Marzocchi’s all-new trail fork promises a lot but fails to deliver the performance they were once renowned for.
The 44 series replaces previous XC5/6/700 forks and this top model gets Marzocchi’s fat quick-release-style take on 15mm screw-through axles.
Stiffness is no better than most quick-release forks though, with noticeable structural twist joined by knock and wobble in the bushings after a few rides.
Juggling the air pressure and two-dial TST Micro damping to get a passable level of control took us a full two months of ride tuning.
It’s easy to accidentally unscrew the whole ATA damping cartridge and the TST knobs fell off before the end of testing.
PLEASE NOTE: Since this review was published it has come to light that our test fork was faulty. UK distributors Windwave told us: "Marzocchi identified an assembly error where air transfer could take place resulting in the fork over-extending. We stopped these forks going to market so there will be no consumer forks at all that have been affected with the same problem." We have another 44 on test and will bring you a full review when we've completed our testing.
