All eyes at the Sea Otter Classic were on Fox's sexy prototype inverted fork, even if it's not clear whether it ever make it to production. But if you can't wait to find out, Intend BC already sells a range of upside-down forks that look incredible.
Spotted in the pits at the season-opening Sea Otter Classic was this eye-catching prototype upside-down RAD (Research And Development) fork from Fox. Details remain difficult to come by, but judging by the Orbea Wild e-bike it was mounted to, and the big brake rotor, this is a hard-hitting enduro fork with upwards of 160mm travel.
Fox was showing off this prototype RAD upside down fork at the Sea Otter Classic.
It had a Fox Grip X2 damper in the right leg, lower leg guards to protect the Kashima coating, and loads of tyre clearance. But there’s not much more we can tell from the photos. Will it ever make it to production? Who knows at this stage, but it’s worth recalling that Fox experimented with an upside-down DH fork about ten years ago, and it never made it to production. In fact, upside down forks are notoriously a way for manufacturers to gain a load of attention and never deliver a finished product.
So this could just be a tease, intended (pun intended) to make a lot of noise and attract attention. Or it could be a new halo model designed to suit top-end long-travel e-bikes and leverage inverted forks’ ability to soak up small bumps and provide more grip under load than right-side up models.
Intend BC already makes an extensive, and expensive, range of inverted forks, such as the Edge, pictured here.
If you can’t wait to find out whether Fox will ever make the RAD fork, German manufacturer Intend Bicycle Components already offers a number of premium inverted forks, suitable for everything from XC to enduro. We visited the brand’s stand at Eurobike last year and chatted to the guys behind Intend, and came away really impressed with what they’re doing.
Models like the Essential, Edge, and Infinity En dual-crown boast incredibly supple performance that doesn’t choke up under braking or cornering loads. Intend’s forks are a work of art, and year’s of development have honed the performance to minimise the drawbacks – namely extra weight and reduced torsional stiffness.
Intend BC is not a budget option however. With prices starting at €1,500, you’ll need deep pockets, and shake them upside down, to afford one. The Edge, shown here, is €1,899, boasts 150-180mm travel, uses an air spring, and 35mm stanchions. It’s meant for enduro riding, and the travel can be tuned with just a shock pump.