Considering both of these bikes as complete builds which I can pick up relatively cheapily on my next US trip

Any experience to share on either (or ideally) both?

Blatantly the carbine if you like your suspension bikes to hug the ground and track well. That’ll be the VPP action.

Reckon the Niner WFO would be a hoot but unsure what their suspension platform is like and their not very proven from having read somewhere else once.

For that kind of cash I’d have a BMC TF01.

Thanks

My heart is leaning towards the Intense but the WFO looks pretty good also.

Spider – Where did you hear / read the Niner suspension un proven comments?

Specialized stumpjumper expert evo 29er.

I’m American, and Niners are all over the place here! Especially, for a relatively new brand. The brand seems to believe that 29ers are the answer to every problem and that they have no drawbacks whatsoever! And one of the big online stores (Pricepoint?) now sells Niners; I don’t know if that will negatively impact the brand or not. Oh, and riders are known as NiNerds! 🙄

Most of the Aluminum Intense frames are made in the US, if that is at all important to you. I would characterize Intense as a more niche, less mainstream brand with oldschool roots. They always seem to get food reviews, as well. No doubt, someone will be along shortly to tell you how every single Intense bike that they ever heard of cracked 12x before it was even delivered. 🙄

I don’t have any experience with either brand, but Intense would be on my shortlist if I was buying (Niner is too mainstream for me!). 😉

Thanks Joe

Not sure Niner is mainstream in UK yet. 🙂

I had a Niner in uk in 2008. They were making boings bikes then, with the same layout of suspension. Established and proven enough IMO.

Weren’t the Niner full suss frames prone to going at the bb area though…?

I once bought a brand new Intense, it remains my worst ever purchase !

The frame was mis-aligned and it took ages for Intense to accept this (I ended up sending them a video to show just how bad it was) They begrudgingly exchanged the frame but it took about three months for the replacement to make its way over to the UK and to be honest the handling was still poor even with a correct frame. All in all I would sum Intense up as over hyped, over priced kit that is living on past downhill glories.

You have to think that if Santa Cruz with good R&D are having a hard time making VPP’s feel good what chance does Intense have?

Intense. 100% more sexy.

Sexy as in one night stand ? In the final analysis Intense is 100% more shit 😉

I’ve not heard of any reports of the Carbon Intense frames being miss-aligned, which incidently are not built in-house in the usa.

Intense’s take on VPP feels amazing – huge amounts of grip climbing and descending. Not sure what the issue is.

Got to say the Intenses are so nice looking. That of course is not the issue but boy they are nice.

Intense is favourite

I’m a Niner fanbouy so it has to be a Niner dunit. 😀

I’m both torn by the quality of Niner products (their RDO rigid forks are something amazing) and have an Intense Spider 2 which is a great bike, the VPP glues uphill across, down, it’s something to be believed unlike say skipping from rock to rock on other branded suspension bikes.

The Intense’s do feel more DH focused even with the xc/trail travel frame I have is slack with the recommended 140mm fork fitted, they are more built to take abuse and spur you on then just ride along, which I reckon is why some find outta the hard way.

This misaligned issue I’m not familiar with but am correct in thinking that they are meant to be one side loaded more then as to preload the bearings once sat on and riding the bike due to the VPP platform linkage..?

Personally if you can get the carbine in your size then do it. ;D
You’ll be laughing if you pick one up at a decent price over in the USA.

Get the Niner if your sure on sizing and if it comes out a lot cheaper than the Intense depending on funds that is.
Oh and if you do buy the Niner, be sure to wack some carbon wheels on with the savings .

I’d say Nhey to both and Yhey to this

Pinkbike review.