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The best looking Intense was the first carbon TracerT275 in Black/Red. There has not been an attractive one since.
https://youtu.be/DwlC_cGtofE
Go to 6 min to see a bike with 200% anti-squat.
https://www.vitalmtb.com/product/guide/Bikes,3/Intense/Primer-Bandit-Limited-Edition,21748.
Obviously, Gwin is standing still and showing off the bike, but even the crazy paint job can help hide trade secrets.
Now, if this is a production paint job, I agree .... *puke*
But there are two antisquat components, an inherent suspension geometry component (which would be seen with an in-hub motor) and the before mentioned chain caused component. Most bikes have a small level of geometric antisquat, while high pivot bikes have a much higher level, the higher the pivot, the higher the antisquat. This is caused by the rear wheel trying to fold itself under the BB due to the relative height difference between the pivot and rear axle.
A high pivot, idlerless DH bike would pedal shitty, but honestly, it's much less of an issue on a DH bike that it would be on a trail bike. On the other hand an idler is much more at home on a DH bike (noise and efficiency wise) than on a trail bike, so there's that... I'd be really surprised if lowering the pedal kickback on high pivot bikes wasn't high on the list of priorities for bike designers (case in point, Canyon's decoupler hub and Gwin's chainless comments about freeing up the bike - an idler can give similar results with adequate antisquat values), though the pivot height is a factor here. A Zerode DH bike would be COMPLETELY unrideable without routing the chain around the main pivot. The Supreme would snap chains and derailleurs too. This trek and the GT for example? It might just work without an idler. Probably not well, but nevertheless work.
https://www.srsuntour.com/news/details/news/sr-suntour-werx-camp-2020/
Not a lot of details, but at least we know the shock is called Voro Coil, and it has low speed compression and rebound external adjusters.
I owe my start in DH & serious trail riding to them. He gave me my first Grassroots bike. Had team colors, gave us Intense team jerseys that his top pros were wearing & Jeff worked on my bike himself at this National like I mattered.
Would love to rep the brand again but budget has kept me out of the fold for a few years. Long live Intense
Video here.
It also fits a brand that focuses on racing and decided to call itself intense. I can certainly see why it doesn’t appeal to everyone but boring bikes don’t appeal to me. Much preferred the busier paint schemes of Santa Cruz from 4 or 5 years ago then what they got going currently.
Personally trek has produced most of my favorite finishes. Things are never flashy like intense but never really boring either. Perfect balance of uniqueness, flash, and subtlety. Plus the whole project one thing is really damn cool and fairly reasonably priced considering the quality and convenience. I hope they start offering it frame only
Forestal seem to get going!
Nice try Markus. Guerrilla marketing I can deal with, but presenting it from a punter's perspective is just cringy.