Has Fox cracked the single-crown upside down fork code with the new Podium? Or will it become just another expensive toilet roll holder like so many that have come before? That’s the question we ponder in this episode of the MBR Show, and we speak from experience that making a decent inverted single-crown fork is no easy task.

The Mountain Cycle Suspender fork was way ahead of its time.

History is littered with failed upside-down forks

Plenty of brands have tried, and failed, to deliver the performance that backs up the looks, including the likes of RockShox, Marzocchi and Manitou. We could even go further back to the mid-90s and curiosities such as the Halson Inversion fork, and pioneers like Mountain Cycle found on the innovative San Andreas full-suspension bike. Even as recently as 2015, big names such as RockShox have got it wrong, with products like the RS1 XC fork, that was as much of a flop turning corners as it was on the shop floor. Guy Kesteven literally has one as a bog roll holder in his house.

So will the new Fox Podium go the way of so many predecessors, or has this 50-year old suspension brand done enough to maximise the benefits of inverted forks while mitigating the drawbacks?

That Mountain Cycle San Andreas had a clamshell, seam welded frame with bolt-on seatmast, high pivot, and inverted single-crown fork with disc brake.

What are the challenges with an inverted fork?

Those drawbacks mostly centre around a lack of torsional stiffness – without an arch/brace to tie the lower legs together, the USD fork relies on just the axle and the crown to stop the legs twisting in relation to the bars and front wheel. A problem that can lead to vague, unpredictable steering, particularly under load. To improve stiffness generally means adding weight, whether in the form of a thicker, bigger axle made of a stiffer material, or larger diameter legs, or a beefier crown.

Fox’s Podium fork gets 47mm upper tubes, 36mm lower tubes, and a 20mm steel axle with four pinch bolts.

In recent years, attitudes to both stiffness and weight have mellowed somewhat. Not everyone now thinks that stiffer is better. Most people agree there’s a happy medium between stiffness and flex/compliance, even if it’s on a sliding scale depending on your perspective. Likewise, with the advent of heavier e-bikes and conventional bikes, riders have become more willing to accept heavier parts. So in that respect, Fox has time on its side. The market is more accepting of products that come with compromises, as long as the benefits bring sufficient payback.

Intend BC has done a lot of the heavy lifting to get inverted forks accepted by the market.

Other brands have paved the way

The path has also been smoothed by brands such as Intend BC with its extensive range of boutique inverted forks, in both dual and single-crown options, and Push with its Nine One single-crown fork. A strong following of customers and a steady stream of ultra-trick boutique builds appearing on Instagram with these forks has definitely put them in front of a massive number of eyeballs.

Danny, testing the Fox Podium fork in Leogang, Austria.

For Fox it makes perfect sense from a business perspective. it already has a comprehensive line-up of MTB forks. How is it going to broaden its range, appeal to a different customer, or offer a more premium model? Moving to USD is the perfect opportunity to diversify without treading on its own toes.

As such, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a downhill version next year. It’s probably in testing right now. And if Jackson Goldstone and Asa Vermette start winning World Cups on an inverted Fox 40, you can bet your bottom dollar people’s attitudes to USD forks will change overnight.

You can read my first ride review on the Fox Podium fork here, and there’s more info on Fox’s pressure balanced Grip dampers and Glidecore air-spring in this article.