Manitou Mattoc Expert trail fork

Our first sample of Manitou’s Mattoc fork really impressed us and took the value award last year but recent examples have suffered creeping travel and height loss.

The fork uses Manitou’s trademark reverse arch design, with a sloped, scalloped crown holding the 34mm stanchions for decent if not dramatic steering accuracy. The QR15 axle uses a bayonet locking system that’s a real pain to use at first but one of the fastest, tightest systems once you get the knack.

Traction from the ultra-supple Dorado DH fork derived air spring and TPC MC2 damper is fantastic. Control continues to be really impressive through the mid stroke, rivalling the best forks here for ground connection even when you’re flat out. Low- and high-speed compression and rebound are all finely and effectively adjustable too, and the Mattoc also has hydraulic bottom-out damping to add progression.

Unfortunately we never got the fork far enough through its stroke to really notice that feature, and while what travel we got was excellent, we only achieved 130mm at most. The fork (and a Pro model we had on test at the same time) then gradually sank down 35mm into its stroke, only re-extending when we purged the air spring and pulled it back to full height manually.

Travel 160mm

Weight 2,010g

Length 532mm

Wheel sizes 26in, 650b

PRICE 875$

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