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Manitou Mastodon?

436K views 2K replies 286 participants last post by  Donkeeboy 
#1 ·
I've heard that Treks are being spec'd with this new fork from Manitou. Has anyone heard any details?
 
#230 ·
Minus one degree hta, 20mm increase bar height, minus one degree sta. If you are going from a 100mm fork to a 120mm, then double the effects.

Good time to be slack, most fat bikes are waaay to steep to start, so slacking things out is the right way to go.

Just ordered mine, Ext, 120mm, in purple! Bet you guys didn't see that coming ;)

According to my partner in crime, the eta is Friday and I got the last one from BTI in thst configuration.

Like hotcakes, I'm tellin' ya'!!
 
#242 ·
Are you guys sure that you can "stretch" the 100mm to 120? I only ask because I'm debating this now, and was under the assumption that the 120mm can be shrunk to 100mm, but not vice versa. Would make sense that it could go both ways though.

My beargrease is 68.4HTA, i wonder if a 120mm fork would make it too slack @ 67.4? Anyone have any input on when is "too slack" for a hardtail fatty? I ride aggressively and live in the rocky mountains.
 
#243 ·
Frustrated!!!



UGH!

I looked at the manual to change height and it does NOT appear that the 100mm can go UP to 120mm.

https://www.manitoumtb.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Mastodon-ProComp-Travel-Change-Guide.pdf

"Depending on the crown steerer assembly (CSA) your fork was built with you may have a few travel
change options. The 100 can convert down to 80mm by removing two of the 10mm spacers on the
rebound and compression rods. The 120mm can convert to 140mm. The 150 EXT is fixed at its travel.
EXAMPLE: The Mastodon Pro STD is set at 120 with three travel spacers. Removing one 10mm
spacer will set it at 130. Removing two 10mm will set the fork at 140mm as seen below. "

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot! :madmax::madmax::madmax::madmax:

I want 120mm travel!

Dougal, you sound like you know your stuff... kind of trusted you here..

But the manual seem to disagree with you....

Can somebody PLEASE confirm?

the 120mm is sold out at Universal... and I want that price on it.
 
#257 ·
Nice fork, really nice fork.

Easy set up, 180mm rotor, direct mount, Guides, perfect alignment, hard cutting steerer tube 7000 series yeah, easy set up.

Feels decent out of the box, EXT 120mm, I'm 200#, 90psi feels good. Very plush, rebound works, damping works, graduated lock really works.

Previous fork was a newer Bluto set at 100mm. New fork is 20mm more travel and 20mm more A-C. I thought I'd notice the ride height difference, but all I notice is the super cushy front and a way improved hta, now at ~67.5deg.

Clearance is tighter between the down tube and crown than with the Bluto, but I still have a good 10mm of clearance.

Gonna ride early tomorrow, so exciting, years of waiting for a decent fat bike fork, it's really about time.

Thanks Manitou!

View attachment 1135733
 
#287 ·
Has anyone opened one of these up yet to adjust travel?

My Pro Ext set at 100mm still has 1" of extra stanchion above at max travel. Per Mantitou's service manual, my fork should only be adjusted downward towards 80mm. But I'm trying to figure out why spacers couldn't be removed to give 120mm without increasing the ride height at all.
 
#288 ·
Has anyone opened one of these up yet to adjust travel?

My Pro Ext set at 100mm still has 1" of extra stanchion above at max travel. Per Mantitou's service manual, my fork should only be adjusted downward towards 80mm. But I'm trying to figure out why spacers couldn't be removed to give 120mm without increasing the ride height at all.
I haven't taken it apart yet, but the longer stancions( there is 2 different part numbers but niether say std or ext) and longer air spring in the extended is the reason. That extra inch is to keep a tall tire from hitting the crown.
I have the 120 and it has about 1 inch extra also
 
#314 ·
Edit: Deleted. This is stupid and not worth my time.

Stop using my name on a public forum Ben, no one knows who you're talking about. Don't patronize me. I'm a grown ass man that can afford to buy any fork that I want.

You don't know me, so don't pretend that you do.
You're not you when you're hungry.
You need a snickers.
Manitou doesn't include that either.
 
#317 ·
Okay, I'm gonna post a little review, mostly cuz I'm bored with nothing worthwhile to do ... van is getting serviced.

Bluto: Three different forks used on four fat bikes and a tandem fatty, 80, 100, 120. First edition through current edition, first one blew a damper, otherwise worked as advertised. For a "widened" Reba, the Bluto is functional, new damper works fine, flex and stiction are noticeable when pushed hard. It's a decent entry level fork, fine for lighter riders and recreational use.

Wren: Three forks, 150, 150, 110, used on a Mutz and a tandem fatty. First fork blew a damper, I replaced it , then later the steerer tube came loose in the crown, replacement fork worked fine. The Wren is a good idea that suffers from poor tolerances, lackluster damper design, and in my opionion it needs improved axle/dropout design to prevent torsion and asymmetrical leg movement. The Wren is burly, and though it's a bit "loose", it takes a beating and until recently it was the only choice for hard charging, long travel, and Clydes.

Mastodon: 120mm EXT, set at 120mm with factory set up, 60psi, mounted on a large Kona Wozo, wheels run to date 27.5 x 3.8 Minions and 29 x 3 Minions.

The Mastodon is a high end fork, so comparing it to a Bluto or a Wren is really not rational; a fair comparison would be a Fox 34 or a Pike. The Mastodon makes my Wozo ride like my Hendrix/Pike plus bike, stability, damping, responsiveness are comparable. I like my Pike, but the Mastodon feels a little smoother, like Mikesee said, the Mastodon disappears under you so you don't think about.

Im a huge gear fiddler, I tend to mess with fork set up during my first few rides. The Mastodon is the first fork I've ridden that I did not fiddle with until after multiple rides. Even now, all I've done is reduce pressure.

I have not messed with the damper side, but I have had the air side apart, very simple clip system (like Wren) that is an easy to use, no mess system, and requires minimal time and effort to adjust (like Pike).

My Wozo is designed to run an 80mm travel fork with a typical A-C, Bluto 100mm or similar, so I had some concerns about getting the Mastodon EXT 120mm fork with the added 20mm A-C on top of going up 20mm in travel. Put simply, it's not a problem.

I like slack, but fat hardtails are typically 69-70deg hta, so going from ~69.5 hta to a 67.5 hta was a positive change, bringing the bike alive both by improving tracking at speed, also increasing rideability in tech and off jumps. Think More Playful.

The Mastodon is stout, responsive, and well dampened.

I like it :)

Full disclosure: I have no ties to industry, I pay for all my gear, much to the disgust of my banker, the lovely and talented Mrs Nurse Ben.
 
#339 ·
Okay, I'm gonna post a little review, mostly cuz I'm bored with nothing worthwhile to do ... van is getting serviced.

Wren: Three forks, 150, 150, 110, used on a Mutz and a tandem fatty. First fork blew a damper, I replaced it , then later the steerer tube came loose in the crown, replacement fork worked fine. The Wren is a good idea that suffers from poor tolerances, lackluster damper design, and in my opinion it needs improved axle/dropout design to prevent torsion and asymmetrical leg movement. The Wren is burly, and though it's a bit "loose", it takes a beating and until recently it was the only choice for hard charging, long travel, and Clydes.
Your axle issues have been solved with a new bolt on rather than QR style. As you know the older problems were already corrected. The damper has also seen small changes that most people will never even realize.
 
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