REVIEWED:
Intense Tracer 275 Carbon
WORDS: R. Cunningham
IMAGES: Greg Lambert
Well over a decade ago, I had the opportunity to test the first Tracer that Intense manufactured in its Temecula, California, factory. Decked out in red, the TIG-welded aluminum chassis had the prototypical elements of the bikes we ride today: an active, four-bar linkage-driven suspension, exaggerated stand-over clearance, additional suspension travel, and its geometry was happily more aggressive than the upright, unwieldy XC clones of the time. On trail, the Tracer seemed like it could do anything and in test trials, every rider who threw a leg over it jumped to the front of the group. We joked that the Tracer was a magic bike. Intense re-released the aluminum Tracer a few years back, with nearly double the suspension travel, up-to-date frame geometry and 27.5-inch wheels - and when it began chalking up rave reviews, the question on the tip of every Intenisto's tongue was: “When will you make a carbon version?” Well, here it is:Meet the Intense Tracer 275 CThe Tracer 275 C is the fifth carbon fiber chassis to emerge from the brain trust at Intense Cycles and it is as stunning to see in the flesh as it is to ride. Designed in conjunction with the composite specialists at Seed Engineering, the Tracer 275's lines closely follow the original TIG-welded aluminum model, with plenty of stand-over clearance, dual-link VPP suspension and super-strong oversized frame tubes. Rendered in carbon, the Tracer looks integrated and purposeful - more like a weapon than a bicycle. Rear suspension travel can be switched from 160 to 140 millimeters without affecting the frame geometry, and the 5.7-pound chassis has all the important features that a hard-charging trail rider or enduro competitor needs: ISCG mounts, internal and external dropper post routing, a direct-mount front derailleur option and a taper-locking, 12-millimeter through axle.
What you can't see, though, may be the most important aspects of the Tracer 275 C – updated, more aggressive frame geometry that is optimized to fully exploit its mid-sized wheels, and suspension rate curves, perfected for the long-travel trailbike role by three generations of on-the-ground VPP development. Intense offers the Tracer 275 C in small, medium or large sizes, and in red or bare carbon colorways. The frame with a RockShox Monarch RC3 Plus shock retails for $3199, and three complete builds are offered: the $9999 Factory model tested here, with SRAM XX1, RockShox suspension and Enve carbon wheels; the $6599 Pro model, with SRAM X01. RockShox suspension and DT Swiss wheels; and the $5999 Expert model with Shimano XT, Fox suspension and Stan's ZTR EX wheels. Our medium-sized Factory build Tracer weighed 27.54 pounds
(12.52kg) with the $325 Cane Creek DB CS air-shock option.
Details:• Purpose: all-mountain/trail and enduro competition
• Frame: high-modulus carbon construction swingarm and front section, 160mm travel VPP suspension, ISCG mounts
• Wheels: 27.5” Enve AM carbon, DT 240 hubs
• Fork: RockShox Pike RCT3 160mm travel
• Shock:
(Option) Cane Creek Double Barrel Air CS
(standard: RockShox Monarch RC2 Plus) • Travel options: 160mm/140mm
• Drivetrain: SRAM XX1
• Brakes: Shimano XTR ICE, 180mm rotors
• Seatpost: RockShox Reverb Stealth
• Sizes: Small, Medium
(tested), Large
• Weight: 27.54 pounds
(12.52kg, medium, Factory build)• MSRP: $10,324 as-tested
• Contact:
Intense Cycles
ConstructionBorn simultaneously on three continents, the Tracer 275 C's carbon frame and swingarm were conceptualized by Intense, then handed off to the brains at
Seed Engineering in Frieburg, Germany, where the Tracer's iconic profile and VPP suspension hard-points were morphed into steel molds and intricate carbon layup schedules. The manufacturer is an elite Taiwan composite firm that uses molded bladders to produce highly compacted unidirectional carbon parts, which emerge from the molds in a nearly finished state. Carbon swingarms and front-sections then travel back to the Intense factory in Temecula, where they are assembled using aluminum linkages and dedicated hardware that are CNC-machined on site.
| Manufacturing the linkage hardware and assembling the frames here is more expensive and time consuming than having it all made over there, but it gives Intense more control over the final product. We can catch potential problems early in the game, or make running changes when we find something that we can improve. - Jeff Steber: Founder, Intense Cycles |
Adjustable Pivot bearings: Adjusting the sealed ball bearings at each rocker pivot location is made possible by a threaded hex fitting that is locked by a tapered collet inside the aluminum pivot axles. The lower link has Zirk-type fittings which allow Tracer owners to purge possible contamination and lubricate the rocker bearings there.
Internal cable routing. Cables and housings are routed through the downtube. The rear derailleur cable continues through the right chainstay. The dropper seatpost, however, is routed externally on the downtube, after which, it enters a port in the lower seat tube. Full-length housing uncomplicates assembly and ensures that crud will only have two access points to the cable.
Press-in BB: Intense chose a press-in-type bottom bracket, because the 92-millimeter bearing spacing allows the frame members to be significantly wider and thus, much stiffer in the critical bottom bracket area.
Clearance issues: Careful consideration was given to address the Tracer's stand-over clearance, which at its lowest point is a class-leading, 28 inches. More important, may be that the top-tube shock position provides space for reservoir-type shocks – which will most certainly be the preferred option for a 160-millimeter AM/trailbike. On the flip-side of the clearance issue is that there is barely a finger's width of tire clearance between the 2.3-inch Maxxis High Roller II and the Tracer's lower VPP rocker. For most riders, this may not be an issue, but woe to those who ride where mud sticks to the tires, because the combination of the VPP suspension's swingarm yoke and lower rocker form a perfect platform for collecting the stuff and feeding it into the spinning tire.
Overall Construction: The finish and quality of the Tracer we tested was at the top of the industry's carbon standards – and the 275 C frame is well executed in the detail department as well. Thick rock and chain protectors are installed on the downtube and right chainstay, and the reinforced lower rocker link drops below the front sprocket, acting as a sort of chainring protector. ISCG 05 mounts are included, should you need extra chain retention and in the rear, Intense uses a tapered end on the left-side of the Tracer's aluminum through-axle for additional security. For those who insist on a front mech, there is a fixed boss, molded to the seat tube for that purpose.
Numbers: Intense stated that the Tracer 275 C had a slightly lower bottom bracket than its aluminum predecessor, but the alloy Tracer's published BB height is 13.3 inches, and the Intense specs as well as our measurement confirms that the carbon Tracer's is slightly taller at 13.5 inches. The most important measurement, however, is bottom bracket drop, and in this case, the carbon Tracer, with its 27.5-inch wheels still manages to keep the BB axle center a half inch below the wheel axles, which is a powerful stabilizing force that is not available to 26-inch-wheel designs. Up front, the carbon Tracer's head angle is 66.5 - a full degree slacker than the alloy version, and the effective seat tube angle has been increased to assist climbing and pedaling effectiveness. The actual seat tube angle is 70.5 degrees, which helps move the saddle back to make room in the cockpit for taller riders. Measured through the bottom bracket center to the top of the seatpost, however, the effective seat angle hovers around 74 degrees, depending upon saddle height. The new Tracer's 17-inch chainstay length and 23-inch top tube
(medium size) numbers are unchanged.
SuspensionCane Creek's Double Barrel Air CS shock is a $325 upcharge from the Factory Build's standard RockShox Monarch damper, but the DB Air is the soul mate to the Tracer 275C's 160-millimeter-stroke Pike RCT3 fork. The chubby Cane Creek damper does not fit in the confines of many suspension designs, but there is plenty of room for it in the Tracer's front triangle. The carbon Tracer gets an increase from 150 to 160 millimeters of travel, and like its sibling, there are two shock-mount locations on the VPP suspension's upper rocker – the upper, for 160 and the lower one for 140 millimeters of rear-wheel travel.
Smooth setup: The Tracer's mission dictates smooth suspension performance through its entire speed range, which is considerably wide. The VPP linkage does not seem to have a dramatic rate change on either end of its stroke, which, when coupled with the velvety feeling DB Air shock dictates that its rider have and use pedaling aids. The fork, not so much, because it is unweighted on the steepest climbs and, because the Tracer 275 C prefers a slightly stiffer fork setup. In the case of the DB Air, however, the “Climb Switch” is a must-have to firm up the tail end when the shock is set to its optimal, 30-percent sag. In the case of both shock and fork, the fact that the Tracer has 160 millimeters of travel means that, unlike shorter-travel bikes, to get the most performance, attention should be given to both high and low-speed damping adjustments.
Tracer 275 C Factory Build
Specifications
|
Release Date
|
2014 |
|
Price
|
$9999 |
|
Travel |
160mm |
|
Rear Shock |
Cane Creek DB CT (RockShox Monarch Plus RC3 standard |
|
Fork |
RockShox Pike RCT3 160mm |
|
Headset |
Cane Creek 40 |
|
Cassette |
SRAM XX1 11-speed |
|
Crankarms |
SRAM XX1 carbon, 32T chainring |
|
Chainguide |
NA |
|
Bottom Bracket |
SRAM press-fit BB 93 |
|
Pedals |
NA |
|
Rear Derailleur |
SRAM XX1 |
|
Chain |
SRAM XX1 |
|
Front Derailleur |
NA |
|
Shifter Pods |
SRAM XX1 |
|
Handlebar |
Renthal fatbar Lite Carbon |
|
Stem |
Renthal Duo 50mm |
|
Grips |
Intense lock-on |
|
Brakes |
Shimano XTR Trail ICE, 180mm rotors |
|
Wheelset |
Enve AM carbon |
|
Hubs |
DT Swiss 240 |
|
Spokes |
Dt Swiss Competition |
|
Rim |
Enve AM Carbon |
|
Tires |
Maxxis High Roller II 2.3" |
|
Seat |
Intense Logo |
|
Seatpost |
RockShox Reverb Stealth |
|