Upside-down forks are a rather rare species. Upside-down forks from Germany are even rarer. Cornelius Kapfinger, an engineer and hobby biker from Lower Bavaria, now wants to change that - because that is the name of the resourceful mind behind the Intend brand. Kapfinger earns his living as a full-time developer at Trickstuff, but in his spare time he designs suspension forks. He has devised two different models, one for downhill use and one for enduro. We have already had the opportunity to ride the € 1,599 Edge enduro fork. The high price of the blue sedan chair is due to the fact that Kapfinger still produces in small series - but this could change quickly.
The key data alone is impressive: a measured 164 millimetres of suspension travel with an excellent weight of 1945 grams. But what counts in the end is the riding impression. We travelled to Finale Ligure for testing with mixed expectations. After just a few metres, the Edge ironed any scepticism from the trail without a hitch. Above all, the extremely sensitive response of the air fork was astonishing: the upside-down fork filters out even the smallest bumps and ensures first-class traction. The Edge also absorbs big hits convincingly, but offers slightly less feedback than a Fox 36, for example. The fork works with a large positive air chamber and self-adjusting negative air chamber, it damps through an open oil bath and can be adjusted in rebound and compression.
And what about the major shortcoming of most upside-down forks, their low torsional stiffness? The steering precision measured in the laboratory is also low on the Intend, which can also be felt on the trail in certain riding situations. However, the fork's handling was never really critical or even unpredictable. Nevertheless, there were a few points of criticism: after just a few descents, the fork oiled on the air side due to sealing tolerances. In addition, the rebound could do with a slightly wider adjustment range in the fast direction. But Kapfinger wants to improve this.
PLUS High level of comfort thanks to optimum response behaviour
MINUS Heavy oiling, rebound adjustment range too small
CONCLUSIONS: Impressive enduro fork with convincing comfort and very low weight.
Price: 1599 Euro
Info: www.facebook.com/IntendBC
