The most popular bike in the Intense lineup has been significantly improved for the 2011 season; they say "Technical trails will be bummed that you tamed them so easily" and when you consider the benefits of the already established 2nd gen VPP suspension platform in conjunction with the new frame specification it's easy to see why Jeff and the guys at Intense have so much faith in this bike... It surely must feature in everyones top 3 dream bike list!
Admittedly at a glance the bike doesn't look remarkably different from the previous incarnation, but the devil is truly in the detail here; Travel has increased slightly to either 5.75" or 6.25" (145 or 160mm) to take into account the emergence of longer travel forks, whilst the a full 1.5" headtube allows you to run any steerer variation or even a Cane Creek Angleset if you want to play around with the geometry. The rear triangle is now asymmetric, with a new yoke & lower link design for greater mud clearance and the 'boxstay' seatstay bridge for improved lateral stiffness, whilst also gaining the Intense G2 dropout system which uses precision CNC machined inserts to allow for different axle standards to be used (from the traditional 9mm QR to the latest Shimano 142x12mm E-Thru system) to ensure the bike is future-proof. Elsewhere there is a direct mount front mech, ISCG 05 mounts, new bearings with an EZ-Lock system, threaded zerk grease ports and a change to a 8.5 x 2.5" shock. The Tracer 2 is about as cutting edge as you can get, with everything you could possibly want from a trail bike underpinned by one of the best suspension platforms on the market today.
Frame: Easton tubeset with 2nd generation VPP suspension platform, adjustable travel: 5.5 - 6" (140-160mm), G2 interchangeable dropouts (9mm QR, 135x12, 142x12, X12), ISCG 05 mounts and full 1.5" headtube
Shock: Fox Float RP23 or Cane Creek Double Barrel (optional extra - please call for details)
Standard Colours (full range available for a surcharge): Gun Metal Black, Works Blue, Works Raw
What Mountain Bike Review
Score: 4 / 5
"Point the Tracer downhill and it literally tears itself out of your hands; you’ll ride it like an idiot... in its preferred habitat of pointy rocks you’re immediately reminded why it got a podium place at last year’s Megavalanche race in France, under French ripper Emmeline Ragot. The bike responds to trail bumps and rider movement like a wet bar of soap jammed between your hands. It just shoots forward, like your foot slipped off the clutch with a ton of revs up... you can see the time and workmanship put in to make each handmade frame. Yards of perfect ‘fish scale’ welds are proof that a skilled man spent serious time making each one."
