While most recent coverage of Intense Cycles has focused on the upcoming M1 downhill bike and its 3D-printed alloy subframe, they have two new trail-oriented bikes already out… sorta.

Above, the new Sniper T Pro gets an updated rear triangle for SRAM Transmission compatibility. That means UDH compatibility, too, but that’s not it’s only trick…

The shock linkage is made of pressed carbon fiber, which is made from scrap carbon. That means less waste going to a landfill. The bike has 120mm travel, which is 20mm more than the XC-spec Sniper.

Another nice feature comes with spec – it gets size-specific handlebar widths and crank arm lengths. That’s a much-appreciated decision by the product manager that helps the bike fit more riders better. Aaaaaannnnd, every complete bike comes with a full tool kit with everything you need to assemble and adjust the bike, including tire sealant and a shock pump. MSRP on this Pro model is $6,499.

2025 Intense Recluse trail bike

Last seen on the market in 2018, the Intense Recluse was a carbon fiber 27.5-wheeled trail bike. Now, for 2025, it appears to be making a comeback with 29er with an alloy frame.

It keeps their JS Tuned dual-linkage suspension design with one-piece rear triangle, which they use on their short- and medium-travel full suss bikes. (The M1 and latest Tracer enduro bikes have switched to a lower link-driven shock design that brings the center of gravity lower)

The lower Tange Seiki Technoglide headset bearing cup is external and likely a cost-saving spec decision, but the upper bearing is set into the headtube.

The lower shock mount doubles as the linkage pivot and looks to have a flip chip for adjustable geometry. Rear travel is 140mm, paired with 150mm forks.

So, when can you get it? More like, where can you get it… the new Recluse is only available in European and Asian markets for now. Check their global site for more details and to see all the models.

IntenseCycles.com

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Brakco’s Carbon Rotors aren’t the first carbon fiber brake rotors we’ve seen, but they do look like something that could actually work.

The carbon braking surface is attached to an aluminum carrier with stainless steel or aluminum bolts…they had both on display. I got the sense they’re still finalizing the design a bit, but they admit they’re still working on the companion brake pads.

Specifically, they’re developing organic, non-metallic brake pads that can heat up quickly enough – carbon fiber rotors are great for high heat situations like extended steep descending. But they need heat to work well. Brakco’s rep also said those pads will likelywear out very quickly, but that braking performance will be worth it.

The rotors are light, around 65g, compared to 117g for standard steel rotors. Price is TBD until they sort out the brake pads. Two different thicknesses could be offered, too.

Meanwhile, they also make titanium brake rotors that come in at just 60g for 160mm.

They’re available in several designs, mostly just for looks between them.

New brake pads with titanium backplates transfer less heat into the piston. They’re available with an oil-slick ano or bare, and the un-coated bare ones are more eco-friendly (or you can get them anodized if you don’t care). They’re about 10% lighter than standard brake pads.

Carbon backplate transfers less heat, but they say titanium still works better overall.

Last up is this replaceable cooling fin concept. You can replace the brake pad and reuse the cooling fins, helping keep perfectly good material out of the landfill.

Brakco.com.tw

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BLKTEC’s new L8 one-piece handlebar-and-stem combo is as light as 245g, which they say is likely the lightest such part on the market. They’ve also updated their gravel bike bars, have a new gravel post, lighter wheels, and more.

All BLKTEC handlebars are now compatible with most stealth routing systems and headsets, letting you choose the shape and style you like without giving up your bike’s aesthetics.

The L8 has a cover to keep the stem bolts concealed…

…and an available direct-mount computer mount keeps it clean and very lightweight. The bar comes in 380/400/420mm widths with 90/100/110/120/130mm length stems with -10º angle. Reach is 72mm, drop is 125mm, and they have a mild 5º flare. Claimed average weight is 320g, still not bad. MSRP is $610.

The BLKTEC gravel handlebars come in both 12/24° flare options. The R6 road riser bar has a bit of flex built in, plus 20mm rise and ergonomically shaped tops for more comfort on long rides.

The R7 is an ergo-aero bar, with softer edges and more shaping than the R1.

On the left is their 13g bottle cage, called Bi, which retails for $98. On the right is the new S6 gravel seatpost with Dyneema for improved vibration damping. Available in 31.6 and 27.2 diameters.

Their full-carbon one-piece C1D wheels get lighter by switching to DT Swiss 180 Ratchet EXP hub internals. They’re shown here on an Inner gravel bike, a new bike brand launching out of Australia later this year.

They also reworked the layup. Combined, they’re 150g lighter at ~1350g with CeramicSpeed bearings inside. They say it’ll Be UCI legal soon, too. They’re also working on a climber version around 1200g, and a deeper 65mm aero version. The hookless rim is optimized for 25-35mm wide tires. MSRP is $4,880.

BLKTEC.com

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It’s been a while since we’ve heard from ND Tuned, but they were showing off some very unique prototype forks and shocks at Taipei Cycle show.

Known for their tuning kits and replacement dampers for Rockshox and Fox forks, ND Tuned also makes aftermarket shock valve kits for off-road motos, too. Now, they’re working on their own complete suspension products for mountain bikes.

The forks will use a hybrid spring that relies on dual positive air chambers plus a coil negative spring. They say this design has several advantages. The coil negative gets the fork moving easily when it first encounters a bump. The dual positive air spring lets you set one chamber firmer for an improved pedaling platform and resisting bottom out, then set the other one softer to keep it plush over small- to medium-sized hits.

The system is their alternative to using volume spacers, letting you tune two different air chambers rather than trying to make one handle every type of compression.

Making it even more unique is the fact that the spring is stacked on top of the damping cartridge, all inside of the same leg. The other leg is empty. They say this makes it less likely to have uneven compression, where the spring is resisting compression on one side of the fork while the damping side is allowing it on the other.

But, mostly, keeping both legs moving in unison is handled by the oversized carbon arch and stout machined dropouts.

Inside are a combination of sliding and fixed bushings. The upper bushing is fixed on the lowers, just below the wiper seals. The lower pushing is on the stanchions, so during compression, it’s always as far away from the upper bushing as possible, maximizing the distance between them. They say this offers improved reliability and less friction than having both bushings fixed into the lowers.

It has an all-alloy chassis, no magnesium lowers. The fork will launch with a 38mm trail version, and it’s light – target is 2150g with axle. An enduro and dual-crown version are planned next.

Prototype ND Tuned Inline Shock, too

ND Tuned has offered a piggy back shock for a while, and now they’re working on an inline version, too. It’ll have high IFP pressure to give it a bit of a pedaling platform by resisting light compression. But it’ll also have a coil negative spring that helps overcome that force on impacts so the shock can do what it’s supposed to.

Inside are separate low- and high-speed compression damping circuits, pre-tuned for anticipated riding speeds and the corresponding impact speeds. That means no external compression adjustments to keep costs down, making them more competitive. Also, it’s designed intentionally for e-bikes, where you’re less likely to care about having a lockout switch.

They say removing the required internal porting and parts that allow for external adjustments also helps keep oil temperatures down for more consistent performance…slightly. How? it lets them use a larger piston diameter that lets more oil flow through larger compression circuits, rather than forcing it through tinier circuits located away from the main shaft where controls will fit.

The result is a shock that’s very simple, but with consistently high performance run after run. Claimed maximum weight is just 295g w/o coil, and about 630-650g with a coil spring. That’s respectably light for a coil spring.

All products likely coming later this year.

NDtuned.com

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A couple of tools stood out at the 2024 Taipei Cycle Show, both with a seaworthy theme. Above, the new Bacon Anchor Net bullet tips from Clever Design, which are made from reclaimed plastic ocean waste.

Originally (and still) offered in metal, these plastic tire plugger tips capture the plug strip and attach to any 2mm hex tool. Simply slide the plug through the tip, attach it to your existing mini-tool, and press it into your tire. The tip keeps the plug captured in the tire so it won’t get yanked out in a skid if you don’t have anything to cut it with.

The version shown above is a limited edition “model” kit with pop-out handle and plugger tip that threads into it. The handle doubles as a storage pod for plugs and bullet tips. Pop out all the pieces and assemble! The entire thing is made from plastic sea waste, too.

Equipt Sardine & Cucumber bike tools

Equipt Tool’s Sardine is a compact, solidly-built mini tool featuring 3/4/5/6 hex bits and a Torx 25. The body is aluminum, with steel tool bits, and the whole thing weighs just 38g. The smaller bits all swivel 180º, making it easy to get hte angle you need when making a repair, then folding them flat for storage.

They’re a Japanese brand, but the tool is made in Taiwan and retails for $60-70 USD (shop around). A bike frame holster sold separately and has two sets of holes to fit different widths of bike frames. Available in a variety of colors.

Their upcoming Cucumber pedal wrench tool adds a longer lever with hole at the end to hang it in your workshop. The tool end has a swiveling 6mm and 8mm to fit most pedals.

MSRP and availability TBA. Follow them on Instagram for updates.

Enduro Quick-Release Bearing Press Tool

Enduro Bearing’s new quick-release version of their Linear Bearing Press Tool uses a split threaded press tip that lets you quickly slide it close to the bearings, then snap the T-handle on to close it onto the threaded shaft.

Normally, you’d need to thread it all the way down the shaft, which can take some time to both install, and then also to remove the tool. Enduro’s Matt Harvey got tired of all that spinning, so he developed this version of a quick-release design.

In typical Enduro fashion, it’s very well built. The threaded tips have threads on both sides, not just one, which is more common on less expensive tools. This gives it excellent bite and even pressing as you twist the handle. To release, just pull the handle back until it snaps off of the bit and slide everything off. Various bits are included in a complete kit, giving mechanics everything they’ll need for modern hubs, BBs, etc. Coming soon, price TBA.

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Want to try oversize derailleur pulleys but aren’t ready to disassemble your entire part to swap the cage? The new TRiPEAK Jetstream Pro OSPW kit fits a massive 18-tooth lower pulley into your stock derailleur by using a clever offset axle design.

The pulleys use a machined aluminum hub with a composite toothed idler wheel spinning around it on ceramic bearings. This asymmetric design pushes the pulley forward and up to make room for its larger diameter, letting you get the benefits of a larger pulley without having to severely modify your derailleur.

The larger wheel means shallower chain angles for less wear and friction, and their ceramic bearings spin extremely freely, but…

…it ships with dry bearings, so you’ll love the way they spin out of the box. However, the kit includes a small bottle of light viscosity bearing lube that you’ll need to apply before installing them, and then clean and check them periodically.

The hub has a keyed design to lodge itself into the pulley cage, preventing the center part from spinning inside the cage. Depending on the model, that key might be on the inner or outer side of the cage. And, different models have various tooth profiles – standard or narrow/wide.

Options for most modern 11- and 12-speed SRAM and Shimano derailleurs (road, gravel, mountain bike) are offered in a wide variety of colors.

MSRP is $180 for the kit, which includes a standard-sized upper jockey wheel, also with ceramic bearings, and a 4-year warranty.

TriPeakBearing.com

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Following a similar path as the longer travel Onyx did in 2023 by jumping to 38mm stanchions, the DVO Diamond is moving to 36mm stanchions, up from 35mm, and switches to their SL Air Spring.

Conveniently, the new Diamond gets the Onyx’s prior lowers since that fork used to have 36mm sliders, but the rest of its chassis and some internals are new.

Starting at the top, it gets a new, lighter crown. Inside, it gets the new SL Air Spring with self-equalizing chamber. DVO’s prior OTT (Off The Top) allowed for independent adjustment of the positive and negative chambers, but unless you really spent the time to fiddle with it, they found many users weren’t taking full advantage of that system.

The SL Air Spring uses a simple transfer port to automatically fill both positive and negative chambers simultaneously and equally, just like most other air forks on the market. You lose a bit of the customization opportunity, but it drops up to 150g, too.

This move also starts to simplify their fork travel hierarchy. The Onyx will have 160-180mm travel, internally adjustable in 10mm increments. The Diamond does the same, but with 140-160mm travel (so, no more 170mm option). We’re betting the Sapphire will only be 120-140mm, soon.

This lets them optimize the stanchion length for a given category rather than have to carry extra weight for longer stanchions just to accommodate a higher travel range.

Look for this new DVO Diamond to hit the market a little later this year. Weight is TBA, we’ll update when we get final specs.

Update: Weight claim on the new 36mm stanchion, 29″ DVO Diamond D1 SL fork starts at 2200g, with a retail price of $1049.

DVOsuspension.com

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First introduced as the OSPW-X system for the new SRAM Transmission T-Type mountain bike derailleur, CeramicSpeed now has their ALPHA solid pulley wheels for road and gravel bikes, too.

First spotted in the CX pits this past season, the OSPW-RS does more than just add new wheels, it’s an entirely new stronger, more angular carbon cage that replaces their prior design. Which means you can get it with these new ALPHA solid pulley discs, or their traditional 5-spoke machined alloy wheels.

The ALPHA discs have their patent-pending ADR active debris remover design, which uses small angled grooves surrounding the bearing covers to send water and grit flying away from the bearings as they spin.

The ALPHA discs also use an alloy wheel with composite teeth. Those teeth are 5x more durable than the machined alloy ones on their original models, are quieter, and cause less wear on your chain.

UPDATE: Originally, I wrote that the composite material reduced chain wear compared to alloy (because, you know, metal on metal). However, CeramicSpeed’s Head of Product replied to clarify:

“In relation to chain wear with different pulley materials, our OSPW System reduces chain wear compared to stock/smaller size pulleys due to the reduced articulation of the chain. The primary wear factors on chains come from the interface of the chain on and off of drivetrain teeth and the sliding surfaces within the chain. The type of lubricant used and how cleanly the drivetrain is maintained play the largest part in how much wear occurs on the chain through use. There is no measurable impact on chain wear from pulley material as the chain is only lightly tensioned on the pulleys, compared to the full pedaling load on the cassette and chainrings”.

Starting March 26, they’ll be available for all SRAM and Shimano 12-speed road and gravel derailleurs. They have 13/19 (upper lower) tooth counts for Shimano, and 15/19 tooth counts for SRAM.

Also new is a Lifetime warranty on it, which they say is possible because the new design is so strong and durable. MSRP €579 ($669) with the solid Alpha Disc, and €529 ($599) with the alloy pulleys, which are available in a range of anodized colors.

CeramicSpeed.com

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Heavy on nomenclature but light on weight, the new Prologo Nago R4 Pas 3DMSS claims to be the lightest 3D-printed saddle on the market. It’s just 149g, but it stays heavy on performance and comfort features, too.

Using a three-zone construction, they print the cushioning with more or less support to cushion where it’s needed based on how and where you’re sitting on it:

Starting with they MyOwn pressure mapping research and experience with the standard Nago saddles, they identified three distinct zones. This “Multi Sector System” design is already used on many of their other saddles, including the excellent XC race saddle I included in my Editor’s Choice list for 2023. But those all use different foam densities to achieve the varied support.

Here, they use 3D-printed lattice structures to provide the different support levels. The material of each zone has different elastic coefficients, too, so it’s not just the shapes that vary.

It uses their T-shaped Nack profile, measuring 245×147 mm, with a full-length center relief channel and cutout.

The base is injected long-fiber carbon, which is lightweight and has just enough flex to keep it comfortable. The Nack (Nano Carbon Fiber) rail are carbon fiber with Kevlar and aluminum filaments for maximum stiffness.

The Prologo Nack R4 Pas 3DMSS will be available in April for €420.

Prologo.it

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Our final tech roundup from the 2023 Taipei Cycle Show focuses on the Design Award winners. This isn’t all of the winners, just the most interesting ones (with links at bottom to some of the others that we’ve covered individually). From bikes to hubs to kickstands and batteries, these are the ideas that could shape the products we’ll be riding in the future.

The Trigon AR01 looks like most other modern aero road bikes until you get up close. Small protuberances on the frame, located on the sides of the headtube, downtube, and seatstay-seat tube junction, keep air flowing more smoothly over the surface to reduce drag.

It’s called Vortex-Tubing Technology, and they say it cuts a cylinder’s drag in half, and the protrusions allow for thinner (lighter) wall thicknesses than dimples would, so it’s a win-win.

We’ve seen strips and grooves from Ridley before, and Zipp’s known for their dimples, but Trigon’s design has the bumps, um, bumping outward, and has them spread across more of the frame. And, apparently, the UCI is OK with this.

Small fairings over the disc brake calipers smooth air more, but still leave plenty of room for ventilation. While the AR01 name suggests “Aero”, it actually means “All-Rounder”, offering lightweight and stiffness in addition to aerodynamics.

And it fits 700×32 tires, so “All Road” isn’t out of the question. It’s available as a complete bike with BLKTEC cockpit, Dura-Ace Di2 and Fulcrum Racing wheels for $8,990.

The Zephyr Route Oh La La is an “electric rally” bike designed to go far. It has two PowerTube batteries for a total 1500W of power. Combined with front and rear racks and a compact build, it looks like a sweet way to get around town, or up the mountain for a picnic, or exploring a new city all day…which was the point of the design. It’s inspired by the Tour de France, and with a 200km+ range, you could take it up the mountain for a day, watch a stage, and then roll around town celebrating all evening.

The upcoming KMC Racing Duo is a chain plus chainring combo with teeth specifically shaped for the chain’s rollers. They match up perfectly, maximizing contact and power transfer for a claimed 5% improvement…for as long as you can hold 400 watts, that is.

This rear hub design from Wei-Ting uses a SFE (Separate Floating Engagement) design that puts a ratchet ring directly on the freehub body, all the way at the outer edge. It clicks across individual pins that line the entire perimeter, with stepped engagement to offer quick engagement since only every third pin is engaged at any time. The design’s main benefit is that it can use larger diameter bearings and place them further outboard, making for a stiffer hub.

The AirShif auto-shifting derailleur is interesting in that it takes a concept more typically used with internally geared hubs and applies it to an external derailleur. Using the app, you input your gear combos and set preferences for cadence, with the ability to have several modes. Pick the mode you want and the system will shift for you to maintain a desired pedaling cadence range. (click to enlarge any photo for more detail)

Yes, this is basically the same system we saw at the 2019 show, but for some reason it’s now won a Design Award.

The Gouach Repairable e-bike battery system is a great concept. They say that in many cases, when a multi-cell e-bike battery fails, it’s often just one or two cells inside that have gone bad. And pretty much every e-bike battery is a multi-cell design (listen to our interview with Bosch about e-bike battery safety to learn why), with 20+ individual cells in each battery pack.

So, if one cell goes bad and then you need to replace your entire battery pack, clearly there’s a lot of waste happening. Gouach solves for this by making e-mobility batteries with user-replaceable cells. Much like you’d replace a remote control battery, you simply pop in a new cell where needed, no soldering or electrical engineering expertise needed – the system tells you which cell needs to be replaced.

They’re offering ready-to-install battery packs as OEM options for bike brands, plus developer kits (shown here, coming soon) for those who want to design their own system. They’ll do custom battery designs for brands, too.

Random Gadgets & Accessories

This section is going to be rapid fire… here’s a CO2 chuck with a bezel that lets you adjust the air pressure limit for your tire. Just twist it to the setting you want and it’ll inflate to that PSI rating.

If you need more air than a CO2 can provide, this Co-Luck AIr Turbo HP/HV mini pump switches from High Volume to High Pressure and will “easily” inflate to 300psi.

CL-Massload makes all sorts of accessories, but this AxleMount kickstand for e-bikes is brilliant. If you have an e-bike, chances are high that the bolt-on kickstand comes loose or has sheared the bolts and broken off entirely. This has happened to me on multiple bikes because the extra weight is simply too much for them.

This system attaches the kickstand directly to the thru axle, using a specific interface on the dropout. So, no, you can’t add this to your existing bike, but here’s hoping bike brands adopt the interface (shown in detail on their website) and start using the already robust thru-axle as the attachment point.

The Digirit Pedal Park has a strong magnet in it so you can stick your bike to any metal rack, rail, pole, fence post, wall, sign, whatever.

Wellgo is working on a Quick Release Device that lets you quickly take any pedal on or off the bike without tools. The pedal slots into the mount and, basically, uses the pressure of your weight on the pedal to keep it cantilevered in place, but with a sleeve that slides over the slot to physically capture it so it doesn’t just fall out at certain angles. Ideal for commuter and folding bikes where you may need to get your bike into tight spots, but not intended for performance bikes.

Velo’s Angel Revo saddle won an award for it’s eco-cred. From materials to construction processes, the nitrogen-infused foam and bio-plastic shell substantially reduce the emissions and energy when making it…and it’s also a very comfortable saddle, I’ve been riding one on my road bike since it launched.

TransX showed an adjustable height dropper seatpost. Just pull the lever up and you can adjust it’s height by up to 30mm independently of its travel. Good for bikes with multiple riders of different heights, it makes adjustments quicker and easier.

Fulchee’s QUIK Thru Axle has two tricks up its sleeve. First, it has an adjustable length, helping it fit more bikes with fewer SKUs. On the other end is a twist-to-lock nut. Rather than thread the axle in like normal, you slide it in, then twist the nut on the opposite side to capture the axle. Then close the lever to pull it tight.

The design not only prevents the axle from coming out if the lever comes open, but since would-be thieves won’t know how it works, it provides some security for your wheels, too…but takes just seconds to open and remove if you know what you’re doing.

This light-duty cable lock hides in your handlebar, just twist the lock out of the bar plug and pull it out. The cable end slides into the lock, working just like most of the cable locks integrated into hitch racks.

RideRever Arc hydraulic brakes are made for those with smaller hands, using a lever that sits closer to the bar but with a leveraged actuation so it doesn’t just pull into the bar under hard braking. It uses a twin master cylinder design to deliver plenty of power from a very compact design. Bleed ports on top and bottom mean you can use them on either side for Moto/UK or US brake placement, no need to swap hoses between them.

This disc brake piston return tool uses a grip lever to expand the plates, which you put inside your brake caliper to force the pistons to retract should you accidentally over extend them by squeezing your brake lever when the wheel’s removed. Compared to other tools that use a twist-to-expand design, this makes the job much quicker and easier.

Vincita’s Big Nash is an oversized rack bag meant to haul what you’d otherwise put into pannier bags, but designed for folding bikes or those with smaller wheels that sit too low to use traditional pannier bags. MSRP is $139, available in multiple colors.

Check out more fun stuff from Taipei Show in these roundups:

• 17 Weird & Wonderful Bikes
• Tech Randoms: Cockpits & Components
• Tech Randoms: Wheels, Drivetrain & VanLife

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