Marzocchi usually champions a 20mm axle on its beefier forks, but the 350CR uses a 15mm version paired with a hybrid damper cartridge and air spring, presumably to keep weight low.
Despite its efforts, the 350CR is still almost 250g heavier (albeit £150 cheaper) than the RockShox Pike. On the plus side, the huge arch bridging the two lowers makes the chassis flex-free and the quick-release design works well, being swift to fasten with a solid hold.
Internally, the low-pressure Dynamic Bleed damper allows oil to flow out of the cartridge if pressure builds up, and back in again through a one-way valve. The aim is to keep the stanchions well lubricated while preventing air from interfering with damping consistency.

Gold-annodised and Teflon-coated

The 35mm stanchions themselves get Marzocchi’s ‘Gold Race’ hard-anodised Teflon coating for extra smoothness. External dials include a low-speed compression adjuster to control stability, and a crudely indexed rebound dial with a strange lever shape. Annoyingly, Marzocchi doesn’t supply the fork with a rubber O-ring on the stanchion to help set sag and assess fork ride height.
While Fox and Rockshox give you the option to tune the progression with plastic volume spacers, your only option with the 350CR is to remove the Schrader valve core and add a small amount of oil to reduce the spring volume and increase ramp-up. It’s effective, but hardly elegant.

“We had no complaints with damping consistency on long runs, and the excellent chassis rigidity meant we could really push hard with confidence”

Run stock, the 350CR rides a little deep in the travel during aggressive descending; winding in the compression dial to try and cure it just makes the ride a tad harsh and choppy off the top. Adding oil as suggested above, was a satisfactory solution, addressing the sensation of the front dipping too much and upsetting chassis stability on really steep tracks. We had no complaints with damping consistency on long runs, and the excellent chassis rigidity meant we could really push hard with confidence.
Marzocchi has a well-earned reputation for super-plush forks, and the 350CR is no exception, the sensitivity improving dramatically as it beds in. However, while the small-bump performance and grip levels are good, it didn’t quite match the Pike in back-to-back testing — there is an extra dimension of response and control with the Pike’s Charger damper.