The first series suspension fork for 32": Intend Samurai XC 32 inch

Mountain bikes with 32-inch wheels are still in their infancy. Although it has long been clear that the new wheel size will hit the market, it is still unclear when the average biker will actually have the choice of buying a 32-inch bike. It is the hour of the small series manufacturers: locally producing brands can react quickly and unbureaucratically to the trend and bring the first "purchasable" products onto the market. The first series frames come from Stoll and Actofive. Freiburg-based manufacturer Intend is following suit and is releasing a 32-inch version of the Samurai cross-country fork. We have all the information on the first production suspension fork for 32-inch mountain bikes.

>> We took a look at how Intend builds its forks in Freiburg during a house visit.

Intend Samurai XC 32 inch in detail

• Area of application: Crosscountry / Trail
• Suspension travel: 100-130 mm
• Wheel size: 32"
• Spring: Air
• Installation length: 570 mm (120 mm suspension travel) / 580 mm (130 mm suspension travel)
• Offset: 48 mm (extended) / 46 mm (in SAG)
• Steerer tube: Tapered 1.5" - 1 1/8"
• Axle size: 15 x 110 mm Boost
• Brake standard: Flatmount 180 / Postmount 180
• Adjustment options: Compression, rebound, air pressure, progression
• Weight: 1617 g (BIKE measurement, unshortened shaft)
• Price: 1699 - 1899 Euro

>> We have summarised more information about the basic version Intend Samurai in this article.

The first worldwide

So the Intend Samurai XC 32 is the first of its kind. But why is that so important? Suspension forks are an elementary component of every mountain bike. They not only define the range of use of a bike, but also its geometry. For example, the installation length and fork travel can have a significant influence on the development of a frame. But details such as information about the required installation space for the crown are also crucial in order to avoid collisions between the fork and frame when turning.

>> The first 32-inch production bike comes from Stoll Im Steuerrohr: the Intend Samurai 32.

Intend is a big step ahead of many of its competitors in the development of a production-ready suspension fork for 32-inch wheels. Major suspension manufacturers are still keeping their concepts under wraps. Insiders expect that players such as Fox and Rockshox will not go into series production with products for the new wheel standard until 2027. The Intend Samurai 32, which is ready for sale, also offers small frame builders an initial indication of what a 32-inch suspension fork can look like. It is not without reason that almost all well-known 32-inch bikes currently rely on the Intend.

>> The first 32-inch trail bike also relies on an Intend suspension fork. Information on the Actofive I-Train 32 can be found here.

Technology for big wheels

The basic principle of the 32-inch version is based on the familiar attributes of the Intend Samurai. As an upside-down suspension fork, it has fewer space problems with the large wheels than conventional telescopic forks, which are stiffened by a bridge between the stanchions. The stanchions have a diameter of 35 millimetres and up to 130 millimetres of suspension travel. The suspension fork is available with either a Rockshox Charger Race Day cartridge or Intend's own damping unit, which goes by the name of "Energizer" and has a three-stage lockout system.

>> In this article, we show you which bikes with 32-inch wheels have been spotted so far.

The diameter of a 32-inch wheel with tyres is a full 74 millimetres larger than the established 29-inch wheel. This requires more space on the fork and increases the length. The larger lever means that other forces can also occur in practice. Intend has therefore specially adapted its Samurai to the needs of 32-inch mountain bikes and, among other things, reinforced the crown and redesigned the dropouts. The latter can be fitted with either flatmount or postmount mounts. In the BIKE lab, we weighed the Intend Samurai XC 32 at 1616.7 grams including the 263 millimetre steerer tube. Like all Intend products, every new fork is built by hand in Freiburg. The price is correspondingly expensive: from 1699 euros.

>> Are 32-inch mountain bikes really better? We answer this question in the test.

Conclusion

It is hardly surprising that Intend is at the forefront of innovations such as 32-inch wheels. Even if the Intend Samurai XC 32 is by no means a product for the mass market, it still shows impressively in which direction the development of 32-inch wheels could develop. The German manufacturer probably has a head start of around one year. - Jan Timmermann, BIKE test editor

>> Real data instead of guessing values: We checked out the new 32-inch wheel size in the lab and in practice.