This spring I picked up a couple of Intense 909 EXDC Lite's. A 2.35 and 2.50 in the Single Ply 'plyway' versions (not to be confused with colorway 
).
I've never run an Intense mtb tire and for the past few years I've stuck with my trusty Maxxis 2.35 Minion F and either a High Roller or Larsen TT on the rear. Usually in a 60a to cut down on wear and tear time-which sacrificed a noticeable bit of traction up front.
But seeing as how the economy got the best of me this year I needed to rethink and 'dumb down' my spending on bike parts.
So enter the Intense 909 EXDC Lite's at $19 per tire from Jensonusa.com. No, that's not a type-0. They were and still are $19 per tire. So if they sucked, who cares. I'm was getting two tires for the price of one Maxxis or three for the price of a Schwalbe.
Long story short: I ended up buying about 12 of them after a couple weeks of riding. 6 in each size and ran them as front specific tires the entire summer.
Here's the run down:
2.35 version:
-Dual compound and seems to be a 'true' 2.35. Meaning it's about as big as a Maxxis 2.5 DH tire.
-Comes in around 900 grams, so it's not super light. But hell, it cost $19 so quit your complaining.
-There is a big gray stripe of rubber running down the center of the tire. At first this just looked annoying, but after the tire is dirty you can't see it. My guess (which is totally obvious) is that it's to separate the harder center lugs from the softer side nobs.
-The center nobs are extremely durable and hold up to wear quite well.
-The side nobs start showing wear after a week of hard riding. However, comparing them to Maxxis Minion F 2.35 Super Tacky's they hold up 4 times as long. Compared to Maxxis 2.35 60a's, about twice as long.
-The side nobs are just big and chunky and provide a great amount of grip in hard corners. They're stable and predictable.
-More rounded profile than the 2.5's when mounted to DT Swiss 5.1 rims.
2.5 version:
-Again, dual compound with the gray center for added, pre-ride flavor.
-Just a great tire. My new favorite front specific tire.
-Has a bit of a squared off profile when mounted to 5.1 rims.
-Center and side nobs are noticeably more durable than the 2.35 version. After 2 months of use, the side nobs were just barely starting to show tearing and getting rounded.
-True 2.5 size. They just float over rocks.
-A bit on the heavy side at around 1000 grams.
-Only flatted once all summer running tubes with approx 38psi. I flatted on a spot that just kills tires whether they are tubeless or tubed. I could have been running 60psi and probably still would have flatted.
-Added a ton of stability and traction up front. Even more predictable than the 2.35's. I never had to second guess a potential washout situation as they always hooked up.
-Glad I have 5 more to go through. I'll have front tires for the next few seasons.
Having said all that, I never tried either on the rear. That spot was reserved for either a 2.35 High Roller or Larsen TT.
So, if you're on a budget. Not going to race XC. Aren't super concerned about a hundred or so more grams of rotating weight. Or having problems with front end traction. These are definitely something to consider. I was super leary at first, but ended up running them the entire year.
![Image]()
2.5's in action
Dark Hollow, Brian Head, UT
![Image]()
High Uinta Mountain Range, UT
![Image]()
Like everything on this site, this is just a review/opinion based on my riding style (or lack there of), bike set up, etc.... If you've had a different experience, chime in.
). I've never run an Intense mtb tire and for the past few years I've stuck with my trusty Maxxis 2.35 Minion F and either a High Roller or Larsen TT on the rear. Usually in a 60a to cut down on wear and tear time-which sacrificed a noticeable bit of traction up front.
But seeing as how the economy got the best of me this year I needed to rethink and 'dumb down' my spending on bike parts.
So enter the Intense 909 EXDC Lite's at $19 per tire from Jensonusa.com. No, that's not a type-0. They were and still are $19 per tire. So if they sucked, who cares. I'm was getting two tires for the price of one Maxxis or three for the price of a Schwalbe.
Long story short: I ended up buying about 12 of them after a couple weeks of riding. 6 in each size and ran them as front specific tires the entire summer.
Here's the run down:
2.35 version:
-Dual compound and seems to be a 'true' 2.35. Meaning it's about as big as a Maxxis 2.5 DH tire.
-Comes in around 900 grams, so it's not super light. But hell, it cost $19 so quit your complaining.
-There is a big gray stripe of rubber running down the center of the tire. At first this just looked annoying, but after the tire is dirty you can't see it. My guess (which is totally obvious) is that it's to separate the harder center lugs from the softer side nobs.
-The center nobs are extremely durable and hold up to wear quite well.
-The side nobs start showing wear after a week of hard riding. However, comparing them to Maxxis Minion F 2.35 Super Tacky's they hold up 4 times as long. Compared to Maxxis 2.35 60a's, about twice as long.
-The side nobs are just big and chunky and provide a great amount of grip in hard corners. They're stable and predictable.
-More rounded profile than the 2.5's when mounted to DT Swiss 5.1 rims.
2.5 version:
-Again, dual compound with the gray center for added, pre-ride flavor.
-Just a great tire. My new favorite front specific tire.
-Has a bit of a squared off profile when mounted to 5.1 rims.
-Center and side nobs are noticeably more durable than the 2.35 version. After 2 months of use, the side nobs were just barely starting to show tearing and getting rounded.
-True 2.5 size. They just float over rocks.
-A bit on the heavy side at around 1000 grams.
-Only flatted once all summer running tubes with approx 38psi. I flatted on a spot that just kills tires whether they are tubeless or tubed. I could have been running 60psi and probably still would have flatted.
-Added a ton of stability and traction up front. Even more predictable than the 2.35's. I never had to second guess a potential washout situation as they always hooked up.
-Glad I have 5 more to go through. I'll have front tires for the next few seasons.
Having said all that, I never tried either on the rear. That spot was reserved for either a 2.35 High Roller or Larsen TT.
So, if you're on a budget. Not going to race XC. Aren't super concerned about a hundred or so more grams of rotating weight. Or having problems with front end traction. These are definitely something to consider. I was super leary at first, but ended up running them the entire year.
2.5's in action
Dark Hollow, Brian Head, UT
High Uinta Mountain Range, UT
Like everything on this site, this is just a review/opinion based on my riding style (or lack there of), bike set up, etc.... If you've had a different experience, chime in.
