Reflecting On The Industry’s Hesitation to Adopt Inverted MTB Forks

Inverted MTB forks are like that one guy at the bar who insists tequila is a health drink.

They make sense in theory. Less unsprung weight, smoother action, better oil lubrication—sounds amazing, right?

Yet, here we are. Year after year, mountain bikers stick to conventional forks like they owe them rent.

Inverted forks pop up now and then, get hyped, and then quietly fade away like a bad Tinder date.

So what’s the deal? Is Big Fork keeping secrets? Are mountain bikers just resistant to change? Or is there a brutal, simple truth no one wants to admit?

Let’s dive in. Seven reasons why the industry keeps ghosting inverted forks—and why some riders still won’t shut up about them.

1. The Industry Tried, And It Went… Meh

Manufacturers don’t just ignore good ideas. They test them, twist them, sell them, and kill them if they don’t make money. Marzocchi tried in the 2000s. RockShox gave us the RS1. Manitou still makes the Dorado. The result? A collective industry shrug. Inverted forks just never hit the mainstream.

2. Torsional Flex—The Wobbly Boogeyman

Inverted forks are rigid front-to-back but flex like a drunk uncle when twisted. A conventional fork has a beefy lower brace that holds everything together. Take that away, and your front wheel starts to dance under load.

Fork Type	Torsional Stiffness	Fore-Aft Stiffness
Conventional	High	Moderate
Inverted	Low	High

Bigger stanchions help, but at that point, you might as well bolt a crowbar to your bike and call it suspension.

3. They’re Heavy Or They’re Expensive—Pick Your Poison

If you want an inverted fork that’s stiff enough, it’s going to be heavy. If you want it light, it’s going to be crazy expensive. PUSH, Intend, and Wren make them, but with price tags that make your wallet cry.

Brand	Fork Model	Weight (kg)	Price ($USD)
Intend	Bandit	2.1	2000+
Wren	Inverted	2.3	1000+
Manitou	Dorado	3.1	1200+

4. Maintenance: More Dirt, More Problems

Inverted forks put their moving parts close to the ground—right in the splash zone.

Dust, mud, and trail grime love to party in your bushings, and unless you’re obsessive about cleaning, your expensive fork will turn into a crunchy mess.

5. The Unsprung Weight Myth

People say inverted forks lower unsprung weight, which helps suspension performance.

Sounds great. Except it’s mostly marketing BS. The weight savings are tiny, and modern forks are already optimized for this.

A few grams of difference won’t change your ride.

6. Damage Risk—The Price of Fancy Stanchions

When a rock smashes your lower fork legs, you don’t care. When it smashes your stanchions, you cry. Inverted forks put their most delicate parts right in harm’s way. Cannondale’s Lefty gets around this with a guard, but most brands don’t bother.

7. The Motorcycle Argument (That Doesn’t Hold Up)

“But motorcycles use inverted forks!” Sure, but they also have heavier frames, higher speeds, and dual-crown setups that solve most of the flex issues.

Mountain bikes aren’t motorcycles. A dirt bike weighs 250 lbs. Your MTB? 30 lbs. Different worlds, different needs.

The Hard Truth About Inverted Forks

People don’t buy inverted MTB forks because they aren’t better. They are different, cool, niche—but not better.

They flex too much, weigh too much, cost too much, and demand too much maintenance. The industry isn’t ignoring them. It tested them, found them wanting, and moved on.

And yet, some of us still want one. Why? Because they look sick. Because they’re different. Because screw it, logic is for accountants.

So, will inverted forks make a comeback? Maybe. But if they do, it’ll be for fashion, not function.