The unique front and rear double brace design makes them stiffer than any other QR fork. This gives an obvious precision to every move you make on the trail, sharpening steering and giving you a real edge in sketchy off-camber situations. There's no trace of braking twist even with 203mm rotors (biggest allowable is 210mm) and despite low slung appearances you can run a fat 2.35in tyre with no mud worries.
Despite the outstanding stiffness, at 1732g they're really light. MAGURA have also worked hard to lose the starchy reputation of older forks - now they are impressively plush from the first ride. The linear 130mm stroke means a few psi either way makes a massive difference.
Luckily the supplied MAGURA pump has a cunning cam-release head for easy adjustment - we had it sorted within the first ride and it's been fine ever since. Control is good too, with no spikes or clunks at either end of of travel and reliably consistent control on random steps and rock sections that can choke other forks.
The fork top Albert Select damping lets you tune between total lockout and barely-there low pressure compression platform on the fly, while rebound is consistent and wide ranging.
The Flight Control active 100mm travel step-down feature is useful for keeping the nose down on really steep climbs. Reliability has been excellent on all the MAGURA we've run recently.
Tight clearances on the stiff forward-sloped dropouts make some wheels awkward to slot in, but stainless steel facing plates stop corrosion and paint flaking.
Old school IS disc mounts, MAGURA HS 33 FIRM-tech mounts and a disc hose guide are built in.
The middling cost is good for the impressive performance and customs colours are available for 28 pounds and a four-week wait.
MBUK verdict:
Performance: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Sensitive initial set-up, but outstandingly stiff, impressively light and usefully ajdustable.
The stroke is also very linear, with no traces of spikeor irregularity however fast you go. The vocal rebound circuit is equally controlled and easy to set up for a very floated and composed ride over big stuff or ripples. There's also a handlebar mounted remote control for the adjustable low speed compression so you can stiffen the suspension up or lock it out on the fly. The deep-crowled dropouts and "Double Arch" front and rear brace create a very stiff structure for impressive steering response and line holding across ruts or on off-camber trails.
There are no signs that this new-found smoothness has compromised MAGURA's enviable reliability reputation either - we did not experience any leaks, wobbles or clunks. Stainless steel inserts on the dropouts and disc mounts also reduce the risk of long-term corrosion. MAGURA HS 33 rim brake users get direct mounts as standard and disc brake hose guides are also built in.
85 and 100mm travel versions plus a range of custom colour options are also available.
The 1,82 (4lb) weight of the 130mm version is slightly higher than some competing forks , but the price is fair for the performance and likely lifespan.
MBUK verdict:Impressively smooth and long-term tough trail fork at a decent price. 8/10
The distinctive dual brace design is slimmed down do wafer thicknesses on the Durin, but this still has a noticeable effect. Durin static tests in the workshop revealed that the fork was impressively stiff, and out on the trail it steers and brakes with noticeably better precision and accuracy than nearly all the other forks in the test.
The whole fork has a really well made feel to it too, with crisp castings, durable paint (custom colours are an optional extra) and chunky, easy-to-grab metal adjuster knobs.
The Durin sits up in the travel a bit more at the start of the stroke for a tighter, more racey feel, but it's never rattley or jarring. For a short fork it eats the bigger stuff well, too, with no harsh bottom-out or clunking kickback even when we really walloped it. It's worth noting that the MAGURA rider weight/pressure recommendations are actually spot-on.
The Albert Select damping has given consistent control throughout testing, and not even high-speed runs down our 'steps of doom' pushed it out of control. We like the simple but effective on/off nature of the lockout, too.
Other than that, reliability of our 07 and 08 MAGURA forks has been really good, and MAGURA is the only fork manufacturer to be on hand with a service crew at most major events. Add in the supplied shock pump and a decent price for the performance, and the Durin is a great short-travel all-rounder.
WMB verdict:
Race: 9/10
XC: 8/10
Use: 8/10
Value: 9/10
Light, very stiff and consistently controlled. Very impressive. Overall: 9/10
Tester's thoughts: MAGURA's years of hard work with its fork range is really paying off - to the point where the whole WMB test team is fighting over who gets to use the Durin as a long-term test unit.
