Submitted by
stewartte
a Weekend Warrior
from Boise, Idaho, USA
Date Reviewed: October 5, 2009
Strengths: solid design, great suspension, relative light weight, easy to pedal up the hill and them destroys the down!
Weaknesses: needs a better rear shock. the fox vanilla is alright but would be nice to have the pro-pedal or lock out ability. no rear disk mounts.
Bottom Line:
Great bike. at the time it was top of the line. it handles great all round great performer. with the new designs and technology out there it can still hang with them if you are a weekend warrior.
Bike Setup: z-1 bomber with heavy duty springs, full xt. Kenda navgel 2.35 tubeless. v-braks...
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
hunterz
a Cross Country Rider
from Sanford, FL, USA
Date Reviewed: November 21, 2008
Strengths: Umm, well, where to I start? Solid first, no noticeable flex (and this is a 1999 frame), smooth ride, soaks up ridiculos terrain, all while keeping the back wheel to the ground instead of bouncing around. Frame has several adjustments and is easy to set up & dial in.
Weaknesses: No disc on rear, but it is a 1999!
Bottom Line:
Well, maybe I am just really stoked to moving from hardtail to full suspension. I mean, after 10+ years of riding florida trails (which consist mainly of huge gnarled up roots everywhere)who wouldn't be? But like many of you reading this, I've watched Intense in the mags through the years gettin really good press. Well, I'm a really agressive rider and this frame elevates my game. Just a little pre-load and you launch over obstacles. It also soaks up monster hits all while keeping the rear wheel to the ground. Nuff said.
Weaknesses: if you do any jumps over 8 feet it gets out of control. Not very good geomatry.
Bottom Line:
this bike is good for trail riding and mostly up hill. Not reccomonded for free riding/downhill. If your into cross country/xc this is the bike for you.
For most of us, cross country/trail riders who love the downhills but still ride up, this is a great bike. Climbs well, adjustable, plush and controlled downhill.
XC racers look elsewhere, unless your doing endurance events.
Similar Products Used: Slayer, Heckler, Switchblade, XCE
Bike Setup: Fox VRC front and rear, XT, Easton
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
kevin Campbell
a Weekend Warrior
from Mississuga,on,Canada
Date Reviewed: April 12, 2002
Strengths: Brodie Electro Great trail/jumping bike rides smooth and is fun to do some urban with it has some weaknesses in some minor parts for the price you pay. Also has high maintence but otherwise this is a great hard tail to ride around on.
Weaknesses: For 1200 dollars candian it doesn't have the best parts (my bottom bracket sucks)
Bottom Line:
All in all the brodie electro is a good bike even though you can get the same frame and better parts and a better fork with Norco. Like a marazochi z5 is the worst fork ever built by marazochi hate to say it I could have got a better bike from Norco, lates But the electro is a strong smooth riding bike.
Similar Products Used: Some other companys have better bikes for there money I hate to say it but go check out Norco I know someone who just got a norco 400 with a Dj 1 on it, its a sweet bike and if your considering Jumping get it! But on the other hand if you want something similar to the brodie there is a norco sasqwatch and if you want the same thing with some better compnets check out the Rampage.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Johnny B
a Cross Country Rider
from Roanoke Va
Date Reviewed: January 29, 2002
Strengths: adjustability, smooth rear suspension, excellent customer service
Weaknesses: no hanger, decals, suspension pin, sits tall, its expensive but worth it.
Bottom Line:
Even though intense advises against it, i have mine set up with a longer shock and uzzi dh shock plates. it now gets six inches of rear travel like the new uzzi slx. with this setup it is less adjustable and sits a little high. kind of like when you put the stock shock in the top hole. I am thinking of putting 24 inch wheels on it, but I don't know if they will work with the rear end. The bike rides awesome, a little heavy to climb, but still a very capable climbing bike. I have had some problems with the bike, I broke the suspension pin in half and they sent a new beefier one for free and it only took a week. The first time I ever rode the bike I tore the derailleur hanger off, I almost cried it took me three months to build and 15 minutes into the first ride I tore the hanger off. But again intense came through and sent me a new rear end, this time took a little longer. I can't say enough about the customer service, very helpful. I have the bike setup as freeride/easy downhill and it works excellent, I hear alot of people say they set theirs up for xc and it also works well, but for me its too heavy for that. This bike is superfun to ride downhill and I end everyride with a smile.
Strengths: Awesome bike, Fox Vanilla RC is sweet, it's an intense duh, sealed catridge bearings
Weaknesses: o my this is a damn expensive frame but u get what u pay for
Bottom Line:
I love this bike
That said I had to freeken empty my bank account to get this frame and then sell organs to get the parts. It rides awesome now at 32 pounds. Rear shock was a little soft I am 6"1 190 pounds and 15 years old so I tend to break stuff and the extra weight is welcome. Up here in Canada it isn't really built for the free riding seen but it sure beats my Norco on the climbs.
Similar Products Used: GT I Drives, Norco Shore, Rocky Mountain Slayer, Brodie Holeshot
Bike Setup: Stratos S5, new king ISO's laced to Sun Singlewides, King headset, RaceFace LP crank, Monkeylite carbon bar, BMW stem, end caps, and shinburger pedals (need shin pads with these), XT drivetrain (XTR is crap dad has it and it always brakes), WTB Mutano Raptor 2.4's
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Big Al
a Downhiller
from Stratford ontario
Date Reviewed: November 19, 2000
Strengths: Stiff, strong, adjustable, not that heavy
Weaknesses: no replacable hanger(1999) bushings around shock main pivot axle hard to adjust spring on shock while mounted (i can live though)
Bottom Line:
The main pivot axle/screw is the part that gave me the most trouble. After I blew out the rear shock and got it back (fox has amazing customer service) I managed to snap the axle right in half (oops!). had to wait awhile till i got a replacment (3 weeks). other than that and the non-replacable rear hanger this is bike rides better than the principals daughter (ha). I got mine for an amazing price but if you can get your hands one one do so. Even if you end up not liking it or getting out of biking altogether (totaly hypethetical) the resale value is great.
Submitted by
Monkey
a Weekend Warrior
from Diamond Springs, CA
Date Reviewed: September 25, 2000
Strengths: The frame's fully ajustable, sealed pivots, beautiful welds and bullitproof design.
Weaknesses: The shock bushing wears out fast
Bottom Line:
I was the first person in my area to get an Intense. I saw the bike in magazine adds and just had to have one. Thankfully when I got the bike built it rode sweet! I ride cross country but the trails are pretty technical and this bike does it all for me. Great climbing ability, the rear pivot loads up under chian tension and keeps the bobbing to a minimum. Not bad for a bike with almost 5 inches of travel. The ground clearance helps when you're flying over logs or rocks on the trail. The adjustable frame geometry is cool but I haven't messed with it to be honest. This bike has proven to be a fantastic trail bike and I would say if anyone is looking for a high end multipurpose bike this frame ranks at the top of my list. Now I wouldn't recommend buying an $1800 frame sight unseen but in this case I lucked out big time!!!
Strengths: -Adjustable for all types of riding. -Excellent construction. -Great chi-chi factor.
Weaknesses: -Somewhat expensive. -Mine doesn't have a replaceable der. hanger or disc mounts(1997 model).
Bottom Line:
This is a follow-up review and advise for anyone who is thinking of buying the SL.
When I first got this bike I built it up as heavy "freeride" bike. Before I knew it, I was adding more and more DH stuff and ended up racing it for a season. I didn't do too bad in sport DH but knew I had to go with something bigger (travel) if I wanted to move up. Two years later, I have retired the bike from DH and decided to make it my primary XC bike... WOW! What can I say? I've found this frame's true calling. In full XC setup with light (but durable) components, this bike ROCKS!
If you're looking to buy and build a bike with the Uzzi SL, here are some things you should know- To make this a great XC bike, use a crank with 22/32/42 rings. This is the best setup, otherwise your chain will rub when in in the granny gear. Set the rear shock in the TOP hole to give you a steep head angle. This makes your steering quicker and more precise- better for XC. I've also noticed that the rear suspension will bob alot less in this position. I use a 750 lb spring on my Fox Vanilla and have the prelode set real tight (I weigh 200lbs). This has significantly reduced pedal bobbing while keeping the rear respectively plush (much more so than today's XC dual suspensions) Adjust the seat tower back to give you a longish top tube and use a shorter stem (100-120mm). I also use an Easton monkey lite riser bar to bring the front up a bit. With the rear end, shorten the wheelbase to get better climbing performance and, again, to reduce bobbing. As far as a fork, go with a 4" travel model with coil/oil. Air may be lighter but it won't work as well with the rear (remeber, this ain't no Specialized FSR).
For freeriding or downhilling, use a fork with 5-6" of travel. Set the rear shock in the bottom hole. Increase the wheel base. Use a short stem (40-90mm). Skip the granny gear on the crank- viola!
I've done it all with the Uzzi SL and believe me- it works best as a big man's XC bike. Email me if you have questions.
Similar Products Used: -Diamond Back V-Link Pro. -A couple of others.
Bike Setup: Judy 100; Easton bars and post; Raceface crank; Sram 9.0sl; King headset; XTR hubs w/ Sun CR17A rims and DT db spokes;
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Kees Veninga
a Weekend Warrior
from Harlingen
Date Reviewed: March 30, 2000
Strengths: A strong frame
Weaknesses: It's a suspensionbike with a shock. Shocks tend to blow sometimes.........
Bottom Line:
This is a update from my original review from 10/14/1997. Bought this bike in june 1997 and haven't had any problems, apart from some blown shocks. For me this is an exception to the rule. The Ventana FS was great but this ones built to last. sTill the same pivots as in 1997. No wear. Still the same paintjob. Apart from scratches, still great. Boutgh some new stickers. The old ones peeld. The new ones don't. Treid various setups and everytime got differrent bikes. I use it a lot in sandy ansalty dunes but this doesn't effect the frame, pivots etc.
Uzzi SL lasts for over two years with out any problems. Need more?
Similar Products Used: Ventana Marble Peak and Marble Peak FS, Mantis Pro Floater etc...
Bike Setup: Varies
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Scott
a Weekend Warrior
from Albuqeruque
Date Reviewed: March 5, 2000
Strengths: excellent craftsmanship, bullet-proof frame, adjustablility, looks great, bearings need no maintenance so far
Weaknesses: decals could be better (they can peel)
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike 1 year ago (From Kalo, who I would not recommend doing business with). I read all the reveiws I could find at the time and had to make a big leap of faith buying it sight unseen. There was no where around Albuquerque that I could test ride one. I spoke with the people at Intense about which size frame was best for me and I went with the small (I'm 5 8"). From the day I received this bike I have loved it. I wanted something with more travel but didn't want a bike that would suck everytime I climb. This bike fits the bill. The suspension is very adjustable, I can have this bike feeling super squishy or more firm. The Fox vanilla RC is a great shock. Probably the biggest whining I see about this bike is the weight. Ya, its not as light as my girlfriends new K-2 Razorback (24.5 lbs) but the longer travel and super tough frame more than make up for that. Bottom line on this bike was that after owning several bikes over many years I finally wanted to get a true custom bike built up just like I wanted,,,and I got it. If you think this bike might be for you then get it, you will love it
Weaknesses: It's expensive and heavy but I wouldn't want to sacrifice the quality or rigidity for a lower price or less weight.
Bottom Line:
Bought this frame over a similarly equipped Tracer after weighing two complete bikes on the showroom floor. There was less than a half a pound difference (30.1 vs. 29.7). When I read about 26 lb. Uzzy SL's I wonder since I don't have anything really heavy or heavy duty. Anyway, I found the adjustable seat tower to be a huge advantage in setting up the bike for my bullfrog physiognomy. I used the middle hole on the shock link (70.5 degree head tube angle) and the long wheelbase setting. Moving the seat tube forward made the bike climb much better for me without the steering getting too busy.
Riding the bike for the first time I really noticed the higher bottom bracket, but I soon got used to it and I was instantly able to clear rocky trails and deep ruts that had stalled me on my old Mt. Vision. The shallower head tube helped me stay on line in rocky sections and I found myself actually climbing better on rough terrain because I could just put my head down and motor. On a rolling trail that I ride I cleaned the stream crossings for the first time, as the rocks and roots that had thrown me off on the old bike were not even felt with the Uzzy. Although the Uzzy is a full pound heavier than my old bike, it feels lighter, probably due to the Race Disk wheels which are really light.
I initially wanted an air shock in the back and air forks on the front, but ultimately I realized that I wanted the plushness and reliability of coils and oil at both ends, so I went with a Vanilla RC out back and 4" Z-1 CR's on the front and I'm happy I did. I didn't want the weight or complexity of the disk brakes as i thought them unnecessary for my laid back trail riding style, but I found that I had much more control on downhills over the V brake setup of my old bike. If you think that you don't need disks you should really try them on some steep and rough terrain before passing judgement.
So, bottom line is beautiful quality construction, not for weight freaks, very smooth and trouble free, and a surprising climber in rough terrain.
Similar Products Used: Salsa hardtail, Marin Mt. Vision
Bike Setup: Z-1BAM CR @ 4", Hayes Disks, Bonty Race Disks,Fox Vanilla RC,Enduroraptors, M545 pedals, XT crankset, Titec KTiDH seat, Slimed tubes. An honest 30.1 lb. trailbike
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
tmathis
a Weekend Warrior
from Alexandria, VA
Date Reviewed: January 6, 2000
Strengths: Durability & Adjustability
Weaknesses: Weight & Price
Bottom Line:
This is an update from my initial review. I wanted to highlight some issues I think is important for initial buyers:1. First of all, I still love this bike...I went through a love hate period when I was trying to get it set up, but know that the geometry is where I like it, the bike rocks. I ride twisty single-track and short hilly terrain. Shortening the Wheelbase and sitting the shock-bolt to the lowest hole seemed to provide the best ride for the conditions in my area.2. Rear Derailuers: The Shimano M739 (98 XT) seems to work the best with the frame, SRAM might work also. I tried the 99 XT and XTR and the derailuer had a tendency to bang against the frame on bumps and what not. Unless this doesn't bother you...no problems there.2. Front Derailuer: Set it up like any derailuer, but appreciate the chain is going to drag on the chainguide when you are tunning it and the chain is on the smallest ring...perfectly normal.3. Cables: Get a manual or look at a bike that has been set up properly. I recommend removing the shock bolt and letting the rear suspension sag. Cut your cables to this length so that they can respond properly to the varying travel. The same goes for the chain. 4. Fork: 100-mm of travel seems like the best set-up for all around fun riding. I tried the 130-mm Bam and it made the front squirrely and climbing a hassel w/ 100-mm of travel the bike is much easier to control and handles well in all circumstances.In general, once I finally got the bike set up for me, I really like it. I do manage to bring up the rear when riding with my biking-pals except when going downhill. You can still climb anything with this bike, but just not as fast. It's a great bike that demands the rider be in shape...the Tracer w/ the Tazer's coil shock might be a consideration for you if you are less then 180-lbs. I think the SL is a great bike for us bigger guys for a fun-bike.Good Luck!
Submitted by
Amanda Hugenkis
a Weekend Warrior
from Aspen, CO
Date Reviewed: January 6, 2000
Strengths: Cool Name, I could make this bike haul as* - but you know its the motor not the bike...
Weaknesses: BB is too high, if you adjust the shock thru bolt to the lowest setting the chain rubs on the front der. It you set the thru bolt on the highest setting the bb is over 13. With the thru bolt set in the only workable position (middle) the bb ht is at least 1 too high. Net result is a bike that is skatey and difficult to hold a line on loose surfaces. It also feels as though you are sitting on top of this bike (as opposed to in it). Very ackward position. I've sold this bike and gone to a YBB and I am much happier. The Tazer is more of the same. I broke this frame once but the customer service was excellent. With the lightest stuff on this bike it was over 25.5 lbs.
Bottom Line:
Was once the hot bike and brand but not anymore. There are alot of other bikes which weigh less, cost less, and handle better. I believe the Racer X is a better version than the Uzzi XC, and the new Giant, Fisher Sugar, and Specialized are better versions of the 4 bar/swing link. I enjoyed the bike for a while because of the chi-chi factor - but, eventually, this wears off.... The truth hurts.
Bike Setup: I had both the xc and sl options. Usually prefering the XC set up with a Fox Alps 4. With the SL I had both the coil over and Alps 5. Chris King, Avid, XTR, Thomson, Easton, etc.
rebuilding an old (01? or 02? /) Uzzi sl frame and need a new chainstay. The old one has hairline crack. Looking for either an old one without crack or do you think the chainstay c Read More »
Just to let you guys know there's two nos frames on the bay. Pretty expensive but damn nice to see some new ones ready to be built up.
I have nothing to do with the sale but I k Read More »
Hi all. I found a good deal on a 04 Uzzi SL. Is this a good bike for newb? I'm close to Jack Brooks park and The anthills here in the Houston area. Thanks....... Read More »
My wife is in need of a FS ride to replace the Wahoo. We came across this interesting ride, but know nothing about it.
It fits her fine and the frame and components are in excep Read More »
