Marzocchi's 888 family stormed on to the freeride/downhill scene as the smoothest suspension forks ever a few years back and they're still going strong. This latest top-end model drops weight and adds total control.
While other forks are smooth, the 888 is just stupid smooooooooth, sagging noticeably just under bike weight. The nickel-coated stanchions and titanium springs featured on the World Cup model increase this smoothness even further, so it sucks up small bumps and sticks to the ground for incredible traction.
The rebound and compression adjustment are external, while the 'X' cartridge bottom-out damping sorts out the previously soft final stroke for smooth progression on the biggest boulders and drops. It takes a while to balance all three, but once you're there it just feels incredibly smooth and controlled anywhere from hucking your local woods to tackling seriously rough Alpine descents.
Even with the titanium springs, the amount of free range oil inside makes the fork slightly heavy though and it's slightly tall too. It steers well without being wrist-breakingly harsh on chattery, stuttery stuff and the reliability is legendary, however. If the World Cup price is too high, the RC2X loses nickel coating and titanium springs but leaves an extra £300 in your pocket.
