The Intend Samurai is an all-new suspension fork designed for cross-country and downcountry riding, that can also be converted into a 50mm-travel gravel suspension fork.
Intend says the Samurai is the lightest fork it manufactures, with the CC model weighing in at a claimed 1,390g.
The fork will be available in four options that vary in construction, intended discipline and amount of suspension travel.
A gravel-bike specific model will feature 50mm of travel, while the XC and downcountry versions feature up to 130mm of travel.
Three of the four models use a RockShox Charger Race Day cartridge, which Intend says must be provided or purchased and delivered to it for installation.
Why go upside down?
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Inverted forks come with a number of key claims. The potential to build a lighter fork is the primary driver, but the inverted design can also keep seals and other moving parts well-lubricated, improving smoothness. They can also reduce unsprung mass, improving performance.
The last mainstream inverted fork to be produced for XC riding was the RockShox RS-1, which was discontinued in 2018.
Intend Samurai range overview
The Intend Samurai will be available in four build options at launch, ranging from 50mm travel for the gravel version up to 130mm travel for the downcountry build.
Intend claims all its forks are handmade to order in its factory, and all pass EFBE certification, meaning they are stress-tested to an enduro level.
All versions of the Samurai will feature flat-mount brakes. A 180mm post-mount brake adaptor will be available for the forks, enabling you to run your desired brake caliper.
Intend was unable to provide any international pricing at the time of publishing.
Intend Samurai CC
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Intend’s Samurai CC fork features 120mm of travel and utilises a carbon steerer tube and cable guides to drop weight.
Intend claims the Samurai CC weighs 1,390g, which would make it lighter than the RockShox SID Ultimate, and only 64g heavier than RockShox’s claimed weight for the SID Ultimate SL at 1,326g.
Using RockShox’s Charger Race Day cartridge allows for the fork to be locked out.
The Samurai CC is set to be available in early 2023 and will cost €1,949.
Intend Samurai XC
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The Samurai XC also features 120mm of travel and comes in slightly heavier with a claimed weight of 1,515g. The Samurai XC also uses a RockShox Charger Race Day cartridge.
The Samurai XC is available now and costs €1,649.
Intend Samurai TR
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Intend says the TR is designed for trail and downcountry riding, with 130mm of travel.
The TR is the only model to use Intend’s in-house damping cartridge, which Intend claims offers a full range of low-speed compression and rebound adjustment.
Intend’s in-house cartridge gives the TR an extra 10mm of travel over the RockShox Charger Race Day cartridge, at the cost of having no lock-out ability.
Intend claims the TR weighs 1,555g, with the new cartridge adding only 30g over the RockShox cartridge.
The Samurai TR is available now and costs €1,799.
Intend Samurai GR
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The GR is the gravel-specific variation of the Samurai, featuring smaller stanchions that give it maximum travel of 50mm. Intend says the GR weighs in at 1,450g.
The Samurai XC is available now and costs €1,649.