Travel 200mm / Minimum fork length: 580mm / 35mm nickel-coated stanchions / Adjustments: preload, rebound, independent high and low-speed compression damping / Disc mount: 6in post / weight 7.48lb
Contact. www.windwave.co.uk

When we put together a dual-crown fork test last year the Marzocchi 888RC2X stood head and shoulders above the competition in terms of value and performance. For 2007, Marzocchi has stepped it up once again, with the 888WC now sporting super-slippery nickel-coated stanchions and Ti springs coming as standard. When ordering the 888WC you have the option of medium or firm Ti springs, and although they do offer a slight weight reduction they also have a tendency to make more noise when they deflect and rub on the inner walls of the stanchions. Even with the Ti spring the 888WC is slightly heavier than last year’s 888RC2X and this is because of the extra material in the lower casting.
Damping adjustment is identical to the RC2X, because both forks share the same cartridges, but the 888WC seemed to take less time to bed in — possibly because of the new stanchion coating. We found that three to four clicks in on the low-speed compression adjuster, at the base of the rebound cartridge, was more than enough to tune out fork dive without compromising bump sensitivity. And even if the range of low-speed compression adjustment is much wider than is actually usable, it does make it easy to understand what the dial does.
Up top you will find high-speed compression and low-speed rebound adjustment where the two red outer dials are used for preloading the springs. Basically the fork is very tuneable and you can set it up to cope with everything from wet UK conditions to high-speed Alpine braking bumps. In fact, it’s only when you start hitting rougher tracks at speed that the difference between Marzocchi’s damping and the competition really becomes apparent.
So while there are lighter 8in travel forks on the market none come close to matching the performance or reliability of the 888WC. If you want the ultimate dual-crown fork it definitely gets our backing, but for £300 less the 2007 888RC2X is way better value for money.

MBR RATING: 9/10