Marzocchi's New Fork and Dropper Post - Sea Otter 2015

Marzocchi 350 Plus NCR

The Italians are joining the kinda-fat party as well, with three new 350 Plus models that are designed to fit both 27.5+ and 29 wheels and tires. All three forks share the same wider crown and lowers that are tired together with a 15 x 110mm QR thru-axle, as well as 35mm diameter stanchion tubes, but the top of the line NCR model that's pictured here is the only one that gets Marzocchi's Espresso treatment applied to its stanchions. There are two travel options available: one fork that has 140mm and can be dropped down to 120mm in 10mm increments, and another model that can go from 170mm to 150mm for those who are looking to send it.

While other suspension companies are telling us that they're using custom tunes for both the damping and air springs of their plus-sized forks, Marzocchi says that their standard production dampers and springs have no issues when it comes to being combined with high-volume rubber. They've dropped in their AER air cartridge for a spring, and they say that the system's negative spring provides "plushness you would expect from a coil system right from the beginning of the stroke.'' The fork's action is controlled via their NCR damper cartridge, and it allows the rider to tune the compression at the top of the fork leg, as well as activate a pedal-assist by flicking the anodized black lever to the right. The fork also uses Marzocchi's new single-lip oil and dust seals that are said to greatly reduce friction.

Espresso Push Dropper Seat Post

We gave you the first glimpse of a prototype version of Marzocchi's dropper post last year, but they showed me a production version of their EPD post today at Sea Otter that will be available soon. The 125mm travel post can be had in both externally routed (EPD EXT) and internally routed (EPD INT) cable options, and it sounds like a 150mm travel version of both will also be available by this coming September. Sizing includes 30.9 and 31.6mm, and pricing is still being decided.

The EPD post is activated with a standard shift cable that's tugged on by a thumb operated remote up next to your grip, and the post's hydraulic internals allow for infinite seat height positioning anywhere in its 125mm of stroke. Rebound is handled by an adjustable (via a supplied adapter) air spring, and there's an audible *clunk* as the post tops out that lets the rider know that it's back up to full mast. Rebound speed was decently quick, but not lightening fast like Specialized's Command Post or FOX's D.O.S.S. There was also next to no side-to-side play in the EPD that I was tinkering with - Marzocchi seems to have nailed the tolerances for the post's three key-way design - and it felt impressively smooth through its travel.

The internally routed EPD dropper post has been designed to use a clever modular activation system that easily detaches from the bottom of the post, which is something that makes removing your internally routed seat post as easy as unscrewing the lid of a jam jar. The business end of the cable is attached to the activation arm, and pushing on the remote lever causes the arm to compress the end of the plunger at the bottom of the post, but the entire entire assembly simply unscrews off the bottom of the post by hand, and without requiring any special tools. Having to remove and re-install their internally routed seat post is a task straight out of some people's nightmares, but Marzocchi's design is so simple and effective that it makes me wonder why no one else has come up with something similar.