The Intense Primer is no-longer available just as a 29er and for 2020 the new Intense Primer range comes in 29in, 27.5in and a mullet option.
Intense’s Primer 29er has been in the Intense range since 2016 and over the years it has gained a reputation for being a bike that can ride in much gnarlier conditions than it’s suspension travel might have you think. While a capable bike, for 2020 Intense wanted to switch things up and really redefine what the bike was, not by just updating the model but by creating an entire Intense Primer range.
Small wheels. 
Big Wheels. 
Mullet style.
New for 2020, the Primer will not only be available as a 29in trail bike but also in 27.5in and in a mismatched mullet option.
The three bikes vary in ways and there are wheel specific frames, but they also share a lot of features too. For example, the entire 2020 Primer range now comes with a flip-chip for adjusting the geometry of the bike.
Intense says that the Primer flip chip is so easy to use that you’ll be able to switch your bike from low to high (or vice versa) on the side of the trail. Setting the bike in the lower setting firms the rear end, reduces the travel slightly and improves the handling for flowy lines. More technical trails are better suited to the high position.
Another change each of the new Primers shares is the 2020 JS Trail Link. The Intense team spent over 250 hours testing the JS Trail Link to create a leverage curve that feels plush on small bumps but ramps up toward the middle for improved pedal platform.
While updating the linkage, the rear triangle has also been redesigned to provide more stiffness and the frame geometry has been updated to make the most of the various wheel sizes.
Each of the new frames run internally routed gear and hose guides, the frames are 1x specific, there are newer and thicker frame protectors and the BB is a threaded one.
Below we’ll look at each of the 2020 Intense Primer models in a little more detail.
2020 Intense Primer 275
As the name would have you guess, the Primer 275 is the 27.5in wheeled version of the new Primer. This smaller wheels bike has the same 140mm rear and 150mm front travel but it’s not the same frame as the 29er and has actually been designed to suit 27.5in wheels.
The Primer 275 will be available as a frame only or as a complete bike with 3 build options to choose from.
Primer 275 Factory Frame
- Frame: Primer 27.5in trail monocoque frame. Carbon top link with Titanium hardware.
- Travel: 140mm
- Shock: Fox Factory Float DPX2
- Colours: Blue/UD carbon or Red/UD carbon
- Price: £2599
Primer 275 Elite
- Frame: Primer 275 carbon frame 140mm travel
- Fork: Fox Factory 34 150mm
- Shock: Fox Factory DPX2 210 x 50mm
- Wheelset: E13 LG1 Enduro Race Carbon 30mm wide
- Rear mech: Sram X01 Eagle 12-speed
- Shifter: Sram X01 Eagle 12-speed
- Crank: Truvative Style Carbon Eagle DUB
- Cassette: SRAM GX 1295 Eagle 12 speed
- Brakes: Shimano XT M8020 Front M8000 rear 180mm rotors
- Dropper: Fox Factory Transfer 125mm small, 150mm med-large
- Bar: Intense Recon Carbon 780mm
- Stem: Intense Recon Elite 50mm
- Grips: Intense
- Seat: Fabric Scoop Radius Elite
- Sizes: S/M/L
- Price: £6,499
Primer 275 Pro
- Frame: Primer 275 carbon frame 140mm travel
- Fork: Fox Factory Float 34 150mm
- Shock Fox Factory Float DPX2 210 x 50mm
- Wheelset: E13 LG1 Enduro Race
- Rear mech: Sram X01 Eagle 12-speed
- Shifter: Sram GX Eagle 12-speed
- Crank: Truvativ Style Alloy 6K DUB
- Cassette: Sram XG 1295 Eagle 12-speed
- Brakes: Shimano XT M8020 Front M8000 rear 180mm rotors
- Dropper: Fox Factory Transfer
- Bar: Intense Recon Carbon 780mm
- Stem: Intense Recon Elite 50mm
- Grips: Intense
- Seat: Fabric Scoop Radius Elite
- Sizes: S/M/L
- Price: £5,599
Primer 275 Expert
- Frame: Primer 275 carbon frame 140mm travel
- Fork: Fox Performance Float 34 150mm
- Shock: Fox Performance Float DPX2 210 x 55mm
- Wheelset: E13 LG1 Enduro Race on Intense Alloy hubs
- Rear mech: Sram NX Eagle 12-speed
- Shifter: Sram NX Eagle 12-speed
- Crank: Sram NX Eagle 12-speed
- Cassette: Sram PG 1230 Eagle 12-speed
- Brakes: Shimano M520 Front / Shimano M500 Rear
- Dropper: Intense Recon Dropper 31.6MM / 125MM SM / 150MM MD-LG
- Bar: Intense Recon Alloy 780mm
- Stem: Intense Recon 45mm
- Grips: Intense
- Seat: WTP Silverado Sport
- Sizes: S/M/L
- Price: £3,699
Primer 275 Geometry
Primer 29
The Primer 29 is a 29in wheel specific carbon frame with geometry chosen to make the most of the larger wheels. Despite the larger wheels, Intense has retained the same amount of travel front and rear. Again customers can chose a frame only option of one of 3 complete bikes.
Primer 29 Factory Frame
- Frame: Primer 29in trail monocoque carbon frame with Titanium hardware.
- Travel: 140mm
- Shock: Fox Factory Float DPX2
- Colours: Red/UD carbon and Yellow / UD carbon
- Price: £2,599
Primer 29 Elite
- Frame: Primer 29in carbon frame, carbon top link, Titanium hardware. 140mm travel.
- Fork: Fox Factory 34 / 150MM / Boost
- Shock: Fox Factory DPX2 / 210MM x 50MM
- Wheelset: E13 LG1 Enduro Race Carbon 30MM / Boost
- Rear mech: Sram X01 Eagle 12sp
- Shifter: Sram X01 Eagle 12sp
- Crank: Tru-Vativ Stylo Carbon Eagle 12sp / DUB / 32t / 170MM / Boost
- Cassette: Sram XG 1295 Eagle 12sp / 10-50t
- Brakes: Shimano XT M8020 Front / Shimano XT M8000 Rear
- Dropper: Fox Factory Transfer 31.6MM / 125MM SM / 150MM MD-LG / 175MM XL
- Bar: Intense Recon Carbon 780MM
- Stem: Intense Recon Elite 50MM
- Grips: Intense
- Seat: Fabric Scoop Radius Elite
- Sizes: S/M/L/XL
- Price: £6,499
Primer 29 Pro
- Frame: Primer 29in carbon frame, carbon top link, Titanium hardware. 140mm travel.
- Fork: Fox Factory 34 / 150MM / Boost
- Shock: Fox Factory DPX2 / 210MM x 50MM
- Wheelset: E13 LG1 Enduro Race 30MM / Boost
- Rear mech: Sram X01 Eagle 12sp
- Shifter: Sram GX Eagle 12sp
- Crank: Tru-Vativ Stylo 6K Eagle 12sp / DUB / 32t / 170MM / Boost
- Cassette: Sram XG 1295 Eagle 12sp / 10-50t
- Brakes: Shimano XT M8020 Front / Shimano XT M8000 Rear
- Dropper: Fox Factory Transfer 31.6MM / 125MM SM / 150MM MD-LG / 175MM
- Bar: Intense Recon Carbon 780MM
- Stem: Intense Recon Elite 50MM
- Grips: Intense
- Seat: Fabric Scoop Radius Elite
- Sizes: S/M/L/XL
- Price: £5,599
Primer 29 Expert
- Frame: Primer 29in carbon frame, carbon top link, Titanium hardware. 140mm travel.
- Fork: Fox Performance 34 / 150MM / Boost
- Shock: Fox Performance DPX2 / 210MM x 50MM
- Wheelset: E13 LG1 Enduro Race 30MM Rim / Intense Alloy Hub / Boost
- Rear mech: Sram NX Eagle 12sp
- Shifter: Sram NX Eagle 12sp
- Crank: Sram NX Eagle 12sp / DUB / 32t / 170MM / Boost
- Cassette: Sram PG 1230 Eagle 12sp / 11-50t
- Brakes: Shimano M520 Front / Shimano M500 Rear
- Dropper: Intense Recon Dropper 31.6MM / 125MM SM / 150MM MD-LG /
- Bar: Intense Recon 780MM
- Stem: Intense Recon 45MM
- Grips: Intense
- Seat: WTB Silverado Sport
- Sizes: S/M/L/XL
- Price: £3,699
Primer 29 Geometry
Primer S 279
Perhaps the most interesting of the 3 new Intense Primers is the Primer 279 with staggered wheelsize. Intense first tried this approach with the Tazer eMTB but for the Primer 279 the rear wheel is a standard 27.5in instead of a plus tyre.
The Primer S 279 is available in a frame only option or as a complete bike in 2 builds.
Primer S Factory Frame
- Frame: PRIMER S “279” Trail Monocoque Carbon Frame. Optimized Layup Carbon fiber. Carbon top link, Titanium hardware
- Travel: 140mm
- Shock: Fox Factory Float DPX2 / 210MM x 50MM
- Colours: charcoal/stripe (gloss finish)
- Price: £2,599
Primer S Pro
- Frame: PRIMER S Trail Monocoque Carbon Frame. 140mm.
- Fork: Fox Factory 36 / 150mm.
- Shock Fox Factory DPX2 210 x 55mm
- Wheelset: E13 LG1 Enduro Race 29in x 30 front, 27.5 x 35 rear.
- Rear mech: Sram X01 Eagle 12sp
- Shifter: Sram GX Eagle 12sp
- Crank: Tru-vativ Descendant Carbon Eagle 12sp
- Cassette: Sram Xg 1275 Eagle 12sp
- Brakes: Shimano XT M8020 front, M8000 rear
- Dropper: Fox Factory Transfer
- Bar: Intense Recon Carbon 780mm
- Stem: Intense Recon Elite 50mm
- Grips: Intense
- Seat: Fabric Scoop Radius Elite
- Sizes: S/M/L/XL
- Price: £5,699
Primer S Expert
- Frame: PRIMER S Trail Monocoque Carbon Frame. 140mm.
- Fork: Fox Performance 36 / 150MM / Boost
- Shock: Fox Performance DPX2 / 210MM x 50MM
- Wheelset: E13 LG1 Enduro Race Rim / 29in x 30mm Front / 27.5in x 35mm Rear/
- Rear mech: Sram NX Eagle 12sp
- Shifter: Sram NX Eagle 12sp
- Crank: Sram NX Eagle 12sp / DUB / 32t / 170MM / Boost
- Cassette: Sram PG 1230 Eagle 12sp / 11-50t
- Brakes: Shimano M520 Front / Shimano M500 Rear
- Dropper: Intense Recon Dropper 31.6MM / 125MM SM / 150MM MD-LG/ 170MM
- Bar: Intense Recon 780MM
- Stem: Intense Recon 45MM
- Grips: Intense
- Seat: WTB Silverado Sport
- Sizes: S/M/L/XL
- Price: £3,699
Primer S Geometry
Chipps is currently at the Intense Primer press camp and he should have a first ride review of the new bike for us to read very soon.
Comments (6)
Comments Closed
sigh….. I wonder how long the ‘Mullet’ moniker is going to be used – can we move on and start calling them something more appropriate such as ‘Mixed Wheel Size’ ……
Odd-wheeler?
Cheers!
I.
Odd-Wheeler is an option but that and ‘Mullet’ both seem to carry a ‘weight’ to them that is trying to indicate its not really a serious thing…
While I like the term “Mullet”, it does imply short on the front and long on the back, this is reverse mullet, or having just looked it up “Tellum”
“it does imply short on the front and long on the back”
Business at the front, party at the back
I vote for Tellum, as in tellum it’s the new thing…