speak, with a Dorado Pro 29er so it may be coming to a showroom near you.
Technical: The 29er Dorado has the same ride height as the 26 Dorado, the bottom out spacer length was increased, dropping the over all travel to 175mm. The air spring was retuned to give the same bottom out force as the 26” version, and the hydraulic bottom-out piston was moved to engage earlier to compensate for reduced travel. Internal parts have been changed to accommodate the above listed modifications.
Time=$: The 29er Pro, you pay for the added design and testing of the project and the part changes/modification. Although, the 29er is a production fork with its own graphic package orders for the year will be under 20 so amortization isn’t much of a factor, someone has to pay for time to develop the fork.
Vision: Having an adaptable product makes it easy we at Manitou could have turned away from these frames designer, instead we embraced it, developed it, made it, tested it, and delivered it in less than a few weeks. Also, we rolled a MTX Sun Rim in a 29er, laced it up to Ringle hubs and got Jeff rolling asap.
Soapbox: I’m fortunate to work with a bunch of guys that have the energy, desire, passion and ability to make these types of products happen. I hope you big wheel guys can see that importance of this because this very essential mindset that got big wheel bikes rolling in the first place.
Thanks,”
Rich Travis
Product Manager
Manitou Suspension Products
Rich – how about a 35-36mm stanchion 140-150mm travel 29’r fork??
Coming from White Brothers in perhaps ….fall-2010….They are reworking their lineup.
Fox is finally here with a 34mm stanchioned 29’er fork in 140mm. Debut at Sea Otter 2011.