High-end mountain bike suspension isn’t exactly holding most of us back, but what if you’re looking for something a bit more exotic? That’s when you might turn to someone like Cornelius Kapfinger, founder of Intend Bicycle Components and very-low volume maker of boutique suspension forks, shocks, and other parts. Intend is probably best known for inverted forks, and today the German company is releasing their short-travel Samurai which is available in four distinct configurations.
The particular XC and GR forks cost 1649 €, the particular TR model is 1799 €, plus the CC will sell for 1949 € when it’s eventually available.
• Intended use: Trail, cross-country, gravel
• Travel: 120 – 130mm
• Air-sprung
• CLOSED CIRCUIT, XC, GRMS require RockShox Charger RD damper (rebound, lockout, LSC)
• TR comes w/ Plan damper (rebound, LSC)
• Weight: 1, 390 – one, 555 grams
• MSRP: 1649 € — 1949 €
• More info: www.intend-bc.com
Samurai Models
Samurai TR : The 130mm TR is the fork for more aggressive riding, Intend says, and it skips the RockShox Charger Race Day check for one of the German brand’s own designs in order to get that extra 10mm associated with stroke. The body is a carbon fiber tube, because of course it is, and it offers rebound plus low-speed compression adjustments but not the external lock-out lever found in the top of the Competition Day unit. Essentially, it’s a tiny version of what’s used inside Intend’s Hero trail bicycle fork, but in a 130mm-package that can be lowered down to just 80mm in 10mm increments. The TR costs 1799 € ready to ride.
Samurai XC – The particular 1, 515-gram XC shell uses the same chassis as the particular TR but there are two important differences: It has 120mm of journey and requires RockShox’s excellent Charger Race Day discouragement with lockout control that can be had upon the shell crown or the handlebar… But you’ll need to find your personal Charger damper because the XC doesn’t come with its own. Like the other Samurais, it also gets the updated crown and dropouts, also it can become fitted with the also-new 180mm post-mount brake adapter. The damper-less XC expenses 1649 €.
Samurai CC plus GR – Riders wanting all the particular fancy and less weight might be into the Samurai that arrives with a carbon fiber steerer pipe from suspension outfit ND Tuned that will weighs around 95 grms. That’s roughly half the weight of an alloy steerer, which ND Tuned also offers for those who may have only measured once before cutting… The other carbon bits on the particular CC are the hose guides that Intend sourced from HOPP Carbon Parts. The 120mm CC also needs RockShox’s Charger impediment that not only offers a lockout lever but , very conveniently, weighs 30 grams less than Intend’s edition.
All that will adds up to just 1, 390 grams (with the flat mount), making it one of the lightest 120mm forks on the market. The CC costs 1949 € (not including the Charger damper) and will be obtainable later this particular year.
Weighing more yet having simply 50mm associated with travel, the particular 1, 450-gram Samurai GR is ideal for your no-holds-barred curly-bar build that needs a ton of tire clearance. It retails regarding 1649 € but, like the XC plus CC forks, you’ll want to furthermore source your own RockShox Phone chrgr damper.
