Spotted at the Worldcup: Fox’s Upside‑Down Downhill Fork

At the 2025 UCI Downhill World Cup in Leogang, our focus wasn’t just on the track and finish line – we were there for the people, the tech, and yes, a proper Austrian Stiegl beer. And while soaking it all in, we spotted something fresh: The upside-down (USD) downhill fork from Fox. The real deal. No marketing booth, just in the Wild.

Of course, we went straight to the source and had a quick chat with the Fox crew. What we saw wasn’t a promo prop – it’s a full-on prototype from their R.A.D. (Racing Applications Development) program, and we’re stoked.

So, what’s the deal?

Fox has been testing USD forks behind the scenes for years – even way back with Gee Atherton – but nothing has ever gone into production. This prototype looks serious, and there’s no official release date, and based on insider talk and online chatter (shout-out to Pinkbike and Reddit), we’d bet on 2026 or later for retail.

Now, for those of us with dirt bike history, upside-down forks are nothing new:

• Less unsprung mass
• Better lubrication of the seals
• More consistent damping
• Better feel up front at high speeds

Basically, this is tech that works – and seeing it evolve for MTB is nice, but nothing new.

Rust on those rotors?

Yes. You probably noticed in our photos: those rotors aren’t polished showroom parts – they’re rusty. What happens when real bikes sit in real Dirt for more than five minutes. And we love that. These aren’t filtered PR shots. This is race-day raw. We even thought of launching Sets of Rustynuts in 2026. (Bad Joke)

Freakynuts insider info: it fits

Here’s the cherry on top. We took some quick dirty measurements – and guess what? Our Freakynuts Fox40 adapter seems to fits right into this prototype fork. No mods.

What you should do:

1. Check out our adapters – they’re ready for your DH builds.
2. Follow us – we’ll keep you posted about this Fox USD story and other stuff.
3. Order our Nuts – In case you like to ride you 15mm Wheel in a DH Fork

Final word

We’re into tech, into shredding, and into fixing things ourselves. We don’t wait for the big brands to tell us what’s possible – we build the parts and ride. If Fox ever drops this fork for real, we’ll be ready. Will you?

Stay fast. Stay freaky.