Upside-down forks were once considered a rarity. Now Intend is producing two carbon models in very limited quantities, while Japanese suspension giant Kyb is entering the European MTB market with motorcycle technology. Suddenly, Fox is facing competition from two completely different directions.

Boutique brand Intend is building its first dropper post—and it’s not just about lowering the saddle. What makes this dropper post unique is the final section of the stroke—the part where other posts simply lock into place.

Raphaela Richter, the reigning German downhill and enduro champion, is focusing on bikes and equipment that are produced as locally as possible in the 2025 season. This includes CrossWorx bikes from Thuringia and the parts manufacturer Intend from Freiburg. To mark this news, we have produced a video with her as a foretaste of the upcoming season.

It looks like a hybrid of downhill fork, upside-down fork and lefty: we're talking about the Intend Bandit. This suspension fork, which is produced in Freiburg in Breisgau, relies on familiar technologies, but is completely unique in this mix.

The Black Forest is not only a great biking region, but also the breeding ground for numerous small but excellent companies in the bike industry. We have extensively tested five products from this region in recent months.