The new upside-down suspension fork from Intend, which was on display at Eurobike 2022 in Frankfurt, comes in three versions: for down-country use with a maximum of 120 millimetres of travel, a classic 100 mm version for XC bikes and a version for use on gravel bikes with 80 millimetres of travel. At 1385 grams, the CC version is the lightest, while the gravel version of the Intend Samurai (1440 grams) and XC version (1495 grams) are only slightly heavier.
All variants rely on 35 millimetre thick stanchions with the proven Royal Flush coating and a 180 mm flat mount for the disc brake. The lower brake bolt has a hole so that it can be tightened from the side with a 2.5 mm Allen key - clever!
Intend relies on angles instead of offsets
To achieve the lowest possible weight, the standpipes are angled by approximately 3 degrees. One Kapfinger already had a prototype fork with an attached casting last year shown. This flattening makes it possible to install shorter dropouts and at the same time should improve the response behaviour. The fork offset is between 46 mm and 41.5 mm, depending on how low the fork is in its travel.
The top model is called Samurai CC and is 110 grams lighter than the XC version. This weight saving is achieved with a carbon head tube from ND Tuned, carbon cable guides from Hopp Carbon Parts and a butted tube on the non-brake side.
The damping of the Intend Samurai comes from Rockshox
The ordering process for the Intend Samurai is different from that for other Intend suspension forksas the Rockshox Raceday cartridge is used for the damping. The Raceday cartridge - with or without remote - must be purchased from a dealer of your choice and then sent to Intend, where it is then installed in the fork you ordered.
The price for the Samurai CC is 1949 euros, while the XC and GR variants cost 1649 euros. All variants should be available from autumn 2022. The Rockshox Raceday cartridge has a recommended retail price of 308 euros, but you can buy it in online shops for around 220 euros.
Facts about the Intend Samurai
- three variants with 80-120 mm suspension travel
- Top model weighs only 1385 grams
- Angled stanchions for low weight and better response behaviour
- 180 mm flatmount brake mount
- Rockshox Raceday cartridge must be purchased separately
- Assembly by hand in Freiburg
