Got a new bike.
Intense Tracer in Flo Yellow
Float Evo CTD & 34 Float Evo CTD
Cockpit is a mix of Easton Haven and Easton Havoc
XT drivetrain ft Raceface NW (top guide + Wolftooth 40t cog en route)
DT 350, i23 + Maxxis HR2 Evo tubeless
Hope Tech Evo X2 brakes
Selle SLS Manganese gooch chute
It's a proper pig at 13.9kg (note super light build and lack of dropper)
To do list; sand brake pads and swap the brake mounts from Shimano ones to either hope or Avid ones (get better pad alignment).
Find a less obtuse chainstay protector. One day I will find 3M 2228 here....
Find a better solution to solve Intense's shit linkage design (more below).
Figure out cockpit height and swap the 70mm Haven stem for a 55mm one.
Bleed brakes (going on 2/3 years or something unbled).
Straighten hanger (bent from factory).
Dropper post and Angleset too. 67.5/68deg head angle in the slack setting is NOT slack enough for Canada. Especially not with 160mm to helm.
Likewise, burly trails here are freaking burly. I'll have to grab some helmet cams of the local DH track next time I'm out there. It's more crazy than what I rode on Mt 7 the other day (
http://www.pinkbike.com/video/365004/).
Anyway, bike is bloody yellow like you wouldn't believe. Pretty fun to ride, but somewhat unstable with that head angle. I think I'm going to either get an angleset or mess around with fork/linkage travel change and make it a little more stable. Probably Angleset, the one in the v10 has been fine.
What I immediately found on my first ride is that the linkage is so poorly thought out. If they want to leave it as is they should bloody well make it have a mud guard from stock, else change it so there's enough space for rocks/gravel/grit/shit to slip through the linkage members and not jam it up. When the linkage compresses a space opens up in the bottom link, which the rear wheel constantly directs a heap of pebbles/rocks/mud at, this fills the void and the linkage can't extend. On it's maiden voyage my linkage actually got stuck down in it's travel. I had to let all teh air out of my shock, flip bike upside down, smack the linakge/clean with a stick then give it a camelback shower to get it all out.
As a result I now have a ghetto'd pair of mudguards protecting the rear link. Todays riding was in relatively good conditions, bike is only going to get hammered from here on out.