Fox Podium Factory review: unrivalled performance, but the price makes me feel dizzy

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The novel upside-down (USD) design of Fox’s Podium Factory enduro fork is as eye-catching as it is functional. 

Off-the-top sensitivity and plushness throughout its travel are standout characteristics, elevating the Podium's performance above traditionally designed forks in certain situations.

Creating a smooth, controlled grip-rich ride, the USD architecture is clearly the solution for those seeking incremental performance gains.

Although those improvements compared to regular mountain bike forks aren’t otherworldly, and neither can they be felt everywhere, there's no denying they're better.

Control, support and traction in rough high-load turns are exemplary, just as Fox promises. 

Fox’s mission to reduce friction – resulting in the Podium’s USD design and the subsequent performance advantages it brings, has been a resounding success.

The Podium also exudes an impalpable attraction – whether that’s the motocross-inspired looks, black and gold colours or simply that it’s something different in a sea of convention, there’s no denying it’s an exceptional piece of kit. 

• Read more: Fox's new Podium inverted fork promises DH steering stiffness and unrivalled plushness – but it's costly
• Read more: Inverted mountain bike forks: why upside-down forks still have a cult following

Fox Podium Factory details and specifications

How much does the Fox Podium Factory weigh?

The biggest concession the USD platform makes compared to a regular fork is weight. 

By removing the arch – which is one of three cross-bracing points, the axle and crown being the other two – Fox has had to beef up the remaining sections. 

The 'overbuilt crown' (Fox's words) and 20mm axle, along with chassis-tube thicknesses, culminate in a 2,730g weight for the 170mm-travel, 225mm-long steerer model. 

In comparison, a 170mm-travel ZEB Ultimate Charger 3.1, also with a 225mm-long steerer, weighs 2,320g – a full 410g less. 

Fox Podium Factory performance

Along with attending the Fox Podium Factory fork press camp in Leogang, Austria and riding lift-assisted world-class trails, spanning from massive vomit-inducing high-speed bike-park berms and jumps through to the incredibly technical stages used in the enduro World Cup, I also rode extensively at home.

Scotland’s Tweed Valley – arguably the UK's premier enduro riding destination – gave the fork a true workout.

With the rough ground littered with rocks and roots, high-speed G-outs, and tight twisty trails, the variety of the Tweed Valley's trails is like a torture rack for suspension and bikes.

Fox Podium Factory setup

A 170mm-travel Podium was fitted to my 2025 Marin Alpine Trail enduro bike, replacing a 170mm-travel RockShox ZEB I’ve been riding. 

The axle-to-crown height of the Podium is only fractionally taller than a ZEB, so no bar-height adjustments were needed to maintain my bike’s familiarity. 

Fox’s own research and development expert, Ariel Lindsley, helped me set up the fork, recommending similar pressure and volume-reducer spacers to the 38. 

For my 78kg weight, the Podium’s air spring was inflated to 90psi, and two 5cc spacers were installed.

Ariel also helped me set the fork’s compression and rebound-damping adjustments. 

He set the high-speed compression adjuster to +5 clicks from fully open, and the low-speed compression adjuster to +10 clicks from fully open, both sitting exactly halfway in their adjustment range. 

After I explained I like a fast rebound, he set the low-speed rebound adjuster to +2 clicks from fully open and the high-speed rebound adjuster to fully open. 

During the initial ride and throughout subsequent testing at home, I’ve experimented with different settings, but ended up with 87.5psi in the air spring, with five 5cc volume-reducer spacers. 

I settled on +13 clicks of low-speed compression, +5 clicks of high-speed compression, and both low- and high-speed rebound set to fully open. 

The Podium is unique with its compression settings, compared to Fox’s other GRIPX2 forks. Bar a small amount of low-speed compression damping – up to +5 clicks, but no more – I’ve historically run these fully open. 

Fox Podium Factory ride impressions

Load up the Podium with aggressive, high-paced riding and it barely flinches. 

Criticising it for feeling flexy doesn’t wash; steering accuracy is on a par with the most robust single-crown forks out there. 

Steering-input vagueness and wandering are non-existent, no matter how hard you’re pushing the front wheel in a berm, or if you’re turning hard through a compression.

Accidentally overloading your front wheel in the tight pocket of a berm, resulting in a one-rep max push-up doesn't reveal any unwanted twist or flex.

Here, the fork remains straight and true, tracking flinch-free on your chosen trajectory.

Riding steep, sharp, on-the-brakes turns, littered with rocks and roots, is borderline revelatory. Aside from the fork’s chassis remaining steadfast under these massive loads, it’s also able to track the ground’s bumps predictably and smoothly.

Regardless of how hard you're wailing on the brakes or how large and sharp the bumps you're hitting are when you're hurtling down a steep, rough chute into a sharp turn, the fork remains plush, calm and composed.

Its ability to absorb bumps of this nature in those circumstances is one of the standout characteristics that separates it from traditional designs.

Whether it's the bushings binding less, the GRIPX2 damper's new tune, the air spring or a combination of those things – which is most likely – it's magically smooth where other forks aren't.

Insulating your wrists and hands from negative inputs to reduce fatigue is one bonus, but the ultra-sensitive, ground-smoothing action, and therefore boost in traction, is the biggest and best bit. 

Not only is grip impressive – because the front wheel spends more time in contact with the ground – but so is steering control. 

Where traditional forks wouldn’t be able to absorb the bumps as effectively, the Podium moves smoothly and calmly in and out of its travel, providing excellent steering feel.

It’s much harder to wash out or understeer the front wheel. Imagine a steep flat or slightly off-camber corner strewn with rocks and roots; you're loading the front wheel for grip and trying to slow down or control your speed with the brakes.

Here, the Podium's forgiving, searching out grip where there is usually none, flexing, absorbing and tracking the ground's distortions impeccably.

Ride a section of linked-up turns like I described above, and the Podium comes out swinging – grip, control and fun are all doled out generously.

That smoothness comes with a downside, even if that's limited to just getting used to a fork that moves more freely and a chunky weight figure. 

Upping compression damping solves any issues of perceived handlebar nodding or the fork using more travel than a traditional one.

Setting it to rely on the compression damping for rider height and stability brings out the best in the GRIP X2 damper; it was smooth-feeling and free of compression spikes, despite me having the high-speed dial set to its halfway mark. 

Where previously a GRIP X2 damper in a traditional fork would start to feel harsh when set like this, the Podium uses that extra damping to stay higher in its travel without those sensations creeping in.

There’s also a somewhat ethereal element to the performance, especially when tracking across cambers strewn with embedded rocks and roots. 

With a traditional fork, striking diagonal rocks and roots hard enough with the front wheel can lead to the tyre scraping along the root or rock’s side, or the bar getting twitched in one direction or another, both requiring emergency measures to retain control. 

I’m not saying the Podium is a cure-all panacea for your off-camber riding needs, but it definitely feels smoother, quieter, less hectic and calmer than a traditional fork in the scenario described above – and everywhere else.

It's buttery and hushed all the time, barely flinching or breaking a sweat, no matter the terrain you're riding.

While no one element of its performance is significantly better than a traditional fork, nor are those improvements quantifiable, it's when you combine all these things that something magical happens. Qualitatively, they're just better.

Fox Podium Factory bottom line 

The Podium is an excellent USD debut for Fox; damper, spring, chassis and design all come together to provide one of the smoothest and grippiest forks on the market.

While each element of its performance isn't necessarily leagues ahead of other offerings on the market, when you combine them and really push through hard terrain, there's something special and intangible about how good this fork feels.

Yes it's heavy, and yes it's very expensive, but if either of those things are causing you concern, the Podium probably isn't for you anyway.

Riders willing to spend big money for what is essentially an incremental – albeit important and noticeable – performance gain should fast-track the Podium to the top of their purchase lists.

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