New MTB fork

Best budget fork IMHO is the manitou six, moving up from there maybe manitou axel or rockshox duke.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by bikefreak101
I am going to replace my 2001 Manitou Magnum with a better fork. I am thinking of getting a Rock Shox Judy SL. Is that any good. If not, what should I get thats under $300

If you're going to get a Judy, then the SL is the only one worth considering since you can adjust the rebound damping.

When I decided that my riding skills had progressed to the point where the flex and lack of rebound damping in my 1999 Jett XC was holding be back, the LBS mechanic recommended I upgrade all the way up to a Duke XC. I don't regret the choice one bit. The added stiffness of the Duke upgrade with an EA50 stem has made it much easier for me to hold a line in the really rocky and twisty sections.

According to him, the Judy would've been a noticeable but merely incremental performance improvement. If you really want to upgrade, go for a bigger step up. I think the Judy would be a much better choice to replace a worn out Magnum or to upgrade from an RST, InSync, or other entry-level shock.

Manitou Black....stick with what's been good to you before

If your budget is of up to 300 you can get some pretty good forks for that price. Rock Shox Duke, Manitou Black, maybe a Skareb if you want something more XC racy, Marzocchi MX series. Keep an eye out for 2003 closeouts since you can get some rather high end forks for cheap now. The Judy is fine but every year it seems Rock Shox relegates the Judy to be even lower end so I wouldn't go for it unless budget is really tight.