Thanks for your reply Ray. I'm still on the fence about which frame I would go with. At 34, my goal is not to be a pro, but I would like to continue to be competitive. I mostly do endurance events and need something fairly light, but comfort and durability are higher on my list. The Tracer has been a great bike for 24 hr events and has good tire/mud clearance. I do like the higher BB, too.
What I really want to know is how people like the VPP vs. the 4-bar Horst Link design. I plan to upgrade soon, (My Tracer has alot of mileage on it and has been repaired several times) but I don't have any Intense dealers in my area and the closest ones I could go to don't have any large frames I could demo. I don't want to drop alot of $$$ on a frame that I'm not sure will serve my purpose. Despite the Intense upgrade program discount, it is still alot of coin and there are other company's that still use 4-bar and have a loyal following. I know their has been alot of hype about the VPP, but if I only gain a little bit of pedal efficiency and lose tire/mud clearance, I might be better off putting my money into a design I know has served me well. I am a very loyal Intense fan. Thus, this is my dilema.