Intense

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 trail bike category is probably where most people go shopping for a Goldilocks do-it-all bike, although the same could be said for the enduro category. With 150mm of travel and a generally light build, the Primer is Intense’s answer for those looking to cover some miles and enjoy themselves on the way down. The Primer was quietly updated for 2025, and we’ve had this new version out on the trails for about a month to help you figure out what it is and what it isn’t. 2025 Intense Primer 29 Highlights Full carbon fiber front and rear triangle utilizing a carbon layup optimized for the trail...