For our second installment of Pit Visits we catch up with Jeff Steber and the INTENSE CYCLES crew. If you recall we featured INTENSE CYCLES a couple months back as we got a glimpse behind the scenes.(FEATURE) When we visited with Jeff one of the questions we asked him was "What do you guys feel is the next major step forward for bike technology?"
Jeff told us the industry is going to make a big push for 650b. He said that unlike the 29er which hit the marketplace with very little manufacturing support for forks, tires, etc. The 650B is being developed and supported on a lot larger scale which could help it be accepted and integrated into the market more readily.
So was it a surprise when we spotted the Carbine 27.5 bike in their booth? Surprisingly, yes we were completely not prepared to see INTENSE showing two 650B models which they affectionately brand 27.5 . They also had a Tracer 27.5 on hand for people to demo and gawk at, and while we saw it around Sea Otter we never got up close with it.
Jeff told us the industry is going to make a big push for 650b. He said that unlike the 29er which hit the marketplace with very little manufacturing support for forks, tires, etc. The 650B is being developed and supported on a lot larger scale which could help it be accepted and integrated into the market more readily.
So was it a surprise when we spotted the Carbine 27.5 bike in their booth? Surprisingly, yes we were completely not prepared to see INTENSE showing two 650B models which they affectionately brand 27.5 . They also had a Tracer 27.5 on hand for people to demo and gawk at, and while we saw it around Sea Otter we never got up close with it.
INTENSE CARBINE 27.5 PROTOTYPE
When we visited the Temecula, Ca. headquarters in March we saw plenty of prototype bikes and Jeff mentioned things they were working on, but this was kept under complete wraps. As a testament to how efficient their processes are at INTENSE CYCLES these bikes came to life in a very short time frame. Jeff told us in March that as a Frame Builder and not just an owner, he could flesh out prototypes and concepts within days if he had inspiration for a design or revision to an existing model. That appears to be the case with the Carbine 27.5 which utilizes the replaceable G1 dropouts to accommodate the 27.5 inch wheel size. This is good new for any current Carbine owners wanting to test the 650b market as all you will need to do is replace the dropout and have access to a wheelset. We spoke with Johnny Flores at INTENSE CYCLES about how quickly the project came together and he commented " We employees had no knowledge these bikes existed till about a week ago, in preparation for Sea Otter."
Chances are that if you have called INTENSE CYCLES for assistance, you have spoken with Johnny Flores
 A Close-Up of the 27.5 version of the G1 Dropout |  These photos show the subtle but tasteful 27.5 branding |
The new models both sport slightly different geometry than their 26 inch counterparts. The Tracer 27.5 is all-new and offers 5.5in to 6in of adjustable travel, compared to the 26in-wheeled Tracer 2's 5.75in to 6.25in, a difference so slight it is negated by the benefits of the slightly larger wheel. Some of the new features for the Tracer 27.5 include cable routing for RockShox’s Stealth Reverb dropper post, a carbon upper shock linkage, and Intense's G1 replaceable dropout system. The Tracer 27.5 sports a 67° head angle while the Carbine HA increases 0.5° when switching the dropouts. giving it a 67.5° HA and increasing the BB height to 13.3in. Stay tuned for more information and visit INTENSE CYCLES website for more information or inquiries.
www.INTENSECYCLES.COM
www.INTENSECYCLES.COM
RSS Feed
