Magura’s addition of a 15mm Maxle to the already stiff Durin creates a super-accurate and outstandingly stiff fork. Finding the sweet spot between small bump sensitivity and deep stroke control is difficult though.
The German company's unique Double Arch Design creates a stiff lower structure and the fluted crown sockets mean no obvious flex creeps into the top either. Magura have added a 15mm Maxle licensed from RockShox to the bottom end and tapered steerers are available too, which adds even more precision to the steering.
The previously fragile remote lockout lever has now been turned sideways and given a neat alloy clamp. The lockout setting leaves a small amount of movement for increased cornering traction even when the fork is solid otherwise. Fitting the lockout cable end into the top cap is tricky, though.
The damping and air spring have been remapped to give a smoother start and noticeably more progression than the old dive-prone feel. Initial movement still tends to be very notchy wherever you are in the stroke even with minimum compression. The Durin tends to drop deep into the stroke and stay there once moving too.
This article was originally published in What Mountain Bike magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.
