Freiburg component manufacturer Intend Bicycle Components heralds a new era for the new year. "New Age" describes a comprehensive update of the suspension fork lineup, which contains some technical subtleties and also brings a new model with it.
The Intend suspension forks have been designed, assembled and developed by Cornelius Kapfinger, for around five years and a lot has happened in these five years. Tube diameters have increased, details have been refined and just under two years ago, the reconstruction from non-boost to boost was necessary to reach more customers. During this time, the number of forks sold continued to grow.
This has given Intend reason enough to take the next step and introduce their 2020 model range with the name "New Age". With the New Age model series, a special upsidedown model called Flash is being created in a special "Freudenhammer Edition", which will be introduced in the next few weeks. In terms of weight, this will line up well above the Edge enduro fork and was specially designed for the requirements of enduro sport, which is becoming ever tougher, and the requirements of eMTB that have to be assessed in terms of loads placed on the fork.
All of the information below has been provided by Cornelius.
The changes to the New Age suspension forks include the following points:
• Less mass on the shaft, more mass in the crown • SKF seals as wipers / oil seals • New 20to15 axle adapters • Heavy and light axles with knurled clamping surfaces • Higher bushings • New royal flush coating • CNC-made adjustment knobs • New cable routing • No more pre-orders, all forks are in stock • Intend Edge suitable for e-bikes
Less mass on the shaft, more mass in the crown
Cornelius Kapfinger states that the prejudice that USD forks are not torsionally rigid is a major concern for potential customers. Although this concern is completely unfounded, he will continue to try to counteract the prejudices.
With the Intend Edge New Age, the mass on the shaft is reduced, but the mass in the bridge is increased. The current shaft is no less stable and firm as with all other manufacturers, no lightweight construction was carried out. With the same total weight, however, an increase in the torsional rigidity can now be achieved. In order to achieve this, the Edge New Age moves mass from the shaft into the bridge. If the mass is located in the bridge, it can increase both torsional and directional stiffness, if the mass were in the shaft, it can only increase the latter.
SKF seals for wiper and oil seals
The old seal is seen on the left, the new seal on the right.
Cornelius says, "With the increasing number of forks sold, there is also a problem that I did not consider: supplying spare parts independently of me as the manufacturer. As a one-man company, vacation also means incapacity for Intend. However, wear does not adhere to time agreements and with the increasing number of suspension forks, it is necessary that spare parts such as seals can be obtained everywhere.
Therefore, SKF dust wipers in 35mm (without collar) are now installed in the New Age suspension forks. The seals cannot be retrofitted to the "Old Age" suspension forks. The supply of spare parts for the previous dust/oil seals is guaranteed forever (since they are industry-standard parts). There is no functional advantage or disadvantage for new or old suspension forks, only that the new seals are around 20g heavier ”.
New 20 o15 axle adapters
"Unfortunately, the previous 20to15 axis adapters caused problems for some customers. To further simplify handling, the adapters are now screwed with cross screws. This solution cannot be retrofitted to old age forks, but the supply of the previous 20to15 adapters is 100% secure and I believe they also work perfectly."
Heavy and light axles with knurled clamping surfaces
This change is only relevant for extremely hard riders. During extreme driving maneuvers, the axle could in some instances, slightly turn in the dropouts. This has never happened to me in my riding and I have no feedback from customers in this regard either.
It has happened occasionally with my really fast team riders and to avoid this happening in the future, the clamping surfaces are now knurled, which enables a better clamping connection. This innovation can be retrofitted with a new axle if previous customers never had any problems in this regard, but it's also not necessary.
Axles are available in two versions: light and heavy. The heavy axles have doubled wall thickness for maximum torsional rigidity and weigh around 170g, roughly twice the mass of the light axle. I ride the light axle myself. Tough, heavy riders and those with a bit of self-confidence can choose the heavy axle. With the new axles, the occasional turning of the glued hexagon socket is eliminated.
Cornelius Kapfinger states, “The growth of my company goes hand in hand with an improved supplier structure and I can now have some parts manufactured according to my own specifications. This is what happened with the sliding bushes. A big thank you goes to the employees of the company SR-Suntour who made it possible for me to get into the suspension fork business with high-quality and precisely fitting sliding bushes.
Now I have invested heavily in my own molds and have bushings with increased height manufactured according to my own specification. Unfortunately, they are a few grams heavier, but they also reduce the surface pressure. These sockets have been installed as standard for a few months now."
Royal-Flush Coating
“For around 2 years now I have only been building the beloved and hated gold slide coating. The reason for the change from black coating to natural hard anodizing was the excessive risk of wear of the black coating. The black pipes initially installed were occasionally affected, which was unacceptable to me. And again and again, I discover a slight lightening of the black anodized color on competitor forks and am therefore very happy about my decision. Since the introduction of gold slide coating, the number of wear cases has dropped to 0.
But, improvement is everywhere and so, I found a supplier who subsequently sanded the pipes again and optimized the surface roughness on the new sliding bushes and the Fox Gold lubricating oil using a precisely adjusted polish.
Due to the tribologically coordinated surfaces, the friction and the stick-slip effect were significantly reduced. You can recognize this by the slightly lighter anodized color. The Royal Flush Coating has been in series production for almost a year and the results and durability are undoubtedly sublime.”
“One of the most characteristic features of the Intend suspension forks are the hi-fi stereo adjustment knobs. One joy, the other suffering, they give way to specially made CNC knobs for the compression, rebound and valve caps on the New Age forks. This significantly improves the appearance of the suspension forks and is a clear indication that the product has now grown up since it is no longer necessary to use products from third-party manufacturers. The new knobs can be retrofitted to previous suspension forks.”
New cable routing
“In parallel to the adjustment knobs, the cable routing was also made more appealing. Thanks to a contact by the Trickstuff company to the Polygon DH team, which in turn made contact with the Promax company from Taiwan, I was able to get the shapely and screwable plastic guides and thanks to a TESA employee who reads on Facebook, they now have double-sided TESA industrial adhesive tape on the forks perpetuate.
Thanks to everyone involved, sometimes it takes five corners to get to a goal! The new cable routing is completed with a CNC milled cable clamp for the hose guide arm at the dropout. Of course, this solution can be retrofitted to previous forks. Only the Hose Guide Arm is only compatible with the Boost models, but not with the older non-Boost models.”
No more pre-orders, all forks are in stock
"Independent of the product, there is also a change at Intend that the products are almost all in stock and pre-orders are no longer possible because they are not necessary. Due to the variety of variants, it can always happen that a color or special variant is sometimes not in stock, but the tendency is clearly in the direction of stock items, away from production on demand. So all Intend suspension forks and almost all other Intend products are now in stock and, depending on the workload, available within an assembly time of 1-3 weeks.”
Intend Edge suitable for e-bikes
“Strictly speaking, there is no change here, because the previous Edge forks also met all the requirements of the e-bike segment according to the EFBE test laboratory. But specific areas of application also require special marketing. In this respect, it is now announced that the Intend Edge is absolutely suitable for eMTB because its design makes it inherently more stable than conventional suspension forks.”
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General information:
Wheelsizes: 29“ & 27,5“, not changable after purchase Weight: 2130g (29“) & 2085g (27,5“) Standard colors: Black, blue, raw (not anodized). Special colors for 250 Euro additional in red, orange, green, violett Offset: 44mm (51mm is no longer available) Brake mounts: 180 und 203mm (both in boost and non-boost), changable after purchase Steerer length: 243mm Axle diameter: 110x15(Boost) & 110x20(Boost or non-boost), changable after purchase Stroke & ATC: 29“: 180mm (591,5mm), 170mm (581,5mm), 160mm (571,5mm), 150mm (561,5mm), 140mm (551,5mm), 130mm (541,5mm), 120mm (531,5mm), 110mm (521,5mm), 100mm (511,5mm), 90mm (501,5mm), 80mm (491,5mm)… 27,5“: 180mm (571,5mm), 170mm (561,5mm), 160mm (551,5mm), 150mm (541,5mm), 140mm (531,5mm), 130mm (521,5mm), 120mm (511,5mm), 110mm (501,5mm), 100mm (491,5mm), 90mm (481,5mm), 80mm (471,5mm)… (can be reduced with clip spacers in 10mm increments, no change of air shaft necessary) Adjustments: Airpressure, progression, lowspeed-compression, lowspeed-rebound Prices: 1949 Euro (29”) & 1899 Euro (27,5”) incl. VAT
True, especially for mountain bikes, which pick up most of the scratches on the lowers. Inverted forks are simply superior, but they need the scratch protection.
Because who test/ride/buy this kind of “boutique” stuff, generally doesn’t go fast enough to need protection. And generally looks at stuff rather than using it. So ugly plastic covers are a no no.
@RedRedRe: 1st: you can damage your stanchions even at low speed, in a trial zone for instance. 2nd: stanchion protectors are not particularly ugly if they are discreet, and they are USEFUL.... unless: 3rd: YOU`re the kind of guy who generally looks at stuffs rather than using them.
@softsteel: you don’t get my point. These kind of stuff is for garage queens. People who buy this stuff do not really ride their bike. Who else is going to spend $2000 for a fork? Besides probably being a noodle like the other intend fork PB reviewed.
Funnily, this question is exactly what the users in the german forums are criticizing since ages. Cornelius is saying that there are basically no problems with scratches and if you should have a problem with it there is a really cheap replacement (60-80€ I think) for the stanchion (installement included).
From his homepage on this question: "No, my experience with that not covered lowers is: no problems at all. If you take "normal" care about your fork, there will not be more scratches on the lowers than on the uppers of a normal fork (there are no guards either and nobody gives a shit)"
PS: It's already a well known joke to ask for stanchion protectors in the german forum
@RedRedRe: We get your point, you just need to back it up in an attempt to make it credible. You meant to say that you know several people who own this fork and use it as a display piece instead of actually riding it? You honestly meant to say that? And if so, does that actually tell something about the people owning these forks or about the people you know?
He should get over himself and at least make accommodations for fork guards.
When the mass of potential customers are telling you its an obvious issue....its an issue.
Its literally the first and most often area of damage on every bike ive ever had.
I run the mx neoprene booties on mine, works great. I've never been to Germany, but their stance on lowers protection, makes me think they don't have rocks.
It would make sense that replacement stanchions would be cheap as there's no crown / steerer attached to them (hard to tell if the dropout is bonded or bolted on). One can also fix up most scratches pretty easily. And being a neutral colour, scratches will not show easily. So there's some logic at least to not having guards.
@scary1: If it is an issue, some company like Wolftooth, Trickstuff etc will produce a solution for it as a third party add-on. It takes a CNC machinist to come up with a clamp, then someone to make a plastic guard. Injection moulding would be too expensive in these low quantities but thermoforming or even just a cut out from a plastic sheet (like the Mash Guard or derivatives) would then bolt on to that clamp.
Not sold on neoprene covers though. It is good to avoid getting stuff hitting them but the protection shouldn't keep the dirt in and drive it towards the seals.
Something might be thrown by the rider in front of you, otherwise how is the damage going to happen? If the tire is pulling rocks up, they will most likely hit the upper part of the fork, where the tire goes through.
@DavidGuerra: whenever I crash the fork lower legs is generally the first part of the bike to hit the ground. And by ground, I generally mean the pile of rocks lying on the side of the trail
Some of the comments here about not needing protection makes me think I am totally right about the potential buyers. Form before substance. Don’t want to cover this beautiful piece with crappy plastic shields. I agree. Ever raced, seen a race or rode behind other people? Rocks and stuff fly low. If then people ride slow, by themselves, for sure this and other issues are not problems. As long as people have fun riding nothing is wrong. Can buy a bike just to look at it. I have few I love to look at and barely ride.
@RedRedRe: "upside-up" forks with a forward facing arch (like most mtb forks these days) have the stanchions in the line of fire too. The tire shoots debris at the stanchions or disposes it on top of the dust wipers. Still most people only install a fender against mud, not against dry conditions. The brake rotor then, dangles down low. MX bikes protect these, mountainbikers with measly 2mm thin rotors don't.
I get that it is nice to have the option to protect these stanchions for those who feel the need. Just like some may want to protect their brake rotor (yet currently don't have the option). I prefer to ride with taco or bash ring just so that a minor error doesn't end my ride, though it seems most people these days don't. Doesn't mean those who ride without taco, bash ring, rotor protector or fork fender nowadays don't ride their bikes hard.
@RedRedRe: Man, you have an incredibly narrow view this sport. Just because you think people don't buy and ride boutique or spendy stuff way harder than you ever will doesn't mean its not happening (and frequently)
To be honest, the slowest riders with expensive gear I run into are almost always on high spec factory bikes from Yeti, SC, etc., not customized boutique rigs
Also as someone who has significant time experimenting with a DVO Emerald I've run sans the super heavy CTA, I personally don't have a lot of fear about not having guards, but I would want to fab some up for the long term
@RedRedRe: Explain why speed would be part of the equation (hint: it isn't. An oddball occurrence of that type is actually more likely to happen between crawling speed and zero km/h). But nevermind, I understand your perplexity with bike price and rider skill not being proportionally correlated
@Arierep: I meant damage from riding, not from crashing. But we can talk about leg damage from crashing. Is the lower part of the legs more prone to hitting rocks in crashes than the upper part? How frequent is disc damage from crashes for example? Maybe it happened to you? The only disc damage I ever had was at the rear, from a stick or rock, I don't remember. None of my discs were ever affected from crashing.
So cool to see how a one-man operation, with comparatively no budget or resources to speak of, is just able to engineer and manufacture products that compete with the best products the industry's top brands have on offer.
You rock, Mr. Kapfinger!
The only people who said Intend forks are good are a couple of german magazines. Everywhere else-including PB, they do not seem very impressed to ride these noodles.
@RedRedRe: Could you link to the PB article where it says so? I tried the search function but I couldn't find any link to an article where they actually tested the fork.
@RedRedRe: I think you got me wrong. Of course the product isn't perfect and I think everyone understood that. To be honest the only criticism everyone had is the one of torsional stiffness, which is an inherent problem on all USD suspension forks, regardless of the manufacturer. So in the end, its an awesome product, manufactured to incredibly high standards, which unfortunately is plagued by the inherent problems of all upside-down forks. But just looking at the engineering and manufacturing efforts undertaken to get to the point of where his company is, in regard to the resources, I think that deserves some respect.
@benmoosmann: my point is that when I went on the intent website, and from what I read on interviews, I read “better engineered etc “. Now this is coming from somebody (I assume) just out of school. Does it sound a little off? I do not remember any of the people who designed anything that actually improved bikes, talking this way about their stuff in comparison to others. And the few who did, they can still back it up after decades. As you said, mtb upside forks are often a noodle. But moto versions are fine. Why? Maybe because it is not possible to create an upside down mtb fork that works well and does not weight a ton or cost more than the bike itself. These are words from Marzocchi Italy, after they dropped the upside fork experiment. And I think their capabilities and history is never going to be matched by any suspension manufacturer. So this fork presents itself as made by somebody with “superior” talent, but it does not seem to be aware of the abc? When I rode the RS rs-1 (before all the rave reviews) the first thing I noticed was how imprecise was the fork. At the first real corner I stopped to check if the axel was tight. That was a fork reviewed as “game changer” by almost all online publications. Is this going to be the same? Cool product anyhow, but the moment somebody auto elevate themselves above others, they may be aware that criticism becomes more attentive to their stuff. That said, I never seen one, I am just taking my own theory which does not have a PowerPoint to back it up, and I would love to try the fork and be proven wrong.
@benmoosmann : compete ? There's no competition at all, Cornelius is all by himself in that price range of forks. It's easy to beat a mass product, the hard part is achieving the same results for the same price.
@vinay: I think you asked before, just use the search box or google. The review says bad torsional stiffness. Which generally means the fork is not precise. I have read a review from a French or Italian Swiss magazine that said the same. If I remember well. That said whatever! We are discussing stuff nobody has seen.
@vinay: it was the intend dh fork they reviewed, flexy and lacked midstroke support but very plush.
The reality is, any small operation can ONLY release a usd fork, as a regular mtb fork required expensive cast magnesium lowers, way beyond small brand budgets.
The simple difference being down to manufacturing methods available to small brands.
These usd forks are then of course advertised as being superior for x and x reasons, as lets face it, who's going to release a product and say, 'it's not as good as the other brands but it's all we have the budget for to make'....
@ctd07: sorry but you havent tried it yourself. your just reasoning around, but usd forks have pro and contra, and the contra being flexi is simply up to a rider to decide wether he likes it or not. on the pro side is the sensitivity and the breaking stiffness. the grip you get is really great, too. superior or not is also only something you have to decide for yourself. I like these forks because they are from the big brands that tell you every 50 hours service for 100€ or 100h service for 200€. Intend says after 100h, if it feels good, check the oil, which is easy and keep going. and the fork is way better after 100h than any other i've tried. And i've tried fox and rockshox.
Good indeed to see his take on it. I couldn't find where the mid stroke support was bad, just that that of the Boxxer was better. He indeed clearly states that torsional stiffness was low. It probably depends on the riding style and preferences how much of an issue that is, just like with stiff/not so stiff (carbon) wheels. If he forces it, steering feels slow and indirect. If he loosens up, he's actually getting more traction than anticipated. I honestly don't even know how much I value torsional stiffness. The fork shouldn't judder obviously though that typically is more associated with excess play than with lack of stiffness. Now that I'm riding a longer bike than I did previously I feel I'm relying even more on tilting the bike rather than turning the handlebar. But I'm riding conventional forks too. I should get on a twisty fork to learn whether it would be an issue for me, actually.
As for scratches on the lowers, they didn't seem to be an issue. I recall Curnutt used to run protectors, just like Manitou does and of course DVO (though these also have a structural purpose). The BeOne team back in the days didn't run them on their Rond Big Ego forks (from WP suspension). Later when Magura took over Rond they added those protectors but I don't recall those have been used on the WC circuit. So yeah, as far as I know some used to protect their stanchions but those who didn't got away with it just fine too. I agree I would like to protect the stanchions too if it were my fork but then again I also protect my chainring, which most people don't. The big question here of course is, on a similar impact which receives more damage (lowers or stanchions)? And which are more expensive to replace? Obviously bearing in mind that a scratch on the lowers has different consequences than a scratch on the stanchions.
I do 100% get that if you want to do everything in house, cast lowers are just not an option. DT Swiss has a video on their website how theirs are made in Taiwan. It takes huge investments to cast them. It is kind of the same story we see with CNC machining. Forging gets you a better product (because of the grain structure), CNC is more affordable and more flexible to do in smaller quantities. However CNC has managed to snatch that "high end" image hence is getting all the hype.
I'm not saying this fork is better than the conventional forks out there. I'd say it could be on par depending on what you're after. Judging by the review, the Intend wins on suppleness, conventional forks win on torsional stiffness. The big selling point to me here is that stuff that could potentially break, can be fixed. I like that over getting something big and expensive and be aware that if something gets damaged, it is expensive to fix. I'd rather invest a bit more up front and know that I should be able to get hold of affordable spares and/or have it fixed when something inevitably breaks.
@RedRedRe: didn't Cornelius work for Trickstuff before he started Intend? Have you heard of them? Regarded as the best brakes available, I suspect he knows what he's doing. But please, continue giving us your opinion based upon absolutely no information at all.
man, this is a real press release for the discerning adult, with the pertinent technical questions impecably adressed. As opposed to the creaky CSUs and 28.99 times the bullshit we are used to.
It takes equal parts of top engineering and massive balls to start a company like you're doing, maximum respect.
@speed10: I have a 101MK1 since 2016. It is a chameleon of a bike. I had it set up as a 120/120mm trail bike, then boosted to 140/140 with the rocker arms from the 301MK13, tried it as a mullet bike (Liteville being among the first ones on the mullet thing). The 101 MK1 is a bit small for me in size L (I'm 186). I think Liteville sizing is always towards the small side of the spectrum. Apart from that, it's super versatile and light (around 13kg with pedals, XX1 build and Syntace everything else, aluminium 29" rims). This bike has seen from marathon races to bikepark days, it's massive.
For two years I had as well a 301 MK14 size L I got from the Garda testcenter and it was a massive bike. The 8pins is the best mechanical seatpost I ever tried, both in action and in concept. The 301 had the C33i wheelset which was absolutely bombproof. I'm around 90kg and never even got them out of true (bikepark riding included). The 301MK14 climbed incredibly well, never cared for locking the rear shock since there's no unwanted bob. Adding volume spacers really made the shock perform much better. Litevilles have many little details that might be seen as selling points but when you are out on the trail you are happy to have them (the included allen key in the rear axle, all screws are the same size, clean lines / clean bike, EVO6 rear wheel assembly, the rock guard, etc).
If the geometry wasn't on the conservative side I would have bought an MK15.
Buy one, you will not regret it. Just buy it in the right size
@speed10: I have ridden a 301 Mk15 in the trail configuration, but only for a couple of laps around a parking lot and a bit of jibbing. Doing that it felt like a firm, lively, playful trail bike with tons of anti-squat, but not completely unlike my own Commencal Meta TR 29. I couldn't telI you how it feels on an actual trail, but I know a couple of people that absolutely swear by Liteville and will always end up buying the latest iteration of the 301 even if they could easily afford a high-end carbon bike from Specialized or Santa Cruz instead. Also I don't exactly know how they do it, but somehow they apparently manage to build stiffer/stronger frames out of aluminium than the competition does using carbon - measured both in absolute stiffness and stiffness relative to weight, that is.
@Vertik: Where do you find the geometry of the mk15 to be conservative? Not kidding, we are going to make a Mk16 after all and user feedback is always welcome.
@Helmchentuned: If you work for Liteville and are interested on my feedback I would gladly email you my point of view. A detailed answer would be too long for a PB answer, at least for me
The short answer is that there are no big differences between the MK14 from 2017 and MK15, hence, conservative geometry among the brand but as well compared to the rest of the market. I know the 301 is all about an evolution from model to model, but anyhow. The head tube angle of the MK14 could be changed to -1.5 degrees (as you might know) making the geometry of both iterations very close, apart from the 10mm increase in reach to compensate for the seat tube angle. The actual seat tube angle of the MK15 is 70.5 vs 71.5 on the MK14, accentuating the problem if your saddle is too far out.
What I as a tall rider consider is important is a steeper seat tube angle so I don't sit to much over the rear wheel. Other brands have done that for years (Pole and Nikolai for example) and other have adopted it with their latest model (Yeti, among many others).
I do believe that the MK16 will be a great iteration.
If this was the short answer, be aware of asking for the long one!
@speed10: I have no idea why you were downvoted for asking that. Yes I've had a couple now, MK11 & 14. Very good pedalling bikes, good for general trail and excellent climbers. 301 MK14 didn't seem to like rockier fast trails. Limited by the small shock I think.
@Vertik: as a shorter rider considering the same bike, i would have a different point of view on some of those numbers. that's the problem with sizing and geometry.
size specific chain stays and seat angles might be better for them to consider.
@telephunke: oh, Liteville has been doing specific chain stays for as long as I can remember. They actually focus pretty much on each part of the bike to be size specific except the seat tube angle:
Remember that we almost pulled barspins without turning the wheel on the old Marzocchi Shiver...and the single crown was like boiled spaghetti, so even though I want to believe there has been progress - I think he should acknowledge that the concern is based on actual experience for many of us. Looks awesome though!
Come on, it's not that bad. I rode a 2012 Dorado for several years and I still run a 2005 Shiver SC on one of my trail bikes. Is there more torsional flex? Yes. Is it like a wet noodle? No, it's really not that much more than a conventional fork, and it's even less of a difference when you use a clever axle design like the hex-lock on the Dorado or the knurled design here. I think the whole "less unsprung mass" argument is pretty much BS as far as MTBs are concerned because anybody who rebuilds or tunes modern MTB forks knows how ridiculously light the lowers are. I do really like inverted forks though for two reasons: 1.) There is always oil sitting on the seals and bushings which works much better than relying on oil splashing up to the top of the lowers and this keeps inverted forks feeling super smooth and plush day after day instead of slowing developing more stiction between rebuilds. 2.) They look f*#king cool.
I owned a white bro’s fork back in the day and that thing had all sorts of flex. I feel that it helped getting through rock gardens in that era of forks. You had give. No I’m running and emerald and don’t notice any more flex out of that than any other dh fork.
@robw515: I once tried to ride a friend’s shiver SC around a BMX track. It was pretty good until the first turn. The front wheel tracked right, up the asphalt berm as I leaned left into the turn. As my body was smashing into the berm I remember NOT thinking about crashing, but that the fork was astonishingly flexy. They do look cool though.
The easy parking lot test is to squeeze the front brake and rock the bike back and forth. The stanchions will twist on every USD fork I've tried. Concern is completely founded.
@robw515: It is bad, if we talk about the Shiver. The SC was extreme. Since you still have one, test it with a Fox 34...and then a Fox 36. They are way stiffer.
I remember having the 888 and a 66 at the time, and it took some serious muscling to twist those into the same angle as the Shiver and Shiver SC.
Awesome performance and looks really cool. But the Shiver SC was not a good fork in switchbacks with high G’s, and the Shiver was noticeably more twisty as well when hitting those turns..
Lusty sensual gorgeous deep stroking action. I'm In lust! Longer bushings and SKF seals are not marketing jargon these are improvements I can understand . Then there are the machined knobs. That's like chocolate sprinkles on my Bavarian cream doughnut.
Does anybody read the website...the guy even address fork guards:
Do you offer stanchion guards?
No
Are you crazy?
No, my experience with that not covered lowers is: no problems at all. If you take "normal" care about your fork, there will not be more scratches on the lowers than on the uppers of a normal fork (there are no guards either and nobody gives a shit). If you are scared, there is a way: don't buy it
Hey Cornelius, sieht super edel aus das Teil. Es ist schön zu sehen wie "Einzelkämpfer" immer weiter machen und tolle Sachen auf die Beine stellen. Kenne das ja mit meinen Bikes, es braucht sehr viel Herzblut und unzählige Stunden der Freizeit dazu. RESPEKT!!!
Seems like a cool fork. If you're going to upgrade to an aftermarket fork (when your current fork is probably more than decent), could just as well go for one of these.
Wondering though, now that larger brake rotors are getting back in fashion again, what is the largest diameter these forks are certified to accept?
Yes, its expensive as f*ck, but its a hand built fork 100% made in Germany for a bit under 2000€. A Fox 36 Factory that is mass produced in Asia costs you about 1400€ while a Fox 40, another Fork mass produced in Asia is 2350€.
Prices have gone mad, but in comparison its actually pretty good, if you want suspension of the highest level.
@PaulBoettig: Yeah but you're forgetting that a Fox 36 already performs quite well, despite being mass produced. If we could see a side-by-side comparison of this fork vs the other forks in the same category (other top-tier single crown forks) on the same bike on the same trail with the same rider, then we could judge for ourselves whether it's worth the extra $1000 USD.
@seraph: Reviews are always subjective, you have to ride it for yourself to truly know what you want. The top level forks from RS, Fox, MRP, DVO, Formula, Manitou etc. are on a pretty equal playing field and finding the best one is more a question of personal taste rather than numbers and small performance deviations.
It is a more expensive option, but in the end you have to decide for yourself.
Only a German could say with a straight face "With the Intend Edge New Age, the mass on the shaft is reduced, but the mass in the bridge is increased."
Should have just put stantion guards on it and then you wouldn't have had to worry about creating that monstrosity just to mount a cable and you would have had stantion protection.
Coatings only wear when they are not aligned properly! I wouldn't say it's a reason to stay away from it more a reason to look closer at the alignment of the shafts!
Curious to see a trusted review.
I always assumed that MX bikes USD forks were rigid because the lower axle was clamped on both ends. Therefore firmly tying the lower forks together in parallel.
Clamping is a much better solution, espacially for dynamic loads. Keys easyly shear or mangle the keyway under high dynamic loads. A Key would also not improve torsional stiffness of the fork noteably.
Hey you much of mountainbike tards bitchn about the fork stanchions. All my dirt bikes that get rallied on singletrack and mud deeper than your mtbs ever will all have the same inverted forks without issue. Quit being a buncha mtb wankers.
I’d give this a shot if I had money laying around, but in the passed I have hit my lowers before and man hitting these would be a nightmare if I only had one fork.
@colincolin: sending a fork to Europe just isn't going to cut it for many of us. If I were to drop the money on one of these, I would probably buy it with two extra stanchions
I believe there is less stiction and less breakaway force required to get it moving. The disadvantage, by design, there is more flex. To make something the same weight as a traditional fork, you need to use smaller tubes. Those lower, thinner tubes flex more because of the exposed length and axle size. With a traditional fork, the crown, bushing overlap and lower slider/arch design/material can be designed to isolate flex. I would actually say my 43mm supermoto motorcycle fork has more degrees of twist than my Marzocchi mtb fork a static (hold the wheel and twist bars) test. It's not that noticable while riding the moto, but I can feel the difference between my DVO Diamond and Marzocchi.
Basically more rigid to frontal impacts, but less torsional rigidity. Potentialy better bushing overlap, constant lubrication of seals, less unsprung mass. In a motorcycle it is easier to gain torsional rigidity through mass increases and therefore lessen the negative aspect of the design, whereas on a bicycle weight is obviously a concern, so there´s a limit to dealing with torsional flex which leaves USD forks in bicycles with more flex than is usually desired by the average customer. Also, torsional flex seems like a much lesser concern when you factor in the overall weight of a motorcycle. They also benefit a lot more from the increased front to back stifness when it comes to braking due to the weight that gets thrown around and might cause bushing bind during hard braking maneuvers. Basically for mtbs it´s a way of solving a problem that isn´t really too much of a concern, while their benefits are pretty huge in solving problems that affect motorbikes due to weight and speed differences.
Inverted forks are a little stiffer, have a bit less unsprung mass and have lower friction under load, since you can space the bushing surfaces further from each other, but thats something not so easyly comparable, since you dont usually see two forks by the same manufacturer with the exact same weight, bushings and damper but one is inverted and the other one isnt.
@PaulBoettig: Stiffer? I assume you mean fore-aft stiffness. That is not always a benefit. When RS completely redesigned the Boxxer many years ago they experimented with 40 mm stanchions. The results were slower times and more beaten-up test riders.
@iamamodel: Stiffness is always relative. Besides the fanboy culture, this is why some prefer the Fox 40 and some the Rock Shox Boxxer. I dont like too stiff of a fork myself, since i am only about 75kg all geared up, but there are heavier people that can get an advantage out of this. What i wanted to say is not, thats its automaticly better, but simply a difference that will suit some better than others. Its like that with pretty much every of single one of the top level forks. Performance is very similar, but they fit different tastes.
@PaulBoettig: yeah, at 100 kg bw, boxxers are like wet noodles to me whereas 40s or emeralds are perfect. But if tou are 60-70kg, the 40s will feel like a piece of wood
@PaulBoettig: stiffness is kinda like wheelsize: 26 is perfect for people up to 175 cm and you would not want to put someone who is 200cm on a 26 but on a 29
Apart from the obvious and apparent lack of stanchion guards.......they are butt ugly!! The lefty is an ugly fork but this takes the gold medal by far. Think I'd rather go rigid than fit one of them things!!
@eldiddo: I think the question should be more like: BMW and Audi are really good, so why buy a Ferrari?
And to answer the original question: Obviously sometimes people like to spend more money and are ok dealing with a products quirks just for the fun of having a unique experience. It´s a nice product and some people have the disposable income to buy it, it´s that easy. If i had enough money, i´d probably own a lot of much more stupid stuff than that fork
The 1€ question though: why no stanchion protectors like on any MX fork?
3 bullshits in the same sentence, Man. Well done!
Cornelius is saying that there are basically no problems with scratches and if you should have a problem with it there is a really cheap replacement (60-80€ I think) for the stanchion (installement included).
From his homepage on this question: "No, my experience with that not covered lowers is: no problems at all. If you take "normal" care about your fork, there will not be more scratches on the lowers than on the uppers of a normal fork (there are no guards either and nobody gives a shit)"
PS: It's already a well known joke to ask for stanchion protectors in the german forum
Not sold on neoprene covers though. It is good to avoid getting stuff hitting them but the protection shouldn't keep the dirt in and drive it towards the seals.
I get that it is nice to have the option to protect these stanchions for those who feel the need. Just like some may want to protect their brake rotor (yet currently don't have the option). I prefer to ride with taco or bash ring just so that a minor error doesn't end my ride, though it seems most people these days don't. Doesn't mean those who ride without taco, bash ring, rotor protector or fork fender nowadays don't ride their bikes hard.
To be honest, the slowest riders with expensive gear I run into are almost always on high spec factory bikes from Yeti, SC, etc., not customized boutique rigs
Also as someone who has significant time experimenting with a DVO Emerald I've run sans the super heavy CTA, I personally don't have a lot of fear about not having guards, but I would want to fab some up for the long term
The reality is, any small operation can ONLY release a usd fork, as a regular mtb fork required expensive cast magnesium lowers, way beyond small brand budgets.
The simple difference being down to manufacturing methods available to small brands.
These usd forks are then of course advertised as being superior for x and x reasons, as lets face it, who's going to release a product and say, 'it's not as good as the other brands but it's all we have the budget for to make'....
Good indeed to see his take on it. I couldn't find where the mid stroke support was bad, just that that of the Boxxer was better. He indeed clearly states that torsional stiffness was low. It probably depends on the riding style and preferences how much of an issue that is, just like with stiff/not so stiff (carbon) wheels. If he forces it, steering feels slow and indirect. If he loosens up, he's actually getting more traction than anticipated. I honestly don't even know how much I value torsional stiffness. The fork shouldn't judder obviously though that typically is more associated with excess play than with lack of stiffness. Now that I'm riding a longer bike than I did previously I feel I'm relying even more on tilting the bike rather than turning the handlebar. But I'm riding conventional forks too. I should get on a twisty fork to learn whether it would be an issue for me, actually.
As for scratches on the lowers, they didn't seem to be an issue. I recall Curnutt used to run protectors, just like Manitou does and of course DVO (though these also have a structural purpose). The BeOne team back in the days didn't run them on their Rond Big Ego forks (from WP suspension). Later when Magura took over Rond they added those protectors but I don't recall those have been used on the WC circuit. So yeah, as far as I know some used to protect their stanchions but those who didn't got away with it just fine too. I agree I would like to protect the stanchions too if it were my fork but then again I also protect my chainring, which most people don't. The big question here of course is, on a similar impact which receives more damage (lowers or stanchions)? And which are more expensive to replace? Obviously bearing in mind that a scratch on the lowers has different consequences than a scratch on the stanchions.
I do 100% get that if you want to do everything in house, cast lowers are just not an option. DT Swiss has a video on their website how theirs are made in Taiwan. It takes huge investments to cast them. It is kind of the same story we see with CNC machining. Forging gets you a better product (because of the grain structure), CNC is more affordable and more flexible to do in smaller quantities. However CNC has managed to snatch that "high end" image hence is getting all the hype.
I'm not saying this fork is better than the conventional forks out there. I'd say it could be on par depending on what you're after. Judging by the review, the Intend wins on suppleness, conventional forks win on torsional stiffness. The big selling point to me here is that stuff that could potentially break, can be fixed. I like that over getting something big and expensive and be aware that if something gets damaged, it is expensive to fix. I'd rather invest a bit more up front and know that I should be able to get hold of affordable spares and/or have it fixed when something inevitably breaks.
So yes he knows wtf he's doing.
www.mtb-news.de/news/arbeitsgeraet-liteville-301-mk15-jakob-breitwieser
I owned a mk 3 and loved it, the only issue was the old DT shock but they have moved to RS since then.
The 101 MK1 is a bit small for me in size L (I'm 186). I think Liteville sizing is always towards the small side of the spectrum. Apart from that, it's super versatile and light (around 13kg with pedals, XX1 build and Syntace everything else, aluminium 29" rims). This bike has seen from marathon races to bikepark days, it's massive.
For two years I had as well a 301 MK14 size L I got from the Garda testcenter and it was a massive bike. The 8pins is the best mechanical seatpost I ever tried, both in action and in concept. The 301 had the C33i wheelset which was absolutely bombproof. I'm around 90kg and never even got them out of true (bikepark riding included). The 301MK14 climbed incredibly well, never cared for locking the rear shock since there's no unwanted bob. Adding volume spacers really made the shock perform much better. Litevilles have many little details that might be seen as selling points but when you are out on the trail you are happy to have them (the included allen key in the rear axle, all screws are the same size, clean lines / clean bike, EVO6 rear wheel assembly, the rock guard, etc).
If the geometry wasn't on the conservative side I would have bought an MK15.
Buy one, you will not regret it. Just buy it in the right size
The short answer is that there are no big differences between the MK14 from 2017 and MK15, hence, conservative geometry among the brand but as well compared to the rest of the market. I know the 301 is all about an evolution from model to model, but anyhow.
The head tube angle of the MK14 could be changed to -1.5 degrees (as you might know) making the geometry of both iterations very close, apart from the 10mm increase in reach to compensate for the seat tube angle. The actual seat tube angle of the MK15 is 70.5 vs 71.5 on the MK14, accentuating the problem if your saddle is too far out.
What I as a tall rider consider is important is a steeper seat tube angle so I don't sit to much over the rear wheel. Other brands have done that for years (Pole and Nikolai for example) and other have adopted it with their latest model (Yeti, among many others).
I do believe that the MK16 will be a great iteration.
If this was the short answer, be aware of asking for the long one!
size specific chain stays and seat angles might be better for them to consider.
www.liteville.com/en/280/tech/techn-general/scaled-sizing
As far as I know only Norco are doing variations on the seat tube depending on the frame size.
Remember that we almost pulled barspins without turning the wheel on the old Marzocchi Shiver...and the single crown was like boiled spaghetti, so even though I want to believe there has been progress - I think he should acknowledge that the concern is based on actual experience for many of us.
Looks awesome though!
I remember having the 888 and a 66 at the time, and it took some serious muscling to twist those into the same angle as the Shiver and Shiver SC.
Awesome performance and looks really cool. But the Shiver SC was not a good fork in switchbacks with high G’s, and the Shiver was noticeably more twisty as well when hitting those turns..
Do you offer stanchion guards?
No
Are you crazy?
No, my experience with that not covered lowers is: no problems at all. If you take "normal" care about your fork, there will not be more scratches on the lowers than on the uppers of a normal fork (there are no guards either and nobody gives a shit). If you are scared, there is a way: don't buy it
Wondering though, now that larger brake rotors are getting back in fashion again, what is the largest diameter these forks are certified to accept?
Prices have gone mad, but in comparison its actually pretty good, if you want suspension of the highest level.
It is a more expensive option, but in the end you have to decide for yourself.
No puns for this guy. Straight to business.
What are the advantages and disadvanteges of inverted over the usual positioning? Why is it not usually seen on MTB forks?
In a motorcycle it is easier to gain torsional rigidity through mass increases and therefore lessen the negative aspect of the design, whereas on a bicycle weight is obviously a concern, so there´s a limit to dealing with torsional flex which leaves USD forks in bicycles with more flex than is usually desired by the average customer.
Also, torsional flex seems like a much lesser concern when you factor in the overall weight of a motorcycle. They also benefit a lot more from the increased front to back stifness when it comes to braking due to the weight that gets thrown around and might cause bushing bind during hard braking maneuvers.
Basically for mtbs it´s a way of solving a problem that isn´t really too much of a concern, while their benefits are pretty huge in solving problems that affect motorbikes due to weight and speed differences.
I dont like too stiff of a fork myself, since i am only about 75kg all geared up, but there are heavier people that can get an advantage out of this.
What i wanted to say is not, thats its automaticly better, but simply a difference that will suit some better than others. Its like that with pretty much every of single one of the top level forks. Performance is very similar, but they fit different tastes.
Ladies not going to be happy with that
I think the question should be more like:
BMW and Audi are really good, so why buy a Ferrari?
And to answer the original question:
Obviously sometimes people like to spend more money and are ok dealing with a products quirks just for the fun of having a unique experience.
It´s a nice product and some people have the disposable income to buy it, it´s that easy.
If i had enough money, i´d probably own a lot of much more stupid stuff than that fork