German:A – could upside down single crown be ready for Enduro?
Ok we all have reservations about upside down forks with a single crown for the obvious reason: flex. The idea has been around since year dot in motocross, and in theory it is great, with all the shit having much less of a chance of getting through the seals, due to gravity. German:A have overcome the flex issues however with their Revo fork, they have cleverly designed oval shaped outer legs, so no twist is possible.
They use a carbon 1 1/8″ straight steerer, which immediately started alarm bells ringing in my head, till I was explained how they overcame the need for a fat tapered steerer. Basically they have the lower cup bearing sat on the a lip on the crown, eliminating any pressures from the bottom of the steerer.
The fork comes with 36mm lowers, 650b ready with a plush 160mm of travel, which (when pressing one of the large buttons on top) can be set anywhere in the forks travel for climbing or dh, very clever! Expect to see some of these on test later next year when available.
Words & Photos: Jim Buchanan
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