Manitou Mara Rear Shock [Rider Review]

 Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for. 

The Manitou Mara shock is for someone that is looking for shock that can dabble in everything from being efficient on the climbs, but can also open up for the rock gardens. Our friend, David, has been running the shock. See what they think.

Overview

I purchased the Manitou Mara inline to improve the performance of my newly acquired Transition Spur. I was hoping to get more adjustability of my rear suspension and also have a more refined experience. Having never serviced a rear shock before, I also figured this would be a good foray since Manitou is known for simplicity and user serviceability. The stock suspension (RockShox SID) had a pogo stick-like feel and I read some good things about the Mara. As soon as I received it, I was a little alarmed at the minimal service and setup docs, but reading some forums convinced me to keep it.

Upon installation, I immediately performed an air can "reset" (simply removing and replacing the air can) as suggested in forums. This wasn't as straightforward as I would have liked. It turns out Manitou wants a fortune for their special air can wrench and it helps to have a hand dyno since the air can must be unthreaded and re-threaded under compression. However, I was able to accomplish this with an $8 strap wrench...after I did a little damage to the finish with other implements. It was surprisingly easy to damage the finish even when using a rubber jar gripper to protect the shock from the metal wrench. I was able to keep the shock on the bike to allow for easy compression while unscrewing the air can. This is a little annoying though. You have to unscrew the air can while compressing the suspension. Then remove it from the bike for service. Then reinstall with the air can off. Then compress the suspension again to re-thread the can. It is notable that once the air can is removed, performing a standard service doesn't require any special tools and is very straightforward.

On the trail is where this all became worth it. This shock is leagues better than the SID. It is much more controlled which greatly improved my Spur's climbing and descending abilities. The sudden ping pong-like deflections of the SID are a thing of the past. Even with compression wide open, there is minimal pedal bob while climbing. Yet, the small bump sensitivity is amazing, mid-stroke support is fantastic, and I haven't come close to bottoming it out in some pretty technical riding.

On the trail is where this all became worth it... It is much more controlled which greatly improved my Spur's climbing and descending abilities.

I will need to play with the pressure some more as this shock takes a surprisingly low PSI (~100psi is right for a 150lb rider), making small changes more noticeable. The compression knob (red knob) has 4 settings and I can't say I notice a huge difference between the settings. There are differences, but they just aren't dramatic. There is nothing that approximates a lockout as, even in the stiffest setting, the shock can still compress quite a bit on bigger impacts.

Final Thoughts

The shock has some other nuances; it is relatively noisy (whooshing sound) compared to other mainstream shocks, although not so noticeable while riding. The rebound also functions a little differently than many. It is largely dictated by pressure and can be dialed in a little bit by a rebound knob (blue dial) that has no detents or clicks to allow you to gauge your chosen setting. Overall, I think these minor oddities are a small price to pay for the truly awesome performance, adjustability, and user serviceability. I would definitely recommend this shock to others considering an upgrade.