The Intense Carbine 29 2018 on the trail.
Enough with numbers and theoretical nonsense! What really matters, and what we really want to know, is how the bike behaves on the trail! With 160 mm of travel, 29” wheels and its descent-oriented geometry, this bike was conceived for rowdy trail-shredding on rough terrain – and that’s what it does best! The handling feels comfortable and well-balanced, mainly due to the combination of a long top tube (reach 455 mm) and relatively long chainstays (445 mm). The Intense steams through corners like a train and keeps in control even in the roughest sections, responding with sensitivity and sending plenty of feedback with a pleasant final progression. As long as the stiff wheelset is replaced, this bike will make everyone happy, from the seasoned racer to the less experienced Sunday shredder. The crazy amount of carbon on the front-end makes long downhills painfully tiring and requires strong forearms.
The Carbine really feels at home on steep, rough descents. The big wheels made us feel comfortably anchored and in control of the bike even in the most difficult situations and cornering is just pure fun. The bike develops tons of traction in off-camber turns, only really narrow sections require a little bit of adjusting.
On climbs, the Intense failed to impress. The not-so-light weight is partly responsible for this, as is the shallow seat angle. At the beginning of our test we moved the saddle right to the front, still we felt like we were sitting above the rear-wheel. This truly sucks, especially on steep climbs. The traction the Carbine 29 generates is great.
Not even 15 rides into our test, and the Carbine 29 started creaking like mad even though all of the nuts and bolts were tight and all of the bearings properly greased. After a thorough clean and a tube of fresh grease, the problem was solved. However, some cosmetic damage appeared around the front shock-mount during the test. There is just not enough room between the shock and the shock-mount.
Our conclusions for the Intense Carbine 29 Factory
Thanks to its incredibly well designed rear-end and the superb downhill handling qualities, the Intense Carbine 29 Factory is an absolute cracker. Poor climbing abilities and a few frame details are the only true weaknesses of this beauty. Rationally speaking, there is no point in splashing out this sort of money, but if you’re after an expensive and flashy status-symbol, this is just the bike you were looking for. From a functional and practical point of view, in our opinion the Expert-Built-Kit is the most sensible option, but still not a bargain with a price-tag shy of € 6,000.
Strengths
- Superb downhill handling
- Top rear end performance
Weaknesses
- Sleepy on climbs
- Paint chips off around the shock mount
For more info head to: intensecycles.com!
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