Marzocchi Bomber DJ 100mm Suspension Fork : Employee Review

Words by: Reamonn Ryan

Marzocchi has been making moves these past few years rebuilding the iconic brand's reputation in the freeride world. With the release of the new Bomber DJ at such an affordable price, we expect them to end up on top and expand their reach over the younger generation of riders that may not be aware of the influence they played in evolving the sport we love. Marzocchi hails from a very moto inspired background and since Fox Shox took them over a few years back, we thought the return would never come. Fast forward a few years and Marzocchi is back swinging with some of the best suspension, and riders, in the industry. Being backed by a company such as Fox Shox, you can expect some great engineering to go into this fork, and after seeing their team absolutely destroy the DJ scene, you know it can be trusted no matter your skill level. But why should you go with the Bomber DJ if there are so many other options on the market?

What Makes the Bomber DJ the Next Best Thing?

The DJ world hasn’t had the best selection of suspension forks in the past few years. You had the Pike DJ and the Fox 36 831 at the top of the market, but the price tag was just way too high for most riders to experience a well performing and reliable fork. Then you had a mix of cheaper forks that come stock on many bikes and often seemed to come out of the box feeling broken or like complete garbage. I’ll leave the names out of this article to avoid conflict with those companies…But there wasn’t an affordable option that we could really trust. Well, that was until now. Marzocchi introducing the Bomber DJ gives riders an option to upgrade their DJ or pump track bikes to a high quality air fork for only $699 USD.

The Bomber DJ will also mirror its big brother, the Bomber Z1 by featuring 36mm stanchions, the legendary GRIP Damper, a tapered steerer tube, and even a glossy red finish to offer a nice factory look for you bike.

Tech Specs

• 100mm travel
• Grip Damper
• 1.5 tapered steerer
• 35mm stanchions
• 20 x110 non-boost or 15 x100 (Adapters available for 15 x100mm axle) 
• 26" wheel optimized
• 37mm offset
• Gloss Red and Matte Black
• 2095 grams
• MSRP $699 USD

Ride Review

The Bomber DJ is surely a reckoning force in the market. With it’s extremely stiff and stable chassis and 20mm floating axle, the overall stability and comfort behind the bike is almost unmatched by other options currently on the market, in my opinion. A constant issue I experienced with a few of the forks on the market and something many other riders experience too, is constant flex under heavy landings and having such a secure platform with the Bomber DJ, I never experienced that. There weren’t any annoying “clunk” sounds coming from the fork either which is a must for something that is constantly jumping. A lot of cheaper forks do have that issue.

Rider: Tyler Wolters 

Although the weight might be a little heavier than let’s say the RockShox Pike DJ, I think the added support throughout the fork is well worth it. Especially for riders looking to truly test their skill levels without worrying about the bike. Since install, I haven’t really thought about the fork while riding. The Manitou it replaced had this annoying clunk sound when it topped out after compression and If that noise doesn’t make you go crazy, I don’t know what will.

Rider: Tyler Wolters 

The GRIP Damper made it nice and easy to switch between compression setting depending on what I rode. From the jumps the pump track, the slightest adjustment can make the biggest difference. Keeping it stiff on the pump track helped me maintain speed and being able to open the fork back up for some cushion made those big hits of the jumps that much easier on my wrists and ankles.

Rider: Tyler Wolters 

Concluding thoughts

“Not everyone has a DJ and those that do probably have already dealt with issues with their fork that has led them to deal with the annoyances or make the investment in something expensive. I think Marzocchi hit the nail on the head by offering something affordable and reliable for everyone to use right out of the box. Knowing that the pros are riding the exact same fork adds confidence and I know I can trust the front end of the bike no matter what I decide to throw down. For only $699, I don’t see why anyone would have something bad to say about this fork or refuse to run it. A cheaper cost and a more reliable product, what more could you want?” – Reamonn Ryan

This article was written / authored by Reamonn Ryan. Reamonn has worked in the bicycle industry for 6 years now and currently runs our Instagram account along with testing products, editing video content, and writing blogs like this one you just read. Reamonn was a die hard BMX kid for over 10 years and once he started at Worldwide Cyclery made the switch to mountain bikes where he can send stuff better than most guys at the shop. If you like any of our Instagram posts or have gotten any responses from your DM's it was most likely from Reamonn, so give him a thanks. As with all of our employees, Reamonn is a key part of making Worldwide Cyclery the "Best Damn Bike Shop in the World".