Updated: Jeff Steber Teases High Pivot Intense Downhill Bike
Jeff Steber has posted a sneak peek at a new prototype Intense downhill bike that looks like it incorporates a high pivot suspension design
Although the carbon M29 is the current consumer offering from Intense, the Intense Factory Racing team have been racing on aluminium prototypes since the 2019 World Championships in Mont Sainte Anne. After that, a second, refined version of the M279 was raced by the team last year after being tested in the off season and now Jeff looks to be working on a new prototype hand crafted in California.
Previous Intense mullet prototypes built for Aaron Gwin (left) and Neko Mulally (right)
 | Phase 3 of a project that started 6 months ago with Intense Factory Racing with benchmarking and the start of the next gen IFR Dh rig , stay tuned more toys for the boys. |
This is not just a third attempt at a mullet set up though as it looks to us like this new bike might have a totally new kinematic built around a high pivot set up. Of course, we don't need to tell you that high pivots are all the rage at the moment... In fact, only three World Cups across the men and women's field were won by 'regular' pivot bikes with high pivots taking the remaining 11 rounds. The big clue that Jeff and the Intense Factory Racing Team are following suit comes from the unmistakable idlers and e13 chainguides in Jeff's post. What else would you use them for if not to counteract the adverse pedal kickback that is inherent to the design?
We can also see a pivot in the chainstay, which wasn't present in previous Intense prototypes, and hints that we could be looking at a design that similar to the new Trek Session or prototype Commencal Supreme. A bit of playing around with the levels on one of Jeff's stories also revealed a new front triangle with a straighter top tube and redesigned layout.
Jeff's stories revealed a rear triangle with a chainstay pivot and a new front end too
Aaron Gwin riding what we assume is a built up version of this bike.
We're expecting the team to hit the ground running in Lourdes with this bike so we probably won't have to wait too long to hear more about it. Jeff told us:
| This project started back mid race season 2021 with extensive benchmarking of what we felt were the top caliber winning bikes on the World Cup. It was narrowed down to three, two of those where high pivot configurations. The project also includes the addition of two sets of telemetry systems for testing and data. John Hall took on new role as Technical director as well as AG's mechanic and is the interface between team and Intense engineering. We came up with two different designs that we are prototyping and will vet them out this race season. The first one seen here and AG has been riding for past few months is the simpler design but has allowed us to learn more about High Pivot designs and specifically around a bike that is designed for basically going fast downhill. |
Author Info:
Member since Nov 14, 2018
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
It’s funny cause it’s true!
www.afflictionclothing.com/blogs/fast-times/how-to-roll-a-casual-rock-look
It would be waaaaaaaaay cooler to turn up at a gig wearing a three piece suit, and then perfectly bang out the lyrics to 'Goat Sodomy' by Impaled Nazerene.
Clothes for fakers and wannabes?
I don't understand all the hate for a brand that is still working to improve, still racing, still not owned by some massive investment house? Intense has so much history and is still making bikes on their own. Why all the hate???
They shifted production to Asia, lost all of their identity and heritage and consequently haven´t released a decent or relevant bike in ages.
They used to be a well loved brand with racing at its core. Now they´re an ebike manufacturer which for some odd reason does operate a WC dh-team.
These days they seem to only release endless prototypes, which all their ex riders report to be somewhat crappy designs. The fact that some promising and well liked young talents seem to have been somewhat shafted by the Intense team doesn´t help their case either.
I think most people hating on them would actually really like to see them return to former glory and are just disapointed at a core brand becoming irrelevant and a shadow of its former self.
I have had several Intense bikes over the years. When they changed up in 2010-2011 they were turning out some really good bikes. So it is very disappointing to see what they have be reduced to.
Kudos for your comment thought and hears to wishing for a better future for Intense
Yea 100%. I’ve owned several Intense over the years and loved every one.
But there has not been a single bike that interested me in the slightest since that OG primer. They used to be pioneers in geometry, now they are 5 years behind the curve.
The sniper is an XC bike.
It is nothing like the Spur / Tallboy / Ripley.
And the tallboy has been around for 10 years
Truly innovative and driven people, routinely walk away from wildly successful endeavoures to go do something else. why? to push themselves. That is what this type of person craves the most. not success as YOU judge it, but success as they judge it in their own minds. It takes a truly special person to have the guts and belief in self to walk away and go start over somewhere else.
TLDR: you don't understand the subject matter you are commenting on
At least you aren’t boring, I’ll give you that, you kinky bastard.
He walked away from being a barman and is now a man of leisure, he’s a truly ‘special person’ and is quite literally the Walter Mitty of PB.
@scstrails sure but don't all the coach analyse the match to see what was done wrong or right so they can teach their own team to make them better ? I just do it out loud here as I think it can be somewhat interesting as most people here believe marketing is just creating shitty standards and making adds to shove it down the throats of the more gulible.
So is that a tacit admission that you like it rough?
This just makes it all the more hilarious, you truly are a Walter Mitty, a total fantasist and you know it, it’s why you are so quick to tear into others and write the bile you do.
and I would argue with your assessment of "perfectly healthy". clearly this wasn't the case, due to the death and what not.
I guess you think some truckers honking their horns are neo-nazi fascists too, eh?
@wburnes:
@freeridejerk888:
Actual Eyes. Eyes were the source and actually being at windrock on a quiet weekday 2 months ago and followed by a shuttle to the top with the team and a chat with Gwin along the way.
You can believe whatever y’all want but just thought I’d share..
To a friend who beat it up and it’s still alive @dchill:
and
Neko´s bike ugly as hell?
Stop putting humps into the top tube, nobody's cramming a water bottle in there... it just looks dumb.
Secondly, what ever happened to the I-Beam saddle? This was by far the best option for mounting a saddle. It was cheap, it was light, and it looked good.