Submitted by
Big Joe
a Cross Country Rider
from Corona, CA
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2005
Strengths: Well I've ridden this bike since March 2001. Back in my earlier posting I said I would give it another posting since I've only had three rides on the Tracer. 200+ rides later I have to say this bike is a do it all! Back in 2001 I had a hard time transitioning from a hardtail w/2.5" travel to a f/s w/a 5" fork (w/lockout). Shortly I was able to time when to 'lockout' the fork and the rear suspension. I'm sure if I had a 3-4" fork I would have climbed better but never the less, the Tracer climbed very well for me for all the trails in So Cal. Descending was truly awesome. Prior to 2005 I was running 2.1s and it handles all the technical singletracks w/out any problems. Sometime this year I switched to 2.4s and the ride was 10x better on the descends. Overall, the 4" rear travel was perfect for the semi-freeride sections of SoCal.
Weaknesses: Chainslap on chainstay. As I got more aggressive on descends, the chainslap became annoying!
Bottom Line:
I just reently bought an Intense 5.5. I will miss riding my Tracer as it served me well through the years. For those who love riding mtbs, who know how important our rigs are! Bottom line, I would recommend this bike to anyone; however if they have a little bit more $$$ and wants to step up to a 5.5 or VPX I would rather go that route. Cant miss w/Intense bikes!
Similar Products Used: Intense 5.5, Intense VPX, Santa Cruz VP Free
Bike Setup: Back in 2001: From the top: Easton CT2 Riser Bars, RaceFace Team SL H/S, RaceFace System, Oury grips, Sram 9.0SL brake levers, XTR shifters,Marzocchi Z-1 MCR w/lockout, Thompson Seatpost, SDG BelAir saddle w/Ti rails, RaceFace NextLPs w/ISIS spline, Bebop pedals, XTR cassette,rear derailleur, front derailleur, V-brakes and hubs, Mavic 517CD w/Panaracer FireXC tires. 2004/2004 changed to Hayes Disc Brakes; Vuelta Wheelsets & 2.4 Panaracers
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Submitted by
Derek
a Cross Country Rider
from Philadelphia
Date Reviewed: January 16, 2003
Strengths: Great geometry, handles like a dream.
Weaknesses: Lots of maintenence. Excessive chain slap.
Bottom Line:
This bike rides awesome. Have ridden Ellesworth and Santa Cruz - this bike just seems to fit me better and handles like its attatched to my hands and feet. 4 inches of plush front and rear travel to ride out the bumps, yet climbs like most hardtails with little bobbing noted. Have lockout rear shock but never need to use. I will say though, this bike does require frequent maintenence. Bushing bolts, especially in rear by rear drop outs do need occasional tightening. Even after a drop of locktight they backout after aggressive riding. Might have to change bushings. Also I snapped the bottom link bolt just behind the bottom bracket and had to push my bike 7 miles back to the parking lot. WHAT A HASTLE! Was in Utah and had to rent bike for 3 days. Contacted Intense by email, they had a bolt to me (plus 2 extra) in a week. But when you ride 5-6x a week, thats five or six days withour your baby. Anyway. Awesome bike, however not for those who want a relatively maintenence free bike.
Similar Products Used: Ellesworth Truth, Santa Heckler, Klein Androit
Bike Setup: Manitou X-Vert super, Race Face Turbine, XTR deraileurs and hubs, Avid Archrival, monkeylite carbon, Thompson post and stem, Mavic 517 rims.
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Submitted by
BUCK CULP
a Weekend Warrior
from AUSTIN TX. 78736
Date Reviewed: January 23, 2002
Strengths: THIS BIKE IS ADJUSTABLE FOR ANY TYPE OF TERRAIN AND TO ANY TYPE OF RIDER. THE FRAME IS BULLIT-PROOF,STIFF,NOT TOO HEAVY AND IS A WORK OF ART.
Weaknesses: CHEEZY GRAPHICS. STICKERS ARE STARTING TO PEEL A LITTLE
Bottom Line:
COMBINE THIS FRAME WITH A MANITOU BLACK FORK AND YOU HAVE THE ULTIMATE TRAIL BIKE.SET THE FORK TO 3" TRAVEL AND CLIMB LIKE A GOAT, SET THE FORK TO 4"TRAVEL AND JUST BOMB (NOT TO MENTION THE REAR TRAVEL, CHAIN STAY LENGTH AND HEAD ANGLE ARE ALL ADJUSTABLE AS WELL).THIS BIKE HAS GIVEN ME SCARY CONFIDENCE.I RIDE FAIRLY AGGRESSIVE 3 TIMES A WEEK ON SOME VERY TECHNICAL TRAILS AND I HAVE YET TO LAY THIS SWEET RIDE OVER(A WEEKLY OCCURRENCE ON THE KLEIN). IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING A HIGH-END BIKE SUCH AS AN INTENSE LOOK NO FURTHER THAN WRENCHSCIENCE.COM!!! AFTER ENTERING SEVERAL MEASUREMENTS AND PICKING A FRAME, THE WEBSITE WILL ONLY LET YOU PICK COMPATABLE BUILD-KITS AND COMPONENTS AND WILL SIZE THE COMPONENTS TO BUILD A PERFECT CUSTOM RIDE. THE WEB SITE IS A FRONT FOR MEDINA CYCLEWORKS WITH PROFESSIONAL BIKE BUILDERS AND NOT JUST A WAREHOUSE. ALL THIS AND THE BIKE WAS ABOUT $150 CHEAPER THAN THEIR COMPETITOR AND HAD BY FAR THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE( THEY SENT ME TWO FREE TIOGA TIRES WHEN I BIATCHED ABOUT UPS SCRATCHING THE FRAME! IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE ULTIMATE TRAIL BIKE, GO TO WRENCHSCIENCE.COM AND GIT YOU A TRACER!
Bike Setup: RACE FACE SP,HB,STEM SRAM SHIFTERS, MANITOU BLACK FORK, TRU-VATIVE CRANK
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Submitted by
Dan
a Weekend Warrior
from Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: December 6, 2001
Strengths: Lateral stability; Nimble and quick on the technical track; Very stable down hill; plush active suspension in the rear.
Weaknesses: Contrary to many other reviews, I do not think that it climbs very well.
Intense customer service is very poor, it is almost impossible to get a response out of them. All who answer the phone come across as ignorant arrogant punks. Thr arrogance would be tolerable if they were not so ignorant and unwilling to help. I mistakenly thought that customer support was for the customer??!!
Bottom Line:
An expensive bike but the best I've ridden! It has given me loads of confidence on the steep technical stuff and allows me to handle fairly big drops. On hills that I blaze up with on an old heavy hard tail give me problems. A great bike but you have to work hard going up... I guess that's the trade off.
Similar Products Used: Specialized (no lateral stability); G. Fisher Sugar, Kona Stinky D
Bike Setup: Monkey Lite bars (1" rise)Full XTR, XT disc, Chris King headset and hubs, Velocity aerodisc wheels (hot... strong and light!)psylo SL fork
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Submitted by
Doug
a Cross Country Rider
from Rochester, NY
Date Reviewed: November 28, 2001
Strengths: light but strong, adjustability, the ride
Weaknesses: not superlight, exspensive, can't portage it on shoulder
Bottom Line:
All that is reported good on this bike is true. This is an incredible bike. I weigh 180 pounds a race xc aggressively. This bike weighs in at 25.5 pounds(size large!) and just feels rock solid all over. No flex anywhere. The suspension is fully active from any position while still being relatively firm under power. Descending on a tracer will surely make you crash. The bike has the ability to take downhills much faster than most riders skill levels will allow! There is only a slight amount of bob in small gears but not enough to rob any significant power (besides the fox shock has a lockout lever). Standing and sprinting will cause some increased bob but it stays in check with the bike. The two bearings nearest the bottom bracket were contaminated within 2 months of mostly dry riding so monthly bearing maintenance is required. The lower bearing pivot axle sheared about a month ago for no apparent reason but I think it was just one of those freak things since no one else with a Tracer has had this problem. Overall this bike is amazing. I would reccomend it to anyone who rides aggressively and larger riders who XC race on technical courses. Save your money and buy a dream.
Similar Products Used: Klein hardtail, Klein mantra Pro
Bike Setup: Manitou Mars Elite, Easton monkey lites, Thompson post, Time attacks, Race face isis, Avid V-brakes and levers, Custom wheel set(Velocity, American Classic, Bullseye)Conti tires, King headset.
Weaknesses: The Rear hanger!!!!! I have been down for a month the hanger on my bike is not replaceable. Intense is charging me freight and warrenting the frame
Bottom Line:
For $ 3,000 bucks the hanger should not have these issues
Bike Setup: Hayes hydrolics, X-Vet, Easton Risers, Mavic tubeless, etc
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Submitted by
Mark
a Cross Country Rider
from Florida
Date Reviewed: October 29, 2001
Strengths: Great workmanship,EXELLENT CUST. SERVICE,adjustability-(having 3 shock and 2 chainstay adjustments make it a very versital bike,sweet looking,very stiff for a f/s bike bike.Handles like a dream!!
Weaknesses: The powdercoat on mine started to chip badly after about 3 months of use.derailer slap due to horst link.
Bottom Line:
I reviewed this bike about a year and a half ago,but I thought this bit of info is relevent.Like I mentioned above the powdercoat on my frame started to chip badly after about 3 months of use.So I called Intense and told them about it.I spoke with Greg in warranty and he said knew of a problem that exsisted with a couple of runs of tracers may have defective powdercoat.He told me to send it back and they would re-coat it.Since I was in the middle of a race series and doing well I didnt want to send it back right away.No problem he said call me when your ready and Ill send you a call tag.So I sent it back when the series ended.While I tore the bike down I thought it might be cool get thr swingarm on my bike painted,since mine had a polished one on my bike and was tired of keeping up that polished alum.So I called greg again and asked if that was possible and how much would it cost?Expecting him to shoot me a price of $100 or so,he said no problem we will do it for FREE!!To make a long story short in the end Intense recoated my frame including the swingarm in a custom color(yellow),new style stickers and headbadge,all new bearing pivots,new shock mount bolts & a new derailer hanger!!All at NO CHARGE!!!Plus they sent me a 3 day delivery call tag to and from the shop where I bought it.The only down side was it took about 5 1/2 weeks to get my ride back.But let me say this,Greg at Intense was great to deal with,always polite and informative he did everything I expected and more.I feel with some of the other high end bikes in this class(Ellsworth Truth & Turner 02)the tracer is a all round better bike for about$400 less.I love my bike and greg and Intense gave me one more reason to stay a loyal Intense fan.Since it took me to 5 podium finishes in 6 races(including 2 wins & a couple of VERY close seconds in 30-39 sport class) I have No complaints at all on its performance,perfect.Buy one ,you wont be sorry.
Strengths: Good and solid built. Friendly and very easy all around ride.
Weaknesses: The anoying noise when the rear deralliur hits the frame. Terrible graphics on decals. I had to cut around the letters all the crappy carbon look part.
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike for weekend rides. I ride in Greece and there are not any made mountain bike ride trails. So I actually do a little bit of everything. My favorite type of ride is downhill technical trails. I think that the Tracer is excellent for that use. My bike set up is a little funny with the 120mm travel fork and the 2.25 tires but it rocks on downhill this way. I might try to put a Fox fork when these become available. It is heavy but it's so comfortable on uphill that it doesn't matter. I can feel some vibration on front wheel during slow speed turns, while the handling isn't the best but I think that it has to do with the long fork and the big fat tires I use. I havn't broke the rear derailleur hanger yet but it feels like sooner or later it will. Finally I think that if someone wants to by only one bike, capable for (almost) any type of ride the Traser is by far the best.
Similar Products Used: My first full suspension bike was a Klein Mantra witch is not that similar to the Tracer. I have ridden GT idrives also.
Bike Setup: Small size frame, Manitou Supernova 120m fork, XTR mecs with Gripshift's Rocket Shorty shifters and Hope XC4 discbrakes. RaceFace's Tubline crank, Sys stem, XY seatpost. Selle Italia Flight Gel seat, Easton MonkeyLite CT2 low riser bar and ChrisKing headset. Mavic317 disc rims with Hope bulb hubs and Intense CC 2.25 tires.
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Submitted by
Harvey Fujimoto
a Weekend Warrior
from Wheat Ridge, CO
Date Reviewed: October 19, 2001
Strengths: I have owned this bike for over 1 1/2 years, and I still LOVE it! I did need to have the rear deraileur and brake cables shortened slightly to avoid their rubbing the inside of my legs, and also needed to put a little "padding" on the front part of the rear derailleur to eliminate it banging on the rear linkage, but there are no inherent faults that I can find with this bike/frame. The 4 inches of travel is sufficient to add comfort and traction to climbs, as well as a little "shredding" element to descents, without being overly heavy or unresponsive.
Bottom Line:
This bike is pricey, but if you indulge yourself, you will not regret it! As an aging weekend warrior, I appreciate the fact that this bike allows me to still ride trail sections that I probably wouldn't attempt on a hardtail. It also soothes my not-so-toughened tush with a cush ride!
Similar Products Used: This is my first full-suspension bike - my previous hardtails were: Dean Titanium w/XTR and Z2 A-Bomb; Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo w/LX and Rock Shox Q10; Diamond Back Ascent EX w/LX
Bike Setup: 9-speed full XT w/Grip Shift Attack; Sid 100; Mavic 517 Grey Ano w/DT spokes; Panaracer Fire XC Pro Comps;Thompson post/Avocet O2 Saddle; Control Tech stem/Bar/bar ends; SPD737
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Submitted by
Fishboy
a Cross Country Rider
from Eastern PA
Date Reviewed: October 8, 2001
Strengths: Proven suspension design that works and is light. Beefy swingarm and frame.. A perfect bike for aggressive XC riding, and even racing.. The bike is so light and responsive it's SO MUCH FUN to lift up and get air off any jump or drop... And it climbs better than most hard tails...
Weaknesses: Not much except for Deraileur hanger.. BUY A FEW EXTRA and keep them with you. I broke one after about a month. In addition zip tie a piece of bike tube on your derailer to stop the annoying slap.. (all of these are already posted on MTBR.. Nice.)
Bottom Line:
Bottom line is that this bike was perfect for me because I wanted an all around bike that can do it all and hold up to my aggressive riding and the East Coast technical rocky terrian. You get what you pay for and this is definetly worth it. It gets funner to ride with every ride and I can't stop looking at it as it looks so sweet and rides even better.
Similar Products Used: Specialized FSR, Voodoo Canzo.
Bike Setup: Black 2001 Frame, Race Face Cranks, Mavic 517 Cer w/XTR. XTR brakes and Thompson Post and Stem w/Synchros bars. Sella Italia Flite Gel Saddle.
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Submitted by
Sprint
a Cross Country Rider
from New York
Date Reviewed: September 24, 2001
Strengths: The whole thing. This is the best riding bike I have owned.
Weaknesses: Poor decals (mine are coming off already). Otherwise I have no complaints so far.
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is I recomend this bike to anyone who enjoys mountainbiking and is looking for a reliable frame.
Bike Setup: Race Face Cranks, XTR Rapid Fire Shifters and Rear Deraileur, Chris King Headset, Marzocchi Z.1 MCR, Hayes Mechanical Disc Brakes, Hayes Elite Hubs, Sun Zero Degree wheels,
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Submitted by
Sprint
a Cross Country Rider
from New York
Date Reviewed: September 24, 2001
Strengths: The whole thing. This is the best riding bike I have owned.
Weaknesses: Poor decals (mine are coming off already). Otherwise I have no complaints so far.
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is I recomend this bike to anyone who enjoys mountainbiking and is looking for a reliable frame.
Bike Setup: Race Face Cranks, XTR Rapid Fire Shifters and Rear Deraileur, Chris King Headset, Marzocchi Z.1 MCR, Hayes Mechanical Disc Brakes, Hayes Elite Hubs, Sun Zero Degree wheels,
Strengths: Everything.The workmanship,adjustable geometry+travel,all-cartridge bearing rear end,and the plush yet mostly bob-free performance never leaves me wanting.This is the ultimate racer/trailbike(that is,until I get my Monolink).All it takes is 20 minutes and a few tools to make the switch.Climbs so well you'd swear it was a hardtail,but descends beautifully too.Mine weighs about 25 lbs,and that's with fairly average weight parts--nothing too stupidly light.That's competitive with most new XC full-suspension designs,but this bike also doubles as a trail machine!Set it up with 4" f&r and HAMMER AWAY! If you could only have one bike this is the one to get.....
Weaknesses: Decals are cheap,and the paint is a little too thin and easy to scratch.But that's okay.I never baby my bikes!Price is a little much too.That $1800 listed above covers the FRAME only!But trust me,it may be your last..
Bottom Line:
This bike rocks my world.I cut my teeth with full suspension on this bike,and the verdict is unanimous:I will NEVER touch a hardtail again!!The Tracer is worlds beyond any bike I have ever ridden,INCLUDING every machine in the above box.As good as the competitors are,Intense still has the high-end FS market to itself.I have never regretted laying down the cash for this awesome machine.It is a hefty chunk of change,but it's SOOO worth it--the perfect do-all bike.The only reason it's leaving me is because I'm making room for my new Maverick Monolink!Sniff..sniff..bye bye Tracer,I'll miss you...
Similar Products Used: Prior bike was a '96 Rockhopper.Not even close! Demos:Ellsworth Truth,Specialized S-Works FSR-XC,Aeon Isis,Cannondale Raven,and Santa Cruz Heckler
Bike Setup: Full XTR,Marzocchi Z1 X-Fly 100mm fork,4" travel/standard angle setup,Syncros Hardcore post,Easton stem,Easton EA70 riser,Selle Italia XO saddle,Time ATAC pedals,Mavic Crossride wheels
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Submitted by
Ian Foo
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 18, 2001
Strengths: Frame, looks great, components, weight, great XC suspension
Weaknesses: costs $$$$$, but probably worth it
Bottom Line:
Excellent bike, no complaints, unless u cant afford a top of the line mountain bike. Components added up give u the best
Similar Products Used: Cannondale Jekyll 3000, Yeti ASR, Ironhorse Ginsu (all with reviews
Bike Setup: manitou XVERT super, Fox vanilla float rc, Shimano XTR drivetrain and brakes, Easton handlebar, Kore Elite Stem, Chris King Hubs, Intense tires
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Submitted by
jack
a Cross Country Rider
from newport beach
Date Reviewed: August 18, 2001
Strengths: double beef-a-lo welds and gussets, Intense name and prowess, cockpit comfort and balance
Weaknesses: suspension works so well, its hard to feel what's going on beneath the bike...darn.
Bottom Line:
after lengthy research on this most excellent website, I came to the conclusion that this was the bike for me and proceeded to shop all avenues including internet bike/build sites. But because of the price, I wanted to be able to look someone in the eye should things go awry with any of the components. Patrick at Laguna Cyclery handled the transaction materfully with continued support on tweakings. Everything aforementioned about the bike is absolutely true, just point it at any rock garden, ledge drop, stairs (up or down) and hammer it. The bike just floats over the obstacle. It truly makes you a better rider, no longer having to pick your way up or down a track. I had to bull#$@% my wife on the price, but man'o'man is it worth it! Other guys riding the tracer were very open and candid on the trail about the bike which helped in my decision. This is why we work! Mucho maxo chiles, arriba!
Similar Products Used: Fisher Sugar 3, santa cruz superlight
Bike Setup: easton riser bar and stem, nokian beazobeano rubber on sun ds-1 xc rims w/xt hubs, shimano disc brakes, xtr drivetrain, rock shox psylo sl 2002 fork
