Equipped with 5.5” of seemingly bottomless travel, it’s torque sensative VPP design makes it the perfect choice for all day, go anywhere, endura rides.
With ultra efficient no BOB power transfer, and superior handling, the 5.5 EVP does it all.
Submitted by
jukes42
a Weekend Warrior
from Denver, CO, USA Date Reviewed: February 15, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Horse Thief/Marys Loop
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Pretty stiff frame, lightning quick steering but is surprisingly not too twitchy on descents.
Weaknesses:
Bearings. I have an 05, so tire clearance, the newer ones look better.
Similar Products Used:
Nomad, Blur LT, Blur classic, Mountain cycle Zen, Maverick ML7
Bike Setup:
Juicies, King Wheelset, Atlas cranks, Fox 36 RC2 or Manitou Minute, Joplin post, SRAM drivetrain
Bottom Line:
Well, I sold my Santa Cruz Nomad fir a little faster steering bike. I initially regretted it because of the travel, but the 5.5 is surprisingly plush and the front end doesn't feel floppy like the Nomad. For the most part, I don't miss the Nomad, which may be my favorite all around bike I've ridden, this is just better suited to where I ride. I previously rode a Blur LT and something just feels better about the Intense 5.5—hard to explain. Climbs great, descends great, pretty light—perfect trail bike. I am sold on VPP and I really want to try the new Tracer VP.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jpickus
a Weekend Warrior
from San Luis Obispo, CA, USA Date Reviewed: January 19, 2009
Favorite Trail:
MDO , Sshooters, Irish Hills
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$2500.00
Purchased At:
Cambria Bike
Strengths:
Everything . . Climbs extremely well, descends even better, and increases your confidence.
Weaknesses:
Bearing life, but that's the price you pay for the incredible performance. Intense has poor customer service.
Submitted by
paul
a Cross Country Rider
from christchurch,nz Date Reviewed: December 3, 2008
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1600.00
Purchased At:
greenfish
Strengths:
Built into 29lb all mountain bike .Climbs well.Singletrack monster.Goes exactly where you point it.Beautiful handling bike that responds well to rider input.Unlike other posters I've had no bearing issues yet after 1200kms(mostly offroad on rough trail/dh)
Weaknesses:
Can be a bit scary downhill at speed if youre not on your game.Apparently no warranty on frame as I bought from Greenfish and Intense would prefer me to use a local NZ distributor and pay $4000NZ plus rather than the $2700NZ I paid importing it myself.
Similar Products Used:
K2 Oz,Marin Mount Vision
Bike Setup:
Rp23,Pike Team,Avids,mavic 819 with Nobby Nic Tubeless,XT controls/crankset.
Bottom Line:
Big improvement with VPP compared to single pivot bikes.Heaps more control both down and uphill.Suspect the new Tracer is even better
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Patrick
a Weekend Warrior
from Duluth Date Reviewed: October 24, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Tsali, Bull Mountain
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Amazing climber, strong rigid frame, very responsive handling
Weaknesses:
Have not experienced any
Similar Products Used:
Gary Fisher
Iron Horse MKIII
Bike Setup:
Marzocchi All Mountain fork
Cane Creek Double Barrel shock
XTR drive train
Aeorheat rims mounted on King hubs
Nevegal front, Small Block 8 rear
Avid '08 BB7's
Bottom Line:
I was very skeptical about spending $2000 on just a frameset. When my '05 MKIII swingarm spiral cracked around the bottom pivot weld, I was forced to make a change. The Intense 5.5 EVP frame with my components is an unusually efficient and stable bike on any terrain, at any speed. From my first ride on it at Big Creek in Atlanta I was impressed. I was considerably faster climbing and descending on trails that I have ridden for years. My riding partners could not keep up, and I am typically bringing up the rear. The difference in control and balance is immediately recognizable, when you pedal the bike responds regardless of obstacles. Be warned, the confidence the 5.5 EVP will instill in you can be dangerous. You will be traveling considerably faster than what you are used to on any trail you have ridden prior. If you are considering a changing out your frame/bike, one built in the USA, bite the bullet and spend the money on a 5.5 EVP, it's worth every penny.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Martin Daris
a Weekend Warrior
from Quebec, Quebec, canada Date Reviewed: September 14, 2008
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Tons of traction
Stiff frame
2.0" stroke shock so you can have a DHX air
Climbs extremly well for a 5.5" travel bike
Downhills are a blast and put a smile on your face
Good bb height
Weaknesses:
Standover is a bit on the high side
Could be lighter (FRO is)
A bit expensive but really worths it
Similar Products Used:
A lot !: Giant Trance, Intense Spider, Rocky Mountain Slayer, Rocky Mountain Pipeline, Oryx sptifire and Hurricane, ROcky MOuntain element, Devinci Banzai, etc...
Bike Setup:
5.5 evp medium frame with RP23, RS Revelation U-Turn air, Swiss DT 340 hubs, mavic 819 tubeless rims, thompson Elite post, Selle italia flight, Cross Mark tubeless tires, full Shimano XT drive train (but LX crankset, Juicy 5 (r) juicy 7 (fr), FSA headset, easton ea 50 bar, fsa stem
Bottom Line:
This bike is awesome!
It climbs everything while you quietly sit down and pedal with a smooth stroke! Mine weights in at about 30lbs but it feels so much lighter... Handling is incredible at any speed and loves air time !
I was a bit skeptical at first to throw away my Giant Trance and ride a 5.5" bike as my XC bike. It works realy well for me.
The VPP linkage and pivot placements are spot on.
I leave the propedal lever in the "open" position most of the time and it bobs less than my Trance when hitting the pedal strong !
Very pleased so far
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gman7
a Cross Country Rider
from Mooresville, NC, USA Date Reviewed: July 10, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Tsali, Laurel Mtn, Black Mtn
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$3400.00
Purchased At:
Internet
Strengths:
Really plush, build quality, fit & finish, ride, out of saddle sprints
Weaknesses:
Stickers & head badge look cheap but so was my Yeti ARC HT and that turned out to be the best bike I had previously owned. The Fox RP-23 is leaking about a drop of oil past the seals after every ride.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized FSR & Epic, Klein.
Bike Setup:
Fox Float RLC, Fox RP 23, Sram XO RD, XT FD, Thompson, Titec, Juicy 7, Mavic Crosstrail, Kenda Nevegal Tubeless (about 28 lbs)
Bottom Line:
First off - before I start into the review I will state the kind of riding I like, that is hilly & fast flowing single track with jumps & moderate drops. So I was looking for a bike that climbs as well as it descends. This bike seemed to fit the bill perfectly from the specs.
To start - my first ride on it was a totally different experience as I came off an FSR & epic which are a fairly firm XC set up and much closer to a hard tail. They are also 2 & 4 lbs lighter in weight.
I thought that it would take some getting used to but much to my surprise it took all of about 15 minutes to figure out how it reacts. The 5.5 is a quick steering tight tracking steed that loves to be ridden from the middle center position. The specialized like to be ridden from a slight rearward bias which tends to unload the front wheel. I attribute this trait to the lower handle bar position (XC set-up) which makes me want to drift rearward to feel balanced on the bike during descents and at speed. It will surprise you as to how fast you can gain speed on the 5.5. It was exhilarating blowing through my local trail, a fairly tight single track that at times has barely enough room for your handle bars to get through in some twisty sections.
When approaching most obstacles on the trail you need to stay seated and power through the section. On turns and downhill sweeps the 5.5 inches of suspension loads up evenly and propel you out of the apex of the turn with little loss of energy. On short climbs you can get out of the saddle and hammer with little movement from powering the chain ring. I have bested my time on my favorite trail the third time out on the bike. This bike was a completely different animal then what I was used to as the bikes I have ridden you want to float over the saddle and shift your weight to compensate for terrain irregularities.
I honed my riding skills on a HT and learned that a disciplined rider can finesse the trail by picking a good line and using a smooth pedal stroke. The difference on the 5.5 is that you can stay seated and just about blow through anything you can find on our local NC trails. I have also taken some 2 -5 foot drops with no problems.
I think allot of the complaints I have read about the bike from other reviewers canbe attributed to expectations of feel from other suspension designs. If you are used to riding a HT or short travel FS this bike will feel like it has too much movement, although in reality it is not the case. I am a previous 4-bar fan but have felt zero pedal feed back from any gear combination in the VPP system. If you are more use to a big hit bike it will feel quicker steering almost twitchy due to the less slack head angle and not as plush. Regardless, to date there is nothing I have not been able to handle on this bike and better yet with no fatigue from the ride.
This is, as billed, an excellent epic all day trail bike.
Best bike I have owned to date and am happy with the choice I made.
Are there better designs available, Maestro, ICT, DW Link, Horst, VPP, yada..yada..yada? Possibly because the technology keeps getting better and better. I think any well executed design can make the differences seem small, it's a matter of tuning, therefore I liken the choice to picking a Porsche 911 or a Ferrari F430- pick your poison because perception is often reality.
Happy trails hope to see you out there ripen it up.
PS. I have also read much about the pivots & bearings. I keep checking them and see no problems to date all is tight. I will write an update review after a full season of riding to report on my experience. Also, Intense has announced a new generation VPP2 bike and will be offering an angular contact retrofit kit later this year for the existing model.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Cable0guy
a Weekend Warrior
from Torrance, CA Date Reviewed: June 6, 2008
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Does everything extremely well
Weaknesses:
High maintenance, especially the bearings. Creaks.
Similar Products Used:
Turner, Specialized, GT, Santa Cruz
Bike Setup:
Talas, RP23, Mavic wheelset, Formula brakes
Bottom Line:
The best trail bike out there (the new Intense trail bike is due out later this year). Climbs, handles, and does everything well. Looks beautiful. The only downside is that you need to maintain the pivot bearings at least once a year, and sometimes twice a year. I also have a creak in the seatpost that I can't seem to get rid of.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
puckhead
a Cross Country Rider
from Pasadena, CA Date Reviewed: May 15, 2008
Favorite Trail:
El Prieto
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
Greenfish
Strengths:
It looks good. I wish I could say the quality matches the looks.
Weaknesses:
see below
Similar Products Used:
Rocky Mountain ETSX, Santa Cruz Heckler, Spec Stumpjumper FSR
Bike Setup:
Pike Air, X9/XT, Formula Oro Bianco, DT Swiss wheels, Panaracer Rampage
Bottom Line:
Not happy with Intense at all. After 1 year of riding the 5.5 I took the bike to my LBS to have the bearings replaces. The LBS told me that 3 of the bearings seat loose in the frame, they should press in and not seat loose. Either one of two things happened;
1) the frame came from the factory with the tolerances off and the bearings were loose from the get go Or 2) the frame was misaligned which caused the bearing to wear into the frame and cause the loose seating in the frame
The LBS locktite the bearing back in the frame but gave no assurances that back end would not have slop or play. Emailed Intense about the situation and they never bothered to respond. Did some research on the forums and it seems like many people have had quality control issues with Intense including problems with misaligned frames, especially on the 5.5 and 6.6. I’ll keep riding the bike, but I’m none too happy about the situation. I’ve learned my lesson, next time I drop $2K on a frame, I’m going with a company with superior customer service like Turner or Ventana.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Paul Mackie
a Racer
from Bristol Date Reviewed: May 8, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Mountain Ash
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Handling. Suspension action. Geometry.
Weaknesses:
The colour of mine is Magnolia! VPP bearings wear out very fast.
Similar Products Used:
Orange 5. Spesh Enduro. Yeti 575. SC Blur.
Bike Setup:
Pikes. Tubeless wheels with Maxxis HRs 2.1. Speedball seatpost (get one!). Shimano XT. Hope mono mini pros.
Bottom Line:
I have owned one of these for 2 years now and it is by far the best bike I have ever ridden. I can't understand why it doesn't feature more in trail bike reviews - maybe Intense don't bother with bribes?
It does everything well. The handling is the best feature.
Only minor niggle is that the VPP is bearing hungry. The bottom ones go every 6 months. Its a small price to pay for a brilliant ride though.
The previous review echos what I am about to say: this bike will hurt you and reward you in equally significant measures. It took me a long while to get used to this bike - at first I hated it. The thing is this: if you have a good ride the bike will reward you tenfold. If you're feeling tired, picking bad lines, or just riding badly, this bike will throw you off. It is not for beginners! I put this down to razor sharp handling of the bike.
Now that I have mastered the 5.5 (it took about ten rides) it is by far the best bike I have ever ridden and I feel it will do whatever I want it to. What limits it going quicker? Rider input.
I have fitted a Roco coil shock on the rear with Ti spring and this has been a brilliant upgrade. Rear wheel tracks the ground superbly and low level sensitivity is increased.
Love it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a
from Boulder, CO Date Reviewed: March 31, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Porcupine Rim
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
It goes where you want it to. On rock drops the front end sticks so you can bring the rear wheel back. The bike climbs better when the rear suspension is unlocked. At speeds it keeps confidence. All in all pretty sick
Weaknesses:
only demo'd it so I actually don't own it
Bottom Line:
I rode this thing on Porcupine Rim, Slickrock and a third trail. Slickrock could be ridden on a rigid bike, but the build was so light I never felt like I was lugging it around, in fact I climbed faster than my friends on hardtails. It handles the smooth rolly stuff very well On Porcupine Rim it handled the inital climb well. Once the downhill began and the terrain changed I learned the bike is insanely good. On the rock-drops, just dip the fork over and ease the rear wheel and the bike responds and goes perfectly. On the smooth fireroad parts this thing flies and responds to every little bunny hop with more speed. My friend said he had never seen me ride so fast.
This bike is confident in the high speed, agile in the slow speed, and a billygoat climbing. I WANT ONE
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bluechair84
a Weekend Warrior
from England Date Reviewed: March 21, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Stanedge, trans-pennine
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
stiffness, agility and finesse, cimbs well, efficient, descends brillinatly, rear wheel tracks very well, easy to move around the bike, ever so slightly small so it's flickable but roomy enough to breath... you name it, goes in here.
Weaknesses:
Oooh where to start, it will hurt you, mud clearence, fork clearence at downtube, lower link sits too close to the BB shell to run an E-type bash plate and roller, it will hurt you, can't remove the rear wheel without taking off the nut as it hits the rear mech, it will hurt you, its fast responses often slip into 'nervousness' territory. Seatpost slips a little - need a damn good seat pin, Hose guides aren't zip tie holed and brakes need to be dismantlled and rebuilt through them.
Similar Products Used:
Mongoose Teocali, GT I-drive (hated them both), quad mount vision, Whyte 69 thingy.
Bike Setup:
Pace RC41, Mavic 619 on hope XC, Maxxis Minion, Hayes, XT chainset mechs and gubbins, E-Thirteen DRS - I run this bike as a light AM machine. Weight is down, 6inch travel forks and chain guide & roller keep it ready to rock though.
Bottom Line:
Ok, we need to get something sorted. The 'it will hurt you' bit. It will, and it will make you bleed. You see, you'll start off at the trail head and you'll bounce on the suspension and you'll say 'yeah, it moves like suspension',. Then you hit the climb and sit and churn and think 'ooh, this ain't arf bad!', the seatpost might slip down a little but the sun is beaming and your mates are getting ahead - so you gun it and you'll pedal your heart out and you'll be at the top of the climbs with all those shiney XC boys in their lycra much to everyones suprise. You will be buzzing already by how excellently the first KMs went by. Then you'll hit the descent and put a few strokes in. The speed will come naturally, too naturally, you're flying! Dab the brakes, hit the first few turns and pause thinking; 'I can do better than this but something's holding me back'. You up the rebound, you haven't hit the trail like this before and you need the back wheel to be ripping. So you'll let go of the brakes more, take the risk of not feathering the brakes or even one finger prep. Holding the bars full fist enables you greater control, the bike will fly faster and faster. As it picks up speed the bike bites into every corner like it has a berm seeming to reveal in the new blurry world beside you. Knock the rebound to full blitz as you're out pacing the shocks ability to keep up, suspension whirring like Titanics pistons. Your XC buddies will be way behind you by now and you will be whooping with adrenaline! Then kapow! The bike will ditch you. You were going too fast for yourself you silly man, you just aren't as good as you thought you were, you found the little secret of the Intense and you couldn't handle it - and it will be hard to forget my friend. You see, this bike is phenomenally good and you can build it into whatever you want. But this comes at a price, its speed comes from a natural and slight nervous nature that comes with lighning handling it isn't noticeable most of the time but it is always lurking behind the next meander. By the time it has done its jekyl and hyde thing you will be going waaaay to fast to be able to deal with it and you will find yourself regularly laying on the floor crying with laughter and pain. Slow deft rock gardens? No problem. Fast suprising rock gardens? cleared! Long climbs? Lovely stuff. Twisty trails? Haulehluya! 3ft drops, Northshore, double packs, seesaws, whoops, XC, FR, AM, night and day, It's good to be a biker! Build it how you like - this is the greatest do it all bike ever built but put it trail side and its is just so wonderful. Slight waver of concentration, tiredness, too fast for your own good, got a cold? Bring bandagees. This is a bike that takes some time to get to know and if you are a beginner it will seriously knock your confidence - rich boys pretending to be bikers, get a Blur or Nomad or Whyte. If you are experienced it will scare you but then you learn, and then you know what fast is. I don't know of another bike that you need to run the shock at full rebound to keep up with the terrain flying beneath you.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David Preston
a Cross Country Rider
from Manchester, UK Date Reviewed: January 28, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Dyfi Forest, Wales
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$6000.00
Purchased At:
Leisure Lakes, Bury
Strengths:
VPP Handling Weight
Weaknesses:
Bearings & DU Bushing Don't bother with stock Manitou shock
Rock shox Revelations Fox RP23 shock Hope pro II with Mavic 717 rims XT drivetrain with SRAM chain and Middleburn rings Avid Juicy 5 brakes (need upgrading...) Panaracer Cinder 2.25s Thomson post & stem Easton EA70 bar SDG saddle
Bottom Line:
NB: Price reflects current UK:USA exchange rate of c.£1 - $2.
This is a phenominal confidence inducing bike. I used to have an Epic which was preceded by a Stumpjumper Hardtail as I liked fast bikes. However, neither bike suited my aggressive style, and so were frequently wrecked. The test ride was racing at a 10 hour race in Scotland, and I loved it. So I bought one. Climbs brilliantly, but best on windy technical singletrack, preferably downhill. The handling is second to none. I still haven't found its limits (just my own) - the bike begs for more. The Pennine UK winters have trashed the bearings and shock bushing though, and I guess its because Southern California doesn't know what mud is. So it does require a bit of upkeep. But the bike is sufficiently wonderful when in working order, I find myself forgiving it for breaking.
You can race on this too - I've got podium finishes in long distance races against blokes on Carbon hardtails - strategy is damage limitation on the climbs and destroy the descents as the bike demands.
So all in all not a bad piece of kit.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
dirtsurfer
a Weekend Warrior
from Camarillo, CA Date Reviewed: December 26, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Latigo Cyn- before the fire
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$3500.00
Purchased At:
Bike Warrior
Strengths:
Great climber, corners very well, strong brakes, smooth shifting, bombs down hill.
Weaknesses:
One of the bolts loosens while riding, a little lock tite took care of it.
Similar Products Used:
'01 Intense Tracer, Ellsworth Id
Bike Setup:
'08 Lg 5.5 EVP, Rockshox Pike 406, Shimano 08 XT front & rear Derailer, cranks and BB, Avid Juicy 5, Mavic rims, Nevegal 2.35 tires
Bottom Line:
I thought my old Tracer was a good climber and decender but compaired to the 5.5 I was way off. The slightly heavier 5.5 climbs better, with more control and balance. On my first ride I cleaned a climb we call the stairway, on my old bike I never could negoiate the climbs with the hair pin turns with out a dab or two. I have easily climbed all the challenges at Chesebro. Going down hill when you turn off the Pro pedal you can fell the bike sag into it travel and the bumps melt away. The Thru-axle Pike up front combined with stiff rear make for a tight cornering, stable ride. Forget picking a line, I just point it down hill and let it fly.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brad Fitkin
a Cross Country Rider
from Maui Date Reviewed: October 1, 2007
Favorite Trail:
the next one I ride
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
West Maui Cycles
Strengths:
Super-efficient suspension - plush & smooth downhill...rear wheel sticks to the trail like flypaper going up. Ultra-responsive in tight singletrack. Great balance of weight Front-to-rear. The whole package redefines the term "obstacle."
Weaknesses:
None yet...it's the newer generation upgraded frame...but to be fair I've only had it 3 months.
Similar Products Used:
Cannondale Jekyll
Bike Setup:
XTR drivetrain, Chris King hubs & headset, Fox front & rear (Float RLC, RP23), Hayes El Camino brakes, Easton monkeylite, Thompson, Kenda nevegals.
Bottom Line:
I couldn't be happier, this bike delivers the goods. After 7 years on my lefty-equiped Jekyll, (hey,hey,be nice...I loved that bike, and it took me flawlessly through 4 Xterra races) my LBS guru pointed to the intense frame on the wall when I mentioned I was thinking of upgrading/updating my ride. My very first thought upon taking a good look at it was how unattractive and heavy it looked - it's the "raw" finish. However, after spending the next few days reading most of the reviews here, I did a complete 180 and quickly realized, from a functionality standpoint, this was the bike I was looking for. Within days I found myself in the grips of a financially insane, no-holds-barred dream build, ending up with a killer bike with 5.5 inches of intelligent travel that weighs exactly the same as the old-school 4.5 inch travel bike it replaces - 28.5 lbs. And I've even grown to absolutely love the "stealthy" - and environmentally-friendly, I might add - finish.
I love the way I was able to custom build it to my specs, I love the fact it was handmade by a small group of people passionate about their product, and above all, I love the way this bike functions - it's all business, no marketing fluff. Some things really are priceless.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Stan
a Weekend Warrior
from London Date Reviewed: September 18, 2007
Favorite Trail:
new Afan whytes level
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$3000.00
Strengths:
Strong, rigid, fast, superb VPP technology, goes uphill like the clappers and down even faster
This bike is the nuts. I bought frame only and was dubious about the cost (although I got a demo frame at reduced cost). It just soars uphills with no loss of power from the Vpp, which, on technical ups just rolls easily over roots and rocks and edges. Going down, there seems to be no end to the travel and the bike grips like mad on dry dusty trails and rock, floats over drops, and hooks up very well in the wet. As an example of its efficiency I just came back from 3 months with only 4 rides in that period, and immediately after a 3 week all inclusive holiday with no exercise did a four hour eyeballs out dry Epping forest scream with my mates and kept in the middle of the pack (at the front on climbs) - this bike gives you that extra 10% that you want, and gives you the impression theres even more if your body (or mind) can take it! One thing though in agreement with some other comments - this isn't a begineers bike - its fast, twitchy and demands some focus, but if you deliver that it will pay you back many times over. Buy one.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dale
a Cross Country Rider
from Buckinghamshire, England Date Reviewed: July 27, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Afan
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
Mountain Mania
Strengths:
Great frame, paint and weld lines! Looks superb in custom iron grey. Almost primer finish but better than the raw works
Weaknesses:
Not found any yet, be decals are just stuck on and may take a beating.
Similar Products Used:
Tomac Eli (frame bust)
Bike Setup:
XC717's with Fire XC Pro, Hope Bulb XC hubs, Hope M4 brakes 180mm rotars, Hope Headset, QR's and Seat Pin, Race Face Carbon seat post with BEL Air Tit Saddle, Race Face XC stem and bars. Pace XCAM 41 forks, XTR/XT Mechs and shifters Hollwtech XT BB......... :-)
Bottom Line:
I have only ridden this bike a few times to date and it climbs excellent, esp when the pro-pedal is switched it certainly climbs like a hardtail. Downhills are super fast and absorbs all the bumps, roots and rocks you can throw at it. On one downhill i was certainly faster than my previous ride.
I know I will enjoy this bike for many years to come.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alec
a Cross Country Rider
from Irvine, CA Date Reviewed: July 26, 2007
Favorite Trail:
San Juan, Moro, Whiting, Aliso, etc.
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
The greatest strength is the ride. I've had it for 2-yrs now and ridden approx. 2200 miles. I've upgraded to the new Intense one piece rear linkage. Supple over most bumps even when climbing... great climbing machine! I was worried about the weight but it climbs better than anything else I have ridden. Downhill it gives you a wide range of options and flatters my skills. It's a great pleasure to ride.
Weaknesses:
The bearings/VVP linkage & Paint... I'm sure they'll correct these issues very soon!
Similar Products Used:
Santa Cruz Blur LT, Specialized Stumpjumper, OLD GT
Bike Setup:
All Shimano XTR & SRAM X.O, CrossMax XL Tubeless Wheelset, 7" Hope M4 Disc Brakes and lots more!
Bottom Line:
Overall, GREAT full suspension bike! I'm good with tools and you'll need to be hands on with this bike because it's a machine that will require attention from time to time. But every great machine does and the 5.5 is well worth it!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Thomas Woods
a
from Lyons, CO Date Reviewed: June 30, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Hall Ranch
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$3300.00
Purchased At:
Golden Bike Shop
Strengths:
Fast climber, very stable and supple frame, eats up terrain, comfortable, light, responsive. Night and day difference between this bike and my well-used 2003 Specialized Stumpjumper Comp FSR XC. The Intense 5.5 is a MUCH better bike than the Stumpjumper. The difference between virtually all attributes of the two bikes really surprised me. Made in the USA. Very high quality.
Weaknesses:
Bulit-up bike had SRAM X9 components, which over three days of riding I figured out were GARBAGE compared to Shimano XT and XTR componets I have used in past. Ripped all the SRAM stuff off and replaced it with Shimano. The Manitou swinger rear shock the bbike came with was OK, but it's headed for eBay as well asnd will be rpelaced with a Fox RP23.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Stumpjumper, Cannondale V700 Super, Raleigh Technium (a long time ago).
Bike Setup:
Juicy 7 disk brakes, Shimano XT drivetrain exept for Truvative carbon crank, Fox FLS 100, Fox RP23, etc.
Bottom Line:
An unusually good bike, and more than worth any difference you in price you might pay between it and a bike made in Taiwan (like a Specialized Stumpjumper). I'm surpirsed I don't see more of them on the trail.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
michael valentino
a Cross Country Rider
from Creedmoor, NC USA Date Reviewed: June 30, 2007
Favorite Trail:
New Light
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$2050.00
Purchased At:
Intense Dealer
Strengths:
VPP Design; sweet tubeset and solid front triangle; a lot of travel for only 5.5"; good customer servide
Weaknesses:
04 shock linkage; paint-powder coat; stickers; lack of reinforcement @ bottom bracket; 04 rear triangle; suspension bolts and the list goes on
Similar Products Used:
Spider, Santa Cruz Blur, Specialized Epic and Enduro, Titus Loco Moto and Racer X100, Trek Liquid & many others
I am a 6’ tall and ~200# cross county rider who enjoys two wheels on the ground and an occasional drop.
This is somewhat of a dual review. I have been riding Intense frames for years and have logged over 3500 miles on the 5.5 and Spider combined. My insight is from two very different bikes from the same family. I may post a review on the Spider in the future. If you are looking for one and only one bike, pick the 5.5. The Spider has helped me get to the podium numerous times and even kept me in front of Tinker on a single lap (he was running 12 hours and I was 1 of 4 on a team). I have raced the 5.5 and it is slightly slower but has still won a race or two.
The 5.5 is plush, very plush. I feel very connected with the trail but small bumps disappear and big hits are tolerable. There is no need to pick a line, just hammer through. I like to say you are riding 'IN' the bike rather than, 'ON' with many others including the Spider. The under 6" bike appears to be just enough travel to do some crazy stuff but not too heavy to penalize you on the uphill.
As with any other company whom licenses a patented technology, Intense thinks they have a niche and can offer something different than Santa Cruz. They do and if you compare product lines there are not too many direct competitors. I rode the 1st generation Blur and loved it for years until I blew it up. I checked the Intense frame and they corrected a few of the early Blur’s problems as has Santa Cruz with the newer generation.
Intense has a few issues of their own and has continued to improve with each year’s offerings.
The LINKAGES were not good but have been upgraded on the newer models. I opted for a PUSH shock linkage but now Intense sells the frame with a PUSH knock off which connects the two side plates together. I actually cracked a Blur linkage but have never broken an Intense linkage.
The BEARINGS wear quickly and in my opinion prematurely. I know Intense does not make them but why not make something that works? Plan on replacing the two sets at the bottom bracket every six months to a year (or have intense do it every time you send the frame back). If the bike it not creaking or squeaking it is broken. You are not going to sneak up on anybody on a VPP.
The SUSPENSION BOLTS are not good. I have tried nearly everything to keep them in one piece and in their place. I have broken nearly one of each kind. I can not seem to keep them secure even using red lock-tite and the set screw.
The POWDER COAT is poor. I have had two frames (one 5.5 and one Spider) re-coated after the paint fell off. I would love to have an anodized frame but Intense says it costs them too much? I would pay more to avoid having to deal with a coating. The STICKERS were not great but that whole issue could be done away with by anodizing and etching like Ellsworth.
The REAR TRIANGLE on the 04 model was a bit light. The 07 rear has changed a bit but did not address the issue I encountered on both my 5.5 and Spider on two consecutive rides. The Spider has never even been jumped off a curb. The chain stay on the drive side sheared in the center of the weld and the best I can tell it happened over repeated use and not a single hit. The warranty replacement ‘07 has a larger chain stay tube but not the huge CNCd drop out like the 6.6. I could go for the few extra grams to avoid replacing that part again.
The FRONT TRIANGLE cracked in front and back of the bottom bracket. It was not a catastrophic failure but contributed to the pain of owning a $2000+ frame that can not hold up to a few jumps. It was replaced under warranty and has not failed in two years.
INTENSE CUSTOMER SERVICE – Brandon He can probably tell you some stories about me but ever since they got rid of some joker a few years back have been extremely professional. Their frames are in high demand and they have helped me get back on the trail and taken extra good care of me for all three times the frame has gone back to be repainted or replaced. I feel taken care of when I talk to Brandon and two new frames and one paint job in three years may be out of the norm but that is the cost of performance. There are no B.S. limitations on their warranty like most of their competition.
The build out weighs in at less than 30 pounds and stays firmly planted on the ground with 5.5 inches of travel in the back and 5 inches up front. I seldom sense the bottom of the travel even though I am getting all of it on the trail. Although it sounds like there are major issues above, they are not terrible. The frame is fairly stiff and resists most lateral forces. I recommend this frame to anyone who is not afraid of turning a wrench. This is a high performance machine which requires a little bit of tweaking to keep up and when she runs, she runs great.
Time to rest before the next ride, hope to see you on the Trail.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
boy wonder
a
from Orange County Date Reviewed: June 14, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Porcupine Rim, Holy Jim
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1000.00
Purchased At:
used
Strengths:
I have a 2005 5.5 (older swingarm/2 pc upper link)that I purchased used. This out climbs and out decends my uzzi's; out of the saddle climbing is like nite and day. Feels taller and shorter than the Uzzi. Feels slightly more like you are sitting "in" it than "on" it. My Uzzi's feel like I'm riding an aluminum baseball bat compared to the 5.5, the 5.5 is very plush. Standover height is substantially higher on the 5.5 than the Uzzi (all of my bikes are large size). To clarify some tire clearance concerns, I am running 2.4 motoraptors on the 5.5 with no problems. It's a little tight, but it fits. We don't have much mud in So Cal (and when we do, I'm more concerned about my house sliding down the hill than my rear tire clearance) The VPP really hooks up when out of the saddle, and doesn't bob. The 5.5 doesn't seem quite as stout as the uzzi (I weigh about 190)but a 1 piece upper link (PUSH monoblock or post april 2006 stock upper link) would probably improve this. I am running a 2005 Float RLC 130mm fork, and this thing carves.
Weaknesses:
Bottom bracket and crank selection can be a little tricky, since the granny ring bolts can rub on the lower link pivots with shorter BB spindles. Get a BB with the widest spindle width if possible, although other setups will also work (YMMV. The 5.5 does not have the adjustability of the uzzi (head angle, ride height, etc) A slightly lower standover height would be nice.
Similar Products Used:
2 uzzi SL's (still have them, one going on 10 yrs!), tracer
Bike Setup:
8 speed XTR rapid rise, DT swiss 240's/velocity rims, fox float 130 RLC, Thomson stem and post
Bottom Line:
Best bike I have owned. Climbs, descends, doesn't bob, really hooks up for out of the saddle climbing. I am running motoraptor 2.4's F and R no problems.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Luis A. Diaz
a Cross Country Rider
from Miami, FL Date Reviewed: May 21, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$4500.00
Purchased At:
RBikes.com
Strengths:
Excellent rideability, beautiful performance and design
Weaknesses:
Name stickers tendo to come off too easy. On such a high end product, the name should be stenciled
Similar Products Used:
Santa Cruz Superlight
Bike Setup:
Chris King hubs and headset, Mavic 819 rims, Kenda Nevegal tubeless tires, Thompson post and stem, Juicy 7 brakes, XTR derrailers, Monkey Lite handle bar, Fox Tallas fork, Fox RP23 rear shock, Specialized Rival saddle, Crank Bros. stainless steel pedals
Bottom Line:
I am very satisfied with the performance of this bike. It climbs extremely well and descends just as good. I recommend this type of bike for all mountain ridding, it is very comfortable and the VPP works rather well. I have been ridding for a number of years and gone through a number of bikes, and as far as I am concerned, this is the bike to keep. It is fast, sturdy and strong.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Skarhed
a Weekend Warrior
from Manila, Philippines Date Reviewed: May 3, 2007
Favorite Trail:
A lot! :)
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Cycle Options Trading
Strengths:
Top notch manufacturing! This is my first Intense frame so I spent an arm, a leg plus my left nut for this! (I'm working as a wrench at a local bike shop in a third world country, so do the math about the excahnge rate! hee hee) Jeff does a real good job making frames so attention to detail is a major strength here. Frame alignment, welding, bearings and VPP suspension technology!!!
Weaknesses:
The proverbial chink in the armor is the shafting that holds lover VPP link tends to come loose so pre and post ride rituals should be checking for looseness, but Intense quickly resolved this issue with the 6.6, by adding C-clips to the ends of the shafts to prevent them from pulling loose. Another is not being able to use bottom swing front deraillers (it's not so much a weakness but more of nitpicking) as the seat tube flares out a bit and the rear triangle will hit the derailler mount. Lastly is that if you want to mount a chainguide or shiftguide like the Truvative ShiftGuide, a little modification on the shiftguide is needed. (again I'm nitpicking...)
Similar Products Used:
Well, not exactly similar products but other products to compare with... admittedly I'm a bike freak as I got a small stable of bikes: Transition DirtBag, EMR (EchoMikeRacing) XC fullsus frame, Da Bomb XLR8R, Schwinn Moab hardtail, Santa Cruz Bullit.
Bike Setup:
I set up the 5.5 "slope-style" meaning, short travel freeride! :) 03 Z1 DropOff (best line of Zokes for me!) Holzfeller Dual Chainring and vintage 8 (yes, eight speed!!!) XTR and XT drivetrain. Why Shimano discountinued this I'll never know?!? 24 / 26 wheelsets and my favorite Planet X Goliath hubs! Oh and a Manitou 6-Way rear with a 550 spring rate! (springers for me only!)
Bottom Line:
It's a damn good frame! Expensive... but well worth the moolah! If you want something that doesn't fall into the big hit / hucker category but still wanna go 10 rounds in the ring with a hairy trail... I'd recommend this frame!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Aardonhope
a Weekend Warrior
from UK Date Reviewed: April 13, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
Solid build
Weaknesses:
Mud room, harsher ride than the Blur LT in the first part of the shock
Similar Products Used:
Blur LT, GTI-drive 5-1.0
Bottom Line:
Stiff, powerful off the mark.The fastest thing i have ridden ever like a hardtail off the blocks. Its like a wild horse let loose, aggressive, hard and hooliganistic.I was dreading a demo locally on my trail as the bike weighed 32 lbs with pedals and i'm not a heavy guy...But wow what power from the back end.Climbs like nothing else, seriously.Very nice finish. I had the raw works out , very industrial looking in all its natural glory.
Could do with some more mud room at the back..lots of little places for mud to collect on the rear mech area.I can't believe that no one has commented on the shock ramp.. Quite harsh on smaller bumps even with about 30% sag and no propedal on, the ramp on the shock is stiffer on start up but settles down nicely on downhill rougher stuff. Could maybe do with a large volume air sleeve like the Blur LT or DHX5. Maybe Santa Cruz found this ramp problem on the Blur which is exactly the same set up at the back on the intense.Maybe it was cos i had the first ride on a new bike.
Intense rep has been spot on very communicative..Great bike and i would have put money down on it but for the sacrifice of comfort on smaller bumpy stuff.....If anyone has found the ride gets smoother let me know....
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Capone
a Cross Country Rider
from Macc - UK Date Reviewed: April 10, 2007
Favorite Trail:
ladybower - (clockwise)
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$4000.00
Purchased At:
NWBMC
Strengths:
Weight, Toughness, VVP tech, Looks ;)
Weaknesses:
Cost.. err...cost ! good job I got the x demo oh and the chain comes off (probably fixable !)
juicy 7's (185f, 160r)and X9 shifters mounted to a raceface bar and truative stem,on a FSA headset, on a works finish 5.5 fitted with a manitou 4 way and RS PIKE duel air sus. powered by XT hollowtech crank (2 rings and bashguard) sram chain shifting XT cassette. XT rear mech and deore front. Mavic hoops running on hope hubs. Just waiting on my maverick speedball r for pure luxury of not stopping!!
Bottom Line:
LOVE THIS BIKE. after months of testing (see above)i was undecided on the cove ,yeti or whyte. all are good bikes and would grace any trail, but this just felt right for me. you cant put a price on feel. the orange is really highly rated, but I had a stinker of a ride on it so not for me. This bike does man made trails like it has wings and took me down Jacobs ladder with the biggest grin possible. It is fast, and the weight means it gets to the top as quick as you can take it. Never runs out of grip (i just run out of balance)the technical ups and downs pose no problems for it. the PIKE is a match made in heaven - Just point the shortest route and GO GO GO - make your own route!. Looking forward to a summer of fun. I have emailed intense twice and got a response within 1 working day, seem ok.. no regrets so far!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
William Yelvington
a Cross Country Rider
from Espanola, New Mexico, USA Date Reviewed: March 26, 2007
Favorite Trail:
South Boundry/North boundry circle
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$2100.00
Purchased At:
friends bike shop when it was 3 month old
Strengths:
My first ride out this bike paid for itself by saving my ass where my old four inch travel Rocky Mtn would have sent me to the hospital (I kinda know as I've broken bones more than once on a bike)This bike does it all. just like it says..... as long as you don't huck too big.climbs great goes downhill better. a true adventure riders bike (just locktite the pivots and replace bearings according to how much you abuse them)I've been riding Mtn bikes since my 81 Stumpy and these things just keep getting better and better(unfortunately the price has gone up exponentially also)
Weaknesses:
Pivots (blue loctite all threads) and bearings need attention once in a while but this is not a weakness just a fact of life with a more complicateed bike. you gotta pay for your plush with more than money it takes tinker time also. Also older bikes had clearance problems with the rear tire. get the one piece suspension linkage if you have a pre 07 it really stiffens up the rear triangle.
Similar Products Used:
never had a long travel bike before but I've been lucky to have had 81 stumpjumper 86 Fat chance 90 Klein (with a 1' Manitou fork) 92 amp B-1 94 amp B-3 and a 97 Rocky Mtn Instinct all great bikes in their own right and time. What I'm saying here is the 5.5 is just as much a part of history al all of these bikes (It just kicks my butt to have a bike that wieghs less than my stump jumper with so much damn good technology and such little weight).
Bike Setup:
Adventure rider dependable: Pushed fox vinilla fork Pushed fox ava float rl rear shock, xtr hubs 717 rims 3x double butted brass nipples, xtr rapid fire shifters(not the fancy new ones though) xtr rear and front derailleurs, avid bb-7 mechanical brakes with xtr v-brake levers and avid full metel jacket housing and cables.FSA k force BB and crank( last gen xtr wore out way too fast for the cost) monkey light bar, race face stem and seatpost, terry ti saddle sram chain.
Bottom Line:
Less painfull going up, less painfull coming down. less time and/or medication needed for recovery. forgiving suspension lets me be long ride stupid after a 50-70 mile high altitude beater and not pay the price by bleeding (either from crashes or over use of non steroidal anti inflamitory pills) . Expensive......but worth it. (I haven't had to deal with Intense yet though(as I am meticulus about checking over and cleaning my bike {hey my life could literally depend on it} and some of the reviews above seem to have a trend going... too bad such a good company dosent put their mouth where our money goes.) I am only giving it 4 chilis at value because because most of the riders above paid way more than I did and Specialized and others still have better value bikes for those of you who don't like to pay more for your bike than your car. I don't mind I really like to ride.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Aaron Wixon
a Weekend Warrior
from Needham Date Reviewed: March 1, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Dangerous ones
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1550.00
Purchased At:
Internation Bicycle Centers
Strengths:
Can take the abuse I dish out every day I ride, Gloss Black powdercoat finish is gorgeous, Major bling bling, Rides on a marshmallow cloud, Mechanical advantage of VPP increases the amount of power going to the rear wheels.
Weaknesses:
Rather difficult to adjust the Fox RP23 to my liking with the VPP, but once dialed in, it works as one with the frame!
Don't bother with any other Duallie. Takes abuse from XC - To freeride easily. It will NOT break ever from what I have experienced!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
stephane
a Cross Country Rider
from sunnyvale, ca Date Reviewed: February 26, 2007
Favorite Trail:
too many to list
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Bike Connection (Palo Alto, ca)
Strengths:
Incredible bike. The VPP suspension works as good as the spider. The added travel makes a true difference going downhill. If you are a cross country rider and are looking to own only one bike, don't look further , this is your bike. I am totally sold
Weaknesses:
None noted
Similar Products Used:
This is my third Intense. Last bike was the spider
Bike Setup:
SRAM XO, XTR Crankset, FOX Talas 100 mm to 140 mm, MAVIC rims with Chris King hubs. Bike was built by Bike Connection in Palo Alto. Great service
Bottom Line:
Another winner from Intense. The VPP technology is the best I have ever tried going uphill. The Combination of the rear FOX and the Talas in the front makes it a flying machine going downhill.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
RayRay
a Weekend Warrior
from San Francisco Date Reviewed: January 31, 2007
Favorite Trail:
UCSC North Campus
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1450.00
Purchased At:
Cyco SF
Strengths:
Provides all the advantages of a longer travel chassis but still manages to show very well for those XC riders not yet ready to give up the ghost.
Build quality on this frame will make you moist. The welds are burly and perfect.
Subtle beauty in things like re-profiled journals and shaped fixing bolts. Where 'handmade detail' shows through.
Weaknesses:
Cockpit is critical with this bike if you want to fully realize XC efficiency. 70 degree head angle begs for a traditional trailbike handlebar for both comfort and predictability.
Have to learn how to carry a couple extra pounds around, but you get used to it.
Pretty spendy.
Similar Products Used:
Chumba Evo, Ventana El Salt, Santa Cruz Blue LT, Titus MotoLite
Bike Setup:
Fox Float 32/RP23, XT throughout, Hugi 240's, Hayes HFX Carbon Disc, Kenda Blue Groove 2.3 (Front), Specialized Resolution Pro D2 2Bliss(Rear)
Bottom Line:
Superior in every way. The bike allows you to go out and competently ride the full terrain spectrum.
W/ 6 inches of travel up front, I found that I hand height was something I had to tinker with to properly weight the front on steep climbs.
The EVP/VPP design really throws down some amazing traction on highly efficient pedaling platform. Hang on, it might provide some initial surprises on those steeps and switchbacks.
A reasonably skilled rider will have no problem boosting sizeable drops and hucks on this ride, but dont mistake it for some monster black diamond rig. Particularly on those really steep technical descents.
Bottom line: This is a perfect bike for XC riders who find that their riding preferences are migrating toward more aggressive terrain and a little air under the tires.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
I am Dangerous
a
from Orange County, CA Date Reviewed: December 29, 2006
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$4000.00
Strengths:
VPP suspension, bomb proof frame, quick steering geometry, all day comfort. The frame is built by hand in the United States. The tubes are hydroformed and ovalized and made by Easton. Extremely rigid shape makes for the stiffest frame possible. The welds are outstanding and the huge gusset shows the toughness of the bike. This bike can be built to around 27 pounds. My bike with moderate parts is at 30 right now. I'm sure I'll be at 29 pounds if I lose the tubes and the tube liners. The suspension is absolutely outstanding. I climb better with this bike than with my Trek hardtail. I don't even use my lockout. There's just no significant bob. It's that good.
Weaknesses:
The frame is approximately $2000. It's worth every penny tho. Head angle is 70* which maybe a bit too quick if you're expecting a downhill rig. It's great for techy turns but tracks straight on climbs. If you want a long travel full suspension XC bike, look no further. This bike feels extremely light and nimble.
Similar Products Used:
Santa Cruz Blur LT, Santa Cruz Heckler, Santa Cruz Nomad, Intense 6.6, and Yeti 575
Bike Setup:
'07 Intense 5point5 EVP Hot Rod Orange, '07 Fox Talas RLC, Fox RP23, '07 SRAM X9 shifters, Shimano XT front DR, SRAM X0 rear DR, '07 AVID Juicy Seven brakes 185mm front and 160mm rear, Race Face Atlas crank, Mavic XC 819 disc wheels, Easton MonkeyLite composite bar, Thomson Elite stem, Bontrager carbon post, Bontrager Race seat, Shimano XTR pedals.
Bottom Line:
If you want one bike to do it all.. look no further. Other bikes have weakness that can't be overlooked. The closest to this bike would be a SC BLT. They're very similar but if you have both bikes side by side, you can tell how much better the Intense is designed. Everything is just beefier. The Heckler would be nice but it's noticeably heavier, slower steering, and you have to use the lockout all the time. Same with the Yeti 575. You need to lock it out all the time then release it for your downhills. The Nomad and the 6.6 are awesome bikes but more downhill oriented. They're extremely fun but I'd struggle to ride those all day. Climbing would just be a chore with them. The 5point5 is just the perfect all day bike. You still run 32mm forks and can run XC wheels. The Nomad and 6.6 are very tough to get under 35 pounds and they're definitely not XC oriented. The 5.5 is perfect for all types of riding. Ok.. maybe not downhill.. I'll have to add a Socom to my stable =P
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alan Driessen
a Weekend Warrior
from San Jose CA U.S.A. Date Reviewed: December 24, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Soquel Demo Forest
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1300.00
Strengths:
This thing climbs like no ones business. Stable pedaling platform uphill. Think assends are fast, wait till you try downhill. This frame floats.
Weaknesses:
Cable routing on front deraileur kinda sucks. Hard to pull on cable to tighten it. Rear hydraulic brake hose routing alittle funky.
Similar Products Used:
Ellsworth Epiphany, Ellsworth Joker XC
Bike Setup:
2006 Fox Talas RLC, Chris King headset,5th Element Air shock, Thompson stem, Easton Monkey lite EC70 Bars, Avid Juicy Seven brakes, XT drive train, Mavic Crossland wheels , WTB UST Weirwolf tires, Thompson seatpost, WTB Speed V saddle
Bottom Line:
This bike is awesome. Took my riding experience to a whole new level. Great for long hours in the saddle. Frame is stiff, but a welcome stiff. Straightens out bumpy trails, still sturdy enough for small dropoffs. Corners very well. Well balanced bike. Just an overall pleasure to ride.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
timothy
a Cross Country Rider
from toronto, on, canada Date Reviewed: November 27, 2006
Favorite Trail:
taylor creek
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$8000.00
Purchased At:
self built "the twisted wrench"
Strengths:
it's all about the "love" built in at the intense factory!
maverick sc32, rohloff speedhub, hope m4 205, thompson, easton, chris king, raceface deux, all top end trick stuff
Bottom Line:
my new bike rocks! it climbs like a scalded monkey. it rolls downhill like an avalanche. it corners on rails. It's very sweet, i suggest you get one if you have the means.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Auburn, California Date Reviewed: November 24, 2006
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$4300.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
quality & durability of frameset; fox RP3 & FX130 fork; geometry excellent for an aggressive rider; pedals well for a bike this versatile
Weaknesses:
Even with over 5 inches of travel, the 5.5 can feel pretty firm compared to a gravity bike or the 6.6; the steering head is a little steep for extreme drops
If you are looking for a bike that will handle aggressive cross country, this is the bike for you. This bike is built to be ridden hard and put away wet. My medium frame 5.5 is a shade under 28 lbs and pedals quite well even with its Mutano 2.4 tires.
If you are used to riding a bike with a little slacker geometry, it may take you a few rides to feel completely comfortable as the 5.5 is 1 degree steeper than most trail/all mountain bikes and you notice it. I believe this is an advantage on aggressive XC trails, but a slight disadvantage on steep drops as the bike feels a little nervous.
The suspension on the 5.5 (as setup on my bike) is firm, but compliant and works best when you're hammering along in the middle ring or bombing downhill. The SRAM X.0 trigger shifters and derailuer work well even if not as fluid as XTR's. Each shift is crisp and accurate. I have had some minor issues with throwing the chain on a particular rocky downhill when the suspension fully compresses when in the big ring and smallest rear cog. It's nearly impossible to adjust the front derailuer with how it mounts under the VPP linkage arm. The only way is with an extremely short screwdriver or rotating the assembly.
A couple of other small nits that I'll post here ... The front derailuer cable routing below the assembly rests on the VPP linkage and can get caught or marr the paint if you are not careful. You have to trim it very short which makes it a pain to mount. The Avid Juicy 7 brakes squealed a lot when new and I had to finally swap out the metallic pads for organic to stop it.
Bottom line, I would buy this bike again even after shelling our 4G's. This bike is durable, offers outstanding geometry and handling and has posted lap times on par with my racing hardtail on rough trails. The only other bike I seriously considered after demo'ing was the Specialized Stumpjumper S-Works or Pro. The Pro offers a little better value (price) for a comparable ride.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alex Simpson
a Cross Country Rider
from York Date Reviewed: November 18, 2006
Favorite Trail:
As far away from the crowds as humanly possible
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Awesome climber, super stiff chassis, great craftmanship (frame quality really needs to be seen first hand to be believed).
06 5.5, Fox RP23, Pace RC41 XCAM, Thomson post and stem, C King, Easton bars, Avid juicy sevens, Sram X9, Middeburn, Hope Pro II & DT Swiss 5.1d, Schwalbe tyres etc. etc.
Bottom Line:
Great frame which has been beautifully put together.
Better to call the frame a chassis though - it is that stiff. Very agile - changing lines is possible in blink of your eye speed. Climbing is spot on - get out of the saddle and power with minimal bob while the suspension tracks the ground and just hoovers up the bumps and rocks.
Despite what everyone else has said, I think the 5.5 is very capable going downhill and I have had no problems in this area. It ultimately depends on what fork you are going to use (the cited 70 degree headangle is based on a 505 a-c fork). The Pace RC41 XCAM I use is slightly longer coming in at 509 mm (07 Fox 140mm are 510mm) which slackens the headangle to around 69.75 which is just fine for me. Warning if you use older (05 and 06) Fox 130mm Forks will have a lower axle to crown length which will actually steepen the headangle to 70 degrees plus.
In short - a really great frame you can use to ride anywhere all day long
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
lazy rider
a Weekend Warrior
from nor cal Date Reviewed: October 22, 2006
Favorite Trail:
up slowly - down fast
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$1023.00
Strengths:
uphill stability and downhill plushness. VPP truly works.
Weaknesses:
BB to low. riding uphill and banging obstacles makes me angry. Price...all bikes this pricey are overpriced.
Bike Setup:
Race face cranks, king headset, thompson post, WTB seat, fox vanilla, easton cnc bars, hayes mags, manitou 4 way, sram trigger and deuarllier and some other bling
Bottom Line:
pivots will come loose and the stickers would make a huffy look cheap. Any bike this expensive deserves to get a low value rating, but I guess that's just the way it goes b/c anybody who truly rides knows this sport is a money pit, an enjoyable money pit, but a money pit all the same.
btw race face bearings aren't worth a damn.
The straight dope - bike rocks...I wonder what the 6.6 rides like...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bruno Bartalotta
a Weekend Warrior
from Manchester, England Date Reviewed: September 28, 2006
Favorite Trail:
North Face trial-Lake District
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1900.00
Purchased At:
Friend
Strengths:
This bike has so many strenghths. Firstly the quality of the materials used are simply A1. The CNC machining on the frame suggests fantastic attention to details and superor craftsmanship. Isuppose one of its main strengths is versatility. The 5.5 can be adapted to be used as a freeride/light downhill rig or a light XC bike and to have that flexibility is somewhat unique.
Weaknesses:
As far as I can see...none. However I have read about pivot points coming lose although this has not happened to my '05 frame...yet!
Similar Products Used:
I have used Santa Cruz Blur's and Specialized S works.
Bike Setup:
My bike has recently been built and consists of: '05 5.5 EVP (Midnight Blue), FSA Mega Exo Carbon chainset, Hope M4 brakes, Crossmax XL rims, Thomson Masterpiece seatpost, thomson Elite stem, King headset, Raceface Next Carbon riser bars, Race face lock on grips, SRAM X.0 full gear set, Goodridge carbon hoses, Fox Talas 32 RLC (2007), Intense system 4 tyres, specialised BG saddle, Push 1 piece monoblock, Manitou 4 way.
Bottom Line:
When I first looked in to a new frame I obviously did a lot of research in to top end frame and a lot of test riding. I obviously looked at the likes of Santa Cruz, Turner, Scott,Orange, Ellsworth, Storck etc but nothing provided me with the same sense of secure riding, handling and efficiency as the Intense 5.5. As well as these advantages I wanted a frame which reflected individuality. I see many of the Blurs, 5 spots and Five's whilst riding but not many 5.5's. Overall all the bikes I have mentioned are excellent riding machines but I suppose if like me you want an all round bike with the flexibility of completely changing the type of riding you want to do as well as having a bike screams individuality and quality then you should, without doubt, go for the Intense 5.5 evp as it truly is "The ultimate trial performance machine".
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
thomas medlock
a Cross Country Rider
from dallas, tx Date Reviewed: September 22, 2006
Favorite Trail:
long trail winter park, co.
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$1285.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
i have ridden a 2004 model for 18 months. i now have the 2006 model with the revamped rear end. the new rear end is really nice and the rp23 shock is lighter than the swinger 4 way. great new paint schemes and the one piece upper link seems to help stiffen everything up.
Weaknesses:
i have had no bearing issues with either bike although the 2004 model needs 2 bearings replaced after 18 months of hard riding and very little maintenance.
Similar Products Used:
2004 intense 5.5
Bike Setup:
2006 intense 5.5 with full xt components. fox rp23 rear shock and a manitou minute 2 fork. hope hubs with mavic 819 ust rims. avid bb7 disc brakes. thomson seatpost and stem.
Bottom Line:
i have been riding intenses since my first tracer in 2000. the 2004 5.5 was a nice upgrade from the tracer and the 2006 5.5 has a few subtle upgrades from the 2004 model. i have had none of the problems with bearings that others have reported and have had to do almost no maintenance on either frame. the 5.5 climbs better than my tracer did and sucks up the bumps better as well. i have never had any problems with intenses' customer service and highly recommend this bike. it isn't inexpensive, but my bike stays on the trail when other people's bikes are in the shop
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sonse
a Cross Country Rider
from Boise Date Reviewed: September 1, 2006
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$2200.00
Purchased At:
IMT
Strengths:
Great frame. The ride is amazing. Climbs great. I switched the swinger 4-way for a Float RP3. Rear doesn't bob at all on the climbs if you stay in the saddle. I never use the lock out on the RP3. Feels very stable on the shady stuff. Definately inspires confidence. Looks great too.
Weaknesses:
None so far. Intense is really slow with special paint selections, but who cares since every part is made in good ol America.
Similar Products Used:
Fisher ZO
Bike Setup:
Marzocchi Z1 Light 6" fork, SRAM XO shifters, SRAM RD, XTR drive train, ORO Puro disk, FSA Carbon cranks and evything else.
Bottom Line:
If you've got deep pockets buy this bike. My only regret is not buying the 6.6 instead.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kaku Ito
a Downhiller
from Shibuya, Tokyo Japan Date Reviewed: August 13, 2006
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1100.00
Purchased At:
Yahoo! Auction
Strengths:
Plushness of the EVP link, light weight, beatibul design
Weaknesses:
too expensive in my country.
Similar Products Used:
Iron Horse MKIII, Kona Dawg
Bike Setup:
Manitou Nixon Platinum Intrinsic, hadley hubs, mavic UST rims, DT Swiss AlpineIII spokes, XT cranks, Xpedo pedals, envy rings, SRAM X.O shifters and rear mech, XTR front mech, SRAM cog, SRAM chains, ProTaper handle bar, Dangerboy SR71 stem, Thomson seatpost, Nokina XXX for street, Michelin for mountain
Bottom Line:
I had to do a lot of things to make it work, the rearshock was broken and the rearlink was very stiff and indexing. The ex-owner(s) must have had the same problems and maybe that is why I could get it at low price. Few of the bearings were rusty, the shock was'nt working good and the recess had excess paint so I work all of them out and now it is working great. It feels very plush comparing to MKIII, yet, it is ready for medium hit. With MKIII, I was able to make it plush but I had to give up on resistant for bottoming out. 5.5 can suck even small bumps and even ready for square hits. It pedal really well, too. It is the first time after owning many bikes and finally the rear suspension is working the way I wanted. It's a dream ride.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Adam Black
a Cross Country Rider
from Telluride, CO Date Reviewed: August 7, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Scotch Creek - Durango
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$5000.00
Purchased At:
Pedal the Peaks
Strengths:
Very plush when the going gets rough and also very good climbing when sag is set up properly with a pro pedal type rear shock. VPP is no joke!
Weaknesses:
None yet.
Similar Products Used:
Turner 5 Spot, Santa Cruz Bullit, Specialized enduro
Incredible bike for all mountain riding if you have the cash to spend. The VPP lives up to the hype. Buy it if you can!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Levi Silva
a Cross Country Rider
from Telluride Date Reviewed: July 3, 2006
Favorite Trail:
?*#%<.!
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$1850.00
Purchased At:
Wrench Science
Strengths:
I'm on my second season with this bike and it's still getting better every ride. This frame can take a beatin' & It's true it climbs if you turn the pedals and point it uphill. From my experience it does out climb my old bike (S Enduro FSR)times ten. It simply rips whatever you take it down or have the balls to go off. And I've dropped some big curbs lately.
Weaknesses:
My frame had a bad weld in the head tube and my rear linkage cracked and squeaked, but Dennis at Wrench Science & Intense were there all the way, even though the road was a little rocky. In the end I was satisfied and got the weld fixed, a new rear linkage that has not given me any problems this season, and new decals (which are long gone). I've also marked the PUSH monoblock replacement part: http://www.pinkbike.com/news/?op=articleview&id=2359, it's $119.95 upgrade and I'm not complaining. Yes I paid alot of $$$ for my frame, but nothing is perfect, so if I have the problem again I'm gonna suck it up and shell out the dough. Problem solved. aka no weaknesses to report.
Bike Setup:
Rohloff Speed Hub, Talas RLC, El Camino 6F/8R, Chris King Bling, 819's and 16" tassels that reflect off the burnished, decal free frame.
Bottom Line:
This frame is set up with the Rolhoff Speed Hub. All I have to do is clean my chain, make sure my tires have air and roll. If you don't have a Rohloff Speed hub and you have an Intense 5.5 make the switch. Speed Hubs last up to 60,000 miles. NO I did not write too many zeros, thats 100,000 kilometers. I've been chased by freaks on the trail asking questions they could answer on the Rohloff website: http://www.rohloffusa.com/frame.htm but the answer is: You need one to understand. If you want true bliss match the hub with a 5.5.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim
a
from San Fran, CA Date Reviewed: June 30, 2006
Favorite Trail:
BUTCHER'S in Dville
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$1850.00
Purchased At:
Wrench Science
Strengths:
Strong overbuilt welds; positioning/ride posture is perfect for going up and still slack enough to lean back when going down.
Weaknesses:
About a pound heavier then I'd like, but I'll say that pound makes this frame bomb proof, so far, and able to handle most crashes. Price, but you get what you pay for. Older models had two independent bars for VPP suspension which, over time, made the rear get a little loose. PUSH industries makes a great fix for that, monoblock, and the new 06' frames come with a 'monoblock' standard.
Sun lite rims, 2.55LT/2.3 WeirWolf's, Marzocchi Bomber shock, Thompson Stem/Seatpost, King headset, Fox RP3, Monoblock from PUSH, Raceface forged crank, XT front, and XTR rear derailleur.
Bottom Line:
If you can, BUY IT! It's been a great bike for me so far. It’s not as light as my buddy’s XC ride but I pretty sure I would snap that thing, Specialized Epic, in about a month or two of hard riding. To the guy who posted below me, my experience with dealing with intense has been nothing but positive. They always answer when I call, give great advice on bike set up, and fix your problems if you’re not mean to them. For instance the new model fixed the suspension problem and the widened the rear stays so it can fit DH tires. When I called them about the suspension flex problem I was having they told me about PUSH and their fix for it. They suggested new bearings or atleast repacking the old ones which worked nicely. It’s fast, strong, and good lookin’! If you have some extra money lying around buy one, or two.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Justin
a
from San DIego Ca Date Reviewed: June 28, 2006
Favorite Trail:
noble today.
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$4000.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
The product rides well. It is active descending and climbs well. I have a Klein (Maverick Design) Palomino before and it was a better climber and not as good a descender. This design excels in different places but is not a better ride all around. I like the extra travel...My Klein was a maintenace hog, this bike is solid. Minor adjustments and I do ride it hard and frequently.
Weaknesses:
You must have to be a greade a A** Hole to work for Intense. I have only had one experience with them and it was a slap in the face. The sales manager, I believe his name is Jay cannot remember, called me because of a problem with my warranty card. I asked him about my shock and this guy was a total punk. For the money I paid SCREW INTENSE!! Hate to bum everybody who buys expensive bikes but I can say confidently a stock Specialized Stump jumper FSR off the floor is as good. For the minor incremental improvement in active climbing and I do mean minor this bike is a super rip off. Add the service from the manufacturer and it is just criminal.
Similar Products Used:
Stump FSR, Klein Palomino, GT LTS, GT IDRIVE, Turner
Bike Setup:
Full XTR and Maverick Fork
Bottom Line:
Eveyone is hypeing the VPP, and yea it is cool and does give some here and there but for the money a good 4 bar works as well in most situations-is hella cheaper and everything comes with a lock out shock anyway. I spent big $$$ for the ultimate ride and INTENSE treated me like crap. I see on lower posts this is not uncommon. Save your money for a good fork and buy a stock Giant or Specialized off the floor. They take care of their clients and have LIFETIME warranties. Intense 2 years and they are punks. IF you have money to burn, never think you will need manufacturer support and have to have the latest and greatest buy this bike. If you think some sort of service respect should come with high ticket items, work for a living and really ride get soemthing else. Hate to beat it but screw Intense.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave Kleckner
a Cross Country Rider
from Colorado Springs Date Reviewed: June 19, 2006
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1550.00
Purchased At:
ProCycling
Strengths:
Bullet-proof frame, tracks great, no pedal bob with VPP set-up, climbs great, can be bulit-up under 30lbs., great welds.
Weaknesses:
No so far.
Similar Products Used:
Turner 5-spot, Titus Switchblade
Bike Setup:
2007 Fox RP23 rear shock, Fox Vanilla 130R, Sram XO, XTR Cranks, Spinergy Xyclone wheels, King headset, Thompson stem and seatpost.
Bottom Line:
The new 2006 5.5 EVP frame (frames built after April 2006 - modified suspension linkages and a wider rear triangle) teamed with the 2007 RP23 is amazing. The frame tracks great downhill and climbs like a mountain goat. The 2007 RP23 with the 3 pro-pedal platform settings works as prescribed. The bike is great to ride uphill with the pro-pedal or switch the level to open things up going downhill. I'm a 6'2" and 220# Clydesdale and the large frame fits great and never complains. Bottom line - I can get the stupid grin off my face when I'm riding this bad boy.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dan
a
from Lafayettes, Ca, USA Date Reviewed: May 17, 2006
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1950.00
Strengths:
Light, strong, the pedaling efficiency is amazing, it looks great, and it's a lot of fun to ride. Every input is immediately recognized.
Weaknesses:
For some it may be a bit twitchy for an all mountain frame.
Bike Setup:
Medium fram, Marzocchi AM1, Hope M6s, FSA MegaExo Carbon cranks/bottom bracket, Chris King headset, CrossMax XL wheels, SRAM X.O shifters/r.deraileur, Easton CNT Monkeylite SLs, Thomson post/stem, etc...
Bottom Line:
This is an amazing all mountain bike, the suspension is active when you need it to be, blah blah blah. All the suspension out there at this price point is going to be great. The highlight of this bike is how precise and quick it is. You can race as fast on this as on a XC FS yet when you need the loads of travel, it is there. And the craftsmanship is second to none. Buy it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gabi
a Weekend Warrior
from Tel Aviv - Israel Date Reviewed: May 5, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Mt Carmel and Jerusalem hills
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Superb bike - light, nimble and strong
Weaknesses:
None that I can find - maybe the fact you need to look once in a while if the vpp links are ok. The fact you can not put tires wider than 2.25 in the rear (solved in the 5.5 2006 model, they changed the rear geometry so it is possible to use today up to 2.5)
This is a follow-up review from October 2004. I had never problems with the links. True, twice I found them a little open, but I see this checking as part of a normal maintenance, as I check air in the tires before riding. Intense addressed these issues in their updated web site, worth a reading. Complete this with an excellent and reliable LBS (Kobi Becidan from "Anak Ha'Ofnaim") and no maintenance problems. Very important - take your time to play with the fork and shock settings, you'll be amazed how much this influence the riding. The bike rides wonderful. I do both technical singletracks and XC rides. Climbs great with no bob both in long fire roads and in short steep climbs while applying lot of power on the pedals. While descending it simply flows down effortlessly. Bottom line, I do not feel the need to look aside for a new bike - I think this says all.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Michael
a
from Carlsbad, CA, USA Date Reviewed: May 2, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Sullivan Truck Trail
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$2800.00
Purchased At:
IE BIKES
Strengths:
Compared to my ancient GT I-drive, this bike felt light as a feather! I got a great deal on a barely used frame from the guys at I.E. Bikes in Murrieta, and so far I've never rode anything as nice. It climbs like a mountain goat, even with 5 inches of travel up front, and maneuvers downhill like a charm. If you have the extra cash, I'd definitely reccommend it!
Weaknesses:
Expensive. I don't think I could have justified the $5000 originally spent when putting the bike together, but it is nice...and by far the plushest ride I've ever had!
Similar Products Used:
Rocky Mountain Slayer Series
Bike Setup:
Fox TALAS RLC front fork, FOX RP3 Rear Shock, XTR Cassette, XTR front and rear derailur, and everything else is XT.
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike, that I was fortunate enough to find at a steal (if you call $2800 a steal). I've only had the bike for a few weeks...but I was impressed enough with the few rides I've been on that I thought I should add my two cents. I'd say if you're a cross country rider, who wants a little more "travel" for the downhill, but doesn't want to comprimise climbing ability...than this is the bike for you.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
LEON PRAK
a Cross Country Rider
from HERMANUS,SOUTH AFRICA Date Reviewed: April 3, 2006
Favorite Trail:
LEBANON,GRABOUW
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$2200.00
Purchased At:
BIKE ASYLUM(S.A.AGENTS)
Strengths:
AWSOME HANDLING FRAME,SUCKS UP ALL THE RUFF STUFF
Weaknesses:
PAINTWORK IS POOR.2 MONTHS AND CORROSION STARTED AT BREATHER HOLES.ASKED AGENTS ABOUT IT AND E.MAILED INTENSE DIRECT,BUT NO ANSWER ABOUT CORROSION WARRANTY. I THINK THIS SUCKS WHEN YOU PAY TOP DOLLAR FOR A FRAME. NO MORE WAITING FOR REPLY,SOLD THE FRAME AND WENT BACK TO CHEAPER+MORE RELIABLE GIANT FRAME.NO PROBLEMS YET. WILL NEVER TOUCH INTENSE AGAIN!
Similar Products Used:
OTHER DUALS BUT LESS TRAVEL,NRS,NRS CARBON,GIANT TRANCE.
Bottom Line:
I'M STAYING AWAY FROM INTENSE!!! NO SERVICE!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Robert Lawrence
a
from Wellington, New Zealand Date Reviewed: March 13, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Deliverence
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Purchased At:
Frame from Burkes and built by PFC
Strengths:
Strong stiff frame, beautifully welded. Very smooth and balanced frame to ride, reliable and pretty. The VPP system works as advertised, it tackles almost everything very very well, rather than being a rolling compromise. The rising rate rear suspension allows it to be supple when lighty or heavily loaded, giving it terrific traction.
Weaknesses:
The head angle is a little steep for the gnarly stuff. Very expensive, especially compared to it's Santa Cruz cousins.
Similar Products Used:
Giant Reign
Bike Setup:
XT cranks & BB, Sram XO shifters and rear der, Tompson stem and post, Easton carbon bars, Avid Juicey ultimates, Tioga Spyder saddle. Various UST tires on Mavic rims, Chris King hubs and headset. Fox talas fork with Push'd RP3 shock and Push link.
Bottom Line:
This bike climbs with great traction and balance, the VPP seems to prevent bobbing and still allow a supple and absorbent rear suspension. Very well balanced, and very smooth over all kinds of terrain. Great balance and speed on open rolling trails, and it also very at home on berms and belts around switchbacks. A little unstable at high speed on rough stuff. This bike can be built as a tough 32 Lb bike with big tires, or a 26.5 lb lightweight flyer that can be ridden all day almost anywhere.
Everybody who has ridden my bike has been impressed, excepting for the price of the frame. Quite rare in New Zealand!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Frank Hewitt
a Cross Country Rider
from Boise, ID Date Reviewed: January 18, 2006
Favorite Trail:
something dirty
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
The same sweet rig as when I bought it 18 months ago, only better with age. Zero problems with the frame/suspension linkage/SEALS. Once again no problems with the suspension bolts or seals. XTR rules, as usual. Bontrager Light wheels tolerate my 210lb+ bulk and keep on keepin' on through whatever I throw at them. Minute 2:00 front end has proven bullet proof for over 2,000 miles: fruita, Moab, Sun Valley, Boise. No problems.
Weaknesses:
THE STICKERS ARE AWEFUL, THEY MAKE MY TUMMY HURT. Kidding. If a high-dollar bike rocks, and no offense to anyone please, I could care less about the pretty little stickers. I promise, once at the bottom of a hair-raising, sphincter-tone scrunching, white-knuckle, thought-you-may-die but instead kicked-ass trail, and your bike performs as well as Paris Hilton on a home video, there is nothing I like more than some beaten up, looked-like-you-used-it stickers. What do you drive, a volvo? Weaknesses of the 5.5 frame: ZERO XTR disc brakes on the other hand don't impress me much. although they perform exquisitly when perfectly adjusted, overall they've proved to be high-maintenance. It is proportionally expensive compared to other bikes, but you get every bit that you pay for-- call that its weakness if you will.
Similar Products Used:
Santa Cruise Ultralight, Intense Spider, Santa Cruise Blurrrr, Specialized S-works M4 hardtail
Bike Setup:
Xtr drivetrain Bontrager Race X-lite wheels Chris King headset Egg Beaters SS Bontrager race stem + seatpost WTB laser seat
Bottom Line:
You can pay less for a bike, but you will get less bike. Get comfortable with that knowledge. This bike has proven itself many times over. From Fisher Creek (which is now a fire-ash pit)in Stanley, to Horse Thief Trail and Moore Fun in Fruita, to Hardguy-westside-sweet connie loop in Boise, and all the great trails in Moab it's a loaded weapon. It beckons to me to ride it. It challenges me to get off my ass. it's my best friend on the trail. It's January and I'm already "jonesing" for spring so badly that I'd even consider riding something less of a bike if I could have the trails dry right now!--- but I know that it will be worth the wait.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David Hunter
a Cross Country Rider
from Brisbane, Qld, Australia Date Reviewed: December 1, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Mt Cootha/Gap Creek
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1900.00
Purchased At:
BB Mail Order (Never Again)
Strengths:
Hand Made in the U.S. climbing, descending, cornering. It does everything well
Weaknesses:
Bottom Bracket Height
Similar Products Used:
Old Bike: Gary Fisher Joshua F1
Bike Setup:
Hayes Hydraulic, XT running gear, 05 Fox Vanilla RLC, 5th Element rear (bad choice), DT hugi hubs
Bottom Line:
This bike does it all very well, climbs extremely well for a 5.5 inch bike without any hint of it losing traction and all with no bobbing. Handles all types of terrain well and soaks up the drops. Each ride, the bike just gets better and better. Was even worth the extremely long time it took to get the frame.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mort Sel
a Weekend Warrior
from North NJ Date Reviewed: November 22, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Ringwood, Chimney Rock, Blue Mt
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$1750.00
Purchased At:
Mail Order (next time will buy from local dealer)
Strengths:
Very smooth, great over the northeast rocks and roots. This bike not only saves my back, but also goes over everything. The climbing is terrific with the suspension absorbing the drops and ruts. There was no issue with the braking and remaining active on descents and climbing; it is just unstoppable over the rock gardens, every ready to put the power on the ground when you need it. Down hills are blasts.
I am a non-aggressive, non racer and I can’t thing of anything I have asked this bike to do where it has failed
Weaknesses:
Would like a little longer top tube and maybe higher Bottom Bracket. I hear the decals and paint need some work BUT this is mountain bike being ridden and dropped in the woods and rocky trails. It is a miracle I never bent the hanger or a frame tube.
Similar Products Used:
Previous bike--hardtail, original heckler (yes I have been riding for a while). Both were very good bikes but this one is special
Bike Setup:
Hayes, 4way swinger, XT with fox talas
Bottom Line:
Great bike that has been ultra reliable for me, it does all I ask. No bearing problems, stiff rear end, compliant ride that handles very well. What else can you ask? One thing, maybe less pricy would make it perfect Any weekend warrior going over rocks and roots and single track should get this. Any one who lives with steep hills and need to climb over the worst terrain should get this. This is NOT a racing bike; it is made to go through the trails and technical riding---ral fast
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
TCM
a Weekend Warrior
from Dallas Date Reviewed: November 17, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Tyler State Park
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1299.00
Purchased At:
Bikes and More
Strengths:
Great design and execution.
Weaknesses:
Like everyone else says, the 2004 stickers were very ugly. I have the 2005 sticker kit now and they look much better
This is an update from my review in March 2005. This bike still rocks along really nicely. The design works, this bike climbs better than many a hardtail i rode back in the day and it will descend incredibly fast. I have had no issues with bearings and the bike feels as solid ever. I put the Push monolink on my bike and i think that it gave the bike a more solid feel. If you have a large frame the Push link may or may not work though. I had to grind a small spot on the link for it to work. It was worth it. Also, fork selection is very important. My bike did not feel balanced with the Marzocchi Z1. Only after I put the Manitou Minute 2 on my bike did it truly take off. The SPV front and rear now makes the 5.5 very fast, smooth, and predictable. The faster you go, the better the handling.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dorsett
a Cross Country Rider
from Arizona Date Reviewed: November 7, 2005
Favorite Trail:
all trails
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1900.00
Strengths:
Built In The USA.Pivot locations.Gusset at the top tube, Swing arm, the shape of the down tube and a large selection of rear shoxs.
Weaknesses:
Well single speed Hard tails need maintenance too.
Similar Products Used:
GT RTS Team, GT STS 1000DS,Sling Shot.
Bike Setup:
DHX.5 Coil,Vanilla RLC,Grimeca Disks,Sram XOS.
Bottom Line:
This is every thing I have ever wanted from a "do it all" frame.No pedal feed back, like that of the Mighty RTS,3LBS lighter than the STS 1000 DS.Like the GT RTS the rear stiffens under pedal down force, yet no pedal feed back. That is the KEY to this desine.If climbing, sprinting, riping down Vail,Keystone is your thing then this is IT.I ride here in Arizona alot where it is real rocky it is out right AWSOME.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andy
a Cross Country Rider
from Ohio Date Reviewed: October 29, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Vulture's Knob
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$4500.00
Purchased At:
Frankford Bike (Ohio)
Strengths:
Craftsmanship (designed and built in the USA). Long travel with minimal pedal bob. The ability to climb and desend.
Ball-burnished medium,minute 3.0,swinger 4-way,mavic crossmax XL tubeless,sram grip shifters with xtr frt & rear deraillers,avid mechanical 7.0 disks frt & rear, avid ultimate levers,king h.s.,easton stem and monkey lite bar, continental vertical pro's.,xtr crankset,xtr cassette,frog pedals,avid flak jack cables,thomson seat post,wtb pure v seat
Bottom Line:
You get what you pay for.It is a hand crafted frame, worth the price. Of all the bikes I have rode , this is in a class of its own. The bike does climb better and desends faster than any of the others bikes I own.(see above) VPP and SPV technology works. I would recommend this frame to anyone looking for high quality and the latest in technology.You will not be diappointed. Check out Spokejunkies.com for examples of some of the trails in Ohio that I have tested my bikes on. I hope this review is helpful, just as the other reviews were when I was looking for my next bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nathan
a Cross Country Rider
from Laramie Date Reviewed: October 21, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Horse Theif Bench, Fruita, CO
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Pro-Cycling Warehouse, Colo. Sprgs, CO
Strengths:
Just a great bike overall - it's simply amazing.
Weaknesses:
With any bike, you'll find some weaknesses here and there. There are 3 flaws that I've found with this bike. 1) the main suspension bolt design I've found to be a flawed design and hope that Intense addresses this issue. During the past 12 months, this bolt has broken twice. Since it's a tough-to-find part (which you can special order from a hardware store due to it's unique size or what I recommend is ordering the actual bolts from Intense - they're more expensive $4 vs $.78, but they're also stainless steel. In my mind, this is a big enough issue that Intense should do a recall or send out titanium or stronger bolts.
2. Nothing new here as it's been said before, but you spend 2-grand on a sweet frame and they put cheesy stickers on it - now that's cheesy! The stickers wear off quickly due to riding and bike racks on vehicles, but I was able to remove the stickers with a hair-dryer and ordered some cool graphics on eBay from a guy in Utah who works at a sticker shop and had the same disapointment, so he designed his own Intense stickers.
3. This is minor, particularly because we don't have much mud in our area, but the rear triangle has an area that is built up more than the Santa Cruz Blur in front of the rear wheel to add stability (Blur has an added frame bar on one side to accommodate this). The only problem, if you ride in mud, this area gets clogged quickly and the only way to remove it is by stopping and picking it out by hand - not a big issue for recreational riders, but for competition during inclement weather, it's a show-stopper.
Similar Products Used:
Litespeed Niota, Ellsworth Truth, Ellsworth ID, Santa Cruz Blur
I waited a year intentionally before submitting a review of this bike. During the year I mostly rode recreationally in Wyoming, Colorado & Utah, with two endurance races: the Laramie Enduro 111k & the 24 Hours of Moab.
Overall, the Intense 5.5 is really pretty amazing. The handling is superior and the VPP (virtual pivot point) technology that is also used on the Santa Cruz Blur models is the smoothest I've tested. When climbing, the vpp eliminates bobbing. Downhill, the bike is 100% solid - it provides stability through corners, and rumbles down rocky decents flawlessy. Cross country, it's comfortable and a fast ride.
Honestly, I really do love this bike, but for the money - if I had the choice to choose over again, I would like to take a closer look at the new Blur LT from Santa Cruz. I have to admit that I actually found the Blur to be overall a better bike (both because of the ride and the cost-savings).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Roniko
a Cross Country Rider
from Raanana, Israel Date Reviewed: October 12, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$5000.00
Purchased At:
Becidan the one and only
Strengths:
Looks and finish, besides the stickers, although you can update the looks every year by simply replacing decals. Amazing feel right from the first pedal stroke. Very comfortable riding position once tuned. VPP bump absorption is second to none. Surprising uphill performance not typical to long travel bikes.
Weaknesses:
You have to pay extra for a Push Monolink and Pushed RP3 in order to make the most of the bikes real potential. Talas's RLC rebound adjustor doesn't clear downtube from the right side on small and medium frames. (It clears on the medium when the rebound is turned towards the slower adjustment side). Constantly afraid that bearings will fail as many have experienced. Haven't happened to me though, or to any other who owns Intense in our area, and there are quite a few around here.
Sram X0 06 trigger shifters, X0 rear, LX front, Mavic 819, King hubs, Conti Verticals 2.3, King headset, Avid juicies 7, Stylo Carbon crank, Sram 990 cassete and chain, Thompson Seatpost and 110/5 degree stem, EA70 midrise bar, Odi grips, Tallas 90-130 fork and most important: Push RP3 and Monolink.
Bottom Line:
What can I say? This bike is all a serious trail rider can ask for. I wish I could confront face to face with guys who are disappointed in any way with this bike. Have to see them to believe they exist. Nothing rides like VPP, period! All the arguments regarding pivot alternatives are rubbish by jealous non-VPP owners. I've ridden them all – single pivots, 4 bars, FSR 4 bars – Heck, I have a Stumpy FSR and a Yeti 575 in my stable (friend's and wife's), and as good as they are, and they are, the 5.5 is something else. My riding fellows keep noting how differently I sit on the bike, like cruising on giant truck, dominating the trail. Indeed the feel is like a flying carpet. What amazes me more is how the 5.5 is a superior climber compared to my previous Specialized Epic, which is supposed to be a race machine. I now climb faster and with more ease. The Tallas height reduction really helps here. Then descents – here is where you'll find yourself laughing again and again blessing those guys at Intense. What a treat! I don't know about all the Pivot maintenance issues people are describing since I never encountered them (yet?), but they shouldn't scare you from getting this bike. I bought the 575 to my wife also because I wanted a rather hassle free machine, but fair - and she admits it too – it's not the 5.5. I rode this bike for a month and then ordered the Monolink kit from Push. Here is also the opportunity to thank Darren from Push for assisting and sending it to Israel and for being so kind. Let me tell you – this option is a must for this bike – very noticeably smoothens the ride to a different level. I also want to note Intense's C.S. for sending me a new rear shock all the way here after I was simply not pleased with the one that came originally on the frame. If you are even considering this bike look no more – run and get one. The only competition might be the 6.6, but that’s a different song.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Don Bautista
a Weekend Warrior
from Manila Philippines Date Reviewed: October 1, 2005
Favorite Trail:
all of em
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1000.00
Purchased At:
2nd hand from a friend
Strengths:
great standover height, great weight, fantastic no bob feature
Weaknesses:
i aint complainin
Similar Products Used:
heckler, ellsworth, yeti
Bike Setup:
Shimano Hone group set, Minute 3:00 spv, Thomson stem and seatpost, Kenda nevegal tires, sun ringle rims, easton handlebar
Bottom Line:
The rear shock doesn't bob but once you hit bumps.....it's all comfort.
Pedalling the bike uphill on long fire roads is a joy and going down technical tracks give you that feeling that you are riding more than 5 inches in the back.
F A N T A S T I C!!!!!!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jay Brinkam
a Racer
from Durango, Colorado Date Reviewed: September 22, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Just Riding Around at Purgatory
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Verrrrry nice pivot point suspension design, VPP works flawlessly, no pedal bob, insanely light for 5.5 inches of travel, compatible with a maverick forks.
Weaknesses:
the bearings. everybody else has complained about them, so i will as well. the keep freezing up and falling out. it drives me insane. other than that, none at all.
Similar Products Used:
specialized s-works enduro (complete crap compared to this!)
Bike Setup:
specialized xt/sram x.0 drivetrain, raceface x-type crankset, cking headset, magura marta disc brakees, custom tubeless wheelset, and to top it all off: a maverick duc32. total weight is 24.89 pounds.
Bottom Line:
wow, i managed somehow to get this thing under 25 pounds, which is light even than the specialized fsr s-works. not to mention much better as well. Very light, and the perfect fit to my maverick fork. Nothing can stop this thing: ive gone down some crazy crap in my life, but this bike takes it to a whole new level. get one.
**to the guy below me, Mark from PA** dude, your an assw!pe. ok? giving a bad review for no reason at all just cause you suck at biking doesnt mean youre cool. go shag yourself. its you that needs to improve, not the bike. this thing is perfect.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Fred Banister
a Cross Country Rider
from ABQ NM Date Reviewed: September 19, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Feels very solid VPP works Under 30 lbs
Weaknesses:
Main pivot bearings Rear tire clearence
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Enduro
Bike Setup:
Fork: Mav DUC 32 Drive: XT and SRAM XO
Bottom Line:
The rear end would creak from time to time. The rear end appeared to move freely with the shock removed. But after reading about problems others have had I decided to inspect all pivot bearings. Out of the 4 main pivot bearings (2 at the BB shell, 2 on the swing arm), 2 were siezed(one BB, one swing arm). After popping off the dust seals, it was clear that they had never turned, suspect they were seized from the factory. I decided to install one of the swing links from Push Industries, figured it couldn't hurt. Will find out today how Intense will handle this. I expect a level of required maintenance with suspension pivots, but I am very unhappy that this frame left the factory with out this being caught. As far as the bike goes, I'm very happy with it, and I think the Maverick DUC 32 complements the frame very well and keeps the weight down. The bike climbs very well and takes a ton of abuse on the downhills and rock gardens. Once the pivot issue gets straightened out, I think this will be as good a bike as you could hope for. The lack of rear tire clearence is a problem...this is not a mud bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sean Ralph
a Cross Country Rider
from Ottawa, ON, Canada Date Reviewed: September 8, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Foreplay
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$2100.00
Purchased At:
Duke's Cycles, Toronto
Strengths:
All around performance and no interrupted seat tube
Weaknesses:
Pivot maintenance, bearing wear, rear tire clearance, thin paint and the cheesy fake carbon stickers.
Similar Products Used:
Intense Tracer (Owned), Intense Uzzi SLX
Bike Setup:
Mavic CrossMax XL, Manitou SuperNova Fork, Shimano XT/XTR drivetrain, Hayes Hydraulics, Michelin Tires, Thomson Stem, Taperlite bars, Chris King headset
Bottom Line:
My Tracer wasn't enough bike, my Uzzi sucked in the climbs - so this design was the answer to my b!cthing. It climbs very well but isn't as twitchey as the Tracer was. Dropped many pounds off the Uzzi with this bike and it can descend just as well.
Having read the reviews, I Loctited all the threaded pivot bolts when I built up the bike. It eventually developed some looseness at the bottom pivots and a horrible creak. I repacked every bearing, Loctited the threads and put antiseize on the portions that ride inside the bearing openings. No more creaking and the pivots haven't loosened up since.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Todd Balzer
a Cross Country Rider
from Kaiserslautern, Rheinland Pfalz, Germany Date Reviewed: August 31, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1850.00
Purchased At:
BeyondBikes.com
Strengths:
Very efficient climber, there is no bob at all. Very light for the amount of travel and climbing efficiency
Weaknesses:
The graphics
Similar Products Used:
Marin Mount Vision Santa Cruz Blur Specialized Epic
Bike Setup:
All XT w/disc and Easton everything else. Crank Brothers Mallet M pedals and Yeti grips. Spinergy Cyclone Disc wheels.
Bottom Line:
I only give it 4 on the value rating because you can get a similar bike for less. However, you get what you pay for and it's good to splurge sometimes (especially on a mountain bike).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Big Joe
a Cross Country Rider
from Corona Date Reviewed: August 17, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Fullerton Loop (only cause it was my backyard)
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$2800.00
Purchased At:
private seller
Strengths:
Well the 5.5 definitely lived up to its hype. Although this was my third ride on the bike, I can assure you this bike can climb... and surely can descend. This past weekend I rode Downieville in NorCal and the bike ripped through the trails. It was very nimble and handled all the twisties, through rocks and loose dirt with NO problem. On the steeper runs, the 5.5 inches sucked up all the hits and floated over. On the minimal climbs that the trail had, it pedaled very well. I rode a different trail earlier last week where I would normally climb w/some resistance on my Tracer and the 5.5 accelerated through it. The VPP certainly works - no bob. All the previous reviews were right on the money.
Weaknesses:
The only weakness I see are off course the stickers...peels off too easy. But more importantly, the tire clearance in the rear. As I was builing the bike, (I was so eager to ride it and couldnt wait for my new wheelset) I put on my wheels w/2.4 Panaracers from my Tracer. The tire started rubbing on the cog side. So for my first ride on the bike I had 2.4s in the front and used 2.1s in the back. This was really disappointing as a bike like this should be able to use bigger tires...and I've already ordered new set of 2.4 tires. When my new wheelset and new tires came in, I really wanted to use the panaracer 2.4s in the rear. I've had great rides w/them on my Tracer. I took the rear tire and ran it on a belt sander to shave off a little bit. By the time I was done, it was perfect and I had enough tire clearance. But seriously, I shouldnt have to do this...know what i mean?
Similar Products Used:
Intense Tracer, Intense VPX, Santa Cruz VP Free
Bike Setup:
Pearl White 5.5, fromthe front: Easton EC70, Oury grips, Hayes mags, SRAM X9 shifters, Marzocchi All Mtn SL, Thompson Eliteseatpost, WTB Pure Stealth V, XT front Derailleur, RaceFace Cranks, RaceFace BB ISIS, SRAM PC99 chain, SRAM cassette, SRAM X9 rear deraileur, XT hubs w/SunRingle SingleTrack wheels.
Bottom Line:
This bike ROCKS!!! I would have bought a VPX but I thought it was just too much bike for the kind of riding I do. This is perfect for those who still like to climb but like to rip through the trails. I'm from So Cal and this is just right for our local trails taht we hit after work.
Ride HARD, Ride FAST!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Epicriderat
a Cross Country Rider
from newbury Park California USA Date Reviewed: August 14, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Any Singletrack
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1800.00
Purchased At:
wrenchscience.com
Strengths:
Incredible handling and a very firm pedaling platform, yet rides the DH's with the plushness of a longer travel DH bike.
Weaknesses:
Only weakness is rapid bearing wear
Similar Products Used:
Last ride was a Specialized S-works Enduro.
Bike Setup:
the usual mix of a little XT, a little XTR, some Thomson, some Easton, and yada yada yada.
Bottom Line:
I almost sold this bike(to buy a Switchblade) due to the bearing issues i was having, they been replace twice on warranty and need to be again. The bearing on the main triangle behind the BB are worn already, already being that this is a warrantied main frame replaced in June"05". So replacing the bearings every 3 months is little to high maintenance for my liking. But everytime i ride this bike and get blown away by how incredible it rides, I think i can't sell it. I feel the Intense 5.5 really is one of the best all mountian Trailbikes, it's not designed for xc racing(thats the spider), but it is designed for riding anything and everything the trail throws at you. The VPP design and the SPV shocks create a bike that climbs like a xc racer and glides down the hill like a DH rig. Okay back to the bearing issue, I purchased a part called the 5.5 mono block from pushIndustries.com. My understanding is that this part replaces the upper link that connects the lower shock mount and by doing so it relieves torsional load on the lower VPP link behind the BB. I called Intense and was told this is a highly recommended upgrade, yet they will say there are no bearing issues. i guess the guys at PUSH decided it would be fun to make this link for the 5.5 just for giggles. As far as i know they don't make replacement links for other bikes. So you have to ask yourself "Why the Intense 5.5" are they trying to fix something. Anyway, I have installed the link and love it. Not only is it a beautiful piece of aluminum, but i am hoping to find my bike having less bearing wear. I will post again further down the trail. Despite the problems my love for this bike still allows 4 Flamin' chilis
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bob Engelhorn
a Weekend Warrior
from Kirkland, WA Date Reviewed: August 8, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Barn Burner
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1900.00
Purchased At:
The Downhill Zone
Strengths:
VPP does what they advertise.
Weaknesses:
Head angle is a little steep and the bearings do wear quickly.
Similar Products Used:
Titus Switchblade, Titus Quasi-Moto
Bike Setup:
5.5 with Rock Shox Pike, XT cranks, Hadley hubs, Sapim spokes, King headset, Mavic rims, Thomson post and stem, Easton monkey lite bar, X-9 shifters
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is that this bike does exactly what Intense and Santa Cruz say about the VPP. I own four Titus bikes and they are really sweet, but I have to admit that for trail riding, I prefer the Intense. We have really technical riding here in Washington and the VPP design really excels in the roots and rocks that are prevalent here. You don't seem to stall on a rock or root when the rear wheel slams into it.
I'm a really poor climber, but my 30 pound Intense outclimbs my 27 pound Switchblade. I've read all the crap that Specialized has published about other suspension designs, and in my opinion, it's exactly that, crap. I think my Switchblade is the apex of design for the Horst link, but the Intense just rides better.
The 5.5 is not without problems however. I think that 70 degrees is too steep for an all mountain bike. With my Pike, I'm probably sitting at 69.5 degrees, but I would prefer a slacker head angle. In addition, I too have the beginnings of bearing issues. I don't notice it riding, but I decided to pull the shock and when you spin the bearings, there is some serious roughness in a couple of the them. I peeled off the bearing covers and squeezed grease into them, but one bearing in particular was really rough. I take obscene amounts of time caring for my bikes so it is disappointing that the bearings wear that fast. The other issue I have with the bike is the clearance of the rear triangle. Not tire clearance, but general clearance. I'm running a 2.3 Continental on the back and have plenty of room, but mud does pack into all the nooks and crannies of the design. I prefer the design of the Santa Cruz rear ends because it's much cleaner.
All that being said, I would still purchase a 5.5 and recommend it to other people. I thought my Switchblade was the best trail bike I had ever ridden, so I almost hate to admit that I like the 5.5 better. That's really hard to say because I still think that the Titus is the most beautifully built frame on the market but the Intense just rides better.
Since I gave the Switchblade 5 stars, I'm forced to give the Intense 5 stars even with its faults.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Darryl Lynch
a Cross Country Rider
from Kirkland Date Reviewed: August 5, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Whistle Lake
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1800.00
Purchased At:
123 Bikes
Strengths:
Swinger 4 way, very smooth over square edged hits with no loss of momentum, sucks up everthing and asks for more,Turns well for a long or short travel bike. Easy to ride all day and all night.
Weaknesses:
The bearing!!!!!!! After 3mo I noticed the rear triangle was flexing and it got worse and worse. I took it in to the LBS and all the bearing were frozen or broken. I dont jump or do drops just fast XC and tight single track and climbs. All the bearing were replaced and it rode like a champ for 2mo and then the problem came right back. Different day same sh*t. The LBS found all the bearings shattered and froze.
Minute one, Chris King head set& hubs, Hayse, XTR RR rear Der, XT fr Der, XT crank etc...
Bottom Line:
I love the way the bike rides, handles and soaks up bumps but I wish the frame makers would have made something that did not need the bearing replaced every other time you fill up your Camelbak. Reading below I found that I am not alone with my ball bearings hanging out in the cold.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ron
a Downhiller
from Denver, CO, USA Date Reviewed: August 3, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Porcupine Rim, Moab
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
Supergo
Strengths:
Very solid cross-country performance. This bike is very stable when pedaling. It really feels like a hardtail when it needs to. As another(long winded) reviewer said, I've only felt any pedal feedback when I was in first gear, worn out, and riding like crap uphill over lots of rocks. It's light, and has good lateral stiffness. It was a father's day present.
Weaknesses:
Only available with an air-shock rear. Feels like a CC bike beefed up for freeriding(vs downhill bike lightened for freeriding) when you point it downhill. It doesn't feel as stable at speed as my other bikes. The frame clearance for a rear tire is barely okay side-to-side, but when you get to tire height, a WTB Moto-Raptor 2.4 will not fit without rubbing the frame. I find this to be a real weakness. Any bike that's billed as an all-mountain bike should clear tires up to 2.5 in my opinion. I would gladly give up some of the light weight for a bit more beef on the bike.
Similar Products Used:
Intense Tracer(with uzzi sl link for more travel) with Marzocchi Jr T and Fox coil rear... Cove Stiffee FR(I know it's a hardtail, but it's an all-mountain hardtail) with Marzocchi Z1 FR 20mm
Bike Setup:
5.5 EVP-Hot Rod Orange, All XT, Avid Mechanicals, Chris King hubs and headset, Marzocchi Z1 FR 20mm fork, Sun singletrack rims, thomson seatpost, race face for most else.
Bottom Line:
If you're more of a cross-country rider who sometimes hits things, this is the bike for you. If you pride yourself on your ability to get up the hill very quickly, this bike is for you. If you ride up hills only so you can absolutely bomb them with all possible haste, this bike is NOT for you. The head angle is too steep for a good descender and the tire clearance issue is a major problem. I just don't feel that Intense really put their hearts into this bike at all. As a bigger rider who likes to take hits, I'm very disappointed in the lack of a coil spring. For the 4-way to not bottom out, but still be plush(ish), I have to turn the compression screw way in so that it has a very progressive feel. I don't like progressive feel in my suspension. I wanted this bike because I didn't want all the travel of the VPX, but I wanted the VPP technology. The Tracer was a CC bike that was obviously made by a downhill-oriented company. The 5.5 feels like an all-mountain bike made by a very cross-country oriented company.
Reviews say this bike climbs really great, and it does, but it does so at the cost of descending really great.
My overall rating is going to reflect what I feel is a half-assed attempt at creating an all-mountain bike, and it does not reflect the quality of the bike for a CC rider.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jeffrey jantos
a Weekend Warrior
from evergreen, co Date Reviewed: July 11, 2005
Favorite Trail:
long, steep and technical
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$2100.00
Purchased At:
beyond bikes
Strengths:
Well I've been riding this bike for 1 years and I absolutely love it. It's everything I wanted it to be. It DOES pedal as good as my hardtail, and in steep technical climbs, it climbs BETTER. On my hardtail I liked to think that technical climbs were my specialty, and the 5.5 has gotten me up things that I had never even attempted on my hardtail. The only time I've ever felt pedal feedback is in the low low and that was only when I was tired and my pedaling really crappy and choppy. Otherwise 99% of the time in low low or any other combo, pedal feedback is not noticeable. And this is also with minimal rear shock set-up. I just used the manual suggestions and that has worked for me. For me what has worked best is while climbing, to set the rebound super slow which aids in the technical climbing and keeps me from getting slightly bucked off things, and then on the descents to open up the rebound most of the way. And that has worked best for me and since in the front range the majority of the trails I ride are 2000' climbs followed by descents this has been fine and I can reach down and spin the dial with one hand while riding no problem with out looking. Descents: Its fantastic. It sucks everything up, its stiff, it carves tight twisty single track, it bombs rock gardens, it takes drops, it jumps fantastic. But really with 5.5" of travel I already new this would be the case. I bought the 5.5 because the VPP is finally the first and only design that truly does pedal like a hardtail WITHOUT the need for a fancy SPV shock, but with a SPV shock is just truly incredible. It's a fantastic design that coupled with fantastic shock technology is what FS bikes should be. Not a crappy design that is made to pedal well with a good shock like a lot of the other designs out there. In my opinion VPP and Maverick are the only designs worth the money that are at the pinnacle of bike design. Not to say that there aren't other designs out there that aren't good, but they just aren't AS good as VPP or Maverick.
Weaknesses:
Yeah the stickers suck and I too agree that on a 2000 dollar frame the stickers should be at least clear coated. But unlike some I think they look sweet, I have the sparkle silver frame and when it was new and the stickers weren't chewed up, it LOOKED HOT. BEARING ISSUES: Apparently I am the first one to have this problem... First the shock bushings developed a little slop after 6 months which made a noticeable click when the suspension would top out. It didn't affect the performance at all but just made the suspension noisy and annoying. But this is a problem on every FS bike that I have ever ridden that has been well used. Its that little click that you can feel when you can lift up on the seat with the tire on the ground, just a hair of play. It was a 15 dollar fix to get new bushings pressed into the shock eyelets and to me that is acceptable maintenance. BUT in the process of finding this problem, once I disconnected the shock to get the bushing replaced, I found that the bearings in the lower box link were practically seized, ie: super crunchy and in terrible shape. Keep in mind that the bearings had never loosened up on me, where always tight, and that while riding the bike I never noticed that this was a problem, with the shock attached EVERYTHING felt smooth and worked fine, no noticeable stiction at all. So obviously I thought that this was warranty problem and my LBS who was an INTENSE dealer is Wheatridge Cyclery the largest independent bike shop in Denver, most well know and well respected etc. Well they have sold a lot of these bikes. Spiders and 5.5's and they have dropped INTENSE as a brand carried as INTENSE has refused to warranty this problem. The problem explained to me by Wheatridge is that Intense failed to compensate for the thickness of paint in the bearing seat when pressing the bearings in and that this has caused premature bearing failure. They have had bikes come in with bad bearings, pressed new ones in and the new ones have felt just as rough. The remedy has been to take out the bearings and ream out the paint from the inside of the bearing (we're talking about fractions of a millimeter here) and the press in new bearings and you're on your way. So back to my bike, once the bearings were taken out, they were not turnable by hand, and 2 of them were CRACKED. An inch long split down the middle. I couldn't believe it. And let me add right now that though I built this bike with the goal of a heavy duty All-mtn bike/light duty free ride, I am 150 lbs soaking wet and I have never noticed that I have bottomed out the suspension or ridden this bike any harder than it was designed for. I ride it hard, but am not abusive.
Similar Products Used:
edited out for length
Bike Setup:
edited out for length
Bottom Line:
So bottom line, from a performance stand point this bike is Freaking amazing and really does it all. I bought it because I wanted to be the only one on the block with an Intense and get the envious stares that I used to give whenever I saw someone on one. And that at the time everybody and his mom was on a Blur and I knew that the Blur was just not going to be enough bike for me. I built my 5.5 a bit on the heavy side (ie strong) and though its fork dependent as I'm on my 3rd, my goal was to be around 30 lbs which is where I think I am right now with the dirt jumper 3. I love how it rides, pedals, climbs, descends, jumps etc. It is a PERFORMANCE bike. BUT with the CRACKED and seized cartridge bearings after less than a year of riding of which the bike was forkless for 2months, and Intense's refusal through Wheatridge Cyclery to warranty the problem, I am going to have to dock the Value Ratings. If Wheatridge's fix works the Value rating is a 4, if it doesn't (and I've had the bearing loosen on me once so far, where they never did before) it gets a 3 as a maximum and I will re-review in 6 months or so to let you all know how the fix is holding up. For overall rating I will still give it a 4, because performance wise it still kicks some serious butt. And the way I see it, is that IF YOU BUY A PORSCHE YOU HAVE TO PAY TO UPKEEP THE PORSCHE (though I was hoping to not have to). But if the fix isn't a long term fix, then there will be some serious reevaluation on the chili's. So I would be very interested to hear from anyone else out there that if you remove the shock and the rear wheel so that you can really feel how smooth the suspension is in the lower box link, if anyone else out there in MTBR land is having this problem because it was obviously bad enough at Wheatridge and Intense kept on telling them that no one else has had this problem and thus refused to support it. On a side note, I am helping a buddy build up one of the first Blur LT's which is basically the Santa Cruz version of the 5.5. If that bike had been available last summer, that's probably the bike I would have bought. As the Blurs have characteristically had none of the bearing issues and they are a good chunk of change more affordable and the graphics aren't stupid stickers. And I would have BEGRUDGINGLY SACRIFICED THE ELITIST pleasure that I currently get now from riding an Intense.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Frank Hewitt
a
from Boise, ID, USA Date Reviewed: June 20, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Too many to pick just one
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Idaho Mountain Touring
Strengths:
This is an update to my original post-- almost a year and 2,000 miles of dirt later, this bike's performance is mind-numbing. Other bikes I've ridden in the same travel and performance category are such a distant second (in either performance, weight, or both) that I'm just glad that I chose this one. If you can make the rear wheel break traction on an uphill climb it's YOU that needs schooling. Flats and Descents are a dream come true. The suspension is as interactive as you want it to be based on how you dial in the suspension (minute 2 and swinger 4-way on mine). (Coming from a hardtail I instinctively still like my suspension tight). The XTR gearing is a dream, and the "shifter pods" have me doing more shifting while braking than I've ever done before- it's second nature now. The mostly unpopular stickers (we've read about) on the frame serve me well, as anything that takes the hits from rocks-- rather than hitting the frame directly-- is on my team-I couldn't care less what they look like, they serve a purpose. The rear suspension bolts have never had a single issue with coming loose; I still can't decide how that ever got to be an issue with this frame- unless it is the competition's only (feeble) attempt to find an achilles heal on this rig. The Stan's tubeless sealant has been a godsend on more than one occasion that I've went exploring and ended up with literally dozens of goatheads in each tire and pedaled home without anything but some pressure loss. The spare tube I always carry with me is for either a sidewall slice, or more likely, for my buddy who doesn't use Stan's. Another strength is my shop. The guys at Idaho Mountain Touring are top notch. They typically drop what they are doing to put my bike up in the stand and work on it whenever there is something less than perfect. I could have saved hundreds of bucks if I bought my rig on-line, but having the professionals at IMT backing me up when I need them makes the extra cost paid to a local bike shop worth it in a big way. Unless you are a mechanical guru, don't fool yourself into thinking that saving a few ben franklins by going online is worth it- If I've only got 2 hours to ride after work, and my bike needs some lovin', It's priceless to drop by the shop for quick adjustments and spend the rest of the time on the singletrack, rather than me "turning the wrench" in my garage, watching the sun go down and missing out on a ride opportunity for the evening.
Weaknesses:
XTR disc brakes, although they are SWEET, do require taking out a shim as the pads wear to keep the wheel spinning smoothly; and again require shims when the pads are replaced. Also, After cleaning the bike with the hose and making stream-crossings, there is a small amount of water that collects inside the frame. Removing the seatpost and turning the bike over once every 100 miles or so will let the water out. If it were a steel frame I'd be more concearned, but it's not, so big deal. I'm still riding on my original bearings in my bottom bracket without performance issues, so it is clearly not a big deal. On STEEP climbs it does take some purposeful effort to keep the front wheel on terra firma; if it were a real problem I'd replace the front fork with something that I could dial down a bit. But it isn't enough of a problem to bother; it just reminds me of the hardtail days when more technical skill was necessary!
Similar Products Used:
My dear sweet specialized sworks m4 hardtail just acquires dust these days. I take it out every few months and enjoy the missile-like climbing. The power transfer from pedal to tire will always be sacrificed to some degree on a FS bike compared to a rigid- But the downhills make me pay the price on the hardtail. On extended uphill climbs(10+ miles and 2,k feet of vert-- despite the reduced weight of the hardtail my lower back asks me why I didn't take my 5.5 instead. I demo'd some other all-mountain rigs that just didn't compare.... at all. The Blurr was plush but the ergos were just too far from my ideal cockpit. Certainly seat, seatpost, stem, and bar adjustments could have helped out some. IF you can borrow or rent (or steal) a 5.5 prior to purchasing a new rig, do it. After my many test rides, if I'd bought anything else and then had the chance to put the 5.5 to the test, I would feel like I'd been ripped off, regardless of the extra price of the 5.5
Bike Setup:
XTR drive-train, bontrager racexlite tubeless wheels,WTB wierwolf tires, Chris King headset, bontrager seatpost,laser saddle, bars and stem, manitou 2:00 minute on the front and swinger 4-way on the rear. Eggbeater SS pedals. And might I say that Stan's sealant in the tires is the bomb-diggity. I live in goat-head hell and, surely I'll jinx myself by writing this, but I haven't had a flat in over 1,000 miles.
Bottom Line:
Although I wish the Intense people were paying me for this report they aren't. Not even a free T-shirt. I highly recommend this bike. If you have the passion for the knobbies that I do it is well spent money. Spend less money and you will get less bike suspension and more weight. For most folks that is not a bad idea. Arguably you could get a really nice bike with good performance for a thousand or two less-- and just drink a few less beers for a while to make up for the weight. It's a really a simple choice. I feel my money was well spent. The flagship specialized FS and Blurr look sweet and many people are happy with them. These companies spend a fortune advertising them-- a recent bike rag specs them at about 31-32lbs. YIKES. Although I'd still choose the 5.5 for a similar price if it were the same weight because of it's performance, my 5.5 weighs 4-5lbs less. The Blurr test-ride I took convinced me to keep shopping for the right bike. My 5.5 is still about 4lbs less with a healthy helping of Stan's in each wheel. The 5.5 built with the components I'm running weighs little more than the 3" travel trek x-country racer or rocky mtn scandium, -- but with VPP technology and neary TWICE the travel. You see less Intense advertisements because the bike sells its self by performing. I'm not a weight-weenie and hate to beat a dead horse, but you can build a 5.5 to be lighter than most of the hardtails you see out on the trails. This forum has given me a ton of good information and I hope to be of help. Feel free to email me with questions/comments. What is more important than all of this blah blah blah is that you take a bike- ANY bike- and go get lost on a sweet piece of singletrack and reallize what is important in life. Embrace the silence, wink at the big old pine trees watching you smile, and nobody has to know if you slow down and enjoy the pretty field of flowers as you burn up some singletrack... that my friend IS heaven.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Don Berthiaume
a Cross Country Rider
from Rockville, Maryland, USA Date Reviewed: June 8, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Porcupine Rim, Moab
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$4500.00
Purchased At:
wrenchscience.com
Strengths:
VPP. I previously owned a Trek Liquid 30, which was a good bike, but the VPP makes the liquid feel like I was driving a Pinto and then upgraded to a Mercedes.
Weaknesses:
The biggest weakness so far is that I don't have enough time to ride the bike every night of the week
Similar Products Used:
Trek Liquid 30, Stumpjumper FSR
Bike Setup:
XTR components all around. Both derailers and the wheelset. Minute 3.00 up front, SPV rear.
Bottom Line:
I wrote a review when I first got the bike and thought it was great. I figured I would write a second review after a year to see how I felt. The bottom line is that I still love the bike and wouldn't change a thing on it. This bike is amazing and I would recommend it to anyone who asks.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Josh
a Cross Country Rider
from slc, UT Date Reviewed: June 2, 2005
Favorite Trail:
no can do
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
800.00
Strengths:
Rear tire sticks to ground like no other, I can't believe some of the stuff I can climb on this bike. Corners better than any bike I've ridden.
Weaknesses:
Slightly low bottom bracket, but not really a problem once you know its low.
Water bottle on Small frame hits front shock making it near impossible to use (water bottle that is... not the shock)
Similar Products Used:
Spider XVP, Tracer, Titus Switchblade, Specialized Enduro
Bike Setup:
Sram shifters, deraileurs, Dean Carbon bar, LP Composites seatpost, SDG saddle, Marzocchi Z1 FR SL, Hadley Wheels
Bottom Line:
The first time I tried the bike on pavement, I thought "What's the big deal it doesn't seem that much different from my road bike." And then I realized that I wasn't using a road bike or a hardtail. This thing feels like its on rails, and it does feel like a hardtail when you pedal. But the second you hit a bump, the suspension activates, and with 5.5 inches of travel, you have a damn lot to play around with. I chose the 5th Element Air option instead of the Fox AVA or Manitou because they were out of the RP3's, and the Swinger is damn heavy for an air shock. I could have waited for an RP3 model to become available, but I didn't want to wait. Besides I have had good luck with 5th element and have had no problems in the past.The design is already a no-bob bounce free design, once you throw in an SPV/Pro-pedal/Stable shock you can kiss any bobbing goodbye. Permanently. The frame does what it says and is about as efficient as it gets. Current Ads by Ellsworth and Specialized are bagging on the VPP designs because they have to say something... sales of Blurs, Spiders, 5.5's are through the roof and they are getting their butts handed to them by Santa Cruz and Intense. So don't believe what some silly magazine ad or company brochure tells you. Ride as many frames as you can from as many manufacturers as you can and decide for yourself. Bottom line is the VPP works and it works damn well. There is no brake kickback or feedback from the cranks when you hit a bump like those crummy ads say. Anyway, the frame definitely does not handle like a hardtail or the Spider XVP, contrary to what some riders say. The angles are more laid back, couple that with a 5 inch travel fork (which is required, try using a lesser travel one and you screw up its handling traits) and its an all day fun fest, possibly even a 24 hour or epic racer. It is definitely an all mountain bike that will help you tackle some steep climbs, and keep you grinning on the descents. Once you set up the shock to your weight you will have something that sticks like glue. If you are a racer, look at the Spider since this will not handle like one, with 5 inches of travel front and rear your center of gravity is too high to compete with a hardtail, Epic, NRS, FUEL, or Spider XVP. That being said, the person that is looking at a 5.5 is not interested in a racer, they are interested in a frame does all things well, that climbs like a monkey, descends like a roller coaster, and is plush enough to keep you from feeling beat up after a ride, then this is for you. It is a do it all frame and if its the only mountain bike that you own, then you can't go wrong with this. Its everything we say it is and more. The suspension is hard to describe, and is different than a 4 bar horstlink frame. It will not feel like one, and does not pedal like one either. The only way to describe it is to try one out at your local shop or borrow it from a friend. You will see what we mean.
This is not a cheap frame so the Value rating sucks, but you get what you pay for, its the king of frames, and build quality is excellent. No bearing issues yet, but I don't think I will have any problems with them. I had mine custom painted so now the frame gets even more attention than usual 5.5's.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gabi
a Weekend Warrior
from Tel Aviv, Israel Date Reviewed: April 9, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Ofer forest - Carmel Mnt
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Kobi Becidan - Anak Haofnaim
Strengths:
Amazing bike. It is able to eat anything in the path (up or down).
Weaknesses:
It gives enough confidence to do stupid things. People stopping you to ask while mouth watering.
I started with the Giant NRS (nice bike) and decided to go for a new bike as I felt limited in the more technical singletracks. I checked the Intense Spider, wanted to check the Ellsworth Moment (but the importer in Israel did not have it, and you don't want to buy a +$2,000 frame without seeing it) and the Rocky ETS 70. At the end I went for the Intense 5.5, because I felt it will be more adecuate for agressive riding, and I have lot of confidence in the dealer.
The frame is beautiful (red), the price in the sky - but let stop whinning about it - no one obligates you to buy it. I decided that we live once and - if I can afford it - why to go for second best? Moreover, you are going to spend less because you'll find no reason to upgrade to a new bike.
The only caveat I find is that this bike needs an excellent fork to shine. Nothing less than 125mm. The Pike is an excellent companion to the 5.5. And of course, take your time to fine tune the Manitou Swinger 4-way. This will provide a bobbing free ride (VPP works).
Regarding maintenance problems, if you spend the -lot of -money for this rig, spend it with a dealer who is responsible, technically able and be sure to bring the bike for periodic maintenance. I must thank Koby Becidan, from Anak Haofnaim for building and keeping it (I wish you all to be lucky and have a bike dealer like him).
Bottom line, with the NRS I felt I was limited. WIth the Intense I feel I'm the limit, not the bike. if you want a bike that is able to do anything besides xtrm downhill - XC, enduro, technical, epic, freeride etc - look no further. Get one and you'll find difficult to stop grinning.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steven Murphy
a Cross Country Rider
from Castro Valley, CA. USA Date Reviewed: April 8, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Floppies
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$3000.00
Purchased At:
Castro Valley Cyclery
Strengths:
Intuition. This bike knows where it wants to go. It's so much fun in tight stuff I lol all the time. It climbs with an effortless quality and made me a better rider the day i bought it. The 2005 stickers are a huge improvement but could use a clear coat. Overall, this bike has a geometry that is perfect...seems like magic.
Weaknesses:
Does not like mud
Similar Products Used:
Came from a 98 Marin Wildcat
Bike Setup:
Race Face Duece cranks, XTR rapid rise rdr, LX fdr, sram attack shifters, Hayes brakes, 2003 TALAS, Sun rims w/xt hubs.
Bottom Line:
This bike rocks! It's all they say and more. Plunk down the cash and you will not be disappointed. Thanks to John@CVC helping spec the bike and performing a solid build.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tim
a Weekend Warrior
from Buckley, WA Date Reviewed: April 5, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
downhill zone
Strengths:
Built strong. Intense's Reputation. Well thought-out design.
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
Ellsworth Truth
Bike Setup:
Large Frame, 4-way swinger, Nixon fork, 819 rims with Hadleys, XT drivetrain with X-9 triggers, blah blah blah!
Bottom Line:
There are a few small differences between the VPP and the horst design. The VPP stiffens up a hair when pedaling hard and the rear stiffens up a hair when braking, but these are not a big deal for an AM or XC bike. This bike is a better pedaling bike though. It accelerates better than the horst design and seems to absorb bumps at least as good if not better than my old truth. I'm very happy with this bike, it doesn't flex like my truth did and is built to last. If you are a person who owns only one bike, to do it all, this is a great choice.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Cobus Pienaar
a Cross Country Rider
from Cape Town, South Africa Date Reviewed: March 27, 2005
Paintwork could be better quality. 2005 decals are a great improvement.
Similar Products Used:
Gary Fisher Sugar 1, team issue.
Bike Setup:
Minute 3, Swinger 4-way, Hayes nine 6", SRAM X-9, Spinergy Xyclone Disc, WTB Nanoraptor 2.1, other WTB goodies.
Bottom Line:
I wanted a bike that could climb technical, loose and nasty slopes like a billy goat. I wanted a bike that could decend twisty, technicl single track like a cougar. I wanted a bike that could handle jumps and drops. I wanted a bike that could hold its own in marathon racing. Three out of four would also not have been bad....
The 5.5 has been the answer to my requirements and then some. It's not light for a marathon horse (12.4kg), but then again that's seriously light for a long travel XC/light freeride machine. I pay the weight penalty with a joy, secure in the knowledge that this baby will not waiver at a 6 foot drop or gnarly stream crossing. In fact, it is challenging me into rapid expansion of my performance envelope.
No-bob climbing, fully active suspension coming back down from the top. I can not express the degree of satisfaction it has brought to my riding.
Try this bike before you decide on anything else.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Aaron
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle, WA Date Reviewed: March 18, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Whatever I'm riding next
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Center Cycle - Renton
Strengths:
VPP technology practically pushes me over hills (especially the short bursts). Yet, lots of travel when I need it to compensate for making mistakes. I love coming around corners or accelarating with an efficient SNAP! Then, this bike has been super when rolling through roots and rocks. Overall, it handles everything. I love the versatility.
Weaknesses:
This bike is not super in muddy riding. This is because the gunky build up surrouding the tight chain stays and bridge will likely cause drag on the rear wheel or sit on the front derailleur and bottom link and add weight. Also, I broke the derailler hanger - but this is very likely my fault.
Similar Products Used:
Nothing to compare to. I came from a hardtail with a squishy pyslo fork and suspension seatpost.
Bike Setup:
Large frame. RP3 with Push Mono-link. Fox Talas R with Stratos ID. (this review is only on the frame, shock and fork (cuz it has to include the fork). But also, Sram xo rear derailleur. Shorty grip shifter. XTR crank, XTR front derailler. Avid Juicy 7s. Weirwolf 2.1 UST on UST rims - so you can see how all the components are working together.
Bottom Line:
I really bought happiness with this bike. It cost me a lot, but I believe it is worth it. And now that I've tried a few different trails and riding types (up/downhill, slow technical single-track, a long ride, a top ten trail), I'm ready to give a comprehensive review.
Most importantly, I'm making obstacles that I never made before and it is instilling confidence in trying other bigger ones. This is getting me out riding more and I can't wait until the next ride.
The VPP works. And when I drop the front fork from 5-3 inches it actually responds as if it is a differnt ride altogher - made for climbing. I surprised myself on a long fireroad climb when I never left my middle chainring and beat my buddies to the top by a considerable margin.
However, the real fun for me is how the whole bike really works best at higher speeds. It bobs, weaves, lifts, lands, corners and powers through whatever you tell it to on fast flat or slightly downhill. On bigger downhill single-track I flat-out rip the entire course down the center looking for obstacles to run over or challenge me. New for me was waiting for my riding buddies on the downhill.
Oh, I did locktite the rear suspension bolts and haven't had a problem, but I'm also constantly checking them. And the Push mono-link might be helping the upper-link.
Note: This bike is higher maintenance than I am used to, but I consider that a plus as I love tinkering!
Overall, I determined that this bike was best for the type of riding that I do and I spent the cash to do it. So far it looks like this couldn't have worked out better.
Lastly, reading all the other reviews certainly helped me in my decision - thanks! I hope it helps you, too.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
TCM
a Weekend Warrior
from Dallas Date Reviewed: March 10, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Grapevine Lake
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1299.00
Purchased At:
Bikes and More
Strengths:
Great craftmanship on a well thought out design. The VPP really does work.
Weaknesses:
The only weakness I can find and it is more of a quibble, is that the clearance for the front derailleur is just about as tight as you can get. Watch were you set the inside stop or your derailleur can touch the rear triangle at some point during its travel.
Similar Products Used:
I have been riding an Intense Tracer since June 2000.
Having come off of one of the all time best trail bikes in the world, my expectations were high for the 5.5. After seeing many Spiders crumble while I rode around them on my Tracer, I was leery of the design. Intense has always treated me well and I had faith that the 5.5 would deliver. To this date, I have had absolutely no problems with my new Intense. The 5.5 climbs noticeably better than my Tracer did and is far more plush on the way back down. It does take a few rides to get it working just right but it keeps getting better every ride. You will climb things a gear higher than you did before. The swinger 4 way combined with the VPP eliminates almost all pedal bob. It is fast enough to get you in over your head on a downhill but forgiving enough to pull you through it in the end. Point and go!!! Thanks to Phil at Bikes and More for setting me up with a great deal and for any help I needed while I built it up.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kevin
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle, WA Date Reviewed: March 7, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Moran
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
DHZ
Bottom Line:
This is a follow up to the review i wrote last summer lower down on this page.
For the past 10 months, this bike has been a dream. Relatively low maintenance and no major issues. I had my first problem this weekend when the linkage started acting up. I was riding on Sat. and noticed the suspension was not plush. It was sticking and engaging sporadically. The system would not compress until i hit serious bumps were as before it was constantly active and readjusting per conditions on the fly
After checking the shock, I decided to disassemble the VPP for a nice cleaning and lube job. I started with the bottom linkage bar (the black aluminum piece that connects the rear triangle to the main frame by the bottom bracket). I successfully removed one of the bolts the bearings for cleaning. However, I couldn't get the second bolt to release from the main frame. Hence the linkage would not come off and I could not access the other bearings. Turns out the bearing had rusted and stuck to the bolt and refused to budge. Granted, wet weather riding is the norm in Washington & BC, so this was not a total surprise. What was a surprise was how freaking dirty the sealed bearings were. I removed the seals on the bearings I could get off and BAM, I hit the gunk jackpot! Damn those little critters were a messy. They are soaking in degreaser as we speak
Moral of the story? 5.5 is a great bike, bearings should be cleaned more then once a year. Although, I wish i could order small parts directly through Intense. That would be killer and save time by having spare parts on hand. There is only one bike store up here that carries Intense "parts" and if they don’t have it in stock its a couple weeks of down time until they arrive.
Having taken a tour of their HQ in so cal last year was a treat. I appreciated their hospitality and had a great time. Does this bike rule? Yes. People know I ride a 5.5 and always ask if they can “try it out” so they can see what size they need once they buy.
http://www.mtbporn.com/photos/
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Taz
a Cross Country Rider
from Blittie Date Reviewed: March 4, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1.00
Purchased At:
(1750 Sterling @) Leisure Lakes
Strengths:
Go anywhere & do almost anything (that i need it too anyhow)
Weaknesses:
Needs to be riden hard. If your having a off day she can add to the feel (a little sluggish at slow speeds). Stones jumping (from tyre) into lower link shell & front mech', causing rattling sound through frame & preventing grany change down.
Need i ever buy another bike. It took a long hardtale apprentiship waiting for someone to make the bike I always new i wanted. When the transport revolution begins, I'll be ready with this bike. LONG LIVE LONG RIDES ;o)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kaiser
a Cross Country Rider
from Orange County, CA Date Reviewed: February 20, 2005
Favorite Trail:
San Juan Trail
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1800.00
Purchased At:
The Bike Company
Strengths:
VPP rocks, climbs awesome and rips the down, bullet proof desing,true craftsmanship on welds.
Weaknesses:
Absolutely none....
Similar Products Used:
I came off a 99 GT LTS which really isn't close.
Bike Setup:
Intense 5.5 in Ball Burnish, Swinger 4-way, Minute 1 fork, Mavic XM819 disk w/ Avid 185mm mech's front/rear, Kenda Kinetics UST fr/rr, full XTR, Thompson Elite stem/seatpost, WTB LaserV Stealth Ti seat.Large
Bottom Line:
This is by far the nicest bike I have ridden. Yeah it cost more than anyone wants to admit but it was worth every penny. I had a deposit on a Blur but when I slept on it I decided to jump up to the 5point5. It was the right decision. I love the downhills most but I accept the fact that one needs to climb them under his own power to deserve such fun(sorry shuttle crews). This bike climbs better that my first hardtail proving to me that VPP is real. With all the travel front and rear the bike is capable of far more than I am. I await the day I can put this thing through it's paces like it was designed for. I have had zero problems with this bike including the "pivot" issue I've seen reported. Maybe the Bike Company guys hooked me up with some locktite when they built it cuz' it's rock solid. Props to them for building my dream bike and hooking me up with all the new top of the line parts. I'm a tweaker at heart and find the craftsmanship of the frame second to none. Amazing welds which show great especially in BB. If your a little hesitant about spending the money suck it up and go with the 5point5. You won't be disappointed.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian Sanders
a Cross Country Rider
from Boulder, CO Date Reviewed: February 17, 2005
Favorite Trail:
bvsd.org
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1100.00
Purchased At:
Intense
Strengths:
Great ride. Climbs ands descends really well.
Weaknesses:
Not quite as active as a 4-bar. Pivot maintenance.
Similar Products Used:
Intense Tracer, Sugar 1, GT Zaskar, Bridgestone MB-2, 1987 Mountain Sport (43lbs. High Tensile steel!)
Bike Setup:
All the goodies. Pushed Fox AVA in the back. I like access to my waterbottle cage for sports drink and batteries.
Bottom Line:
I got the 5.5 as a crash replacement for my Tracer. I really like the bike. Outstanding in all areas. Fantastic climber. Great descender.I have found however, that when I brake around tight, rocky, technical sections, the rear is less active under these conditions. This is a minor complaint, as I have not encountered it much. I think my Tracer was better in these situations. Always active. The 5.5 is better, I believe, in all other areas. I had my fork and shock "Pushed" and they are awesome.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tom
a Cross Country Rider
from Seattle Date Reviewed: January 24, 2005
Favorite Trail:
all of them
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$2800.00
Purchased At:
Utah
Strengths:
Great climber, excellent ride.
Weaknesses:
OK, the deal with the pivot bolts is REAL... they come apart. So I was riding along.... and out comes the bottom pivot bolt and I am stuck having to take the crank arms off, luckily the washer between the bearing and bracket was not lost. If so I would of had to carry the bike out... So I fianlly get it all back together, trying to line up the washer so's the bolt can rethread was a pain..AnyWho thats it, tighten those bolts everytime you go around a corner and this should be the bike for you. Oh and this with only about 70 miles on the bike...Seems like some final inspection was overlooked at the factory.
Similar Products Used:
Burrr I mean Blur the bike not the band...
Bike Setup:
Minute 1, crossmax sl's, xtr crank, Magura marta, all the good stuff
Bottom Line:
27.5 lbs of fun, I really like having the oppurtunity to learn all about how my bike is assembled, while on a 20 mile ride in the middle of NO WHERE !
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ilan Carmel
a
from Hasharon Date Reviewed: January 13, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Waren Land
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$2500.00
Purchased At:
Kobi's - ANAK HaOfanaim
Strengths:
Amazing bike, I love hammering it up-hill, get there first, lower the seat post 'till the guys join me... and then race back down on the nearest single... and if there's a 6 feet drop on the way... NOT a problem.
It's so fast & efficient, yet balanced and strong (especially since I've upgraded the rear shock to a 4-way coil and the front to the awesome RS PIKE)
If you want to go FAST UP hill this is the one, If you want to go FAST DOWN hill this is the one, If you want to go BIG... you can do that too...
Weaknesses:
Got to keep an eye on the Pivots, still better than the Blur I had...
Similar Products Used:
GF Sugar, Marin Mt. Vision, SC BLUR - each about a year none come close to the 5.5
Bike Setup:
RockShox PIKE, Swinger 4way COIL, Sram X.9 gears, Avid Juicy 5, XT '04 Crank, Chris King HS, Thomson Elite post, Easton EA70 Bar, Time XS Pedals
Bottom Line:
Best I ever had, Best I ever ridden, A Truely do-it-all bike which does-it-all FASTER...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
DZ
a Weekend Warrior
from OC California Date Reviewed: December 29, 2004
Favorite Trail:
?????
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
Mountaineer Cycles
Strengths:
Saves money because you no longer need several bikes if you make minor adjustments and chose the correct tire for the trail.
Weaknesses:
Saves money because you no longer need several bikes if you make minor adjustments and chose the correct tire for the trail (I love collecting bikes).
Similar Products Used:
Too many to list 5spot, Ellsworth Id to name a few.
Bike Setup:
Swinger 4way, 05TalasRLC, Thomson, XT / XTR groupo,King headset, Intense saddle, ATAC Z pedals, Hadley 9mm through axle front 10mm though axle rear (sweeeeeet), Mavic UST rims, tire choice varies with the trail conditions.
Bottom Line:
I have an obsession / sickness with mountain bikes. Light FR, SS, trail, CC you name it. I have been riding m-bikes since the late 80’s (yea I am old) and the only road riding I do is in the parking lot at the trail head or on my street making adjustments. No disrespect but I would rather take my chances with the mountain lions vs DUI motorist.
Folks the VPP is for real! After I built the bike and set up the rear shock I was riding it watching the suspension. As I was cranking the suspension it did not move at all. As I went over a bump the suspension worked. It was really weird. I could not wait to get it on the trail! Well the first few rides were disappointing. The bike did not climb as well as I expected but the rear suspension was great. After consulting my friend he wisely told me to ditch the Manitou Minute 2 130mm and get a 05 Fox Talus. I did and it made all of the difference in the world! Don’t get me wrong the Minute is a fine fork but this bike performed better in the climbs with an adjustable travel fork. I guess an adjustable travel Minute would work fine also????
Last weekend I climbed a long (11 mile) fire road in order to get to one of our favorite technical single tracks here in OC. I put the front fork in the 3” to 4” position and blasted up the hill. At the top of the hill I put the fork at 5” lowered my seat and cleared most of the sections that I previously rode on my 7” FR rig. The only difference is I would normally be wiped out from the climb to enjoy it!
I may purchase the new Fox 6” FR fork and give it a try on this bike. I think it will then handle 99% of the trails that my 40 year old skeleton will take.
5 and 5 on the Flamin' Chillis
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tim
a
from C.Springs--Colorado rider Date Reviewed: December 28, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Yep, if I'm on this bike
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$2010.00
Purchased At:
WrenchScience (frame)
Strengths:
EVP-climbs great, bumps great...the 5.5 is one of the "all mountain" standards, if not the standard. The lightweight solution to the undecided who want XC efficiency with freeride-ish characteristics.
Weaknesses:
The reviews are right, you must keep an eye on the linkage bolts. I popped the through bolt on the upper linkage, my fault for not checking, but I've learned that lesson (no damage--just pride as I walked off trail that day).
Similar Products Used:
This was my step into liquid from hardtail, sorry no comparative stats.
Bike Setup:
BLUE-5.5 with--4-way Swinger, borrowed front fork (psylo), SramXO,X9shifters,HFX-mag+ brakes, WTB LaserDiscLite w/motoraptor tires, Race-Face cranks, EA-70 stem/post, Monkey Lite XC bars, Italia SLR seat
Bottom Line:
I've read every review listed, plus other general info in magazines...here's my feedback to the prospective buyer, Intense(at the end), and the cycling world at large.
I live in the land of amazing riding, close to Moab, and all the benefits of year-round riding in the front range. Went out last night, Dec. 28th...rockin good time. This bike answered all my questions and is made in the USA. Props to YETI, you Colorado guys are great, but I went with Intense.
It's true, it(VPP) works, my buddies want to ride my bike. I'm a better rider on this bike, I'm riding a lot of the same trails as before on a hardtail, but now it's more fun and faster and I can clean more tough stuff. The 5.5 is an efficient climbing, fantastic cornering, bump absorbing dream come true. If you want an all mountain bike, good for the epic XC day and great for technical/decending, then you're about to buy the right bike. Stop lookin' around, suck it up and pay the money, Intense did it right. There isn't a single substancial review that has anything bad to say about the performace of this bike...buy one.
I guess everyone is whinning about the graphics, who cares...it says Intense on the side, that's what you paid for and everyone knows what you've got...I could care less, but the decals are different for 05, if it matters.
Basically, this bike uses technology to reduce rider bob, it was designed to elliminate it geometrically, and is enhanced by shock technology. Other designs rely on the shock to kill the bob, but VPP uses both design and shock tech. Again, it works...very well. The bike wants to stick to the gound, over technical crazy stuff up and down, then rips through the corners. Not great for bunny-hoppin' urban assults, but amazing if you want a true tracking life saving bike between your legs.
Possible setups: For the rear: the SPV is a great compliment(4way swinger for me); the new Rock Shox motion control would be great; Fox pro-peddle would also work great.
Front end: the front fork choice is important, my psylo is yuck, but has taught me a lot about what would be great...
For a XC primary rider, who wants to bomb a bit and never worry--Fox Talas 130, with any of the shocks.
Potential optimal OEM set-up (all mountain rockstar bike), a motion control rear with Pike on the front. The travel range for the Pike is better suited for the bikes travel (maxing out at 145mm). side note: the Pike is incredibly adjustable and works amazingly well, a solid fork from the Sram/RockShox boys.
A little on the wild side, for those who want to play bigger travel front. Marzocchi All Mountain SL, light enough to be on this bike, 150mm of adjustable travel to make the worries go away. When I get some cash saved up, I'm leaning towards this fork.
To be honest, any of these set-ups would give a super sweet all mountain ride. Buy what you want, cause this bike under you will be the all you ever dream about getting out of work for.
To Intense: if any of you read this... thanks to one of the Nick guys for giving me a one hour tour a couple years ago when you only had ten minutes to spare. I'm pysched about the VPX, looks fun. Spec the 5.5 with something better than a Minute fork. Thanks for promotional stuff that I could give to the HS kids I teach. I can't complain about your customer service, you've been good to me, so improve where you can. Finally, thanks for a the 5.5, after a lot of research and self evaluation, I picked the perfect frame for me, and you built it in the USA! Good job designers, testers, machinist, welders, the couple guys to put on graphics.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Toccoa Fred
a Weekend Warrior
from Georgia Date Reviewed: December 20, 2004
This bike is everything it is suposed to be.Iwanted an all mountain bike,more travel,but still able to climb anything I could pedal up.This bike is perfect for that.Shift your weight to the nose and you can climb a tree.When you go down the mountain just point and pull the trigger.If you pick a bad line the bike soaks it up and makes you look like a pro.I am completely satisfied with the 5.5EVP.If stickers are all people can gripe about then the folks at Intense should be proud.Stickers do not have anything to do with construction or dependability.Keep up the good work INTENSE.
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Submitted by
Don
a Weekend Warrior
from Brooklyn, New York Date Reviewed: December 12, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Too many to choose
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$5000.00
Purchased At:
Wrenchscience.com
Strengths:
VPP; Manitou SPV; Manitou Minute Shock; and a great design.
Weaknesses:
For the price, Intense should have painted the details, rather than used stickers.
After riding for close to 13 years I decided that I was sick of saying if I had the money I would buy... and finally did. I decided on the 5.5 for numerous reasons, but the biggest was that I wanted a bike with little to no bobbing when going up hills. This bike delivered. As for components, I have never had a bike that pedelled so smoothly. It's hard to explain, but it just feels smooth, no slight grinding. You really have to try this to understand, the XTR package rocks. I have no doubt that I will be riding this bike for years to come and enjoying every minute of it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Charlie
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego, CA Date Reviewed: December 11, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$3750.00
Purchased At:
123bikes.com
Strengths:
I am completely satisfied - this is an awesome bike. Came off of a Tracer and a Specialized M4 FSR. I was really pleased at the difference wrt the Tracer which is a fantastic bike. Climbing, descending - it is a great all around trail bike.
Weaknesses:
A bit on the heavy side at 28lbs. Maybe the pivots require some attention for maintenance.
Similar Products Used:
Tracer, M4 FSR
Bike Setup:
Vanilla 130R, Swinger 4 shock, C. King hubs w/ Mavic 819, Raceface Dues crank. XTR disc brakes, XT levers, XT fron der, SRAM XO rear, C King headset, Thompson stem and post, Easton Monkeylite CF bar, Contenential VP tubeless w/ Stan's. Crank Bro's Candy SL pedals (go with easy release cleats in bith shoes)I am happy with every component performance.
Bottom Line:
If you have the money, buy it - you will not be dissapointed. I have high expectations and I am completely satisfied. VPP works.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rob Harrison
a Weekend Warrior
from Auckland, New Zealand Date Reviewed: December 8, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Gooseberry Mesa
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$3800.00
Purchased At:
wrenchscience
Strengths:
The do anything go anywhere bike that flys uphill as well as downhill! Best technical cross country bike I have ever ridden.
Weaknesses:
Having to keep checking the bolts in the rear pivot, thought the bushes in the shock were dodgy...keep an eye on the four allen key bolts before each ride.
Similar Products Used:
Ellsworth Id and Specilaised Sworks Epic
Bike Setup:
SRAM XO, Minute3s, 4 Way 05 (needed a replacement 04 as it started to suck inwards...) Chris King Stem and ISO Hubs laced onto 819s.
Bottom Line:
Fantastic technical cross country bike. Climbs well and is a plush decender. Total weight is about 28 pounds in normal mode, I have got it down to 26 pounds in light mode. I reckon it is the perfect bike to have 2 stems and wheelsets for, and then you can pretty much do anything on it.
It can definately take the big hits, but if you are wanting to do lots of gnarly stuff I would be inclined to go for an Ellsworth Moment instead. That being said, if you are a very technical cross country rider whoisnt afraid of the odd hill this is the bike for you!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Douglas Wilson
a Weekend Warrior
from Golden,CO Date Reviewed: November 21, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Colorado Trail
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$3900.00
Purchased At:
Wheatridge Cyclery
Strengths:
The frame is built up to take the beating,climbs better than my last full suspension (faster,no bobbing)Sweet on downhills.
Weaknesses:
CHEESE decals,but with the imitation carbon fiber,they are probably lighter,huh? A bit on the heavy side.
Similar Products Used:
Had two Manitou full suspension bikes,a Titus Motolight,and a Titus Switchblade.
Bike Setup:
xt cranks,xtr shifters,avid mech.disc brakes,talasRLC forks,fox pro pedal rear shock.
Bottom Line:
Very nice. Faster uphills,sometimes a gear higher than my last bike. It's fast and stable on downhills,but then my complaint was that it needed more tire than my 2.1's.I have since installed a Specialized Enduro 2.3 on the back (no clearance issue) and a 2.4 on the front. Now it's fantastic on the downhills,but heavier and slower going up. I have had zero issues with the rear end links that seemed to have been a problem with the Spider.I do stay on top of maintenance,just because full suspension bikes are inherently more complex, something I've learned over the past 7 years
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Paul Vincze
a
from San Jose CA. Date Reviewed: October 3, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Soquel Demo Forest
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
Intense, traded in Tracer under warranty
Strengths:
No bobbing, and what seems like bottomless travel
Weaknesses:
The decals, but I got mine without them applied
Similar Products Used:
Santa Cruz Blur
Bike Setup:
Fox AVA Float Pro-Pedal, Marzocchi Bomber QR20 Freeride, King Headset, King Hubs, Sun Rims, Race Face North Shore, Race face Dues Stem, Race Face XY Seat Post, Race Face Riser Bar,Hayes HFX Mag 8", Shimano XTR.
Bottom Line:
This is by far the best bike I've ever had the pleasure of riding. I would recommend it over any bike I've owned or ridden. Intense bikes cost a little more, but in my opinion they are well worth it. I've read some reviews about how Intense customer service really sucks. They took good care of my problem. I've been riding a small frame, when I should have been a medium, I cracked my Tracer because it was a small and they would have built me a new medium frame at no charge, had I chosen not to upgrade to the 5.5 Intense Rocks!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Le'Jon Meteer
a Downhiller
from Oceanside, CA, USA Date Reviewed: October 1, 2004
Favorite Trail:
SanJuan Trail, San Juan Capistrano, CA
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1400.00
Purchased At:
Bicycle Wharehouse San Diego, CA
Strengths:
Wow, it really can climb with no bobbing. Excellent do everything bike!
Weaknesses:
Paint selection (colors), lame stickers, linkage very close to rear tire, feels tall in the saddle
5th element rear shock, Fox Vanilla 125mm fork, Sram X9 gripshift & drive train, shimano XTR front derailure, Hope M4 disc brakes, Chris King HS, XT Hollow Cranks & BB, Easton Monkey Lite DH HB, Race Face 75mm Diabolus stem Shimano XT hubs, Mavic 717 Wheels
Bottom Line:
I love the climbs aboard my 5.5 and love to hammer the downhills even more, the perfect bike. I really had to dig to think of weaknesses. I would recomend this bicycle to any level MTB rider, damn at the price I purchased it for almost anyone can afford it! Couldn't be more happy with my decision to purchase my 5.5, after months of test riding similar bikes and price shopping the only bikes that compare are the Ellsworth Moment great ride over priced, and the Turner 5 spot doesn't climb as good as the 5.5 or Moment and over priced. Buy it you won't regret it!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark Rohr
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Gatos, CA, USA Date Reviewed: September 23, 2004
Decals are really cheesy looking-I took them off and the black frame looks awsome.
Similar Products Used:
04 Ellsworth Truth, with Fox R shock,(Air pressure and rebound dampening are the only ajustments-which is sad considering the frame is $2000.
Bike Setup:
Xtr, shifter pods (hare to find, 123bikes has them) XTR crankes etc.. Magura Marta brakes, King hubs/sapim spokes/Stans rims, Carbon Monkey bars, king headset, WTB Lazer TI seat, Thompson seat post. Minute II Mannitu fork.
Bottom Line:
Nothing I have ridden even comes close. The Mannitu shock & Fork combination if set up per the instructions in their manual works like a dream and this bike is about 25.50 pounds! and pedals like a hardtail. Talk to people that have them and ride one with the Mannitu shocks and fork combo it is amazing the way they work!!!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rob
a Cross Country Rider
from Dallas Texas Date Reviewed: September 17, 2004
Favorite Trail:
the last one
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$2050.00
Purchased At:
Bikes&More, dallas
Strengths:
quality, delivered a true do it all bike, bottomless feeling travel smooth and Efficient, range of use due to setup option ( racer to epic to aggressive trail)and it looks good lol Made in the USA
Weaknesses:
Price ( I still think its worth it) Paint fades quick. No space for a bottle cage with the swinger shock
Similar Products Used:
Heckler demo, 5 spot demo (liked it too) foes FXR
Bike Setup:
small red, swinger 4 way, 05 Float RLC, Crossmax xl avid mechs, race face next LP, tune post X0 ritchey stem, easton XC bars,
Bottom Line:
After getting tired of the Hard tail beating, I finally broke down and started looking for a good do it all Full suspension bike. The 5.5 met all the requirements, aggressive Trail, epic, race , its good to go up and even better down, just light enough to be a good XC bike too. I enjoy every ride with this bike and I am still amazed by the combination of the plush and efficient suspension action. I feel like a better rider now, I watch other riders bounce around while I stay seated. The swinger 4 way gives you plenty options to dial it in the way you like it. Phil at Bikes&More did a great job hooking me up with this bad boy and all the things that go with it. He always has one at the store to test ride too. If you want a all mountain bike this is it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brett
a Weekend Warrior
from Yokota Japan Date Reviewed: September 12, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Mt. Hinode
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
Beyond Bikes
Strengths:
Very good climber, seated or standing. Rolls over roots like they are not there. Looks that kill.
Weaknesses:
Finish. For 2K, you expect not to worry about this. The top tube on my black finish is already a different shade than the rest of the frame, and only had the thing for a month! I do agree with the other posts, carbon stickers are not all that. Again, for 2K Intense should be producing the quality of frame finishing as Ellsworth frames.
Minute 3:00, Manitou Swinger 4-way, XTR drivetrain, King hubs and headset, Thompson post and stem, Easton bar.
Bottom Line:
This is my first full suspension ride, so I can't really compare it to anything but my hardtails (Kestrel and GT). I like to climb, and the first few rides on the 5.5 suprised me. There is little to no bob while climbing. It does not climb as well as my carbon Kestrel, but it's really not too far behind. This VPP/EVP thing really does work. Any roots or rocks that are on the trail, the bike sucks them up. This bike lets me be a little more lazy on the lines I pick. Going down....I'm clearing the same sections I do on my hardtail, just with more speed and confidence. I will take the 5.5 to Fujimi and do some semi-downhill stuff and see how she jumps, etc. So far I love the bike. I do get a lot of looks, thought it was me, but have realized it's the bike:-( Very nice looking ride!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
bingbang
a Cross Country Rider
from bromont,qc,canada Date Reviewed: September 9, 2004
Favorite Trail:
bingbang
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
mtbr classified
Strengths:
XC geometry with 5.5 inches of travel. Stability going down, and great traction going up.
Weaknesses:
I was not impressed with finish of the paint, ball burnish, the stickers are a joke. I hade one issue, so far, with rocks getting stuck in the bottom link...It's not exactely light, but quite descent for 5.5' of travel.
Similar Products Used:
can'dale Jekyl, Scalpel, Specilized S-Work.
Bike Setup:
Fox Talas RLC, Sram, new XTR M-965 wheel set, XTR disc and brake, new Race Face Deus, 5th element rear shok.
Bottom Line:
I'm a major xc rider with a minor in racing. As the trails got rougher, I wanted more travel than my 2 1/2' on my Scalpel, but I didn't like freeride geometry. With the 5.5, I got everything I was looking for. The match with the Fox Talas with travel being adjustable from 3 to 5 inches is perfect.It lowers the front on climb and great stability going down. I don't see anything moving as I pedal, and barely feel anything on small rocks and roots. I can say I'm an experienced rider, 10 years at least, and going down a fast single track with my always faster buddy, I was able to follow him, moreover, I was able to let him distance me and then,close the gap as easy as I wanted. Going up in steep technical stuff was also easier. My same buddy stepped down 3 times while I stay seated and he rides a Scalpel team. Bike set up is so easy with the fox and the 5th element. I followed the set up in the owner's manual for both, but ended up increasing pressure in IFP to 80 psi and 160psi. I took those set up in MBA magazine and it fit my riding style perfectlly. Coming off a Scalpel, I didn't feel the stiffer rear with more pressure on the crank. I was in a 24hrs race and liked the set up and the geometry. In a regular ride, I might try lower the compression chamber to 140psi and get an even smoother ride. So far this bike is pretty much everything I was hoping for. PS. no link coming loose, I took the advice from spider owner, ans add loctite everywhere even if Intense put lock screw on pivot screw.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kyle Louie
a Weekend Warrior
from Vancouver Date Reviewed: September 5, 2004
Favorite Trail:
comfortabily numb
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$5000.00
Purchased At:
bikeroom.com
Strengths:
Climbs so well its strange, like a bit of black magic. Fast on singletrak,
Weaknesses:
Polished frame is not durable.Narrow tires only on back. Rocks stick in linkage
Similar Products Used:
Truth, Id, Joker
Bike Setup:
XTR cranks, 125 FoxVan. Fox rear. Hope wheels, silly 6 piston Hope brakes,(don't grab a handful of front!) XO shifting.
Bottom Line:
Super fun, all-around do everything bike. I rode the 4 1/2 hour new trail in Whistler two weekends in a row and couldn't have been happier. The nice climbing angle means you REALLY have to get back on the steep & nasty stuff. But come on Intense, work on the stickers.!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
lloyd
a Cross Country Rider
from LA, CA, USA Date Reviewed: August 30, 2004
Favorite Trail:
San Gabriel Mt. and Orange County trails
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$2050.00
Purchased At:
supergo
Strengths:
designed for its intended use. be a good climber, ride technical single tracks without hesitation.
Weaknesses:
hydraulic routing underneath the top tube, which right now the 2nd phase of the frames distributed was corrected...compare and check yours. rear suspension stiffens on hard braking especially on long descent
Similar Products Used:
been with my Cannondale HT F700 for three years, and I guess they're similar when you climb...well better than my HT i guess
Bike Setup:
an intense 5.5EVP frame and manitou fork minute 2 (130mm) equipped with the best components ever assembled!!!
Bottom Line:
i guess the conlusion for this frame is it made me a better climber. having a FS bike that climbs similar to a HT is an achievement. you won't hesitate slicing those technical single tracks, trust me on this one.
i love climbing and going down to the best single tracks in the world. i'm no downhiller!!! nuff said...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Traildoctor
a Cross Country Rider
from Boston, MA Date Reviewed: August 29, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Epic technical rides in Northeast Mass
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Cycle Loft
Strengths:
Fun fun fun! Confidence-inspiring, sooo much travel esp. for relatively light weight, well built solid feel, not everyone and their brother has one, low center of gravity, thankfully no clear coat so you can remove the ugly stickers!
Weaknesses:
Cost. Lower pedal clearance (tradeoff with low center of gravity). Also, it's a bit problematic that I love this bike so much I'm skipping out of work early a lot since I got it!
Similar Products Used:
Recently test-rode Intense Spider, SC Blur, Rocky X-bike, Titus Racer-X
Bike Setup:
Built up custom w/ Swinger 4-way air, Manitou Minute 2, mostly XTR, hydraulic discs
Bottom Line:
When I bought the bike I decided that I would get the best, and money wasn't too much of an object. It took a while to figure out what I wanted! This bike so far has not disapponted. I think I got the right bike for me.
For some background, I am a female trail rider that lives for rock gardens and epic rides. My last bike was 24 lbs and had less than 3" of travel; I thought of myself as a finesse rider and until now never thought I "needed" more travel because I thought it was for people that couldn't really ride! (OK, so maybe I now know I was a bit unfair!) I was originally trying to decide between the Spider and the 5point5. I finally chose the 5point5 on the basis that "OK, I may not ride as fast anymore, but I will have more fun."
Well, in the end I'm not only having more fun, I think I'm actually faster, too, because I ride better and more efficiently. This bike is really good at everything: downhills, climbs, rock gardens, etc.
I am not sure why people say it's heavy. I'm a weight weenie and shy away from "bombproof" heavy stuff because I'm only 140 lbs. This bike is 27 pounds - is it just me, or is this like a feather for a bike with 5.5" travel and discs? And this bike climbs at least as well as my old bike (which was 3 lbs lighter).
My only caveat is that it has low pedal clearance. I find myself bashing my pedals occasionally when I don't expect it. However, I knowingly made the tradeoff because I wanted a lower center of gravity. I hate the feeling of a really high bottom bracket, like on the Rocky Mtn bikes.
I like the SPV technology a lot, and anyone who says it's not plush enough or it bobs, I think they might not have it set up right. Don't be afraid to try different things on the trail and be methodical about doing one change at a time. It only took me a couple of long rides to get it pretty close.
This bike isn't for someone who is doing short races or sticking to flat trails or roads. For everyone else (with cash to burn), there's the 5point5!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Byron
a
from Toronto, Canada Date Reviewed: August 27, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Multiple O
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$4000.00
Purchased At:
Trail Blazers
Strengths:
High build quality. Excellent welds. Best balance of climbing ability and descending prowess I have ever experienced in a bike. Makes me a better rider. Very, very sexy.
Weaknesses:
Premium cost seems out of line with the rest of the industry. Very limited rear tire clearance - you cannot use anything larger than 2.25 and even that is not possible with some tire designs.
Similar Products Used:
Marin Mt Vision Pro, Marin Attack Trail
Bike Setup:
XTR, Hayes, Maverick fork, Thompson, Mavic, plus other assorted high-end goodies
Bottom Line:
This is a fantastic bike in spite of the price. I have been searching for the ultimate all-round, epic ride bike that does it all well...and this is it. I have ridden lots of high end and flavour of the moment bikes, but this is the real thing. If you can choke down the ridiculous price, you will love the ride.
$ 2050.00
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