Manitou Mattoc Pro Long Term Review On The Radavist

The Radavist's independent long-term review of the Manitou Mattoc Pro reinforces what riders have been discovering all along.

Nine Months. One Fork. Zero Obligations.

There’s something particularly meaningful about praise that isn’t expected.

When one of cycling’s most respected independent publications spends their own money on a product, rides it relentlessly for nine months across multiple bikes, and comes away genuinely impressed, people tend to pay attention.

That’s exactly what happened when The Radavist’s founder, John Watson, purchased a Manitou Mattoc Pro at full retail before putting it through months of real-world testing. There were no sponsorship obligations, no product loan agreements, and no editorial expectations…just an experienced rider evaluating a fork the same way any customer would.

"There's something soothing about products that err on the side of simplicity, without compromising ride quality."

Sophisticated performance

What resonated most with us wasn’t simply the praise but it was also why the Mattoc Pro earned it.

Rather than chasing complexity, Watson highlighted the confidence that comes from purposeful engineering.

“There’s something soothing about products that err on the side of simplicity, without compromising ride quality.”

That philosophy has always been central to Manitou. Sophisticated performance doesn’t have to mean unnecessary complication.

The review also applauded one of the Mattoc Pro’s defining characteristics: its remarkable versatility.

An entire range of forks in one chassis.

With a travel range spanning 1100 to 150 mm on the same 34 mm chassis, the Mattoc Pro is equally at home on hardtails, downcountry bikes, and aggressive trail machines, allowing riders to adapt the fork as their bikes evolve rather than replacing it altogether.

Perhaps the standout feature for Watson was the fork’s incredibly simple travel adjustment.

He described it as the Mattoc’s “crowning achievement,” noting that changing travel can be completed in under five minutes with basic workshop tools, making the fork uniquely adaptable without compromising ride feel.

Even more impressive was what happened after the adjustment.

Versatility Without Compromise

Thanks to Manitou’s Dorado Air spring architecture, increasing travel didn’t fundamentally change how the fork felt through its initial stroke.

As Watson put it: “The first ride where I swapped the fork from 130 to 150 mm in travel was a wild sensation. It felt exactly the same, just with more travel.”

After nine months of riding, multiple travel changes, and thousands of trail miles, his conclusion was unequivocal.

“The team at Manitou has put in real work on this fork, and it shows. I’m beyond impressed.”
We couldn’t ask for better validation, not because it comes from praise, but because it comes from independent, long-term experience.

Authentic Feedback, Earned on the Trail

To John Watson and everyone at The Radavist, thank you for taking the time to ride, evaluate, and thoughtfully review the Mattoc Pro.

Publications committed to honest, objective journalism make our industry stronger, and we’re grateful that our engineering stood up to such thorough scrutiny.

If you haven’t read the full review yet, it’s well worth your time.

Read the Article Here

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