Intend launches the Flash 38 suspension fork, offering a really massive upside-down fork for tough gravity use. Weight played a subordinate role in the development of the fork. The new Intend Flash 38 should be one thing above all: powerful. According to the e-bike label, a change in philosophy has taken place, especially on downhill e-bikes. For many enduro and freeride riders, it's no longer about a few grams more or less, but above all about a stable, plush riding experience. And that's exactly what the new Intend fork with 38 millimetre thick steerer tubes should offer them. Curtain up for the Flash 38!
Intend Flash 38 fork in detail
- Application: Enduro / Freeride
- Suspension travel: 160-190 mm
- Offset: 44 mm
- Weight: 2620 g (incl. lower guards)
- Price: 2349 Euro
Stiff and superior
Upsidedown suspension forks have undisputed advantages. By reversing the conventional arrangement, the bushings of such forks are always in the oil. The result can be improved lubrication, optimised bushing dynamics and greater stiffness in the direction of travel. Critics like to accuse upside-down suspension forks of inferior torsional stiffness. Intend has been endeavouring to disprove the doubts about the concept for a long time and wants to dispel the last doubts with the new Flash 38. To this end, the dip tubes have been inflated to a diameter of 38 millimetres. The thru axle comes with either a 15 or thick 20 millimetre diameter and is double-clamped. It is also possible to change between the diameters at a later date. Intend goes all out with the fork crown. This is milled from a solid block of aluminium and weighs 479 grams on its own. Intend states 2620 grams for the entire Flash 38 fork.
The contact point on the Intend Flash 38 has been redesigned to make the connection between the crown and tube even more stable. To protect the tubes from loads, all forces are channelled into the powerful crown thanks to a so-called zero-gap technology. Unlike other Intend forks, there is no axial contact at the top of the bridge, but between its lower end and the tube. This is intended to reduce micro-movements and maximise stiffness. For the steerer tube, Intend continues to rely on the proven model of its Gravity forks. With a wall thickness of six millimetres at the bottom and three millimetres at the top, the Flash 38 outperforms many of its competitors. 160 to 190 millimetres of suspension travel are available. The travel can be adjusted using the spacers supplied. The lower tubes are additionally protected by the aluminium lower guards supplied. The Intend Flash 38 is available now.
Even smoother thanks to Smooth Operator
Until now, Intend has relied on compression damping with a shim stack and low-speed needle in most of its suspension forks - a proven concept from motorsport. However, normal shim stacks did not offer the option of increasing the low and mid-range without also increasing the high-speed damping. According to Intend, preload does not deliver satisfactory results either, which is why the German small series manufacturer is introducing a new compression unit called the "Smooth Operator" with the Flash 38. The core element is the so-called "Oscillator" unit, which carries a standard shim stack, but with a tighter design for more counter-locking. The size of the shims has also been increased to guarantee a higher flow rate in the high-speed range. The oscillator unit can be opened and closed via a blow-off shim in order to reduce the high-speed compression forces at high damping speeds.
With the new damping technology, Intend aims to achieve a high low-speed compression level with controlled support and a high level of absorption on big hits without relying on potentially tiring preload in the system. As the Smooth Operator is an ongoing update, this type of damping has not only been installed in the new Flash 38, but also in all forks that have been sold since the switch from the Travelizer air spring to Travel Ranger technology. With the exception of the Samurai family, the Smooth Operator can also be retrofitted to all other Intend fork models for a price of 139 euros.
Conclusion
True to the motto "a lot helps a lot", the new Intend Flash 38 suspension fork is a real challenge for the most demanding downhill riders. The sheer massiveness of the expensive boutique fork should also take the wind out of the sails of many an upsidedown critic. While the concept is particularly interesting for heavy and fast bikers, it is likely to be overpowered for most standard evening rides. - Jan Timmermann, BIKE test editor
Jan Timmermann
Editor
