The Upside Down PUSH Nine.One Fork is Finally Here 15

Vital first rode a prototype PUSH Nine.One inverted mountain bike fork a year ago in February of 2023. The same day, we recorded an interview with PUSH owner, Darren Murphy, getting all the details about the fork before its release. At the time, the scheduled release for the Nine.One was only a couple months away and PUSH eventually showed the fork at the Sea Otter Classic. A couple months turned into 4, then 7 then 8. Fast-forward 12 months later, and the fork is now available to the public.

Discussion Topics

• 0:00 - Intro (2024)
• 1:00 - (Feb 2023 Start) Why Make a Fork at All?
• 4:23 - Why Make an Inverted Fork?
• 8:43 - PUSH Nine.One Fork Specs & Features
• 10:21 - The "Grab the Bars Torsional Stiffness Twist Test" is Dumb
• 15:54 - Modular, Updatable Axle Lugs for Wheel Size, Offset and Brake Mounts, Travel Adjust
• 20:23 - Simple Fork Servicing Through Bleed Ports, Long-term Product Use
• 25:47 - Why is it a $2,600 Mountain Bike Fork? Weight, Fabrication Details
• 31:44 - Comparing Other Inverted Fork Designs, Why Not Carbon?
• 34:22 - Spring, Damper and Internals
• 38:20 - The Parking Lot Test
• 41:45 - Jason's Ride Experience on the PUSH Fork
• 44:57 - Purposefully Not as Torsionally Stiff as a Regular Fork
• 47:14 - Availability
• 48:47 - What About Stanchion Scratches / Guards?
• 51:47 - WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG? (2024)
• 1:00:44 - Did Anything About the Fork Change During the Year?
• 1:02:30 - Fork Specs (Again : )
• 1:05:14 - Four Years in the Making
• 1:06:58 - FIXED BUSHINGS and Why
• 1:09:51 - Would Darren Do It All Over Again?
• 1:11:53 - The Twist Test is Still Pointless
• 1:16:00 - What MTB Standard Would Darren Change?

At $2,600 USD, the coil-sprung Nine.One is made in the USA at the PUSH factory in Colorado. It features 140-170mm of user-adjustable travel in 10mm increments and uses modular axle lugs that can run 27.5 or 29-inch wheels with built-in brake mounts for 180mm or 200mm rotors. The damping technology is that of the PUSH Elevensix shock and oil can be changed and serviced through bleed ports at the top of the fork.

While most riders can't comprehend spending that much money on a fork, Darren and PUSH set out to make a highly refined piece of suspension that can last and be updated for years to come. We dive into why PUSH would make a fork, their philosophy on what makes good suspension, misconceptions of upside-down fork design, what took so long to finish production, and why someone may want such an expensive MTB fork.

PUSH Nine.One Fork Details and Press Release

• MSRP: $2,600 USD
• Travel: 140mm-170mm in 10mm increments. User adjustable
• Axle: 15mm x 110mm floating through axle
• Axle Clamp: Oversized 38mm clamp area, 4 bolt design
• Steerer: 1.5” Tapered
• Brake Mount: Dual Standoff Direct 180/185mm and 200/203mm
• Made in Colorado
• MTB and E-MTB compatible
• Main Spring: Coil with silent-surround noise canceling technology
• 28 Clicks of External Low-Speed Compression Adjustment
• 28 Clicks of External High-Speed Compression Adjustment
• 18 Clicks of External Low-Speed Rebound Adjustment
• Independent externally adjustable Pneumatic Bottom Out Piston
• Motorex 3D Response Technology Fork Oil
• Weight: 2,790 grams

Official Press Release

Loveland, CO- PUSH Industries introduces the new NINE.ONE Inverted Fork

It is time to expect more from your front fork.

Upper Structure:

With the inverted design comes flexibility and the ability to decouple the various components. These freedoms allow for the use of various crown, outer tube, and bushing configurations that would otherwise be relatively fixed. Using a host of FEA simulation tools, test equipment, and many hours of ride evaluations, PUSH engineers tirelessly analyzed and tweaked each aspect of the fork’s upper structure. This included exploring both large and small adjustments to crown shape and overlap, outer tube diameter and taper, as well as floating and fixed fork bushings. The result? The NINE.ONE features a uniquely tuned 44mm upper chassis where increases in frontal stiffness were achieved to manage large square impacts without compromising the torsional stiffness needed to improve cornering traction by reducing front-end push from chatter.

Fork Bushings:

Fork bushings were a primary focus in chassis development with extensive development going into design layouts and material structures. Proprietary fork bushings are precision fit and individually hand-burnished to mating stanchion tubes. The NINE.ONE also features a bushing design that keeps the bushings submerged in fork oil which provides constant and consistent lubrication resulting in a fork that is plush, active, and free of binding friction even under the heaviest breaking loads.

Fork Seals:

Each fork features our exclusive and proprietary ULF fork seals. Longer lasting, better performing and engineered to reduce hand fatigue by reducing sliding friction. As with our fork bushings, NINE.ONE fork seals are constantly and consistently lubricated improving performance and increasing durability.

Stanchion Tubes:

NINE.ONE forks feature 36mm centerless ground and polished stanchion tubes utilizing our proven MicroXD micro-finishing hard coat process to reduce friction and increase durability.

Axle Lugs:

The axle lugs of the NINE.ONE take an innovative approach to design. With their bolt-on design, riders can easily switch between axle offsets as well as wheel sizes without purchasing a new fork. The extremely stiff 38mm clamping area of the lugs aids in both the fork's overall feel as well as harmonic-free braking stiffness. The brake side axle lug also features our exclusive Dual Standoff Direct Mount brake mount system eliminating mounting brackets for 180/185mm as well as 200/203mm rotor sizes. This feature reduces setup time and improves braking stability.

Fork Guards:

Lightweight integrated fork guards provide excellent lower leg protection and feature integration of both the front brake hose guide and traditional low-mount fender. The guards are manufactured from a high-impact polymer material that provides high stiffness with excellent impact and shatter resistance.

Quiet Coil Spring

From the kings of coil. Have you ever noticed how frequently air-sprung forks are described as providing “the most coil-like feel”? This is because coil-sprung forks provide a more plush and active initial travel, better mid-stroke support, and the most consistent end stroke. We made it simple….the NINE.ONE is coil sprung. Better yet, the fork spring assembly sits inside our lubricated “Silent Surround” chamber allowing for quiet, smooth, and maintenance-free action without the use of secondary devices such as heat shrink.

Independent External Bottoming Control

The NINE.ONE also features our exclusive position-sensitive ABS pneumatic bottoming system. Independent from the main coil spring, the ABS unit provides additional spring support for the final 10-45mm of wheel travel. The engagement position is automatically adjusted based on base pressure. Base pressure is adjusted externally with a standard shock pump with recommended pressures between 5-50psi. Additionally, more aggressive riders can remove the ABS unit and reposition the ABS main piston as an additional tuning tool.

NINE.ONE Damper

With its pressurized reservoir, Internal Floating Piston (IFP), and large volume compression base valve, the components of the NINE.ONE damper resemble an advanced rear shock damper. Designed and engineered specifically for the unique characteristics of the chassis, the damper features a uniquely developed damping characteristic that offers new levels of speed sensitivity and control. With 28 clicks of both Low and High-Speed compression damping, and 18 clicks of Low-Speed rebound damping adjustment, riders are truly able to fine-tune just the right amount of performance, comfort, and control. In addition to the external adjustments, internal tuning of the compression base valve, rebound piston, and mid valve are available for riders riding at an elite level.

User Adjustable Travel

To give riders more options, the NINE.ONE features a proprietary travel adjustment system that allows riders to internally adjust the fork travel between 140mm and up to 170mm in 10mm increments without the need to purchase additional parts.

Durable Construction

Throw a punch….it can take it. Not being exceedingly happy with modern fork durability, PUSH engineers took a fresh approach to performance while being consistently focused on durability. Both component design and material selections were chosen based on the results they produced after a full season, not just how they performed after a fresh rebuild.

Floating Axle

Decreasing friction results in better traction. The NINE.ONE’s floating axle design eliminates binding friction caused by hub width tolerance and variance. With this design, hub preload and fork leg alignment are completely independent of each other.

Speed Service Feature

While regular maintenance is necessary to keep the NINE.ONE fork operating at its maximum, riders can remove the fork's lubrication fluid and replace it through our outer tube speed service feature. This is a basic service that can be completed without removing the fork from the bike.

Pressure Relief Valves

Featuring a Patent-Pending design, and conveniently located on the backside of the fork crown, our pressure relief valves make pressure balancing the NINE.ONE a breeze. The valves' completely sealed pull-to-release design eliminates the common problem of entering debris and leaking lubricating oil.

Homegrown

Manufactured here matters. Creating high-quality products manufactured right here under the roof of our Colorado facility by skilled individuals adds a level of detail that simply cannot be matched. The result: Quality, Durability, and Performance.

Warranty Reset

A revolutionary suspension warranty first introduced with our ELEVENSIX rear shock, our Warranty Reset ensures that after every annual service performed by one of our Factory Authorized Service Centers, you get a full factory warranty reset for another year of use. In addition, all PUSH forks and shocks feature a fully transferable warranty.

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