Since I started looking at AM bikes I have heard about he greatness of Intense bikes. I was looking at the 6.6, but the price tag is a bit of a shock for someone who is new to the sport. I can afford one if I wait a couple of months, but am wondering if it would be worth it. Is there really that big of a difference from a Yeti 575 to a Intense 6.6 or 5.5? Can you really notice the difference in ride quality? I was told by a shop that you will feel less fatigued when riding a Intense bike, is this true?
Intense bike hype?
- Thread starter wetsponge007
- Start date
This is a pretty good read... http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=317908
I have a 6.6 and I concur with SOME of what is said in the above thread, but I still like the bike. I guess it really depends on how it is built up and what you use it for. I have not ridden a 575 or a 5.5 so sorry...
I have a 6.6 and I concur with SOME of what is said in the above thread, but I still like the bike. I guess it really depends on how it is built up and what you use it for. I have not ridden a 575 or a 5.5 so sorry...
You'll only feel less fatigued because you're wallet will be lighter.
Im very happy with my 6.6. At firdst i was looking at the nomad. Coming off of a Heckler which i loved I figured the Nomad was a logical choice. But due to wait times and impatience i never got it. Plus I demo'e one and It wasnt quite what I expected.
Then I demo'a a 6.6 and loved it. My LBS became a dealer and gave me a great price.. easily one of the best bikes I have ridden..
theres only one other that I really like and thats the Epiphany.. mostly because you can get that even lighter to 26lbs.. my 6.6 is at 31 and thats without any super light stuff on it..
you need to look at what you want to ride and your style of riding to see whats good for you.. Im tough on things.. at 6'2" 240lbs im a big guy that rides hard.. I feel the 6.6 will handle anything Im willing to throw at it...
Then I demo'a a 6.6 and loved it. My LBS became a dealer and gave me a great price.. easily one of the best bikes I have ridden..
theres only one other that I really like and thats the Epiphany.. mostly because you can get that even lighter to 26lbs.. my 6.6 is at 31 and thats without any super light stuff on it..
you need to look at what you want to ride and your style of riding to see whats good for you.. Im tough on things.. at 6'2" 240lbs im a big guy that rides hard.. I feel the 6.6 will handle anything Im willing to throw at it...
What's true is that you should walk FAR away from a shop that's telling you bizarre bull**** like that. They're treating you like an idiot; at best, they're fools, and at worst, con men.
And Intense makes nice bikes, but no better or worse than some others. It all comes down to what fits you, what you value (materially and immaterially), and what you simply like the most...that's what makes a bike worth the money. Intense isn't making a completely unique product with some kind of super-secret technology or construction. They are making hand-crafted, well-designed, American-produced bikes with nice finishes. (Or at least they were until a few years ago when I stopped paying so much attention to which companies were doing what...)
thanks for the insight, I was wondering what you guys/girls think about this, just got off the phone with a Jamis Dealer and he told me that Yeti is a horrible company and that they go in and out of business all the time, I always thought Yeti was big, is this guy nuts? I know he is trying to sell a Jamis so I tend not to believe what he is saying.
not true.
Yeti makes a nice bikes, and if you can test ride a 575 by all means do so before buying anything. Intense makes nice bikes too. I happen to prefer Turner. Any of these bikes will be more expensive than the Jamis, who coincidently also make a decent frame.
Bike shop owners are so full of ****. Every company they carry is the only good company and all others are untrustworthy and make crappy bikes.
Only trust what you read on the internet!
Only trust what you read on the internet!
If you're new to the sport, I suggest waiting a bit before throwing serious cash down on a bike. Buy something solid and well-spec'd like a Specialized Enduro or Giant Reign. Learn what works for you and what doesn't...test ride others' bikes at the trailheads or on the trails if you can, and after a year or three, you'll know a heck of a lot more about what your needs really are, and which high-end bike fits them best.
I've been dedicated to Intense bikes ever since I bought my first one back in 2000 or 2001. I would honestly have to say that they make the best bike in every segment they make bikes. There are lots of other good bikes and definitely other non-Intense bikes that I would like to have, but since I don't get bikes for free, I can't justify actually spending a significant amount of money on a bike that isn't the best.
So, basically, you're stuck on a brand name and have no real way to back up the complete bull**** statement that they "make the best bike in every segment they make bikes."
No one could back up that statement. It'd impossible, since "best" isn't in any way definable. And since fit is the most important part of a bike, and different brands fit different people differently. And since, say, Kidwoo, who's an incredible rider and doesn't brook bull****, sold his 6.6 for a Specialized Enduro, it should be noted that not everyone feels the way you do.
Saying that you like Intense bikes is perfectly fine and welcome input. Saying why you like them would be actually valuable. Saying that they're the best, especially without any exposition, is simply heaping more steaming **** in front of someone who needs real advice.
No one could back up that statement. It'd impossible, since "best" isn't in any way definable. And since fit is the most important part of a bike, and different brands fit different people differently. And since, say, Kidwoo, who's an incredible rider and doesn't brook bull****, sold his 6.6 for a Specialized Enduro, it should be noted that not everyone feels the way you do.
Saying that you like Intense bikes is perfectly fine and welcome input. Saying why you like them would be actually valuable. Saying that they're the best, especially without any exposition, is simply heaping more steaming **** in front of someone who needs real advice.
They fit me well and I like the way they handle, especially they're latest designs since they went to VPP and subsequently lowered the BB.
They've been durable.
They've got a good suspension design that despite the weight and dh/fr geometry, still pedals better than other xc/am bikes that I have ridden such as Ellsworth, Kona, RM, and C'dale.
2 of my Intense bikes are from the Horst Link era. They pedal and feel great, I can't say that the VPP is any better. VPP and the Horst Link are both really good.
Craftsmanship is top notch and the main reason I consider them to be better than similar bikes such as Santa Cruz and Specialized.
Disc Brakes actually bolt up to an Intense bike without having to use a ton of shims. I actually had to grind away 1/4" of material to mount up a rear disc on my old Ellsworth Truth.
They're the right size company to not cut corners on their frames, but they've got the ability to properly engineer a frame for strength and weight that most smaller brands don't have.
They have nice designs and look nice.
Fit is a personal thing, and often times the most important aspect of a bike. But disregard fit and there aren't many companies that put out a bike with as good of a design (this covers aesthetics, engineering, and craftsmanship) as Intense.
They've been durable.
They've got a good suspension design that despite the weight and dh/fr geometry, still pedals better than other xc/am bikes that I have ridden such as Ellsworth, Kona, RM, and C'dale.
2 of my Intense bikes are from the Horst Link era. They pedal and feel great, I can't say that the VPP is any better. VPP and the Horst Link are both really good.
Craftsmanship is top notch and the main reason I consider them to be better than similar bikes such as Santa Cruz and Specialized.
Disc Brakes actually bolt up to an Intense bike without having to use a ton of shims. I actually had to grind away 1/4" of material to mount up a rear disc on my old Ellsworth Truth.
They're the right size company to not cut corners on their frames, but they've got the ability to properly engineer a frame for strength and weight that most smaller brands don't have.
They have nice designs and look nice.
Fit is a personal thing, and often times the most important aspect of a bike. But disregard fit and there aren't many companies that put out a bike with as good of a design (this covers aesthetics, engineering, and craftsmanship) as Intense.
Wrong. Completely wrong. Pretty much every high-end company puts out something on par with, or possibly better than, Intense. Turner, Ventana, Santa Cruz, whatever. Even Specialized, these days.
What you've said in your post is that Intense makes solid, well-made bikes, but there's nothing there that makes them better than any other brand...just that they're good, and they make you happy.
Again, this is fine and it's great input, and I don't fault you for remaining loyal to a brand that makes you happy. But it's damaging to hyperbolize your happiness with them to say that they're somehow better than other bikes of their price range and type. This site shouldn't be about unsubstantiated fantasy; it should help give new riders real, solid advice. There's nothing that should make him think Intense is somehow a holy grail...it's just one of many options.
A couple of years ago I was in the market for a nice trail bike (something I could do everything with). I was absolutely in love with the 6.6 but tried to keep my mind open. In the end I had narrowed it down between the 6.6, nomad, and enduro. After spending some time riding them it was really really hard to justify the fact that the 6.6 frame cost what an entire Enduro Elite costs.
Just a thought though, if you have the money I think the 6.6 is absolutely badass...not sure about that whole 'less fatigued thing' however
Just a thought though, if you have the money I think the 6.6 is absolutely badass...not sure about that whole 'less fatigued thing' however
Well you can think that if you want, but the fit and finish, weld quality, tube manipulation, bearing and bearing carrier type and design, suspension designs used, and geometries is second to none.
Some other companies will have equivalent quality bikes in some of those categories, but not often in all of those areas. Santa Cruz is essentially the 'cheaper' Intense bike and back when Intense was licensing the FSR technology, Specialized was the cheaper version with Turner and Titus among others being the mid-upper range. Specialized has improved significantly in the past few years and now make better frames than most boutique frame makers. Turner took a step backwards when they dropped the horst link and went to a faux bar and while I like their DHR, I don't see it being better than a Socom as a lightweight race bike, or a Foes w/ Curnutt as a single pivot DH bike.
You're still spewing subjective, Internet-fueled nonsense. I especially like the "faux-bar" reference. You must be an MTBR guy from way back.
High end bikes are high end bikes. Finish, bearing, weld, and tube quality is great on all of them, and finishing is often done in the same place for multiple brands. Your anectodal declarations that they're better are insubstantial; there's simply no way to measure these things. Intense just uses uglier decals. Intense uses Santa Cruz developed, Outland-derived VPP or Specialized patented, Horst-designed suspensions. Geometry is better? Come on. That's a preference/fit issue.
Intense (and Foes) did innovate bike construction and tech, and all bike-dom owes them a debt for that...they really are an integral part of biking history. But so are many other companies.
It comes down to whether Intense tickles your ass when you see it and ride it. That's why you like it, and that's all that makes any bike better than any other, unless there's a particular material problem or advantage to be found in a certain model.
Me? I think they're generally hideous, and not particularly intriguing among the crowd of expensive rides. I'd be on a Turner DHR long before you found me on an M3. But Turner sure isn't the "best" bike, either.
Enough with the "best" crap already. I used it because at the time I didn't feel like explaining everything. In a sense, I was summarizing. I used best in a way that most people typically use it, but of course on the internet nothing can be the "best".
Faux bar is something that I've heard on this site and from one of my friends that rides a Transition.
If Intense's claims are true, then all of their manufacturing is made inhouse in the USA. I'd assume that Intense frames are not made alongside other brands.
I'd pay extra for that
The only time my Intense tickled my ass was uncomfortable at best. Rear tire, seat, genital area.....ouch town.
I've had an M1 and a Tracer. Loved the M1, Tracer was sweet too. I'd buy another one too, if the price was right. And thats the rub, they ain't cheap. But these days even Specialized is f**king expensive.
I think high end bikes will have an advantage over lower end or budget bikes.
But from a certain point the high end bikes are all equally good in their own way and then it comes down to personall preference.
Since your a beginner you probably wouldnt even notice the difference so I would just get a good used b ike or maybee something like a specialized like MikeD said.
When you have the experiance try and see what fits you best and then buy a ridiculasly expensive bike like most of us did and just have fun.
But from a certain point the high end bikes are all equally good in their own way and then it comes down to personall preference.
Since your a beginner you probably wouldnt even notice the difference so I would just get a good used b ike or maybee something like a specialized like MikeD said.
When you have the experiance try and see what fits you best and then buy a ridiculasly expensive bike like most of us did and just have fun.
My Surly tried that on me once at Noble Canyon...riding an Instigator with 24x3.0 Kujos (yeah, yeah, I know...it was that kind of year, sue me--actually, it was a fun desert bike) and got my ass way back on the really rocky pointy section. Butt hit the tire and I got pulled forward into the seatstay yoke, making me the pioneer of "junk braking." It's quite effective in stopping your bike, and your ride altogether for about 10 min while you recover. Luckily, I was way ahead of a group and no one knew. er, until now...I'd pay extra for that
The only time my Intense tickled my ass was uncomfortable at best. Rear tire, seat, genital area.....ouch town.
MikeD is 100% correct. Intense just did some really good marketing in 2000 by giving out a bunch of frames to pros so that lots of them were being ridden. That way the simple minded would think that "well if the pro's ride them, they have to be the best". But it's really because pro's are poor.
So that's how they got their reputation. (not that there's anything wrong with their bikes.)
But everyone knows that Iron Horse are the best because Sam HIll rides them. .
So that's how they got their reputation. (not that there's anything wrong with their bikes.)
But everyone knows that Iron Horse are the best because Sam HIll rides them. .
You shouldn't have said that...
I landed a jump that way once or twice...
Until you have years of riding experience there is very little chance you will really have a clue about 'good bikes', or to be more precise (and more importantly), will have really decided what a 'good bike' means for you.
I don't mean to be harsh, but reading what kids write about 'good bikes' sounds so lame to me now. I recognise the things I used to think in what newbie riders say, and I suppose it just a thing you have to get through. In the end a frame is just a bunch of metal. Components are just a bunch of metals and plastic too. Some of them suit you more and some don't.
'High end' stuff IS better, no doubt, but as I am constantly reminded when I meet groups of kids on the trial riding bikes I would consider 'below' me now, kids who are clearly having a great time - it doesn't really matter. What matters is getting out there.
I've been riding off road about 17 years, with a few gaps here and there, and bikes have changed a lot in that time. Yes they are better now. Yes there are good bikes and less good bikes. What amazes me now is the percentage of people who are convinced you can only ride certain trails on certain types of bike, or you need a certain quality of bike to ride a certain downhill. It's rubbish. We used to ride everything on rigid bikes, because you couldn't buy suspension. We might have ridden it a bit slower, but we still rode some gnarly ****. Just enjoy what you have. If the most important thing to you is the bike you are riding and it's perceived status, you are probably better off spending your money on cellphone or some other consumer BS. With that attitude one thing is for sure, you're going to be very embarrased when someone who actually likes to for riding's sake owns you on a cheaper bike. If that happens to you, you are very sad indeed.
I don't mean to be harsh, but reading what kids write about 'good bikes' sounds so lame to me now. I recognise the things I used to think in what newbie riders say, and I suppose it just a thing you have to get through. In the end a frame is just a bunch of metal. Components are just a bunch of metals and plastic too. Some of them suit you more and some don't.
'High end' stuff IS better, no doubt, but as I am constantly reminded when I meet groups of kids on the trial riding bikes I would consider 'below' me now, kids who are clearly having a great time - it doesn't really matter. What matters is getting out there.
I've been riding off road about 17 years, with a few gaps here and there, and bikes have changed a lot in that time. Yes they are better now. Yes there are good bikes and less good bikes. What amazes me now is the percentage of people who are convinced you can only ride certain trails on certain types of bike, or you need a certain quality of bike to ride a certain downhill. It's rubbish. We used to ride everything on rigid bikes, because you couldn't buy suspension. We might have ridden it a bit slower, but we still rode some gnarly ****. Just enjoy what you have. If the most important thing to you is the bike you are riding and it's perceived status, you are probably better off spending your money on cellphone or some other consumer BS. With that attitude one thing is for sure, you're going to be very embarrased when someone who actually likes to for riding's sake owns you on a cheaper bike. If that happens to you, you are very sad indeed.
i've been riding for years and i still haven't a clue what a good bike is....
The most common rhetoric you'll find among folk is, it matters little what brand you have under you as long as you're out riding. Develop preference as you go and get feedback from people you see out on the trail actually riding. That goes a long way.
Bikeys, tools in a tool box....
*edit*
That is until someone pays you to say different....
The most common rhetoric you'll find among folk is, it matters little what brand you have under you as long as you're out riding. Develop preference as you go and get feedback from people you see out on the trail actually riding. That goes a long way.
Bikeys, tools in a tool box....
*edit*
That is until someone pays you to say different....
Wrong
The year was 1997...I struck a deal with Intense to get mongoose riders Leigh Donovan and Brian Lopes on them, soon after Tomac followed suit, then everyone joined the party-Lisa Sher, Pistol Pete, Phil Tinstman, Palmer (he had his deal inked in 1996'), Cheri Elliot, numerous euros and tons of others...
Buy an Intense bike and you will be happy, but you have to take bikeshop talk with a grain of salt, the majority of them are clueless.
I'll follow up what I said with, having an Intense instead of another highend bike won't make you a better rider, that should be obvious, but someone just getting into the sport may think otherwise. At most it may make a 5-10% difference in what you are comfortable riding and how quick you will be overall. Compared to a budget bike though, the difference will be more significant. However, Intense is a brand that I have come to trust and I don't have to be concerned with spending several thousand on something that I may not end up liking. There are a lot of bikes that I haven't ridden, but of the ones that I have, no bikes of similar type have felt better than any of the Intense bikes of the time period. Including a tracer, uzzi slx, spider, 5.5, socom, and m3... except for a mid 90's m1 frame that I got in 2001, but it was outfitted w/ a risse air shock and severly outdated. It was probably comparitively nice when it was made. And as I've stated before, one of the main selling points is the design, build quality, and reliable performance that I know I will get with every Intense frame that I buy.
First of all, there is no "Best bike out there." There are many good ones, but one man's "best" doesn't necessarily mean somone else's best! It's all a preference thing. Intense does make some awesome bikes - and I'm not just saying that because I'm sponsored by them... (I ride an M3, 6.6 and a Tazer.)
There are some other great bikes out there also, just ride them and see which feels best to you.
Michael
There are some other great bikes out there also, just ride them and see which feels best to you.
Michael
I figured I had the year wrong....the rest is not THAT far off though is it? So the story goes....the one I heard anyway...was that Stebber was handing them out like candy (sort of), just to get "the word out" as it were. And it worked pretty well....
Never let the truth get in the way of a good story, I always say...
Never let the truth get in the way of a good story, I always say...