THE NEW FOX PODIUM SUSPENSION FORK

June 24, 2025

Fox has been teasing prototypes of an inverted single crown suspension fork throughout 2025, creating a great deal of anticipation. Could they be the brand that finally cracks the formula for “upside-down” single crown fork performance on the mass market?

We’ve been putting the Fox Podium fork to the test, and connected with the Fox team to learn all about its development. The inverted design carries with it a range of benefits, but there was some notable challenges that Fox had to overcome. Dive in with us as we learn how they solved those challenges, and of course give our initial impressions on how it performed.

As with all of our Tech Check features, this is not intended to be an official review or endorsement of the new Fox Podium fork. Instead, we hope to educate our audience on this new fork, and share our initial ride impressions after our first trail time. We’ll follow up with a long-term review in the coming months.

ABOUT THE FOX PODIUM SUSPENSION FORK

Why Is The Fox Podium “Upside Down?” 

Inverted forks are not a novel concept, having made appearances on mountain bikes since the mid-90s. However, the inverted single crown MTB suspension fork has yet to take off, due to the compromises that the design forces: weight and torsional stiffness.

For Fox Factory though, the benefits that the inverted design provides has convinced them to undertake the engineering challenge of producing an inverted suspension fork for the mass market…at least, the masses with deep enough pockets to buy the $1,999 Fox Podium.

The benefits of the inverted design are numerous, but they all point towards a fork that should offer improved comfort and traction in rough terrain. Comfort and traction are high on the wish list of every enduro mountain biker, so it’s clear to see why Fox Factory may be interested in utilizing the “upside down” fork design.

Chassis | Improved by the inverted design is the fore-aft rigidity of the fork, thanks to the oversized 47mm upper tubes with a large generatively designed crown. With the larger upper tubes static, the 36mm Kashima-coated stanchions at the bottom do the moving. The inverted design improves the sprung:unsprung weight ratio, which should improve suspension reactivity.

At the bottom of the stanchions, a 20x110mm steel axle clamps the wheel in place. With a Fox 40-style quad pinch bolt design, this area is significantly burlier than found on the 38, helping to reduce the inherent torsional flex of the inverted design. This resulted in a torsional flex that matches that of the Fox 36. Fox tested alloy and steel axles of varying stiffnesses, and settled on a hollow steel axle as the best performer.

The Podium features a 200mm Post brake mount, with a 230mm max rotor size. The carbon fiber stanchion guards are also bolted securely in place to the axle area. These stanchion guards prevent the stanchions from being damaged, as well as helping to guide the brake cable neatly up the fork.

The inverted design allows for the bushings to be placed further apart, generating 175mm of overlap – up a whopping 32% from the Fox 38. Further spread of the bushings reduces the amount of bending force applied to the bushings, reducing the pressure and minimizing friction under load. Further reducing bushing pressure is the shorter distance from the axle to the lower bushing, which also reduces as the fork compresses. Less friction means smoother action, improving sensitivity, especially in the most dynamic load scenarios. Reducing the stick-slip sensation to a minimum is sure to improve performance and consistency.

The final benefit provided by the inverted design is in how the seals and oil bath interact. With the seals located below the bath oil, gravity is constantly pulling oil onto the seals and ensuring they remain lubricated. Additionally, any dirt that finds its way onto the seals on the outside is more likely to fall off. Oil volume is much larger in the Podium fork, too, promoting longer service intervals and improved lubrication for longer in use.

Slippery GlideCore Air Spring | First introduced in the recently updated Fox 36, the Glidecore air spring aims to reduce air spring friction under dynamic loading scenarios. By engineering compliance into the air spring with a Nitrile Butadiene material at the coupling points, it can flex under bending loads and remain more axially aligned. This should reduce friction under hard dynamic loads, and adds additional axial compliance for improved sensitivity under smaller vertical loads.

Ultimate Control With The Grip X2 Damper | Grip X2 was introduced to the Fox Factory suspension lineup last year, offering improved traction and tunability compared with their outgoing Grip 2 damper. The base valve was increased in diameter to 24mm, reducing damper pressure and increasing sensitivity. By pressure balancing this damper, Fox improved damper response times, improving the control of the fork stroke.

The GRIP X2 damper was tuned specifically to deliver the best performance Fox could deliver in the Podium fork. To offer improved support and control with the reduced friction of the Podium chassis, Fox developed a tune with increased compression damping and reduced rebound damping. This should allow riders to obtain a fork that sits higher in its travel while keeping the tire stuck to the ground in rough terrain, improving comfort and traction.

Fox Podium Specs And Pricing | Fox is offering the Podium only in the Factory configuration at launch, with a Grip X2 damper and Kashima stanchion coating. It is designed around a 29” wheel only, with 160mm or 170mm travel variants using the same chassis with a different air shaft.

To offer the best aesthetics for different bikes, Fox is offering a 58mm or 68mm crown diameter. These vary in claimed weight, with the 58mm Fox Podium at 2695g (5.94lbs) and the 68mm Fox Podium at 2748g (6.05lbs). The retail price is set to be $1,999 USD, €2,399 EUR or £2,199 GBP.

To Learn More About The Story Of The Podium, keep reading to the bottom of this article for an interview with Ariel Lindsley, Fox Product Development and R&D Engineer, or check out the interview excerpts in the video feature.

FIRST IMPRESSION OF THE FOX PODIUM FORK

We were able to put two solid lift-assisted rides in on the Fox Podium fork in Leogang, where it was fitted to the winner of our 2025 eMTB Shootout Editor’s Pick, the Orbea Wild.

SETUP | Getting the fork set up with the help of Fox Product Development and R&D engineer Ariel Lindsey, there were suggestions made to increase the compression damper settings, made possible by the reduced friction Fox had obtained by moving to the inverted design. I decided to directly match my settings of a Fox 38 initially, but soon found myself demanding more support from the fork since it was very keen to move in its stroke. This was interesting considering the already increased compression damping present in the tuned Grip X2 damper present in this fork.

Progressively increasing the compression settings – primarily the low speed compression – I settled on four clicks from closed. Many will suggest airing up, however I was happy with the ride height of the fork in a static sense at the 115psi I had initially opted to air it up to.

How did the Fox Podium Fork Feel?

The Fox Podium was an incredibly supple suspension fork. A fresh fork is always going to feel better, but I’ve never felt a 38 with such incredible off-the-top sensitivity. And that’s not to say that the 38 is typically a sticky fork, only that Fox has worked some magic when taking advantage of the benefits of the inverted design.

If you’ve ever stored your “normal” suspension fork upside down, you might have noticed how it slides that little bit more freely. And that’s undoubtedly part of the magic with the Podium and the class of inverted forks in general. By flipping the orientation of the fork legs, oil is constantly lubricating the seals and bushings, reducing friction.

Initial stroke sensitivity is essential and impactful, but the freedom of movement throughout the stroke and especially when loaded off-axis was what impressed me most with the Podium. Leant over in high-G situations, braking hard through blown-out bikepark berms, and gripping on for dear life through chunky roots, the Podium ate it all up and provided impressive control. I found myself pushing the limits and deliberately aiming my front wheel at roots on the trail just to enjoy how effective the Podium would eat them up.

Once I had dialed compression damping and air spring progression in, I was able to enjoy the traction and sensitivity without sacrificing end-stroke control. Regardless of the size of hit I took, the Podium dispatched it with reduced feedback through to my hands and kept on pushing me to give it some more.

Is the Fox Podium Too Torsionally Flexible?

Way back in 2016, I fitted a Manitou Dorado to my DH bike and immediately struggled with torsional stiffness in bikepark scenarios. In the chunk the fork was exceptional, but just didn’t provide the steering precision I sought after. As such, I came into my test of the Fox Podium full of excitement to see if Fox had nailed the formula and managed to retain enough control to keep the heavier and more aggressive mountain bikers and eMTB-ers happy.

Taking the Orbea Wild down some of Leogang’s groomed high-speed berms, I was impressed by how composed the Podium was. That’s not to say it was devoid of torsional flex – I could feel plenty when the front end was fully loaded – but it never limited confidence or control. I would suggest that if the fork was stiff enough for me as a fairly aggressive 100kg (220lbs) rider, then all but the hardest berm rippers are likely to be satisfied.

THE WOLF’S INITIAL THOUGHTS

Long term durability hasn’t been proven yet, but the improved performance for challenging enduro terrain certainly has. Offering incredible traction and control, the Fox Podium is an incredible example of a modern suspension fork, and Fox may have just nailed the formula to bring an inverted suspension fork to the mass market.

Visit RideFox.com to learn more. 

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