Throwback Thursdays #1 - Marzocchi Z1 Bombers

Being my first Throwback Thursday post, I'll start off by explaining what this feature will be. Throwback Thursday is a weekly article, harking back to the glory days (depending how you look at it of course!) of mountain biking. For my first post, I'm very excited to announce that we'll be focusing on the Godfather of modern, oil-damped suspension - the venerable Marzocchi Z1 Bomber.

The iconic Marzocchi Z1. Photo by Matt Wragg, labeled for reuse.

My first memory of the Marzocchi Z1 is from looking through old magazines and reading the rave reviews about this candy orange piece of mountain bike eye-candy. Launched in 1997, the Z1 rocked the suspension world with motocross technology and a silky smooth action that had never been encountered in mountain biking before. The existing elastomer based competition was literally blown out of the water by the Italian manufacturers new offering. The Z1 set the benchmark and forced companies like Rock Shox and Manitou to develop forks worthy of taking on the Z1. It revolutionised the suspension market and gave the riders what they had been craving so dearly.

Fast forward 9 years to the autumn of 2006. I, a young rider who had just discovered the wonderful sport of mountain biking, was desperately searching for my first full suspension bike. After countless hours of trawling forums and eBay, I found a gem - a 1997 Trek Y5 equipped with Z1 Bombers. I excitedly contacted the seller and promptly made my way to inspect the bike. Upon seeing and testing the bike, I fell in love with the Italian orange workhorses attached to the front of the bike and purchased the whole bike for the princely sum of $350. On the very same day, I took my new bike for its maiden ride. That day will always remain in my top memories as I discovered the thrill of descending on a proper full-suspension bike. The Z1's served me beautifully for over a year, soaking up every bump, drop and jump I asked of them. They were only taken out of action due to my bike catastrophically snapping while attempting a drop on the 2008 Stromlo World Cup DH track. I still have the Z1's to this day, sitting on the front of a Giant hardtail, back in their rightful spot on the front of a bike. Those forks hold a special place in my heart, and no doubt do countless others receive the same affection from their owners around the world. The Z1 will forever be a celebrated invention in mountain bike folklore, and I can only say I am extremely proud to have a small piece of that pie.