Bike Check: Chris Kovarik's Heavy Metal Intense M29
Jack Daniels and Coke, fish and chips, Mike Levy and UFO podcasts - some things are just meant to go together and Chris Kovarik and Intense is exactly one of those combinations. Karver has been paired with the Californian brand for 22 years, and to celebrate they collaborated on this custom-painted M29 that charts their history and points to their future too.
Painted by Fresh Paints of Whistler, this is more than just a cool paint job. It contains references to Crankworx Dirt Diaries, significant places in Chris' career and reminders of the dangers involved in competing at the highest level. It's an incredibly detailed piece of art, so if you want a more in-depth look at how it was painted, click here.
Another cool feature of the bike is Chris' build that isn't just an excuse to hang some expensive parts onto a custom frame but has been thought out to be functional and suit his riding around the Whistler bike park. All the details are below.
Painted by Fresh Paints of Whistler, this is more than just a cool paint job. It contains references to Crankworx Dirt Diaries, significant places in Chris' career and reminders of the dangers involved in competing at the highest level. It's an incredibly detailed piece of art, so if you want a more in-depth look at how it was painted, click here.
Another cool feature of the bike is Chris' build that isn't just an excuse to hang some expensive parts onto a custom frame but has been thought out to be functional and suit his riding around the Whistler bike park. All the details are below.
Rider Name // Chris Kovarik
Age: 43
Hometown: Whistler
Height: 183cm / 6'
Weight: 80 kg / 176 lb
Instagram: @chris_kovarik
Age: 43
Hometown: Whistler
Height: 183cm / 6'
Weight: 80 kg / 176 lb
Instagram: @chris_kovarik
Intense M29 details
Frame: Intense M29
Shock: Fox DHX2, 550 lb/in spring
Fork: Fox 40 Grip 2, 90 psi, 5 tokens
Wheels: e*thirteen LG1r, 29"
Tires: Maxxis Minion DHF: Front - 29x3.0", 15psi; Rear - 29x2.5", 28psi; Tubeless, no inserts
Drivetrain: SRAM XO DH 7 speed, O Chain Spider ring, e*thirteen LG1+ 164mm alloy cranks
Brakes: Magura MT7 HC3, 220mm rotors
Cockpit: Chromag Cutlass bars, 780mm wide, 35mm rise; Chromag BZA 50mm stem; Chromag Palm skin grips; Chromag Overture seat; Chromag Kovarik Dagga pedals
More info: intensecycles.com
Frame: Intense M29
Shock: Fox DHX2, 550 lb/in spring
Fork: Fox 40 Grip 2, 90 psi, 5 tokens
Wheels: e*thirteen LG1r, 29"
Tires: Maxxis Minion DHF: Front - 29x3.0", 15psi; Rear - 29x2.5", 28psi; Tubeless, no inserts
Drivetrain: SRAM XO DH 7 speed, O Chain Spider ring, e*thirteen LG1+ 164mm alloy cranks
Brakes: Magura MT7 HC3, 220mm rotors
Cockpit: Chromag Cutlass bars, 780mm wide, 35mm rise; Chromag BZA 50mm stem; Chromag Palm skin grips; Chromag Overture seat; Chromag Kovarik Dagga pedals
More info: intensecycles.com
 | I built the bike up not to have the best or most expensive parts but to be functional and have certain components match the frame and fork colors. |
Shred Til Ya Dead was a winning Dirt Diaries entry Chris rode in for Crankworx 2016 and it definitely fits the metal theme of this bike.
Chris says the skull graveyard represents, "a reminder of how crazy our sport is on the limit, and you could end up there," which is about as heavy as all the bands featured combined.
Chris is running Fox suspension front and rear. His fork is pressurized to 90psi with 5 tokens.
Even Chris' Fox 550lb/in spring has had a new lick of paint.
A beefy 3" front tire inflated to 15psi sits on a 29" e*thirteen LG1r wheel. The rear wheel has a more regular 2.5" tire with 28psi. The chequered flag at the bottom of the fork leg represents Chris' World Cup wins and there are more flags on the downtube for California, Australia, and Whistler.
Chris ran 800mm bars in previous seasons but has wound it back to 780mm this year. He says the narrower bar allows him to ride more playfully and move around the bike more.
The brakes are Magura's MT7s with 220mm rotors. The STFU Cable Slider is another cool touch that is designed to stop front brake cables rattling against race plates.
If you have a signature pair of pedals, of course you're going to ride them.
The O-Chain spider is starting to appear on a lot of racers' bikes as it's claimed to reduce pedal kickback.
Here's to another 22 years.
The fun doesn't stop with the frame and Chris also has a fully custom matching helmet from Fox.
Author Info:
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Had to read that like four times.
Sic bike
Would have been next level to make the frame an actual rusty metal steel frame. Lol
Not to mention the band’s AC/DC, Rob Zombie etc aren’t really heavy metal. Light metal, as the frame, maybe. Haha
Let’s see steel and iron build materials with names like The Iron Son, Ice Nine Kills, Darkest Hour and As I Lay Dying… then I’ll fully agree to heavy metal. Lol
Pssssht, semantics.
I'm confused though because in America we don't do our bicycles like that. I thought Canada was the same, but maybe not. I'm not really sure where he's from anyway. Thanks.