If you’re a superfan of Intend’s uber trick and uber expensive inverted forks and rear shocks, then you may already be aware of the new One Piece fork. The brand already teased it at the Riva Bike Festival, but now they are officially announcing it and making it available for purchase during a limited pre-order window.
What is the One Piece?
To many, the name One Piece might sound quite familiar. After all, One Piece is a much-loved Japanese manga — aka comic or graphic novel — series that follows the likeable Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, as they sail the Grand Line in search of the One Piece treasure. The comic was later adapted into an anime series, a video game, and, in 2023, a live-action series on Netflix. I’ve watched it and it’s actually quite entertaining. Apparently, there is a second season in the works, too.
The Intend One Piece, however, is an inverted suspension fork aimed at all-mountain and enduro riders. As the name suggests, the One Piece features a fully machined fork crown and uppers made from a solid block of 7075 aluminum alloy. Like other models in Intend’s lineup, the machining and finish of the fork have a raw yet refined industrial appeal, and the one-piece crown/uppers take it over the top. The “Tech Taupe” crown and black lowers combine for a decidedly stealthy aesthetic.
Apparently, it is something that Intend’s Cornelius Kapfinger has been thinking of for years, but until working with Spantech GmbH, no manufacturer was willing or able to make it. This fork is ostentatious if nothing else, and frankly, completely unnecessary. Intend is well aware of that, too, saying: “There’s no rational justification for it. If you’re asking yourself what the point of this fork is — it’s probably not for you.”
Tech Details
- Application: All Mountain / Enduro
- Travel: 140-170mm
- Axle: 110x15mm
- Damper & Air Spring: Optimized Damping & Travelizer Airspring
- Brake Mount: 180 / 200 / 203 / 220 oder 223mm
- Weight: 2310g
- Lowers: Blackline incl. Lower Blades
- Color: (Only) Tech Taupe
With a claimed weight of 2310g, the One Piece weighs more than Intend’s other all-mountain and enduro forks, like the Essential, Edge, and Hero. It would appear that badass looks and weight savings don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand.
Optional Hover Monocoque Shock
At the time of pre-order, buyers will also be given the option to order the soon-to-be-released Hover Monocoque air shock in the same “Tech Taupe” color as the One Piece fork. This new shock, which Intend claims will officially be unveiled before the forks ship, will only be offered in the matching colorway to One Piece buyers at the time of pre-order. Realistically, if you’re buying a $3,299€ fork, you might as well pony up for the matching shock, too.
The details on the Hover Monocoque are sparse at best, but Intend tells us it will be offered in all metric lengths and stroke options as an air shock only — no coil version. Should you choose to add a matching Hover Monocoque shock to your One Piece pre-order, you can expect to pay 1199€ (incl. VAT).
Original Comic Strip
In keeping with the One Piece comic theme, Intend is also releasing a custom comic accompanying the fork. It tells the story of the search for the One Piece, with a very major plot twist. Spoiler alert: the fork is the treasure. Since I don’t speak German, I uploaded the six-page comic into Google Translate to follow the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates with Cornelius at the helm.
The comic delightfully parodies mainstream suspension competitors with pirate gangs like the Foxxies and the StoneShockers battling for supremacy. Meanwhile, the Straw Hat Pirate crew carries on to the Spantech GmbH box/head thingy, which produces the One Piece and ends Cornelius’ search. It’s a fairly compelling story.
Intend One Piece: Pricing and Availability
Like the mythical treasure in the comic series, the One Piece fork is also quite precious. In fact, it’s among the most expensive suspension forks on the market at its preorder price of 3,299€ (incl. VAT). That’s well over 1,000€ more than any of the other forks in Intend’s current lineup, which are already some of the most expensive models you can buy.
Given its high price and niche appeal, the One Piece is only being offered to serious buyers for preorder during a two-week window that starts today and ends June 15th. According to Intend, “Demand is hard to predict. We don’t want to limit every product — we’d rather give anyone who’s truly interested the chance to get one.”
Thankfully, you don’t need to join a pirate gang and sail the Grand Line in search of this One Piece. Those interested in purchasing an Intend One Piece fork can do so at intend-bc.com/shop/onepiece now through June 15th. Prospective buyers should be aware that Intend says exact delivery is hard to predict. They are estimating anywhere between 3 and 6 months, depending on the volume of pre-orders.
