SR Suntour Durolux Fork

SR Suntour's Durolux 29" is made to go up against some of the best forks in the business, like RockShox's Lyric and Fox's 36.

SR Suntour Durolux Fork Suspension Review

SR Suntour has been a behind the scenes player in the suspension game for decades, and after riding the Durolux, it is obvious why they’ve been in the game for so long.

Between Rampage and the World Cup circuit, SR’s platform has been proven, but with the 29” / 27.5+ Boost Durolux, they’ve added a true “do it all, take big chances” fork to their lineup. With its 36mm stanchions and uber-stiff crown, SR has set the Durolux up to compete with Rockshox’s Lyrik and Fox’s 36. That is some stiff competition, or squishy depending how you look at it, and the Durolux delivers. With a $799 price tag and all the latest features, it would be hard for a rider to look elsewhere when trying to get the most bang for the buck in the suspension game.

Set-up

I tested the fork on a 2017 Evil Wreckoning running at 160 mm of travel. Being a slightly heavier rider (190lbs), I did mess around with a few different oil weights, going from the stock 2.5w to a heavier 5w oil allowing me to better tune the fork to my weight.

After spending some serious time on the original damper, I decided to change it out for one with more aggressive RC2 PCS damper and rallied the newer platform. Both dampers performed well, but I did stick to the newer version of the damper. As explained by the nerds of SR, the more open, aggressive valving will allow the oil to cycle faster and more consistently, reducing the “sticking” or “harsh” feedback a longer downhill run can produce.

I am still riding the latest version of the damper with great success. Setting the fork up with a 30% sag and about 75 psi in the air spring, I was able to get the full cycle of travel with this set up. I had the low-speed compression at two clicks from open and had the high-speed fully open. Rebound was set exactly in the middle.

The Durolux features a built-in mudguard, mitigating any flying mud on those sloppy rides.
With fine, but noticeable changes in compression and rebound the Durolux is easily tunable.
With 36mm stanchions, the Durolux can definitely handle aggressive riding.

On the Trail

The test period has been much more thorough than a weekend on the local trails. This fork got a full season of trail riding in the wet winter, tacky spring and ultra-fast early summer of the PNW. The most apparent (and appreciated) aspect of the Durolux is how tunable the fork is; one click of high or low speed is very noticeable. The small bump sensitivity is very compliant and made for a supple trail ride. This allowed the front end to track very consistently throughout the corners. Once the fork had been abused for a while, a service did it wonders. We changed the oil, re-lubed all the seals, and replaced the damper with the most recent version.

The long travel fork did eat up square bumps allowing full "monster trucking" through some of the more technical rock gardens and root mazes. The Durolux rode high in the travel and didn't dive into the corners, offering a very consistent progressive feel. With one token installed, it never had any harsh bottom out during those over-the-front mistakes or unexpected squared edge hits that your eyes could not register. I did notice that the Durolux wasn’t as stiff as some the other forks if ridden, something that is only a downside when really pushing it to the limits. Overall the fork did what it needed to do and was on arguably par with some of the higher end forks on the market. 

SR offers a unique patented feature called their QSP (quick service product) sealed cartridge design which makes servicing the fork easy and swapping cartridges a breeze. Routine maintenance was needed during our testing process, but what fork doesn’t? The seals were very durable, showing no signs of leaking or scratching of stanchions. Changing the weight of the oil was easily accomplished and was fully worth the response.

180mm brake postmounts provide stopping ability to match the Durolux's sending ability.
Featuring a 15mm through axle and boost spacing, the Durolux is plug and play with most new bikes.
As a very capable, all-mountain fork at $100-$200 less than it's competitors, the Durolux is a cost-friendly addition to any bike.

Final Thoughts

The bottom line is that this fork can hold its own in the current lineup of burly all-mountain forks. And as far as maintenance and serviceability goes, the it even exceeded a few of its competitors. On average, the Durolux will run about $100 to $200 cheaper than other forks in its category. Yes, we all have our loyalties, but if you’re in the market for a new fork and wouldn’t mind saving some dough, SR Suntour’s Durolux might be exactly what you’re looking for.

SR Suntour Durolux 29" / 27.5+
MSRP: $799

See more at www.srsuntour-cycling.com