12/16/2020 10:03 AM
Edited Date/Time: 12/16/2020 11:31 AM
Switched from a 2020 Fox 36 Grip to a ZEB Ultimate on my 2020 Meta AM 29. There is definitely a difference in the feel, which I mainly attribute to a difference in feel from a Fox to a RS fork. I did have to add another token to the fork, so I am at 2 token on a 170mm fork. It is worth also noting the ZEB is 10mm longer Axle to Crown, so my bike is a little slacker, and you can tell in the climbing position that the seat tube is equally slacker. I prefer the better small bump of the Rockshox product and I feel the ZEB has been pretty easy to setup for the most part. I am 165lbs, and have noticed the different in fork stiffness, but only a handful of times in very steep corners where you put the most torsional stress on a fork, and the way I can tell is that the bike tends to hold a better line in those corners than Lyrik's and Fox 36's I have owned in the past. The weight is also noticeable, but on a 38lb Meta AM 29 with a coil shock, its not a deal breaker for me. I would say the difference in stiffness and performance is more noticeable from Lyrik/36 to ZEB than it was Pike to Lyrik. I will say overall the bike is less fatigueing over rough terrain. A local DH trail that I ride quite a bit is steep, Rocky, and normally blows my hands up 3/4 the way down, but the hand full of times I have ridden it on the ZEB, I felt I could pin it alllll the way down. Hope that helps some folks.
2020 Commencal Meta AM 29
2019 Knolly Fugitive LT
2016 Specialized Fuse
2020 Rocky Mountain Solo