The next big thing, or is it more of a nerd-level gimmick? In which category can Cornelius Kapfinger's latest brainwave be categorised? The smart engineer and founder of the company Intend has developed the world's lightest brake (then still at Trickstuff) and with his extravagant upside-down suspension forks has earned an excellent reputation in the bike industry. With a freewheel integrated into the crank, the native of Lower Bavaria is now questioning the fundamental function of the drivetrain on mountain bikes. Which is likely to be interpreted as cheeky in the development departments of Sram and Shimano, to say the least. But Kapfinger's idea is by no means new. Trial bikers have been relying on the combination of a freewheel mechanism in the crank and a fixed hub in international competitions for decades. This means that the crank can still be turned backwards when the chain is already resting on the obstacle. For mountain bikers, there are other advantages that speak in favour of this system. But first things first. What exactly is this all about?
Intend's new Rocksteady Magic crank has a freewheel between the chainring and crank arm, which in turn is intended to replace the usual freewheel in the hub body of the rear wheel. However, because every MTB rear wheel already has an integrated freewheel, you have to temporarily paralyse it with a cable tie between the cassette and spokes. So you have to make your own rigid hub to put the Rocksteady Magic crank into operation. Doesn't sound entirely logical. So what are the advantages of this system?
In the report from BIKE 12/2021 you can read all the details about Intend's freewheel cranks, a ride report and voices from the industry. You can conveniently download all the information as a PDF below the article.
The report costs 1.49 euros. Why not free of charge? Because quality journalism has a price. In return, we guarantee independence and objectivity. This applies in particular to the tests in BIKE. We don't charge for them, but the opposite is the case: we do charge for them - tens of thousands of euros every year.
