Very much ‘aggressive xc’. 100mm and 120mm versions, looks good. Is on US Intense site but you need to view via proxy serve to stop redirecting to Intense UK.

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/first-ride-intense-sniper-elite-xc-2018.html

Oooh! That looks very interesting. I still miss my old Tracer (back in the FSR days). Would love to own another Intense but most of their bikes have way too much travel for what I would need them for and funnily enough I have been thinking about getting an XC full suspension bike for racing on as my bones are not getting any younger. Looks like this could fit the bill nicely!

How long did it take Jeff Staber to quickly do a rough count of 4!

Its probably just me but the increasing military tones of Intense bikers (Carbine, Tracer, Sniper) puts me off.

I don’t understand how they say a short stem and long front centre make steering planted on climbs, in my experience climbing a bike like that is horrible when it gets steep and technical.

still nice to see more choice for xc bikes

Interersting the Frame is made in the same factory as the Scott Spark.   Lots of comparisons:

100/120mm versions – check

Slacker HA – check

Long front centre – check

Deliberate, an agreement or direct competitor?    Anyway still nice to see.

I guess there are just a limited number of top-end carbon factories in Taiwan.

It probably makes lots of other trail, enduro & DH frames in carbon as well.

I don’t understand how they say a short stem and long front centre make steering planted on climbs, in my experience climbing a bike like that is horrible when it gets steep and technical.

I think that totally depends on the chainstay length, but I agree it can be awkward climbing on a long front end bike with short stays. Lots of body adjustment required to keep traction.

Well, I’m building mine up tomorrow so I’ll post back here when I’ve had a chance to either crash spectacularly or float like a butterfly & sting like a bee!

Looking forward to see it. I was reading the report of the BC Bike Race thinking I’d love to enter, and it would provide a great reason to build a Spider!

Still have an old Tracer frame in the garage somewhere

Its probably just me but the increasing military tones of Intense bikers (Carbine, Tracer, Sniper) puts me off.

Sniper: yes – silly and ugly name for a bike.

Looking forward to see it. I was reading the report of the BC Bike Race thinking I’d love to enter, and it would provide a great reason to build a Spider!

auto correct seems to agree with the above that Sniper is a rubbish name

I’ve had my Intense now for about 2 months now & I’ll admit I’m still getting used to it, but I’ve ridden & raced it in that time so I’ve a few thoughts on it.

Background.

My 1st XC race bike was a SC Blur XC. This bike was a total blast. Eminently flickable & agile, a superb climbing bike & stiff enough to point down things it had no right to take on. LOVED IT. It carried me safely trough BC Bike Race & other shenanigans too! Then I tore a tendon & I was off the bike for 2 yrs or so.

Return to racing.

I bought a Trek Top Fuel as 26″ bikes just weren’t cutting it in XC any more. Lots of very positive reviews on this bike so I felt comfortable taking a punt & managed to get a good deal on a 2017 frame. This bike has a lovely, supple rear end – one of the best I’ve ever ridden, almost as smooth as Pivot’s DW. But the front end? I just could not get on with it – often felt that front wheel was trying to tuck in underneath me. Frightening at times…perhaps it was me?

New bike time.

I needed something new if I was going to carry on racing, something still race orientated but a bit more fun! Thankfully, there’s a lot of choice now when it comes to to slack angled short travel bikes & rightly so. I looked at the Scott Spark (obvious choice really) but something about it I didn’t like. I did demo one & the twin-loc is useful but it felt a little too flimsy though I’m sure that isn’t the case. Santa Cruz have a new Blur XC out but HA looked too steep. Yeti? Lovely bike but a complete unknown to me. The Pivot has really nice rear end but HA still too steep. Then spotted the Intense & I’ve always had a soft spot for the Intense since way back in the day with the M1. Plus it had VPP which I’m familiar with & all the numbers checked out.

What’s it like?

Fun! Carry’s incredible speed, agile, planted on descents (by which I mean I’m not sh1ttig myself & can recover a touch too), climbs well enough….only thing I’d say is I’m not sure I’ve got the VPP set up yet – feels a touch agricultural.

Intense set up the bike with a 50mm stem & a fork offset of 44mm, I run mine with a 65mm stem & 51mm offset. I found a 60mm stem way too short & felt like I was hanging off the back of the bike & the front wheel was miles out in front. God knows what a 50mm stem must feel like…… I tried a 70mm stem (from the Trek) but that felt I was being pulled out too far in front & I was losing some of the agility in the bike. Settled on 65mm & so far, so good. No real idea how the different in fork offset has affected the handling, but the change in trail should slow down the handling a touch. It seems fine regardless.

In short: the Intense is a fun race/short travel trail bike. I did a test lap at Torq in your sleep – on the Saturday night before it rained – & it was a riot. Fast, capable, confidence inspiring. Did I say fast? Like Endor speeder bike fast! In the mud on Sunday it was still good, though I think I could have done with grippier tyres……it’s had a couple of blats round Swinley/Crowthorne too & well, I think I’m in love!

Intense Sniper XC

Pssst anybody want to buy a 2017 Trek Top Fuel frame in M???

I’ve ridden/borrowed one of these recently, and would agree on the fun point. There is something slightly odd about riding a 22lb ~100mm travel bike with more progressive geometry than the 160mm AM bike I used to race enduro on, only a handful of years ago 🙂

As someone who still races at the gravity end of the spectrum though, the super low front end felt wacky to me, and i’m unsure if it was the Fox 32 or the mega light frame, but it felt like a scary, wet noodle when pushing on rougher DH sections.

I’d be interested to try one with a similar travel 34 on instead. Otherwise, I think the Spark I rode as well was the better bike. Because it didn’t feel scary when pushing on.

It’s amazing how far this area of bikes has developed.

Sounds like customer service is questionable

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/qustion-about-consumer-direct-bike-purchasing/

Well, I’ve had zero problems with Intense so…..?

As for noodly? It is an XC bike remember – not an enduro bike after all…..maybe, due to the geo, you’re pushing it into areas outside it’s remit?

However, I do think a SC 34 with 100mm of travel would be the ideal fork for this bike in XC guise. It did get a bit twangy at one point but I’ll own up to that being my fault to being a bit cack-handed, tired & slightly curious to see how far out of shape I can let things get before the bike said “Woh!” & refused to bail me out..

Basically, it’s an XC bike & should be ridden as such but it’s got geo which, for me, puts the fun back into racing.

So, old post, how are you getting on with the sniper?

I’m tempted, would be good to hear if you are still happy with it after the honeymoon period or whether you have had any issues (some reviews mention creaking / rear flex)

Kind of agree the gun-related naming is getting a bit silly although maybe plays well with the US home market.

I haven’t actually given my money to Mr Intense yet, but I’ve been deliberating between Carbine and Primer and probably come down on the side of Primer. I’ve had quite a lot of emailing back and forth with Intense while decision making and certainly can’t fault the pre-sale CS – bodes well for later involvement (hopefully unnecessary!)

Have you been able to demo?

I am kind of torn between a sniper (yes silly name) and a spark 910 (also silly name). Sniper pro £250 more expensive but has better spec. And 910’s in large seem to be out of stock, so I’d be waiting for the 2020 version.

I’m currently on a scale which has been great, so head says scott. But, I’d be spending after purchase on swapping a few things out.

There’s a demo coming up in June or July. Signup on the website… Demos are one of the things that you lose the convenience of when a company goes ‘direct’, all that saving has to com from somewhere. There’s also the 14day thing.