Fork Upgrade?

[doofus]

Hey all,
I currently have an older Manitou R7; 80mm (not sure of the exact model) on my steel HT.
I'm thinking of putting a new Manitou Minute Pro; 100mm on it.
Besides being a bit stiffer (32mm legs vs 30mm legs) the 100mm travel should slow down a bit of the steering quickness (which should be a good thing as my bike borders on being too quick steering)
Can anybody comment on my assumptions; maybe give a review if you own a Minute?
Is it a reliable fork? Does it need a lot of maintenance?
If so, is it easy to work on?
Finally, are there other light weight XC forks out there that are similarly priced ($385 at Speedgoat) that I should also be considering?
Thanks all,
Lenny

 

[robusto]

I cant comment on your fork, but I just switched from an old Manitou 80mm (maybe 75mm) fork (26.8mm Stanchion- I think) to a Magura Durin 100mm fork (32mm Stanchion)on my Klein Adroit (an aluminum HT) and even with going from a 110mm stem to 90mm stem the feel of the steering was slowed down. That said, I feel that the bike is a lot more stable and feels more “sure footed” if that makes sense. The from end feels much more planted and confidence inspiring.
That said, I’m not entirely sure that I like the “slower” feel and somewhat higher ride height. Maybe I just need to get used to it because I’ve been riding the old setup for almost 4 years, but it still feels odd.

Hope that helps

 

[doofus]

Thanks Robusto, that does help.
I hadn't considered that the bike will ride higher.
(BTW, Robusto is my favorite size cigar too)
Lenny