just musing about my next purchase..

found some on their site but also looking for others opinions please.

thx

Take a look at the Intense manufacturers forum over on mtbr.com.

Just back from an Alps trip and 2 of our group had Tracers. Both running it in 6 inch mode with Fox 36 Talas forks. I asked them what the point of just half an inch difference in travel adjustment was and they said it alters the geometry quite a bit, enough to make it much more racey feeling especially with the forks wound down to 130mm. Very nice looking bikes as you can see.

I demo’d one at the weekend. Blindingly good trailbike. The two bike shop owners i was riding with reckoned it was one of the best bikes they’d ever tested.

i’m so torn between something like a orange alpine 160 or a intense tracer VP….
i have 160 lyrik and 2 step (not worried about u turn crap, i can get my lyrik up most things) but my heckler is feeling slow n slugish now. i’m not jumping into a buy but i think i need to test ride a tracer and a alpine and see how i feel.

Don’t forget that Sniggletrack tested the Tracer a few months ago. Have you read that? The chaps loved it.

I gave the Tracer my Editors’ Choice award last year. If I had the money (and space) I’d have one without a second thought.

sim would love to see what you guys thought of the Orange alpine too 🙂

(p.s are these ppl talking rubbish about having to swap the shock to a coil/tftuning the shock? as they recon it blows though the middle of the stroke on the rp23’s?) thanks for all the input so far..

lots of people saying that about bikes equipped with rp23 though Foz{on mtbr},must admit it puts you off a bit though doesn’t it,the only other thing I’ve heard was an issue with back tyres hitting the seat tube at full travel{also on mtbr}but I don’t know what the outcome was,people were saying it was big rims and tyres fitted
very nice looking bike though and on paper very versatile,a mate of mine has one and he said it climbs better and descends better than his other bikes so it can’t be bad

i had to get my rp23 tuned on the heckler i just blew though it but i put that down to me and the heckler…

Ive had my Tracer since just before Christmas, I cant see past it.
At first I ran it on pikes, Then I came into possession of a pair Lyrics. It took me a bit of fettling to get the rear shock sorted out and the correct headset that suited me, but now I have the balance just perfect and I’m loving this machine. Fast flowy single track, rocky rooty downs, technical climbs it doesn’t matter what you through at it just eats it up and alway puts a smile on my ugly mug.

The headset stack hight is something to look out for on The Tracer
I’m running a 1.5 steerer, at first I ran a cane creek double x headset but it just made the frame feel to slack and became a disaster on the climbs. so I tried out a Crank bro set, with it’s lower stack it did the trick and I’m now not pulling wheelies on the climbs.

MBR did a test on rear shocks a couple of months ago and the RP23 came out tops even beating the Pushed version, which begs the question why bother spending money pushing it

some good info there craig. someone told me that the FSA z 1.5 for a 0 stack headset was a good idea
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=10125
or this
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=35221

would appreciate any more info you can give about headsets so i can keep it in mind. thanks

I’ve had mine since January, and absolutely love it.

Like Craig, I originally ran it with Pikes. With my Hope 1.5″ stepdown headset this made the steering very quick and it felt too steep when descending. I replaced the Pikes with 36 Floats and the bike is much more composed. It rides very light and I find I can throw it around quite easily.

The rear shock setup is something that alot of people seem to have trouble with (me included). I weigh 15 stone and find that I blow through the mid-stroke of the RP23 very easily. On advice from Mojo I made a shim to go in the High Volume section of the can to ‘ramp’ up the end of the stroke and still retain the small bump compliance. This has improved it but I am going to see what TFT can do.

Been riding mine every day since last October….only thing I want to change is the rp23 shock …upgrade to Van 36 instead of Talas 36 and run it with a CCDB with Ti coil……although all my funds are directed at the 951 right now….I started out with pikes and the 5.5 setting, but feel it rides better in 6 inch mode…..pretty much change it to suit your riding style…I also got 9 months out the bearings which is pretty good for the amount of riding I do on it..I run a King Devo and have no complaints

idrew is the hope a zero stack?
i’m about 12st + riding gear, i had to tftune my rp23 as it was blowing though the stroke on the heckler.

13mm total stack height: 3mm top, 10mm bottom

Hope 1.5″ stepdown: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=18085

thanks idrew.
no issues with fork crown/dials and underside with that setup?

No probs, there is about 35mm clearance

fresh from the alps, i’m loving the bike, up and down hills. Want to take it back there soon. 8)

Speedgoat are doing them for $1200 😯 😯

Don’t get me wrong, I really love the look of the tracer, but does anyone else find it a bit off that such a monumentally expensive frame requires a shed load more money spending on a replacement shock just to get it to work properly?

i’d say mine works fine as it is.

I can only see them for $1900 on speedgoat?

I want I want I want.
I would only recommend the ano ones though.
Intense paint is sh1t, trust me.

fozzybear – when I first got my Tracer I was running the pikes with a 0 stack headset 1.5 step-down, the cane creek one, I never got on with it, the front end felt a bit twitchy on the downs, so I soon changed It to a Cane Creek Double X which totally sorted things out up front, with its bigger stack it made the frame feel much stabler going down the way.

When I got the Lyrics I had the opposite problem but with the added problem of the steerer being a 1.5, this limited me to what headsets i could install, as I said above with a cane creek double x set it just felt to slack and a night mare climbing up techy stuff. So after a lot of scratching about I finally got the Crank Brothers 1.5 Sage headset, which totally sorted things out, so I’m well happy now.

If you opt for a 6″ travel fork I reckon it might be a good idea to go for a 1-1/8 steerer as It gives you more options on what headsets you can use.

At first I wasn’t sure if I should put a 6″ travel fork on the Tracer but as soon as I did and got things feeling dialled, It defo becomes a different beast, much much better IMO

I don’t feel that there is any issues with the rear shock but that might just be to do with my Lack of experience on such things.

I agree the paint is crap!!

(SC and intense paint is crap i have an anno 08 heckler atm)
think it’s between the orange alpine and the tracer vp then..

2 different bikes the alpine long and single pivot and tracer vp shorter vp setup.. can’t wait to try them.

Paint? Why would you want paint on a bike?!

Fantastic bike etc etc,

A few issues with it since I got it last year
1. one of the main pivot bolts was too long on the first models out of the door resulting in chain rub, they now ship with a shorter bolt
2. One of the Zerk grease ports seized – new Zerk fitting supplied
3. Rear triangle was way out of line due to an incorrectly machined bearing seat – replacement rear triangle

All these issues were sorted out VERY fast by ExtraUk who have been fantastic.

A bit dissapointing considering the price, however I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another (even if I knew the same problems would occur!)

Good luck getting any dealer in the States to ship to the UK (similar set up with Santa Cruz) . . . trust me, I’ve tried – shame, as there are definitely bargains to be had, even taking tax/duty into account.

Had a test ride on Extra’s small works blue Tracer at Cwmcarn a couple of months ago – cracking little bike – felt really nimble. Reckon if I start saving now, by the time I’m through my ‘bigger bike phase’ (watch this space 😉 ) in a year or so’s time, I should be able to afford one.

Shame they are so expensive really, would love one but can’t justify paying the rrp.