New Intense!

[leitch]

Sold my 6.6 last week after realising I was using it for a purpose totally unlike what I had designed it for. Considered a number of second hand options, but couldn't resist the lure of a brand new bike after being informed by the guys at FTR that Monza was clearing out Intense frames at stupid prices.

Frame Intense Spider 2 - Medium, Green - 4" or 5" adjustable travel
Rear shock Float R (Kashima RP23 on order)
Front fork Fox 32 TALAS FIT - a few years old, look to replace in the next couple of months
Handlebars Answer Protaper AM 720
Stem Thomson X4 70mm
Headset FSA Orbit MX
Grips ODI Ruffian MX
Saddle Selle Italia XP
Seatpost KindShock Supernatural Remote
Front brake 2012 Shimano XT 180mm
Rear brake 2012 Shimano XT 160mm
Cranks 2012 Shimano XT
Chainguide E-13 LG1 Trail
Chain SRAM PC1091
Pedals Shimano DX clipless
Front derailleur n/a
Rear derailleur 2011 Shimano XTR
Front shifter n/a
Rear shifter 2011 Shimano XT
Cassette SRAM PG1070
Front hub DT Swiss 350 15mm
Rear hub DT Swiss 350 10mm through axle
Front rim DT Swiss XR400
Rear rim DT Swiss XR400
Spokes
Nipples
Tyres (F) Maxxis HighRoller LUST 2.35 (R) Schwalbe Racing Ralph EVO 2.25
Tubes Specialized
Total weight 12.9kg. Will be lighter when I go tubeless/get new pedals/days when I use a Thomson post instead of the KS

 

[andy]

Very nice indeed. That weight seems a little high. Compared to my Tracer???

 

[SOTTA]

Looks very nice! What forks are you planning on updating to?

 

[leitch]

Very nice indeed. That weight seems a little high. Compared to my Tracer???

What's your Tracer weigh? I will admit I was expecting it to be down around 12, but i was chalking the extra up to the KS post, tubes, etc. My scales are total shit cheap digital fish scales though so they're probably partially responsible.

Looks very nice! What forks are you planning on updating to?

Most likely just a new version of the same. Kashima coat would be nice.

 

[BM Epic]

What's your Tracer weigh? I will admit I was expecting it to be down around 12, but i was chalking the extra up to the KS post, tubes, etc. My scales are total shit cheap digital fish scales though so they're probably partially responsible.

Most likely just a new version of the same. Kashima coat would be nice.

I'm running 36's with kashima, they are a real step forward, 2012 model, i liked RS until i got the 36's, now im sold!

 

[~Alan~]

Nice colour, really must stand out while riding.

 

[andy]

I got the tracer for the same reason you got the Spider. Couldn't pass up the Monza sell out price eh.

http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/sho...iver-of-rigs-(update-p6)/page6&highlight=andy

I haven't reweighed it yet, but I have changed the tyres to Nobby Nic and Racing Ralph, which on paper should save another couple of hundred grams?

 

[MB]

Looks great! The team green looks rad on any Intense. You will get that bike sub 12 kg easy, it just depends on how you build it. Anyway you look at it you have a rad bike there bud, enjoy it! These things ride pretty well with the float r, but with an RP23 she'll be sweet as!!

 

[SOTTA]

What chainguide are you using and how many teeth on the front ring? Been thinking about doing something similar for a while now.

 

[C Dunlop]

These bikes are rad. I have the new version with a tapered head tube and a similar build. They pedal sooo well and I really like the steep HT angle.

Mine, with XT trail wheels, XT 1*10 (w/ e-thirteen bits) and thomson/PRO components, as well as a SID RCT3 120mm 15mm maxle fork (which is surprisingly more amazing than the fox forks I have ridden recently) weighs 11.4kg w/ pedals.

I wish they had/had told me about them not having a bottle cage mount. Having to jersey pocket it sucks, but then I ride the bike and I don't give a rats.

I might give the new X0 gripshift a go, and the new XO trail brakes.

All Intenses are sextastic! Mine is malibu blue, but if I could have been bothered waiting I would have special ordered one in lime green or pink or something stupid.

 

[leitch]

What chainguide are you using and how many teeth on the front ring? Been thinking about doing something similar for a while now.

E-13 LG1 Trail, Raceface 34T ring.

These bikes are rad. I have the new version with a tapered head tube and a similar build. They pedal sooo well and I really like the steep HT angle.

Mine, with XT trail wheels, XT 1*10 (w/ e-thirteen bits) and thomson/PRO components, as well as a SID RCT3 120mm 15mm maxle fork (which is surprisingly more amazing than the fox forks I have ridden recently) weighs 11.4kg w/ pedals.

I wish they had/had told me about them not having a bottle cage mount. Having to jersey pocket it sucks, but then I ride the bike and I don't give a rats.

Interesting that yours is (apparently) that much lighter. I think I might need some new scales. From what I could gather on the Intense site, the only difference between yours and mine is the tapered head tube. Both use the EA6X tube set, have the new VPP linkage, have grease ports etc.. Evidently you're saving weight with the SID over the TALAS and I'm copping a penalty with the KS post, but it shouldn't be a 1.5kg difference. Might try to weigh it on some decent shop scales just for reference.

Also, weird that yours doesn't have bidon cage bosses - mine has them both on top of and under the down tube.

Have you got any photos of yours out of interest? When I was building mine I couldn't find another one anywhere on this forum.

 

[C Dunlop]

nah, it's a whole new front triangle. there is a picture of it up on the intense web page, although apparantly they're too busy welding sick bikes to update specs. if you look at the spider 2 there is a blue bike as a thumbnail, which shows the different frame. it has a lower top tube and a tt-st gusset, also more bendy shape tubes. mine is a large and weighed 2.6kg, which is about 150g lighter than the claimed weight of the spider 2's in large. I think the SIDs are about another 200g lighter. I have a thomson post vs. the dropper post, which is, I guess, about 300-400g. I also run lighter tyres as I pretty much have it set up as an XC/Marathon bike (conti race king 2.2 rear, x-king 2.2 folding front.) Carbon bars and roadie-spec saddle would also make a bit of a difference. Other stuff too like an XCX chain guide and esi grips.

the thing I am most impressed about is how distinct the pro-pedal settings are. On some bikes, I guess as a combination of the shock shimming and the linkage design, you can't even tell if you have pro-pedal open or closed. On these, when you are climbing, it is really firm, and when you open the shock up, it is really, really plush.

I'll throw some pics up soon.

 

[leitch]

Interesting. Their website sucks. Haha. I actually took a bit of a stab with the frame because I could find so little coherent information. Intense's own website indicates the frame to have a 1 1/8", 1.5" and tapered head tube in different places.

I'd noticed the gusset on the TT junction in the thumbnail but assumed it was just a large frame with a longer seat tube needing extra bracing.

Anyway, I took it for a ride this afternoon and I'm super happy. The thing accelerates so much better than anything else I've owned, and you're right - it pedals incredibly well. I expected to be underwhelmed by it's performance with the float R given how the 6.6 rode (hence the RP23 on order), but was blown away. It will take another ride or two to get used to the handling characteristics of the steeper frame, but I'm still toying with the idea of a spare shorter shock to slacken things a little more. Regardless, I'm really pleased with the way it has turned out. Also, as a side note, the XTR/XT shifting combo is fantastic. It's clearly set up more carefully, but it shifts better than my Dura-ace equipped road bike.

 

[C Dunlop]

yeah, float Rs kind of suck. The 2012 spider has a float RPL, so you can actually lock the thing out, which is nice, for road riding to the trailheads or steep and long fire roads.

set up properly though, the float R is not bad, but I think the RP23 will make all the difference.

I find that with the steep head angle, if you have to get around some really sharp, twisty bits, you're best off just parking your bum on the seat and steering from there. It's a bit counter-intuitive coming from bigger, slacker bikes, but I really like how sharp and nimble it is.

Are you running it as a 120 or 140mm rear? 120 will be slacker, from what I understand, so if you it as a 120mm bike but use the Talas to have the option of a 150mm fork, you'll have a ~68* HTA on 150mm, if i'm not mistaken.

I think a degree slacker is optimal for a 120mm bike. The 2012 trek remedy is two degrees slacker and I think it goes too far.

 

[andy]

Put the new tyres on my Tracer today. Each tyre was heavier than claimed weight. 2.25 Ralph snake skin on the rear and 2.4 Nic snake skin on the front. With the new tyres it is coming in at 12.32kgs. Will put up a new pic in my thread later. Yours should come down nicely with a few small changes I reckon.

 

[leitch]

Nice!

I picked up my Kashima rp23 and fitted it today. Shortened the stroke and eye to eye by about 1/4" to slacken the head angle a little - should be about 68* now - and I couldn't be happier. I've ridden it maybe 35km worth of Gap Creek over the past few days and I'm pretty stoked. I still need to get used to the bike a little when descending, but my climbing has improved hugely.

Nice to hear you're running that tyre combo - I don't really like the high roller and I'm thinking a NN could be good, or maybe something Continental. Once I find a combo i like I'll set it up tubeless and drop some more weight. Little other things like the Protaper bar and the DX pedals don't help either! Hah.

At the moment I'm just loving riding (and looking at) it.

 

[andy]

Hit up Castle hill this arvo with the new tyres. And was very impressed. Pulled back a Strava KOM with them so they must be good. haha

Really good control so far, the NN hangs on really well, the RR was given good controlled slides. Dobson has just put in a new jump on Double or Nothing that has a slight off camber lander. Tyres felt really stable on landing and confidence inspiring to hang on to speed to line up the tables tops.

 

[leitch]

I think I'll grab a NN. Something about schwalbe appeals to me too, hah.

Also I've never ridden Castle Hill but it sounds as though I'll have to. Where's the best entrance?

 

[andy]

With riding the Spider I would start at the Hall off Blackstone road. Have a look at my Youtube channel for a few vids of some of the tracks there. 15kms at Castle feels like 30kms at Gap creek.

 

[leitch]

Thanks andy, I'll check it out on the weekend.

Grabbed a new front tyre this afternoon and set both up tubeless. Massive massive difference! Front tyre alone is ~200g lighter than the 900+ gram Highroller, then shed another ~250g by ditching the tubes. Straight away down to about 12.5kg which is more where I expected it originally.

Took another photo too - you can see it's a bit slacker now due to the 7.25x1.75" shock down from 7.5x2". Really loving how this thing rides, now.