Home > Bike Types > Cyclocross

RockShox Hints at Something Big. An Inverted Fork Design? A Cyclocross Specific Fork? A Fat Bike Fork?

50 Comments
Support us! Bikerumor may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More

RockShox Is Hinting at Something. An Inverted Fork Design? A Cyclocross Specific Fork?

RockShox Is Hinting at Something. An Inverted Fork Design? A Cyclocross Specific Fork?

Let the speculation begin. There have been quite a few rumors swirling regarding new products coming out of RockShox, but this is the first physical evidence we’ve seen. By the looks of it, it could be a lot of things – a new rigid fork, cyclocross, etc. But those fork blades look like they are spaced quite wide, with a lot of tire clearance. Could this be a new fat bike fork? It certainly doesn’t look like the original RockShox RS-1 that was introduced by Paul Turner, Steve Simons in 1989. According to RockShox, “Everything Changes” soon…

Updated – Check out more of the RS-1 after the break!

10006581_759760044043483_719986502_n

It looks like this is the modern incarnation of the RS-1. An inverted suspension fork with round stanchions instead of the leaf spring concept like the Lauf – will it be for regular mountain bikes or Fat bikes? Maybe there will be versions for both. Stay tuned.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

50 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
hitar_potar
hitar_potar
10 years ago

looks like a rigid fork for fat-bikes…..
The title threw me at a crazy thought of an inverted Boxxer… 😀

matt
matt
10 years ago

Looks like another carbon fat fork?

Ripnshread
Ripnshread
10 years ago

Purely speculating, but if we go back to 1989 we are talking about Paul Turner and the original RS1. Turners most recent work has been with inverted forks for Maverick and X-Fusion. So maybe this is an inverted carbon fat bike suspension fork??? On the flip side of wild speculation its just a carbon rigid fat tire fork and Rock Shox/SRAM is just trying to over-hype what is a very boring product.

Greeng
Greeng
10 years ago

Hmm… although another quality carbon MTB fork on the market would be nice, it’s certainly not worth this kind of hype. What’s that little square thing on the right side of the fork crown (opposite the side with the cable guide)? Elastomer insert perhaps?

Julian
Julian
10 years ago

Greeng, those are usually found on Tri bikes, they’re little bumpers to prevent the fork from striking the frame really hard causing cosmetic damage.

Ilikeicedtea
Ilikeicedtea
10 years ago

Rockshox licensed/bought the Lauf leaf-spring fork design.

discos ace
discos ace
10 years ago

Inverted. 100mm. 150mm spacing. Fat bike/29+ fork.

dangerc
dangerc
10 years ago

Hmm.. If they where to show a revolutionary fork design, perhaps a competitor to the Lauf Fork?? http://www.laufforks.com

D.

Andy
10 years ago

They’ve just posted another photo, which shows it’s a USD fork. New SID?

Jeff
Jeff
10 years ago

Either an ultra light full carbon inverted cross-country racing fork or SRAM’s version of Lauf’s fork. Please, anything but a fatbike fork!

Ck
Ck
10 years ago

Neat, kinda looks like carbon “uppers”

MikeB
MikeB
10 years ago

rearrange your photos for a better view
comment image

Sylvain
Sylvain
10 years ago

For shure an inverted fork. http://i.imgur.com/xl98NSg.jpg
But why fat ? I don’t think the market is interesting for RS.

pants and jacket
pants and jacket
10 years ago
Luiggi
Luiggi
10 years ago

Someone at SingletrackWorld.com played a bit more with Photoshop and came out with this:

http://thingswelike.org/rs-1.jpg

Looks like a XC-spaced fork to me…

Cory Benson
Admin
10 years ago

Looks to me like a new light carbon XC fork (with big, but not fat clearance.)
Works for 26, 27.5, or 29er with different travel limiters, maybe 120,110, and 100mm travel, respectively?
And I would guess the rubber on the top left crown is a cover for some internal fastener, since there is no other obvious way to keep the sliders from falling out.

Tim
Tim
10 years ago

Looks like all the offset is in the crown = large rotating mass when turning the fork.
It also likes like the inner legs may be oval, which would improve torsional rigidity.

nsp234
nsp234
10 years ago

Mmmh! Looking good!
The recent rockskock parts are all quite well designed!

Tyrone
10 years ago

Looks like an inverted carbon suspension fork. That plastic nub in the stanchion could be for internal cable routing for remote lockout. Clearance aside, this looks pretty cool!

greg
greg
10 years ago

the little rubber plug on the crown? where the x-loc hose goes in. it is an xc racing fork, after all…
is it gonna be 15mm or 20 at the axle? lots of xc specific wheelsets only go to 15 at the hub, but RS has always been a 20mm advocate

Simon
Simon
10 years ago

Well…I certainly didn’t see this coming! And especially not from Rockshox from all people! Needless to say, I’m excited to see what this upsidey-downsidey fork brings!

And now speculation:

From the middle and bottom photos it appears to have ovalized “aerodynamic” uppers, but round stanchions, likely just carbon structure laid over the round inner section, but it could possibly mean the inside parts of the stanchions are keyed or shaped. I also spy a black coating on the slider surface.

Simon
Simon
10 years ago

ALSO! 2014 is shaping up to be “The Year of the Suspension Fork”.

Luiggi
Luiggi
10 years ago

Taking a look at this pic from their FB page, it looks like a 29er USD fork:

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2810/13270906133_266afb7f71.jpg

Smokestack
Smokestack
10 years ago
Mirwin
Mirwin
10 years ago

Inverted carbon suspension fork perhaps.

Mac
Mac
10 years ago

put the pictures in order from the first released to the last pic released something mysterious happens

kurti_sc
kurti_sc
10 years ago

Oh wow, what’s up with that? Smokestack is right that Marzocchi has an inverted fork on the market. Is the hype more about attracting people to RS instead of announcing something new?
BTW, the square plug is where the whim wam goes so the fork keeps you going diddly for all day fun. Don’t know. I think the earlier post about a small bumper used on Tri bikes is right.

deboat
deboat
10 years ago

inverted XC forks with electronic adjustment, maybe Bluetooth..

Yoda
Yoda
10 years ago

I believe it is a longer travel fork. The third picture looks like it is the start of “Roam” the enduro label for other sram components and the face book pic does not look like a fat bike or a 29er.

captain derp
captain derp
10 years ago

rumor on the street is that a fatbike company approached sram about doing a run of fat suspension forks.

last paragraph:

http://www.bikemag.com/gear/fatbikes/

satisFACTORYrider
satisFACTORYrider
10 years ago

anything to move away from the word enduro would be good

pffft
pffft
10 years ago

I love it when my exposed inner stanchions are down by the dropouts where they get absolutely zero dirt and impact exposure.

Max
Max
10 years ago

IMO – It won’t be an XC fork, it be will be aimed at the same customer as the X-Fusion Revel. And will have very similar spec. Probably lower weight though.
*satisFACTORYrider – Don’t want to disapoint you but this as the e-word written all over. XC is to specific for such a high end product. The carbon uppers will give the weight and stiffness to meet anybody’s need that ride from trail to AM. It will probably have a 20mm axle which is not very popular in the xc world, but it’s needed for an inverted fork. The oval sections will have very limited effects on aerodynamic but will limit the fore/aft flex
The square trap is probably a door to access the cartridge either for adjustments or to separate the cartridge from the uppers… we will know shortly!! Happy trails!

Pasabaporaquí
Pasabaporaquí
10 years ago

Carbon inverted XC fork?
Marzocchi RAC and Obsys come to my mind…

the dude
the dude
10 years ago

a new roubaix fork? i hope spesh wrote off on the name

Dan E
Dan E
10 years ago

Single piece steerer/crown/upper legs of carbon fiber would allow this thing to be pretty light. Throw in a revised 15mm Maxle (20 mm perhaps with minimal weight penalty) and thread the remote lockout through the plug and you could probably knock a pound off of the existing blackbox-level xc forks…and add $1k to the price. XC weight weenies would field test acceptability and warranty/breakage replacements before moving beyond 100mm of travel (remember the mid 90’s when 100mm was the standard for DH travel)

Matthias
Matthias
10 years ago

80mm Upside-Down Race Fork. Weight between 1200g and 1400g. That would be a great thing.

fanboy
fanboy
10 years ago

a friend of mine was at the taiwan show.

it’s an inverted XC racer fork. One level above the SID. It has it’s own axle spacing and diameter too.

It’s not an enduro fork. It’s not a fat bike fork. But there is one coming. And it’s not inverted.

Ripnshread
Ripnshread
10 years ago

Advances made in key way design from seat posts have finally made the prone-to-torsional flex USD forks a reality??? I hope so cause they promise less “stiction” and lower un-sprung weight. Will need some type of rock guards but that’s ok cause they will look sweet.

sam
sam
10 years ago

What ever it is, it was shown at the recent press camp for 7spd XO, so plenty of people out there know about it.

Incidentally what happened to the 650b spec enduro post ?

Michael
Michael
10 years ago

Yuck! No Thanks. That just doesn’t mesh well with todays xc bikes.

K11
K11
10 years ago

Fox did R&D on the potential of inverted bicycle forks. their conclusion, for bicycles this inverted design is not as good. so this one off fork sits at their head quarters. Just comes off as an attempt to be “different” like the cannondale lefty.

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/fox-dh-fork-inverted-prototype-2012.html

Ad
Ad
10 years ago

I actually think this fork would be great on a Open 1.0, especially when their full susser comes out.

Renzo
Renzo
10 years ago

Fanboy it’s almost right, but it’s inverted!!

XC Ultralight fork, not fat, not roubaix, just light!

I want to see more!!

Mark
Mark
10 years ago

@Matthias – isn’t that called a Lefty?

Andrew
Andrew
10 years ago

@k11 that was a DH fork.

FYI Lefty’s have amazing torsional stiffness and are light to boot. Try it before you knock it.

MikeC
MikeC
10 years ago

Looks like the new RockShox / Campy collabo dropper seatpost…

solidasarock7
10 years ago

their FB page has a photo promoting XC w/ the slogan “Everything Changes”
and if you look at the dimensions it all points to XC, and if you look their is a square opening on the top of the right leg , for a lockout cable or electronic control
http://www.vitalmtb.com/product/feature/Sneak-Peek-Inverted-RockShox-RS-1-Fork,230

Tim
Tim
10 years ago

@K11- except that the Lefty is far stiffer torsionally and fore-aft than other forks, contains needle bearings instead of bushings, and is about 3/4 of a pound lighter than standard forks.

Hopefully this thing will get a 20mm or bigger TA, 15mm is pathetic even on a non-inverted fork.

K11
K11
10 years ago

@andrew. i get that it was a dh fork. but how does shrinking it down to a different category mtb fork make the information collected non-relevant? (i have ridden a lefty on a trip, still not a fan)

the folks that ride and/or like lefty forks would be the types that would have the most interest.

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.