2023 Intense

SNIPER XC

Intense shows off an updated Sniper downcountry MTB with a pressed carbon linkage, plus a Recluse trail bike reboot as a 29er!

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The Intense Sniper T Expert costs £3,899.99, has 120mm travel front and rear and comes with a dropper post fitted as standard. But at 13.7kg, is it too heavy to find a spot among the best XC race bikes or the best down-country models? Intense Sniper T need to know Trail version of the Intense Sniper XC bike, with travel bumped up to 120mm front and rear Four frame sizes and three spec options Two colour choices Direct-sales model makes pricing competitive Intense has an obsession with guns and racing. And while the Californian brand is probably best known for shaping the development of downhill race bikes, it’s never been a stranger at the pointy end of XC racing. As such, the full carbon Sniper is synonymous with Lycra, shaved legs and going eye-wateringly fast. The twist here is that the Spider T shares the same DNA as the out-and-out race bike, albeit with some mutations that allow for a different gene expression. The burlier Fox 34 fork, 170mm Intense dropper post and the stubby 45mm stem all hint at a more cable, less narrow focused XC bike. Even the dual compound Maxxis Aggressor tyres look positively chunky when compared to the low-profile rubber the Canyon and Vitus in this test roll on. Is the Sniper T a modern down-county bike then? That sure seems like the aim here, even if Intense pegs it squarely in the XC category on its website. But we’re splitting hairs, as both versions of the Sniper share the exact same front triangle and carbon rocker link. The difference then, is that the T version gets a dual-strut rear triangle for increased stiffness and a 5mm longer stroke shock to boost travel by 20mm to 120mm. And unlike the other two bikes in this test, the Intense is not a flex stay design. Instead, it uses a counter-rotating twin-link design. And since parting ways with Santa Cruz on the VPP journey, Intense has put its unique twist on the suspension layout, with Intense founder and designer Jeff Steber’s initials now taking pride of place on the swingarm. Moving forward of the suspension, the frame has a super-low slung top tube, which allows the bike to disappear beneath the rider. It also has a tall seat mast, which works just fine on the pure XC version with a regular post or even a shorter dropper. Here, however, even with the lower section of the 170mm dropper post slammed in the frame, it gives a minimum saddle height of 765mm. That’s 15mm higher than we would normally run. Size wise, the Spider T comes in four flavours, small through to XL. But it’s clear from the very first pedal stroke that the front triangle was originally designed around a much longer stem than the 45mm supplied. In fact, if we dive into the numbers, the 456mm reach on the size L Spider T is pretty standard for XC, but it would normally be paired with a 70mm …Continue reading »

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An engaging, addictive ride quality that’s fast around the race course

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