North Bristol Mountain Bike Club

• Product Features Sizes: S, M (tested), L Geometry: (M) TT length (effective): 23 in.;
• ST length: 17.5 in.; head angle: 72/69 degrees; seat angle: 73.5 degrees;
• BB drop: 0 Frame: Easton Intense proprietary EA6 6061 aluminum;

FOX Float RP23 shock; 5.5- or 6-in. travel Fork: FOX TALAS RLC w/100, 120, 140mm travel Componenet Highlights: (as tested) Shimano XTR trigger shifters, derailleurs, 11-34 cassette, crankset, hydraulic disc brakes, tubeless wheels;

Intense EX Lite 2.25-in. tires;Titec Pluto carbon handlebar, stem, seatpost; Intense saddle Believe it or not, Intense found room to shoehorn another model between its 5.5 EVP/FRO and the 6.6, bringing its total VPP model count to 11. The new Tracer VP is a little lighter and quicker than the 6.6, but a little beefier and more stable than the 5.5 and features the first-ever adjustable-travel system, 5.5 or 6 inches of travel, on a current generation VPP suspension bike. Intense licenses the VPP suspension design from Santa Cruz, and the companies share information to ensure the highest level of performance, though they're careful to keep their products distinct. Santa Cruz's lead engineer Joe Graney explains, "At a certain point in a project, usually after we're in mechanical testing, I'll give Intense owner Jeff Steber what we have cooked up--the exact placement of all the pivots and links and whatnot. Sometimes we've sent him one of our mules, or prototypes, to try out and get an idea of where we are." To get some differentiation for his bike, Steber will tweak things a bit (like having the two travel settings on the Tracer VP), change the amount of travel slightly, or use a different shock or alter the geometry a bit. Things can change a lot with little tweaks, so they are usually limited to the shock rate or length and amount of travel, not link lengths or angles. While actual suspension action of the LT2 and Tracer VP is similar in 6-inch mode, the Intense's higher leverage ratio requires more air pressure in the shock compared to the Blur LT2. Curiously, despite more travel and a higher leverage ratio, the Tracer tends to feel much stiffer through the stroke, more in line with a great cross-country bike compared with the LT2's softer all-mountain ride. As such, the Intense Tracer VP retains a distinct personality all its own. The aggressive SoCal feel, based on quicker handling, will benefit riders and their western terrain or those who are coming off a short-travel XC rig or hardtail. However, the bike is also incredibly versatile, as Intense racer Mike Vine demonstrated in this year's Downieville Classic by taking fourth on a prototype Tracer. "Our bike, race ready, was 26 pounds and change and, although the bike had to weigh exactly the same for both the cross-country and downhill events, the ability to change the travel from 5.5 to 6 inches actually helped," boasts Cusick. Intense goes beyond travel to distinguish itself from its NorCal cousin. While Santa Cruz's LT2 has a standard head tube, the Intense has a 1.5-inch head tube so customers can choose 1.125, 1.5 or tapered fork steerers. The bike also has full cable-housing routing and guides for remote-lever-adjustable seatposts, all of which are popular choices for the steeps near Intense's South Orange County, California, headquarters. But most of all, its suspension link has two travel settings that are easily changed with a 5mm hex key. The lower link, which is exposed to the elements most, receives a Zerk grease fitting for easy maintenance. The shorter-travel setting steepens the head angle and makes the Tracer feel decidedly racy, especially with the low stem and flat bar that came on our test bike. For the most part, we preferred the longer-travel setting for trail riding. The Tracer is a quick climber that remains comfortable and ultraresponsive on varied terrain and descents. Steber says Intense is already on pace to sell more Tracers than any other bike in its line. Based on how it rides, it's clear that it has the tools to make many riders happy. Tracer VP