Shermans review

Sep 15, 2002
by   
Johnny Smoke here from Bush Pilot MTB Guides.
A little history lesson for all you kids out there. World War II was won in large part due to the ingenuity of the American engineers who designed their equipment. One of the most famous weapons of that era was the Sherman tank. Cheap, efficient and easily produced, it was also effective and powerful. Answer-Manitou is hoping that their latest suspension offering of the same name will live up to the reputation of the original.




The Sherman comes in four models and two head tube sizes. I’ve been riding the 1-1/8th inch, dual crown “Slider” model. The fork is also available in a six-inch single crown model but that requires the inch and half head tube that no one makes yet (well, you can get them, but only in REALLY high end bikes like Ellsworth and Intense and also on Evil Bikes at evilbikes.com). Since no one can predict if the industry will adopt yet another change in standards, I was most interested in checking out the more conventional model.

Out of the box, the Sherman appears to be pretty damn serious. Oversized stanchions, extra deep crowns, and the proprietary “Reverse Arch” design lend a beefy aspect to the fork. Overall heft was a reasonable six and a half pounds. One thing I noticed right away was the dropout for the twenty mm thru-axle. First off, the axle is keyed to a hexagon, meaning that the already stiff sliders are made even stiffer by way of eliminating the possibility of axle slippage. Also, and this is really smart, the fixing bolts thread into replaceable nuts. You know, those little bolts on the axle that always strip out the threads in your stanchions? Well, now they’re replaceable. Pretty smart.



Which leads one of my few complaints about the forks; all the bolts are pretty wimpy. Three mm Allen heads? Come on, get real. Bikers have fat fingers that don’t do well with sissy little toothpick sized tools. Even where there are four mm bolts, the heads are really shallow and will strip out really easily. However, it is pretty easy to replace bolts, so expect to see this rectified in the near future. Another small bummer; you will need to get the correct top crown depending on your frame size. This means that sometimes you won’t be able to find the right model for your ride, but that’s more of a stocking issue for your local bike shop than for you, the consumer.


On the trail, well let me tell you. BUTTER. Like I’ve been saying for years, it sure feels like more than six inches once you get riding on it. The same goes for the Sherman. I’ve been on the Boxxer all year and was a little apprehensive about losing that inch, but the Sherman’s ramp up in such a way that they actually feel deeper. The rebound damping range isn’t as wide as you might want, though. Having gotten used to the quick (many would say too quick) action of the Rock Shox, I sometimes want a little less rebound damping. Luckily, the Manitou system is fully accessible and re-valving may be accomplished by changing the washer stack on the rebound damper. A little advanced for the advanced user, but it’s refreshing to be able to access that kind of customization in a suspension fork. Still, even with the incredible plushness in the fork, I haven’t been able to bottom them out off of anything less than six feet. I’m not sure if they would be very good as a race fork. They feel a little too firm and solid for racing but that is exactly what you would expect in a true freeride fork. I think the quality that I liked the most about the Sherman is that I didn’t think about them. What I mean is that the fork was consistently there when I needed it; there were no surprises in the handling and the ride.


It would appear that the reverse arch actually works, as well. The lateral stiffness of the Sherman is the strongest I’ve ever experienced. There have been lots of fully rigid forks that are flexier. Point where it where you want to go and there it is. If you have gotten used to a certain amount of play in your front end, the responsiveness is actually slightly unnerving.


Now, you probably aren’t that familiar with Manitou if you have been living on the Shore. It’s important to note that they’re fundamentally different from Marzocchi Bombers. One leg contains a spring; the other leg contains an oil chamber with damping controls at either end. Lubrication is achieved via a semi-open bath system. This is a departure from the grease injection system of years past. Apparently the grease ports were allowing too much crap in, so lubrication duties are now handled by the addition of a few cc’s of 5/40 synthetic oil in each lower leg. As this oil is kept separate from the damping fluid, it isn’t necessary to be precise in measuring it. As an added bonus, the fork is a lot lighter due to the smaller volume of oil. Also, since the oil is contained in a separate chamber, it won’t break sown as quickly and the fork can be mostly disassembled without the usual mess. Pop a bolt on each lower and the whole slider comes off. Swap ‘em out, put ‘em back on and charge with oil—voila! Five minute overhaul. Manitou is also touting their new “Evil Genius” seals. Essentially a higher quality seal, it allows for a lower tolerance between seal and stanchion while still keeping water out. A directional lip on the seal allows some fluid to escape, but not get back in. This is to keep the fork from building up internal pressure like many current forks tend to (if you were unaware of this phenomenon, it’s why your forks tend to get stiff after several runs in the park. Crack the top caps every once in a while to burp the excess air pressure off).


So, are they winners? Well, on initial impression they are. The extra plush feel, overbuilt appearance, high performance standard, and hugely stiff lowers all combine into a Shore worthy product. The bottom line depends on whether the seals will handle the unique stresses of the Shore. Overall, I’m recommending them for anyone who is looking for a new freeride fork this year and doesn’t want the exact same thing as everyone else. They look good, feel great, and so far are trouble free. Look for an update on these forks this fall for some long-term performance evaluation.


**Performance update**


After pounding the crap out of them for two months and close to 200 000 vertical feet, I’ve gotten them to leak. The seals have packed up with a mixture of oil and dust. After a partial disassemble and rebuild they appear to be working flawlessly and feel brand spanking new again. Total time to clean and rebuild? About fifteen minutes, and 20 cc’s of motor oil. Not too bad considering that I rode almost forty days in the last two months.



Stats:


Travel 152mm

Ride Height 520 mm

Stanchion Tubes 32mm

Weight 6-1/2 lbs (approx. weight on a fish scale)

Suggested retail price: $699 US / $1100 CDN (Price subject to change)

Editor's Note
Johnny Smoke has been rippin the Shore way before rippin the Shore was in. I still remember his segments from the early NSX films, his super chill personality and wicked riding. Heck, those early film are what inspired me to ride.

If you are looking for a truly authentic biking experience, brought to you by the people who helped define the sport give Johnny and Barb a call at Bush Pilot MTB Guides. They've been and done it all and have all the BEST BC rides ready for your consumption.




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