Two new Intend products was shown to us by Freiburg inventor Cornelius Kapfinger at Eurobike 2021. While the suspension fork is merely a study that is the counterpart to the trendy High-pivot rear triangles the new crank with integrated freewheel is already close to series production.
High-pivot suspension fork
A trend is currently spreading on downhill and enduro bikes: High-pivot rear triangles. The bikes with the chain idler are characterised by a high main pivot point, which optimises the wheel lift curve. This means that the rear wheel is better able to avoid a rearward impact. Kapfinger's study follows the same approach with a suspension fork set at five degrees. The flatter angle is intended to optimise the response behaviour by allowing the front wheel to better avoid impacts and obstacles in the direction of impact. "The ride tests were very positive," says Kapfinger. "The bumps were noticeably smaller on the fork with the casting set up." However, the modified caster has an effect on the steering geometry. Whether the study will ever go into series production remains to be seen.
Rocksteady Magic crank
Unlike the fork, the Magic version of the already existing Rocksteady crank shortly before completion. The special feature of the new crank: like a trial crank, there is a freewheel between the chainring and crank arm. Thanks to the toothed disc freewheel, the chain continues to run even when rolling. This makes it possible to change gears at any time without cranking. However, the freewheel of the rear wheel hub must be blocked so that the chain continues to run. A simple cable tie connects the cassette to the spokes. At 170 millimetres in length, the milled aluminium crank should weigh 750 grams including the freewheel and 30 millimetre crankshaft.
