The Fork has 6" (150mm) of air sprung, oil damped travel. Run it open at six inches while riding or, with the flick of a switch, reduce it to 4" (100mm) of travel while climbing technical terrain.
The Upper tubes and lower crown are welded together, a much lighter and stiffer method of building then bolting or pressing the legs into the crown (50mm welded aluminum uppers, 32mm hard anodized aluminum lowers).
External rebound adjustment.
Proprietary Design, True Quick Release, Front Loading.
Maverick's integrated stem (included) bolts directly to the upper crown. Three stem lengths are available: 70mm, 90mm, and 105mm. Stem weight: 130 grams.
The upper crown is available in three different profiles: low, medium and high, to fit a variety of frame sizes.
Stanchion Guards included.
Fork weight, including upper crown is 1588 grams (3.5 lbs).
Maverick Hub with 24 mm axle available separately (244 grams).
Build Height (Axle to Crown Race): 517.4mm.
Ride Height (with recommended 35-40mm sag): 477.4 to 482.4mm.
Weaknesses: Hold your breath every ride. Does not work well with different headsets. Maverick thinks the fork is amazing, so don't call them for help.
Bottom Line:
I finally got this fork mounted but because i had a bad headset. It seemed to work fine for about 20 minutes on the trail then the steerer shaft and nut came loose. I realized it just simpley stripped.
Ended up mounting the reba from my other bike with another wheel of course.
Royal pain. I did order the steerer shaft and i'm going to mount this again but I've spent way to much time getting this to work right.
Submitted by
leshark
a Weekend Warrior
from Somerset, UK
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2009
Strengths: Super Plush 6" travel, Super light (lightest dual crown on the market by a mile) real quick release, simple to service with excellent support from Maverick
Weaknesses: Need to be able to self service (but if you can't service these forks you shouldn't be riding a bike!)
Bottom Line:
Just returned forma a week of grueling riding in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, these forks rock, if you like to pump up your forks (so there's no movement) these are not for you, they seem to work well with 35% sag on fast rocky stuff, technical and when locked down climbe well! Excellent allrounder
Similar Products Used: Marzocchi AM3's and Junior T's
Bike Setup: EPX Terrashark with Maverick DUC32 forks
Avid Juicy 7 Carbon Brakes
SRAM X9 rear mech and changer
Shimano Saint Crank
SDG ti Seat
DMR Wingbars
Mavic 717 rims with XT rear hub and Maverick front hub
Kenda Navegal 2.35 tyres
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
baha_boater
a Cross Country Rider
from Knoxville, TN
Date Reviewed: April 21, 2009
Strengths: First of all I realize that the original DUC32's had seal issues but that issue has been resolved forever. What you get is an uber stiff/plush fork that provides 6" of travel at slightly over 3.5lbs. Even though this fork is a several year old design I don't know of another fork that can make that claim. I ride lots of ups/down here in east TN and I don't need a platform and rarely have to use the climbing mode except on really steep climbs. I was able to tear it down to make adjustments in my garage with simple hand tools and it's construction is top notch. I weight 220 in gear and this fork is point and shoot going down rough fire roads at nearly insane speeds. The front hub is simple and builds out to a super stiff light wheel. Stiff enough to take a 200MM disk no with no problem. Customer support is great as well as fellow Maverick owners on the Forum on MTBR.
Weaknesses: Well I guess no platform system but I don't miss having one. My previous fork was a Dual Air Pike 454 w/Maxel which had platforms and negative air all the bells but I find the DUC32 simply does not need them. 6 Inches of plush progressive travel on a really stiff platform is all I need...
Bottom Line:
I have ridden this fork extensively on both the Maverick ML8 & 7/5 and it is amazing. It enables me to ride over/through sections that I would not even attempt. It is easily serviced and very tunable to your individual taste. I have built up a 6.5"/6" bike that weighs around 26 lbs with a Joplin Seatpost which weighs 1.2 lbs but allows you to drop the seat and let the ML8 loose. They are not making the DUC32 anymore which is a shame but Carbon DUC36 is on the way with more travel (8") & stiffness at near the same weight.. Can't wait!
Similar Products Used: RockShox Pike Dual Air 454, Maverick SC32, RockShox Judy, etc etc...
Bike Setup: Maverick ML8 (6.5" rear travel), DUC32 w/Adj Stem(obviously), XTR, Race Face Duce Crankset, Formula Oro Puro Brakes(F200mm/R180mm), DT Swiss 4.2 rim/340 rear hub, Maverick Front hub laced to DT Swiss 4.2 rim, Conti Race King Supersonics 2.2, Crank Brothers Joplin R adjustable seat post, WTB seat, Titec Carbon Bars, North Shore Grips.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
jasonkayzar
a Cross Country Rider
from Milwaukee WI
Date Reviewed: February 13, 2009
Strengths: Bought a Trek 69er last year with this fork
Weaknesses: Stem choices, goofy QR mechanism doesn't line up w/brake rotors very well every time you remove wheel.
Bottom Line:
My 69er was pretty expensive for what I got, but I love it. The fork looks cool, but the bike is heavy. Lack of wheel and stem options along with it's weight make lightening the bike an expensive prospect.
Plastic Fork protectors?? Really? Cracked one on the first ride and the vibration noise almost drove me insane.
Submitted by
womble
a Weekend Warrior
from Hong Kong
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2008
Strengths: Light
Plush
Simple
Eye catching
Weaknesses: Customer service
Lack of hub choices
Lack of stem choices
PIA to tune
Bottom Line:
The fork is good- simple, plush and lightweight for 150mm.
It's a pity that buying this fork locks you into hub and stem choices, but this is understandable. Still, it would be nice to have more than 3 choices of Maverick stem and 2 choices of hub (Maverick and Hope).
On the downside, my customer service experiences have been poor- Maverick will talk to you when they feel like, and ignore you for ages when they don't. They've ticked me off enough that I would not buy another product, but still, the fork is overall good.
To adjust rebound, you have to fiddle with oil and shims, so it is not as convenient as with many other fork.
Value 3/5 because the product is expensive and the CS is lousy.
Overall 4 out of 5 because it works well, but is a pain to tune.
Submitted by
Don Duende
a Weekend Warrior
from Eastern Sierra
Date Reviewed: October 19, 2007
Strengths: A lot of travel (150mm) for the weight. Different design, don't see many around, gets a lot of looks. At the 150mm setting, plush.
Weaknesses: The little "dongle" on the front of the fork that guides the front brake hose fell off on a ride. So I had to zip tie the hose to prevent it from rubbing the front wheel. No shops carry spare parts for this shock. I emailed the company on their website. Customer service MIA for the past two months. When you lock down the fork to 100mm, the dial is difficult to turn on rough terrain or with gloves. At 100mm travel the ride becomes harsh.
Bottom Line:
Does not make you feel very good when you spend $900 on a boutique product that has design flaws, albeit minor. Then to find out that they don't have any customer service. No response from the company, whatsoever.
Buy it, if you want strangers to ask you about the fork or you are in desperate neeed of attention. Buy it if you will never need company support or parts.
Weaknesses: Still leaks a bit of oil on the left side even after switching out the original crappy seals. Though a big improvement over the old seals, it made life a little interesting on a recent long descent. I managed to get down alive and subsequent alcohol cleaning seemed to fix things, but it was scary to discover I had more power in my back brake than my front while blasting down a rough fire road.
Bottom Line:
This fork changed my riding. It's niche is huge - everything in the range between weight-weenie XC racing and full-on hucking, which is where most people are. I expected understeer going from a 4" single crown to a 6" double crown because of the longer wheelbase, but I found myself oversteering, likely due to this fork's rigidity. It's easy to disassemble and unlike any other manufacturer, Maverick encourages owner maintenance. I'm considering a 29er and this would be the fork that goes on it.
The bottom line is my right seal works perfect and the left leaks a bit. I know guys who beat their DUC32s to death freeriding off big rocks who haven't had any leaks, including one guy who's broken three frames, but still riding his original DUC32. So while I love this fork and would recommend it, I have to subtract a chili for the continued, albeit small, oil leak.
Bike Setup: Heckler: SRAM X.0 drivetrain, Avid Juicy 7 Carbon brakes, Raceface Deus crank, Maverick Speedball seatpost with WTB saddle, Maverick/Hadley hubs with Mavic 717 rims, Eggbeater SLs
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Johnny G
a Weekend Warrior
from Long Beach
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2006
Strengths: Light weight. Instantly Adjusts from 6" to 4" of travel, which changes the geometry of the bike. So easy that you can change the ride height without even slowing down. Simple to adjust rebound. 24mm hub is ultra stiff. Quick release design is awesome. So much so that Chris King is now making Hubs for this system. That's a huge compliment.
Weaknesses: Not as many fine adjustments as a Fox. Not as durable. Setup is a little tricky. Follow the manuals! The hub is huge, which made me need a 8" rotor on the front brake. Fork can twist slightly. Doesn't affect the ride, but it does seem a little weird. The original seals leaked bad, but Maverick has switched to better ones so this is no longer an issue.
Bottom Line:
The bad seals that came with the shock was a bit disappointing. But after Maverick replaced them with the Blue Seals... the fork is awesome! I like to ride, I don't want to twist dials and lock unlock shocks. When I climb, I reach down and reduce the shock to 4" with a quick twist and a bounce of the shock. No other fork adjusts so quickly. I don't want a lockout. They seem to have removed all the unnecessary levers and adjustments. Quick, Simple.
I've heard people complain about this shock. But they either expected a downhill shock for hucking. (Which this is not). Or, they set it up wrong, or somehow screwed it up somehow.
If you get a good wrench to install it, you don't need a lock out, and you don't do crazy drops; then this fork is great and very lightweight. Very plush. Very responsive. If you want something more indestructable... go with a 36 or a 40 and be done with it. But there are several lbs of difference there.
btw - my fork came with my bike, so I don't know what the price was individually.
Strengths: Light, stiff, plush, and by far one of the best forks I have ever ridden. Easy to maintain and service. Fork setup is easy with an air chamber and a rebound dampening control. This fork also features a travel lockdown knob that is easily accessible for steep or long climbs.
Weaknesses: The only thing I can think of is that I had an major crash this week and blew up my front wheel (Maverick hub with a 717) and twisted the fork. I twisted the upper section (welded H tubing) but thankfully the guys at Maverick put out such a killer product and I will be on my second DUC 32 this coming week.
Bottom Line:
This fork is so sweet that only a few other manufacturers have one that comes close to rivaling it. I can't imagine riding a fork with less than 6 inches of travel anymore and cry when I have to ride my hardtail. The old seals (black) tended to leak but the new seals (blue) work great and allow minimal oil seeping to keep the stancions lubricated. The trick to make the seals last longer is to wipe down the stancions after every ride and clean off any dirt or mud.
I have been ripping it up on this fork and love every minute I get to ride it. I am currently riding it up in Central Oregon in dry and dusty conditions and an inverted fork is the way to go. Not only does it perform above and beyond any of my expectations but it is also low maintenance and simple to service. Far easier to work on than Foxs and many of the other manufacturers. I pull epic rides of 4 to 5 hours on my 28 pound rig and eat up every section of technical trail with ease and confidence.
If I didn't have a DUC 32 I would own a Fox 36. The 36 rides in a similar fashion to the DUC but at a heavier weight.
Riders who enjoy long epic rides, killer descents and a whole lot of technical singletrack should definately look at this fork. It is light enough to put on a cross country rig and tour around on non-technical singletrack but really comes into its own when the trail becomes rough and on high speed descents.
You do not want this fork if you think 4 inches of travel is more than you will ever need. Of course this will last only until you buy your first long travel rig and actually enjoy riding for more than 2 hours at a time.
Give this fork a try but if it isn't in your budget look at the Maverick SC32 or the '06 Fox Float 130rlc. Also keep your eyes out for the '07 Fox Float, word on the street is that it is revamped and retooled performing better than previous generations.
Strengths: 6 inches of travel, under 4 pounds, no lock out but the 4 inch mode does a darn good job. The people at Maverick American have been nothing but help.
Weaknesses: I don't have one on all of my bikes
Bottom Line:
My bike weighs under 32 pounds, that may not seem light to some but it holds up, every part of it. The maverick fork is the first fork I have kept in my possession for more than one year. Psylo exploded, fox was good but maverick is better, lefty Ti spring broke. This fork is not the stiffest thing on the market by any means, but it's no wet noodle either, the travel is plush and solid, and it is just outright sexy looking, I can't say enough good stuff about this fork or the maverick company. It's worth the money.
Similar Products Used: Lefty Max, Psylo, Fox Talas
Bike Setup: Heckler, Full XT setup, Easton carbon DH handelbars, Thompson post, Maverick fork stem and front hub. D-max rear wheel, D3.1 front rim laced on the maverick hub. Weirwolf 2.5s on both. Fox DHX rear shock.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Dan
a Weekend Warrior
from Qld, Australia
Date Reviewed: April 29, 2006
Strengths: Lightweight, 6in to 4in with ease, super stiff, sexy looks
Weaknesses: You have got to lock your bike up - even from friends!
Bottom Line:
This fork rocks! 6inches of travel in a lightweight package is just tremendous! With that amount of travel it is always going to have a supple ride compared to a Talas. The amount of adjustment is astounding – how many other forks have easily fitted air negative springs and 4 different ones to choose. How many other forks can you easily do the internal adjustments and service at home – not Fox! Having a ¼ turn knob that is quick to use to take 2in off the bar height and add 2 degrees to the head angle is just brilliant on climbs. No other fork is close in this aspect of All Mountain riding. Bombproof stiff axle, sexy looks and 1 ½ inches of sag is soooooo comfortable on corrugations.
I have the new seals etc so have never had technical probs that others mention. Also it is obvious that some people haven’t read the Maverick setup chart at all if they think there is a rebound problem (like a certain magazine’s testers). Yes, this fork does require some setup but have you noticed the weight spec people?! I can get my rebound so slow I am asleep before it is back up.
This fork is for all XC/All mountain riders except the absolute weight weenie racer types. It is so versatile it can set up for slow rebound, big hit compression bottom end yet supple top end for downhill bombing or very linear all the way thru and a quicker rebound for the XC trails. Try that with a Fox 36 at home!
Just completed a 24hr where I had the rear of the Whyte set on 4in during the day and 6in at night and changing the Maverick from 6 to 4 on the climbs and back on the descents – too easy. I didn’t have the fastest lap times but I was one of the more comfortable riders on the circuit – all in a 28 pound package.
This fork is so far ahead of the competition daylight is in second.
Similar Products Used: Fox Talas, Rockshox, Nixons
Bike Setup: Whyte 46, Hope mini M4’s, XT running gear, carbon where it matters, 717’s, eggbeaters
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Wilson
a Cross Country Rider
from Colorado
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2006
Strengths: Stiff, true quick release, plush, and light
Weaknesses: Seals can leak and foul brake pads
Bottom Line:
Got this fork with a D321 rim laced to the hub and it is seriously stiff. Big 2.5 sticky rubber, it feels so good stuffing it into corners. The 36 and 66 are nice, but with the added weight it's not even a contest. There is a reason all my friends are getting the Mav, its like a downhill fork with half the weight. And, I know a semi-pro downhiller who used a Duc32 strapped to an 8 inch rig all season with no issues.
Submitted by
Jay McBain
a Weekend Warrior
from Gloucester, MA
Date Reviewed: April 13, 2006
Strengths: Stiff, Steers all most as well as my old Lefty and Moto FR, and it's tecnologically advanced design just makes sense!
Weaknesses: Some of the available adjustments require a total teardown to accomplish. Easily done but not as easy as turning a knob! I've removed one chilli because of this.
Bottom Line:
I've been eyeing this fork for over a year and riding it for over 3 months. From a technological standpoint, every design feature on this beauty is purposeful. By breaking away from the norm of most fork manufacturers and using material only where it makes sense, Mav has designed a light, durable and precise piece of MTB equipement!!!
Upside down forks have the ability to put all the necc material around the top of the fork where it's needed for strength and keep it away from the sliders where it's not. This makes for the least amount of unsuspended weight and removes a significant amount of torsional load from the bushings. This all translates into a fork that has less binding and a quicker response to frontal impact with out the weight gain. Brilliant!!!
The damper is pretty simple in design and easy to understand when tuning. In this world of "SPV" and "ProPedal" shocks, the Duc32 may be behind the curve, but I prefer a fully active design, so I don't necc consider this a flaw.
I think if I were to add or change anything it would be this... 1. If they could find a way to add more knobs to ease tuning. 2. A hex type axle like "Manitou" uses may add even more stiffness in the dropouts. Not necc. But wouldn't hurt.
Everything said... I'm having a blast and it looks SWEET mounted on my black anno Nomad!!!
Similar Products Used: Cannondale Lefty and Moto FR.
Bike Setup: Santa Cruz Nomad, Sram components, Original Hope Mini discs, WTB Laserbeam rims and Trailbear tires. All-Mountain light @ 30lbs.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Sean
a Cross Country Rider
from San Francisco
Date Reviewed: February 17, 2006
Strengths: Super stiff front end, no twisting through ruts. 6" travel to 4" in the flick of a wrist, and no need to reach down to the front wheel to do it.
Weaknesses: PRice, plus the cost of a new frint wheel to match.
Bottom Line:
These forks rock, super stiff, very inspiring downhill round corners, the front end just tracks where you want it to go, none of the mushy floppy tracking of normal QR hubs and suspension forks. The fork can pogo a little if climbing unlocked on rocky trails, but as I noted, climbing rocy trains with 6" of travel is probably not what you want to be doing any way. Love love love these forks. No problems as yet. If your an XC to downhill type rider get these, if you jsut like XC, probably a little too much travel, but they are stiffer than anything else out there and they only weigh 3.5lbs.
Bike Setup: On-one, XTR, synchros, Avid bb7, race face pipe XC crank. etc etc.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Andi Delis
a Cross Country Rider
from Wanaka
Date Reviewed: January 30, 2006
Strengths: Good advertising for their oppostion, great warrantee back-up again and again
Weaknesses: Their own product
Bottom Line:
Have had THREE new sets, been pulled down 5 times by "professionals", these forks are to me severely overated and trouble makers and at best unreliable.
The amount of time they stay good is not worth it, have swapped them out for Fox TALAS 36 RC2, should have done it months ago.
Suggest Maverick go secretly buy some Fox forks and pull them apart to see how things should be built.
Hi everyone, I have an SC 32, and need a RIM as I can not use the stanard stock pugsley offset Large Marge. I have the Maverick hub, and plan to mount on the 3.8" Larry.
Can yo Read More »
Trying to find a way to mount a Duc32 on 2010 XXL sultan. The tall crown is not tall enough. Anyone found a solution or am I just out of luck? Read More »
Hi guys, (Ethan)I just replaced the oil in the damper and recharged to 65psi. When I reinstalled the damper cartridge and threaded the damper bolt onto the damper rod I noticed tha Read More »
Hi does anyone know where I can get a Low Crown for the duc32? Full Cycles do not have any.
I am also looking for a heavy negative 6nm.
Maverick phone numbers have been discon Read More »
I recently purchased a DUC32 that came with the maverick stem. It did not come with the stem clamp that wraps and bolts around the bars.
Anyone have one to part ways with or can Read More »
