Intense Spider Frame

The past few years have seen Intense quietly revamp its entire product line while publicly developing the latest M1 downhill bike at World Cups. The transparency of the downhill project was a reminder of the passion Intense pours into bike development. Unfortunately, I think it also overshadowed the work they put into the latest Tracer 279/29, Primer and DJ models. Not to say that SoCal is the best sample case, but it is Intense’s backyard, and I’ve yet to see their bikes filling trail heads as I did a few years ago.

What really put Intense back on everyone’s radar was the resurrection of the Spider—a 130mm travel trail bike aimed at mass appeal. Featuring a fresh, compact suspension layout and svelte frame curves, it demanded attention. I swear, everyone’s first thought when they saw the Spider was, “Dang, that bike looks so good.” Unanimous excitement over a new bike—now that’s rare. What was left to be determined was how the Spider rode. Could this be the bike that opens the floodgates for Intense?

Highlights

• 130mm of travel front and rear
• 29-inch wheels
• DCR suspension design
• 65° head angle
• 78° seat angle
• 435mm chain stay length
• Size-specific carbon layup
• Threaded bottom bracket
• 180-203mm rear rotor compatibility
• 34T max chain ring size
• Sizes: S, M, L, XL
• Weight (size L, no pedals or cage): 30.04 lb / 13.62 kg
• MSRP: Pro - $5,999 // Foundation - $4,499 // Frameset w/ shock - $3,399 (customizable with Intense's 3D configurator) 

120-130mm travel bikes are typically marketed as the ultimate versatile vessels. They fill a unique niche—they’re not as light or efficient as an XC bike, and less capable than a trail bike. They’re bikes that aren’t exceptional at any one thing, but are really fun on most trails.

The Spider has always been this bike for Intense. A bike that can serve the most riders. It’s lived through many forms over its decades of existence. The first 29er I rode was actually a 2014 Spider that still had a front derailleur tab and an externally routed dropper cable. Even back then, it was refreshing to ride a bike that made mundane trails engaging. When a bike’s abilities aren’t super pointed, you get more out of a ride.

Surprisingly, seven years have passed between Spider models. The last generation was a 27.5-inch 130/140mm travel bike. Talk about nostalgia. During the hiatus, Intense had the Sniper, a 100mm XC bike. The reintroduction of the Spider does mark the end of the Sniper for the time being.

The Spider is now a dedicated 29-inch bike with 130mm of travel front and rear, and features Intense’s newest DCR suspension design that places the shock and main link low in the frame. There are no frame adjustments, no in-frame storage, and, on paper, it’s a very run-of-the-mill short-travel trail bike. However, visually it's super compelling. Its tubes run long and unobstructed, and up close, there are nuanced flares and angles offering depth and character. Its aggressive stance sparks curiosity. 

Suspension Design

The Spider ditches the counter-rotating, dual-link suspension layout that Intense has used for years and replaces it with dual co-rotating links (DCR) that connect the front and rear triangles. Intense sought to give the Spider a very efficient pedaling platform that’s also active and responsive to ride input. They didn’t want to compromise in any one area to reap benefits somewhere else.

Geometry

There are no flip-chips to change geometry or kinematics. You get what you get, and that’s totally fine. Its geometry is pretty standard compared to similar 120-130mm bikes. What stands out most is the slacker-than-average 65° head tube angle and steeper-than-average 78° effective seat angle. These two numbers do paint a bigger picture.

The seat angle places you a touch more upright. Your arms fall comfortably over the bars, and you don’t feel your knees coming into your chest as much during steep grinds. You can still hammer down and get stuck in the hurt locker, or you can cruise at a lower intensity. You aren’t confined to one pedaling tempo, which is nice.

The head tube angle strikes a good balance between quick handling and safety. It’s tucked in enough to minimize wheel flop climbing, but keeps the front end composed when pushing through compressions. Any steeper, and I don’t think it would have complemented how hard you can push the Spider descending. Any slacker, and I think you’d start to lose the snappy, responsive feel when climbing or sprinting.

One thing I’m always curious about on bikes like the Spider is the stack and bottom bracket height. Bikes with less travel and more reserved geometry often make me feel like I’m standing above them. This can cause unwanted forward weight transfer descending. The Spider offers nothing unique in this department—a size large has a 620mm stack with a 336mm bottom bracket height. I tested with a 20mm rise bar and 15mm of spacers under the stem. A setup that honestly looked too low out of the box. I didn’t look at the geo chart for the first week of testing, and was convinced the Spider was taller than average. I just felt so settled and sunk into the bike. I’ll go into this more below, but the way the suspension remained active under braking and reduced feedback kept me planted on the bike more than the geometry chart would suggest.

Geometry Comparison

*geometry for size large, high position (if applicable)

Build Kits

Component spec plays a big role in determining the strengths of a bike like the Spider. You can start counting grams and end with a pedal-dominant bike. Or you can toss on meaty tires, stiffer wheels, and taller bars, and start hitting stuff harder. I think this adds legitimacy to the idea of a quiver-killer bike, as you could easily swap between, say, Maxxis EXO and DoubleDown tires and drastically alter the Spider's personality. Just food for thought.

Intense offers two complete builds—the Pro build retails for $5,999, and the Foundation build retails for $4,499. There is also a frameset option for $3,399. Key components of the Foundation build include the FOX Performance 36 SL fork and Performance Float shock, SRAM DB6 brakes, SRAM Eagle 70 Transmission, and DT Swiss M 1900 wheels. The Pro build gets bumped up to include a FOX Factory 36 SL fork and Factory Float shock, Shimano XT brakes, Shimano XT Di2 drivetrain, and DT Swiss XM 1700 wheels.

If you want a fully curated build without the pain of sourcing all the parts, Intense’s 3D configurator lets you pick each component. The additional cost is shown with each upgrade, and you can exclude specific components if you already have them.

I tested a size large frame with a hodgepodge of parts. Highlights included Race Face Era SL wheels, RockShox Pike Ultimate fork and Deluxe Ultimate shock, SRAM Motive brakes and GX Transmission, and Maxxis EXO+ casing tires. It was a blended build. Not super light, but not as burly as I could have gone.

Weighing in at 30.04 pounds (13.62 kg), it wasn’t the lightest for this category, but totally manageable by my standards. I’m sure you could shave 2-3 pounds with lighter parts, but I don’t see anyone building a super-light Spider since the frame alone weighs 6.18 pounds (2.8 kg). For comparison, a Specialized Epic Evo frame is ~4.87 pounds (2.2 kgs).

On The Trail

The beauty of picking most of the parts for a test bike is the lack of setup required to get it dialed in. The Spider also doesn’t have any frame adjustments, leaving just suspension to set up. Recommended sag is between 27-30%. I started with 29%, which felt good, so I left it there. I also added one token in the Pike to help increase the average ride height, and that was that.

Climbing Performance

The Spider climbed with a casual aggression. You could easily toss on some Lycra and start pumping out the watts, and you would be pleasantly surprised. It remains firm under pedaling forces, especially when standing. That said, I found the Spider’s happy place was a notch below my lactate threshold. It didn’t quite have the instant power transfer or lightness of a true XC bike, but it was still plenty efficient to support a solid effort. This made for a very fun bike to pedal. If I were short on time or feeling motivated, I could push harder, and the Spider had a nice get-and-go mentality. Or I could ride at a maintainable pace and still go faster than I would on a longer-travel bike.

Adding to the Spider’s efficiency was how supple the suspension remained right off the top. This made for a very comfortable and traction-rich ride. It also made it easier to pedal through chatter without getting unsettled in the saddle.  

Descending Performance

The Spider had a much higher ceiling of descending comfort than I’m used to experiencing from a 130mm travel bike. The standout characteristic was how active the suspension felt under braking and how calm the bike remained through successive impacts. It just floated over sections that I expected to get jostled around. Feedback was also heavily muted at my feet, adding to the Spider's planted, calm personality. I could hunker down and plow through a section without too much worry of getting thrown off line.

I found myself venturing down steeper trails than I would normally ride on a 130mm bike because the Spider stayed so stuck to the ground. The rear wheel doesn’t skip off bumps as you brake, which keeps you from pitching forward, creating a very sunk-in-the-bike sensation. I loved being able to dive into sections, brake hard, and drive energy through the bike. At the same time, there was still a level of excitement and required intensity due to the 65° head tube angle, fork travel, and fork/wheel/tire flex. But don’t mistake excitement for sketchy—the Spider has a wider margin for error than the average.

In Between Performance

You know when a descent is split up by a punchy climb or a traverse with minimal elevation loss, and it kinda kills the vibe of a trail? Those are the moments when the Spider proved its real versatility. It’s also when the name of this article came to mind, as the Spider made me push harder in these instances.

Because the suspension is so firm when sprinting and supportive when pumping, and the bike rolls dumb fast over small chatter, you have no excuse not to put in more effort. You don’t have to, but I bet you will. Speed is addicting but always fleeting on flatter trails, and the Spider is one of those bikes that holds momentum very well. For how composed it handled aggressive descents, it still felt engaging on mellower terrain. I could put the bike exactly where I wanted to generate or hold speed. And then once a trail would start going down again, I could let the bike do the work while I caught my breath.

Long Term Thoughts

Two months of testing with loads of gritty dust and some muddy days up north, and the Spider feels the same as day one. Honestly. The frame still has that snug, new-bike feel, with no creaks or noises. I also haven’t had any linkage bolts come loose. Having no frame adjustments limits points that could develop play or become problematic, so I expect the Spider to maintain its low maintenance for a while.

The only feature I wish the Spider had was in-frame storage. I know this isn’t a ‘must’ for everyone, but I’ve owned enough bikes with frame storage that it’s hard to live without.

One thing I would like to try is going to a 140mm fork. Intense didn’t explicitly say you can’t run a longer fork, and I think it could better match the suspension's abilities.

What’s The Bottom Line?

The Spider is a highly motivating and fun bike. It’s an efficient climber that can complement an intense tempo. It’s also just as happy scurrying up the hill at a more relaxed pace. You get to decide. Its biggest strength is how controlled it remains when trails get gnarly. The rear suspension is incredibly good at filtering out chatter and finding traction when you need it most. And when trails run flatter, and momentum is fickle, it still has a firm platform to push against. Responsive when you want it to be, and planted when you need it to be, the Spider does indeed ride as good as it looks.

Vital Rating

• Climbing: 4.5
• Descending: 5
• Fun Factor: 4
• Value: 4
• Overall Impression: 4.375

About The Tester

Jason Schroeder - Age: 31 // Years Riding MTB: 20 // Height: 6' (1.8m) // Weight: 170-pounds (77.1 kg)

A once-upon-a-time World Cup downhill racer turned desk jockey, Jason has spent years within the bicycle industry from both sides of the tape. A fan of all-day adventures in the saddle or flowing around a bowl at the skatepark, he doesn't discriminate from any form of two-wheeled riding. A SoCal native who doesn't spend too much time in any single place, you can find Jason camped out in his van most weekends somewhere on the West Coast.