*Key Features* *Low Profile comact design
*Relaxed Seat Angle For Increased Tire Clearance*
*3.5-4.5 inches of Travel adjustable.*
*M-1 Style Strut for Extra Rigidity*
*Standard or 12mm Axle Compatibility*
*Monococque Front Triangle*
*Comes with Fox Vannila R Coil over shock*
Was considered the best slalom and Four Cross bike of the 2002 season!!!!
Strengths: Amazing bike. Very thick frame, so you dont have to worry about it snapping or breaking on you. Easy to maintain in mid air, and extremely good for jumps.
Weaknesses: None.
Bottom Line:
Overall, I'm ecstatic about the bike. It never broke down on me once, and if you really try, you can get a great deal on this bike and cut its price by half or more.
Bike Setup: Almost all parts are Shimano Dura -Ace, Zeus handle bars, Kenda tires.
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Submitted by
Charles Manson
a Cross Country Rider
from Spawn Ranch, California
Date Reviewed: July 31, 2007
Strengths: It's powder coated!! Not like some of those girl's bikes with the chippy spray paint finish!! Adjustable wheelbase, you can flip the shock link around and make it ultra stiff for DJ and urban poo too! Everything is really built thick and strong and yet my bike is just at 28 lbs!
Weaknesses: The retail price is out of hand on all Intense frames IMO... Honestly, this older version of the bike is only flawed in the retarded seat tube angle and lack of space for a front mech. Other than that, this frame built up with good parts is perfection.
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is, in this case there is some truth to "you get what you pay for" This bike is a little noisy like all the aluminum acoustic guitar bodied bikes. The suspension is very progressive and even though out of the saddle peddaling moves the suspension the bike just seems to keep accelerating. The angles of the rear suspension make dialing in the shock a major pain in the *** if you are a heavier rider. You would never know it's only a 4" or so travel bike. Buy a used one and put some decent parts on it, not a bunch of heavy DH stuff!!
Similar Products Used: Viagra, Enzite, the creams and pumps. Err, I mean Foes, GT, Huffy, Diamondback, Schwinng!
Bike Setup: Umm, Fox RL100, Fox Float R, Hayes MAG, Easton Carbon bars and seat post, lock on's, singletracks with crap hubs, ultegra mech and cassette, hozfeller cranks, blackspire CD, XT pod, Shorty dElux stem, King HS, Thompson SP, Hope skews and collar...
Strengths: California made. Mine is one of Sabrina Jonniers race bikes, so it uses a thinner gauge aluminum in the monocoque (so its light). Travel adjust (3.5 or 4.5"), wheelbase adjust, H/A adjust.
Weaknesses: With narrow cranks, they may hit the "seatstay" strut if the rear end is put in the shortest wheelbase setting. Certain air shocks may have trouble fitting on late-model FS frames. Mine uses a Fox RP3, but the Manitou 3-way or the Fox Vanilla R didnt fit too well. Frame is loud when anything hits it (but any monocoque will)
Bottom Line:
Most people have said everything I was going to say. Fun play bike, quick descender, rails berms, easy to handle in the air, manual for days, really flickable. Short cranks would be better suited for this bike (low bb).
I had gotten a Foes Zig-Zag years ago, but only because I couldnt afford one of these at the time. Now I have one used and I am happy happy.
All my friends are envious of me with my new bike, I get all the hot chicks, and my acne even cleared up.
5 firey dookies for value because you can pick up a used FS model for under a grand now. Mine was $650 with King headset, Thompson sp, 2 Titec stems (new), an Easton bar (new), Intense saddle, and two old tires!
5 steaming dog sh*tz for overall because its just a good bike to have.
Strengths: Strong, responsive, adjustable angles and travel for supreme vesatility, sprints like a hardtail and floats over bumps. still to try in the heat of 4x just yet
Weaknesses: paint chips too easily
Bottom Line:
for the price i payed for a frame in such perfect nick i cant go wrong. the bike iv always dreamed of having surpasses all expectation and inspires me whatever im riding over
Similar Products Used: spec p1, dmr rhythm/sidekick
Bike Setup: pike race, hayes hfx9s, hope bulb on singletracks, ea70 bars, dmr bits.
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Submitted by
marco cote
a Racer
from windsor ontario canada
Date Reviewed: October 16, 2004
Strengths: LITEWEIGHT super fast
Weaknesses: not too too strong for urban riding but sick for d jiing and duel slalome and dh.
Bottom Line:
this is an ill bike but i cracked the rear triangle and i am 75 lbs . I am 13 years of age and i cracked this after not even one season. Sick bike though!!
Strengths: very fast. awsome to pump the landings of jumps on ds courses and trails. sick for skateparks and manuals like a dream. LIGHT weighs VERY little...not sure how much exactly but its somewhere between 25-35 lbs. its a good bike to learn tricky stuff on for beginners because it is easy to control in mid air and on one wheel. more advanced riders can pretty much rip anything on this bike.
Weaknesses: rear shock is a little squeeky. *maybe* too expencive if bought new, but you get alot for you money
Bottom Line:
FAST FAST FAST especially if you move the back wheel in (closer to the seat...i dont know what its called. this really helps coming outa burms). great warrenty as well. I am a beginner myself and am learning great stuff at a rapid speed. this bike is more fun than any other that i have ridden.
Like STARK, below, I'm trying to get the ratings to what they should have been.
DON'T KILL THE BIKE RATING BOARDS, because you feel the need to write something bad about some prob with an online shop, or LBS(local bike shop)! Save that stuff for "The Bottom Line", man! Most of the inputs on MTBReview are cool, and the info is appreciated.
Submitted by
David Trent
a Weekend Warrior
from Orlando, FL, USA
Date Reviewed: March 5, 2003
Strengths: love the bike, this ad is to warn everyone not to shop at 123 bikes. They quoted me a price of 1400.00 and charged me for 1489.00. They also said that I would have my frame within three days and it took two weeks. Companies like this take advantage of people who love the sport but don't have the money.
Strengths: Amazing out of corners, acceleration is almost better than my hardtail, smooth, amazing to manual... The ultimate fun bike, for trails, fast doubles and Perfect for racing a Fontana..
Weaknesses: head tube a bit slack when cornering on more flat turns,but nothing you cant power wheelie out of .. Frame creaks a bit ..
Bottom Line:
has to be the funnest bike I've ridden, stupidly fast , super snappy. Is like a BMX on 26's, manuals and wheelies like a dream. If you shuttle a lot, and dont mind walking up some trials, but enjoying riding downhill at speed hitting up everything on the way down, this is your bike ...! This bike is proper crap for going up any kind of incline .. even when locked out ..!
Bike Setup: Shivers SC, Profiles,Primo,MRR, Tomac rims, RingleHubs, XTR, Azonic shorty / 2.5 inch rise bars, Flite, Maxxis....
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Submitted by
david danby
a Downhiller
from adelaide
Date Reviewed: December 17, 2002
Strengths: mono front end built like the m1 really short rad for ds racing you can coaster this thing with ease 4 inches in the rear is enough for ds and it is really plush pedals well off the line
Weaknesses: dont bother trying to ride up hills lots of rearend flex in the 2000 model kranks come really close to the swing arm go 165 mm kranks cos they fit past the swing arm nicely and dont hit the ground
Bottom Line:
sic bike for a serious ds racer if you ride dh and cant jump or whip this bike will encourage you to punch those huge doubles at the local jump park and maybe tweak it a little it is expensive but its an intense
